Am I the only one not bothered by rear adjust infant seats?

Suzibeck · Jul 10, 2007

I've never used a front adjust one, so maybe I just don't know what I'm missing. I figure it isn't worth the extra$$ for front adjust since I adjust the harness while it is out of the car anyway. For a seat that stays installed in the car, a front adjustor is essential, but for an infant seat that comes out with the baby, is it really that big of deal?

all together ooky · Jul 10, 2007

I have both. I definitely prefer the front adjuster. It's so easy to loosen the straps to put the baby in or take out and then tighten back up when they are in it. Babies grow so fast that you need to adjust the straps very often.

With the rear-adjuster it was harder the get each shoulder strap the same length. And it just takes longer. I also fear that since it does take more time and is harder to adjust that people won't take the time to adjust them properly.

natysr · Jul 10, 2007

See, I always thought that adjusting the harness on an infant seat would be easier if it was in the rear. That way, you just reach behind the carseat (once it is locked in the base) and pull on the straps. That is easier to me than trying to pull a strap in the front and pulling toward the vehicle seatback. (even for me when I tighten the harness outside of the car, I always tighten it again when putting the seat in to car).

But...that was all in theory when I was shopping for an infant seat.

After I got a rear adjusting infant seat (and a cruddy one at that) I had the designer 22. I had trouble keeping the harness tight. I would pull it, but then it would pull itself back out and be loose again. Also, there was no yoke that held the two harness straps together and secure. This was the only infant seat I had ever used, and even though I didn't feel good about it, I didn't complain about it. Turns out about 8 months later, they recalled the seat because of this very issue.

Now, I can see that i would much rather a front adjuster because of the way it works. the two harness straps are held together securly on a yoke which is attached to 1 adjustment strap that is fed through the front of the seat....at least then I know that even if the adjuster strap itself were to fail, the harness may come loose, but at least the harness strap would not be free to just pull completely out of the seat.

cpsaddict · Jul 10, 2007

Well, some rear adjusters are ok, but the Graco ones are awful. My friend used one and everytime we tried to put the baby in, we had to squeeze her arms through the straps. Why not just loosen them inside, you say? Because it was really difficult to pull slack through the adjusters to loosen it. I am very adept at working car seats and I thought those two adjuster straps were ridiculously hard to do. This got even harder when they moved the straps up to the highest position. I don't mind Evenflo rear adjusters, but the Graco and some of the Cosco ones are about impossible to do quickly. The baby was usually screaming by the time we got her in and buckled. What a pain!

Suzibeck · Jul 10, 2007

I guess I just didn't know any better. I had a 3pt On My Way for my first two so that was easy, not as safe but there were very few 5pt, if any, back in 1996.

With my last, I had a Snugride and while a front adjustor would have been easier, I didn't find the double back ones too hard. I usually loosened and tightened each time, until she was bigger and put her own arms in. She was past a year when she outgrew the Snugride. I just really didn't find it that hard for a seat that would be used for such a short time. I didn't know when I bought it that it would last us so long, my other two were over 20lbs at 6 mos.

If we ever have another, I'll have to see about getting a font adjust. But, if it were to happen before my sil's Snugrides expire, I would borrow hers and they are both back adjustors. I may never know the joys of a front adjust infant seat.

Michi · Jul 10, 2007

I didn't mind them at all!
I had an "On My Way" too! I thought (at the time) it was a great seat, and like you said...easy enough to adjust once it was on the base. My first two kids used it.
Then we bought a Graco Snugride for my 3rd that had a front adjuster. Out of all of our infant carseats, it was probably my least favorite.
For our 4th child, I bought the Eddie Bauer Designer 22 (and went back to a rear adjuster). I loved that seat!

UlrikeDG · Jul 10, 2007

For me, it's not the location but the style of adjuster. Generally speaking, the rear adjusters also tend to be the harder to use adjusters.

However, it's not nearly as critical that the seat have a front adjuster when rear facing as it is for front facing. IMO, it should be illegal to sell a front facing seat with a rear adjuster!

Suzibeck · Jul 10, 2007

UlrikeDG said:
IMO, it should be illegal to sell a front facing seat with a rear adjuster!

:thumbsup: ITA!

lovinwaves · Jul 10, 2007

I had a rear-adjusting Graco, and had no problems with it

I would buy another one in a hearbeat if that meant saving a significant amount of money.

