Terminology: Chest clip vs. Retainer clip

christineka

New member
I've always known the clip to be a "chest clip". That's what we call it here and I think that's what it says in the car seat manuals, though I could be wrong. In cpst class, the instructors insisted it was called a "retainer clip". I like "chest clip" because it tells where to place the clip. "Retainer clip" sounds like the clip actually retains the child, but it doesn't. Which do you prefer? If you're a cpst, when you speak to parents about the clip and where it should be placed, what do you call it?
 
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Mae

Well-known member
I call it a chest clip when talking to parents, and I point out that you don't want it to be a "belly clip". IMO, it gets to their brains better than "you want this harness retaining clip to be in line with the armpits, rather than on the belly". :twocents:

I'll usually say something like, "This here is the retaining clip, or the chest clip. It's called the chest clip because you want it to be on the chest, in line with the armpits. You never want it to be a belly clip ... blah blah blah". Then I keep going and elaborate on why it's bad to have it as a belly clip.

I was made to call it a harness retaining clip in my class, too. Drove me nuts! In our scenarios that we had to point out what was wrong, I wrote, "Dummy has a belly clip" and she got on my butt about it. :eek:
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
I say chest clip because it's more descriptive. Manuals often call it the Retainer Clip or Harness Retainer.

eta: of the ones I have at my fingertips-

Dorel = Harness Retainer
Britax = Chest Clip
SKJP = Harness Clip
Combi = Chest Clip
Recaro = Chest Clip
Chicco = Chest Clip
 
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Judi

CPST/Firefighter
I call it chest clip and show that it should be in tickle zone. (which is the arm pits)
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Chest clip.

One of the worst is 'Harness Tie' (Graco)...like, bow tie? Should I choke my kid with it?

Yeah, retainer really irks me, because it gives no hint as to the proper location, and it makes me think of the pink wiry thing I had to wear in my mouth for a couple years :p
 

mish

New member
One of the worst is 'Harness Tie' (Graco)...like, bow tie? Should I choke my kid with it?

Only if you are on a really long trip and they are being particularly bratty :p

I use chest clip. I think parents have enough to worry about with a car seat and I'm not going to confuse them by using retainer clip. Chest clip is easy and demonstrates where it is supposed to be.
 

MonkeysMom615

New member
I say chest clip. They got on my butt about it in class too and kept "correcting" me that it's a retainer clip. :insert eyeroll here: But when I'm doing checks (and in general) I say chest clip to parents b/c (like as others have said) they're more likely to get that.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org
 

tarabelle

New member
Our course stressed "retainer clip" but when I asked the instructors about it they said use the terminology that parents are most apt to recognize, in this case "Chest clip"
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
I call it a retainer clip because it should always be at retainer level.

Oh, wait...

:p

Maybe we should call it a nipple clip? :duck:

I think sometimes we (not necessarily US, but technical people in general) get too hung up on the proper names of things. Yes, it can be helpful when talking to other professionals, but some of it is unnecessary or downright confusing to a parent.

Like if you don't know any better and hear "splitter plate," I don't think the splitter plate (or the harness yoke :rolleyes:) is going to be what you envision. "Metal doohicky at the back of the seat that holds the ends of the harness" is more descriptive.

Even telling a parent that a forward-facing seat that turns into a booster is called a combination seat...do they really need to know that? Even if they walk into a store and announce, "I want a combination seat!" the person helping them probably won't have any idea what that means.
 

canadiangie

New member
nipple clipple? Nip clip?

:p

(I say chest clip, I keep things as simple as possible)

I call it a retainer clip because it should always be at retainer level.

Oh, wait...

:p

Maybe we should call it a nipple clip? :duck:

I think sometimes we (not necessarily US, but technical people in general) get too hung up on the proper names of things. Yes, it can be helpful when talking to other professionals, but some of it is unnecessary or downright confusing to a parent.

Like if you don't know any better and hear "splitter plate," I don't think the splitter plate (or the harness yoke :rolleyes:) is going to be what you envision. "Metal doohicky at the back of the seat that holds the ends of the harness" is more descriptive.

Even telling a parent that a forward-facing seat that turns into a booster is called a combination seat...do they really need to know that? Even if they walk into a store and announce, "I want a combination seat!" the person helping them probably won't have any idea what that means.
 

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Chest clip. We teach the term "harness retainer clip" or some such idiocy in class (whatever is in the curriculum because that's the term they're tested on), then remind them to speak parentese, which is "chest clip."
 

SusanMae

Senior Community Member
I use chest clip as well.

If I'm remembering correctly---the reason that it's called a retainer clip in the curriculum is because on things like the 86Y the clip is actually closer to the seat belt to keep the shoulder harness from spreading and going towards the hip.

Susan
 

Kac

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Chest clip. My instructors called it a retainer clip, but they didn't correct me when I said chest clip.
 

flipper68

Senior Community Member
I don't think I use either :shrug-shoulders:.

It's just "clip" or "Fasten this. Make sure it's at armpit level." If it's one that has the "illustration," I'll point that out as well.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
My instructors mentioned retainer but said that they preferred chest clip because it's a smaller, easier word, it goes on the chest, and doesn't hold the child in. I concur. ;)
 

CommMom

Senior Community Member
I think it was discussed as a retainer clip based on the cirruculum, but I don't think they made us call it that. At least I don't remember getting in trouble for referring to it as a chest clip, lol.

In practice, I call it a chest clip when I talk about it.
 

eyeslkethesky5391

Senior Community Member
Its ok because my instructors told everyone that the youngest child should be in the middle not the least protected...i had one of my classmates arguing with me over it today when helping a family at a check today
 
Like JOOLS said, my instructors shoved retainer clip down our throats because that's what's in the curriculum. But once we were out installing for the check they were just fine w/ us saying chest clip. Sure they still listened to see if we said retainer clip first, but as long as parents were told where the darn clip goes they were fine.
 

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