When do you tighten the tether of a RFing seat?

When do you tighten the tether on a RFing seat?

  • Before child sits in it

    Votes: 16 69.6%
  • After child sits in it

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Both before and after

    Votes: 7 30.4%

  • Total voters
    23
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canadiangie

New member
You are using the tether rear facing on your Signo?

I'm guessing your siggie needs updating. ;)

Anyway, quite honestly this only happens with the Radian and I will snug it back up (with kid in seat) a few times and then I just give in and re-install it more upright, again. Rinse... Repeat...
 

JerseyGirl'sMama

New member
No, I noticed it with the radian. DD is in the RN this week since we're carpooling another child. I didn't know this only happens with the RN.

To clarify - the Signo does not allow for RF tethering. PP just asked to make sure I wasn't using it incorrectly.
 

Pixels

New member
My seat is braced, so it doesn't make a difference.

After my vehicle seat cushions became so compressed that the previously-fine Radian overrotated, I'm not a fan of keeping any more pressure on the cushions than is necessary. Having the tether an inch or two tighter isn't going to make a significant difference in crash dynamics, so I would not tighten with child in the seat.
 

rodentranger

New member
I tighten to snug before the child sits in it. If significant slack is introduced with the child's weight, I will snug again.
 

monica-m

CPST Instructor
I tighten to snug before the child sits in it. If significant slack is introduced with the child's weight, I will snug again.

:yeahthat:

I had to tighten again when I noticed slack after DS rode in his Coccoro. I have not noticed slack since them.
 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter
I do before, but have no issue with tightening after also with a radian. I should start doing that.
 

JerseyGirl'sMama

New member
Pixels said:
My seat is braced, so it doesn't make a difference.

After my vehicle seat cushions became so compressed that the previously-fine Radian overrotated, I'm not a fan of keeping any more pressure on the cushions than is necessary. Having the tether an inch or two tighter isn't going to make a significant difference in crash dynamics, so I would not tighten with child in the seat.

This is where I need help understanding. If the manual says to tighten the tether so there is no slack, then why is it ok to leave slack when the child is in the seat?
 

Pixels

New member
Think about crash dynamics. In the first phase, the seat rotates downward. At this time, a lot of slack is developing in your previously-tight tether. During rebound, the seat rotates back up until the tether goes taut. If you have no slack in the tether with the child in the seat before the crash, it'll stop rebounding when the seat gets back to that point. If there was a tiny bit of slack in the tether (due to the weight of the child), the seat will stop rebounding when it uses up that tiny additional bit of slack. We're talking what, an extra inch of movement? Either way, the seat is coming up from a downward rotation, where there is significant slack in the tether, and jerking to a stop when the seat gets to the end of its "rope."

If it's a vehicle with very sloped seats and there is no real danger that the seat will compress the seat cushions to the point where the seat is no longer compatible, then I wouldn't worry about it so much. In my vehicle, with my seat, over about a year the Radian went from an easy 40 degrees to just barely 45 (as in, I had to work my tookus off to get it up to 45).
 

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