Michi · Jul 10, 2007

Yeah - a front facing seat would be a whole 'nother story!!!
That would pretty much stink!

joolsplus3 · Jul 10, 2007

I think you just don't know what you're missing

. Parents who don't care about tightness don't care what they are missing... but I always found when I'd try to tighten up my friend's baby in his SR, I'd be tipping him forward and it was just a big ol' pain to deal with compared to just tugging the strap on the front...

tarynsmum · Jul 10, 2007

Yeah, maybe it's just me, but I feel like I can't do a great job tightening the rear-adjuster ones with a baby already in the seat (which is the whole point). Like Julie said, I feel like I'm tipping it forward, and half the time the canopy is in the way (especially by the 8th month or so, when it doesn't really snap back like it used to).

didymama · Jul 10, 2007

nope i liked mine. then you aren't tempted to keep it too loose by changing it all the time.

singingpond · Jul 11, 2007

I have a rear-adjust Snugride that I used several years ago for DS#2, and am using again now for DD. I don't mind it; although it is not the easiest to use off the bat, it does get quicker/easier with practice. I can now loosen the straps in the back pretty easily, usually without even looking (definitely NOT something I could do when first using the seat). To tighten securely is more of a pain, as I find I have to pull the slack in the strap through the slot in the back of the shell, and then tighten up at the adjuster/clip. Pulling up the slack is harder with the harness in the top position because it's hard to get hold of that little bit of strap between the slot and the clip. And, I guess I usually do just put the baby in and carefully fiddle the arms through the (unloosened) straps, and then check for tightness (don't loosen/retighten with every use).

Hmmm... as I describe it, it's beginning to sound like it really is a pain to use

I just don't perceive it that way, for some reason.

I actually have a nice front-adjust Snugride sitting around (bought it locally off ebay -- I wanted an extra base for our second car, and the seat sort of came with it at no extra cost, from my point of view). I really should try the baby in it, to see how much better the front adjuster is, before she grows out of the Snugride entirely. When we headed to the hospital for DD's birth, I just grabbed our old familiar rear-adjust SR, and have been using it since. Always meant to try the front-adjust, but now (at 3 1/2 mo.) DD is about to outgrow the seat anyway.

Oh, and I am aware of the warnings about buying used seats on ebay or Craigslist... but that's a different discussion...

Katrin

arly1983 · Jul 11, 2007

I had a rear adjust snugride with Jackson and don't remember being bothered by it....but then he outgrew it at 3.5 months so....

Suzibeck · Jul 11, 2007

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I guess it kind of bothers me when people say to be sure to get a front adjust infant seat. I can see cautioning people to stay away from the rear adjust treasured cargo, but with an infant seat I'd rather see it put that the front adjust is easier. For me, on a tight budget, I wouldn't spend the extra money on a front adjust infant seat, but I would spend the extra on a front adjust ff seat. I see the ff seat as essential for having a front adjust, but not the infant. But, if I had come on this board and heard "Be sure to get the kind with the front adjuster." I may wonder if it was a safety issue. Of course, one should ask, but not everyone will.

Just my :twocents:

joolsplus3 · Jul 11, 2007

My point is to be a consumer advocate, though... seriously I don't know why rear-adjust *anything* is allowed on the market, and if the government keeps allowing it, then the only hope is to get people to vote with their dollars.

Victorious4 · Jul 11, 2007

Exactly + IMO, it's the rear adjust seats that are too often much too loose....

twokidstwodogs · Jul 11, 2007

papooses said:
Exactly + IMO, it's the rear adjust seats that are too often much too loose....

That would be my fear. It can be such a pain to get an infant into a harness that is already properly tightened. I would worry that people would make it loose enough to get the child in, and then not bother to tighten it. When the harness tightener is right there, it's so easy to get the proper fit. My girls disliked the infant carseat and so I tended to leave it in the car while shopping, putting them in a sling instead. So a rear adjust would have been much more of an annoyance.

Suzibeck · Jul 11, 2007

I get what you are saying, about the harness being too loose, but you see very loose harnesses on front adjust ff seats all the time too, so I don't know how much difference it would make irl. My kids were always so tight people told me I had them too tight. I still get that with my remaining harnessed child as do many of you, I know.

Admittedly, I have not compared prices in a while. Is the price difference between front and back adjust seats less now? When I bought my snugride, over 5 years ago now, there was a huge difference and I just couldn't justify spending a lot more for convienence. If they have, or can get, the price down on front adjust, then I'm all for it. In reality, it can't cost much more to make them. When I was looking, all the front adjust seats were more plush as well so that explains the higher price tag. I hope that has changed/is changing. Guess I need to go look at infants seats, just to do it.

Am I the only one not bothered by rear adjust infant seats?

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