Booster or 5 point

S

Steve

Guest
My 4 year old daughter is 37 pounds. She is in a Alpha Omega convertable seat ( I hate this seat - the straps get twisted ALL the time). Any tips on keeping the straps from twisting? Is it dangerous to use it with the straps twisted? Should I switch her to a booster yet?
Thanks
 
ADS

bazanna

Senior Community Member
At 4, she may be mature enough to put her in a booster. Every child is different. Most techs here like to see kids stay harnessed until 5 or so and I'm inclined to agree. That said, I work with another tech here in Oregon who regularly puts 41-pound kids under the age of 2 in boosters and teaches them how to buckle themselves, stay safe, etc. So there are lots and LOTS of differing opinions on the topic.

If she is 4 and still in the AO, it's possible she is getting too tall for the harness since that seat tends to have short top slots. The very top harness slot on the AO must not be used. So, are her shoulders at or below the 2nd from the top slots? If that is the case, then she's still within the limits of the harness on the seat and you really should continue to use the harness. A 5 pt harness is MUCH safer than a lap/shoulder combination with a booster.

Keeping the straps flat....Cosco has a new chest retainer clip that helps keep the straps flat, you might try calling them and asking for it (I'm guessing since your dd is 4, you probably have the older clip). They have been known to send them out for free, along with a new set of harness straps if you complain loudly enough. If you don't get a new harness, what I tell people to do is take them out (make sure you can reinstall them properly though....LOL! A digicam really helps with this task), launder them in COLD water with just a little mild soap (only if needed) and then hang them to dry. Washing them by hand will ensure they are not damaged by a washing machine. DO NOT ever apply heat to harness straps!

When they are all dry, reinstall them on the seat and if you are careful to make sure they are flat every time you buckle her in, they should resist twisting. The first place they will bunch up is at the buckle tounges near the crotch buckle. If you pull the tounges up and then down every time you put her in the seat, that will straighten them out every time and hopefully keep them flatter longer.

It's irritating that such a $$$ seat has such cheap, thin straps on it, huh?

YES it's dangerous to have her ride buckled into twisted straps. They should be flat across her body to spread out the crash forces.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
The first thing to check on that seat is, what harness position is it in? Since she is still using the harness, the headrest/harness position must NOT be in the very top "slot", as that is for booster use only (I just thought to mention this, since so many people find their 2 and 3 year olds have outgrown this seat, since the useable-with-harness slots are very low).

If she's in the second-to top slot, and her shoulders are not above it, then one thing you can do is call Cosco/Dorel and ask them for a new harness. It might cost a couple bucks, but they are now made of a less-ropy polyester that might work a lot better than the twisty, ropy nylon things that, yes, you DO have to flatten out for every use, so the crash forces get spread evenly, and aren't concentrated in thin little bands. Some people find buckling the harness and pulling it tight when not in use helps keep them flat.

If she's too tall for the harness, then you can start using the seat as a booster (I think the instructions indicate you must take off the base, raise the head position to the top, and remove the harness), or you can look at seats with taller top harness slots that will harness above 40 pounds, such as the Britax Husky or Marathon, or the Nania Airway.

If you think she's ready for a booster (will sit still with the seatbelt properly positioned, and won't flop over a lot when sleeping), but don't like using the AO as a booster, then you can look for one of a variety of boosters now on the market, like the Graco Turbo, Evenflo Big Kid, or Britax Starriser Comfy.

Anyway, hope that helps a little,

Edit: Bazanna, you beat me to to the posting buttion! Well, at least we are consistent!
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Thanks for your relpy. I will definately check the slot position. I am pretty sure her shoulders are EVEN with them. She is 39.5 inches tall. I am worried now. I took the staps out a month ago and IRONED them. I didn't know any better. I think I will stop using this seat immediately and start using it as a booster. However, my 2 year old son is in an evenflo with the shield, which I now understand is not as safe. We wanted to use her AO with him and buy her a new booster. I will call for new straps and buckle first. Which are the best/safest boosters? The Britax model you spoke of, can it also be used as a booster? In the meantime I may use it as a booster and keep my son in his seat until we get the new straps. No sense in buying a new 5 point AND booster.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Don't feel too bad...I ironed some of my old Cosco straps once, too...fortunately I didn't have to see first hand with a crash, to see if it damaged them terribly.
None of the Britax options are "combo" seats. If you want to look at a seat that goes from 5-pt harness to booster, you'd want to look at the Graco Ultra or Platinum Cargo, or the Evenflo Chase or Vision. These seats will harness till 40 pounds, then become a booster (Just like the AO, but without the rearfacing option, basically). These seats have 17 inch top harness slots and harness adjusters on the front of the seat. It's hard to tell how long your DD will stay under 40 pounds, though, so it's a tricky choice for you if you want to go with one of those to keep her harnessed anywhere from a few months to a year or more, depending on how quickly she is gaining weight.
The dedicated boosters (Turbo, Starriser Comfy, Big Kid, Compass B500) tend work better as boosters (they have nice free-flowing shoulderbelt guides, that allow the shoulderbelt to always be properly positioned).

Of course the Marathon and Husky allow harnessing to 65 and 80 pounds, but heightwise usually age 6 for the Marathon, up to age 10 for the Husky...it's up to you, how long you want to keep your kiddos harnessed, and what your budget is, but I thought I'd mention them, since they are choices you could look at :)
 
S

Steve

Guest
UPDATE from COSCO AO straps and a ?

Just an update, I called COSCO and they are sending me new straps and a buckle free of charge. I am taking the seat out tomorrw to inspect which position it is se to and her height. If she is too tall, I am then going to buy a Graco Turbo Booster for her and switch my some to the AO.
Last question...if she is too tall for her 5 point seat, but 2-3 pounds shy of the 40lb threshhold, should she stay in the 5 point or move to the booster?
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
We would not recommend using any child restraint beyond its rated weight or height limits. If your daugther is too tall, her only choices would be the booster or a seat with a harness rated above 40 pounds.

The harnessed seat is somewhat safer. How much safer depends a lot on how mature the child is and how well they can remain seated properly in a booster. If they can remain seated properly, the booster will be very safe in frontal crashes, but may provide less protection in a side impact- especially if they are seated in an outboard position.
 

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