Radian too below shoulders ERF? Anyone been there?

bnsnyde · Feb 23, 2012

For anyone out there who ERF in a Radian...ever reach a point where the harness was perhaps too below the shoulders? I want to know if I'm imagining this is a problem or nothing at all. (And I can't move it to the top slot which would be wayyyy above her shoulders). My concern would be slipping off the shoulders where it is now. I prefer to keep RF but wanted to know if anyone ever had issues with slippage, etc. Note I have not noticed it slip and have no reason to think it's unsafe. I just noticed that it's quite below where I would comfortably put it if I had a choice.

Age 4.4
Height 41 inches
Weight 38
torso (don't have a recent measurement but it's always been average-ish)

So, I keep her RF or turn her. Help me decide.

purplemama · Feb 23, 2012

bnsnyde said:
For anyone out there who ERF in a Radian...ever reach a point where the harness was perhaps too below the shoulders? I want to know if I'm imagining this is a problem or nothing at all. (And I can't move it to the top slot which would be wayyyy above her shoulders). My concern would be slipping off the shoulders where it is now. I prefer to keep RF but wanted to know if anyone ever had issues with slippage, etc. Note I have not noticed it slip and have no reason to think it's unsafe. I just noticed that it's quite below where I would comfortably put it if I had a choice.

Age 4.4
Height 41 inches
Weight 38
torso (don't have a recent measurement but it's always been average-ish)

So, I keep her RF or turn her. Help me decide.

I had the same issue. Is it 3rd slot up too far below, 4th slot uo too far above? That's what it was with my DS2. There is a lot of space between those slots. I have no advice on turning your DD. I guess it comes down to whether or not you're okay with it. I turned my DS2 about a month and a half ago and I'm honestly not comfy with it. He's about the same age as your DD. But at this point I'm not going to turn him back.

Brigala · Feb 23, 2012

My daughter gets to this point in all her car seats, where her shoulders are between slots. It's irritating. I have to be pretty careful to the straps up onto her shoulders, snug, and in the right place. Once she's in correctly, no, I don't have any problem with the straps slipping off. But it's annoying to get her in right. I keep eyeing those next slots up in the Radian and hoping she'll just spurt up to be even with them so I can move the straps up and be done with it.

thepote · Feb 23, 2012

Yeah - I've been known to swap out seats for months at a time because of this issue. Sorry!

KaiLing · Feb 23, 2012

My kid was there f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Then for a while he was right at that second to top slot and I deemed it OK. But I felt like I had no choice to turn him since he wasn't yet 3 years old.

Just for reference, my 3 year 2 month old is 41" or so now, with a long torso, and is fine at that second to top slot, but I still really do like to get his butt all the way back.

lilliput · Feb 23, 2012

Brigala said:
My daughter gets to this point in all her car seats, where her shoulders are between slots. It's irritating. I have to be pretty careful to the straps up onto her shoulders, snug, and in the right place. Once she's in correctly, no, I don't have any problem with the straps slipping off. But it's annoying to get her in right. I keep eyeing those next slots up in the Radian and hoping she'll just spurt up to be even with them so I can move the straps up and be done with it.

We're in exactly the same boat right now, and this is what we do. It's a real nuisance right now, especially since I'm the most particular about this. DS is fine about waiting for me to get it right and complains if it isn't. But I've caught both DH and the sitter almost ready to drive off with one strap sliding off his shoulder.

I've found that if he's wiggling about or not sitting straight in his seat when I'm trying to buckle him up it's more likely to be an issue.
Maybe I should consider rotating seats...hmmm.

bnsnyde · Feb 23, 2012

Brigala, exactly! I know she's in there correctly and I have had no problems, but it's a lot of work to get it right. (Another reason I like to be the one to put her in and not dad; but I drive this vehicle 99% of the time anyway).

My 2.5-year-old? He's a snap!

It'll be easier in summer. Even a fleece gets in the way somewhat when I'm dealing with this.

VoodooChile · Feb 23, 2012

I'm there with ds. 3rd-from-bottom slots seem SO far below is shoulders, but it still looks like the next ones are above (plus the headwings look like they're in the right spot and they're blocking the next slots anyway).

legaleagle · Feb 23, 2012

My 3.5 year old has been on the 3rd slots for almost 2 years now - and my 21 month old has about the same torso length. They don't seem like they're slipping off, but I don't use the strap pads and I probably have them slightly overtightened.

hrice · Feb 23, 2012

Colton is there right now. The straps are 2 inches or so below his shoulders but the next slot up is too high. It's frustraing. He complains that they pull down on his shoulders.

NatesMamma · Feb 23, 2012

Yep, we're in the same boat! In fact, if he's sitting ramrod straight, the next slots are even with his shoulders. If he slouches even a tiny bit, though, they go above.

laurengt · Feb 24, 2012

I'm confused. How are so many of you hanging out between strap slots for ERFing? My RN XTSL manual says only to use the top 3 slots for FFing. DS has been at the top of the RF slots for at least a year and still has plenty of time left in the RN.

DS is 26 mos, 37", and our XTSL's DOM is sometime in 2010.

HaileysMommy · Feb 24, 2012

laurengt said:
I'm confused. How are so many of you hanging out between strap slots for ERFing? My RN XTSL manual says only to use the top 3 slots for FFing. DS has been at the top of the RF slots for at least a year and still has plenty of time left in the RN.

DS is 26 mos, 37", and our XTSL's DOM is sometime in 2010.

The top 3 slots can be used ff or rf. The manual is saying don't use the bottom 2 for ff. Your son isn't at the top RFing slot unless he is in the top harness slot that the seat has.

laurengt · Feb 24, 2012

HaileysMommy said:
The top 3 slots can be used ff or rf. The manual is saying don't use the bottom 2 for ff. Your son isn't at the top RFing slot unless he is in the top harness slot that the seat has.

I'm an idiot. :0) Thanks!

joolsplus3 · Feb 24, 2012

I moved mine up rather than have them way below the shoulders. I wanted my kid to be firmly attached to the seat, not able to have her head fly sideways or towards her feet (on rebound or rear collision), so having them slightly above seemed to make more sense to me and was more comfortable for her. Yeah, it took some 'parental decision' on my part to go against the manual, but honestly, the 'at or below' for RF is an old rule invented when there were three point seats and overhead shield seats, without lap straps to prevent ramping up. A 5 point harness will hold the body down and into the seat better, and the head isn't going to fly up and over the top of the seat when RF as it might with no lower body restraint. I firmly believe in using the slots 'closest to' the shoulders. Better one inch above than two inches below, IMO, and better RF than FF if you can still fit RF. :twocents:

Genevieve · Feb 24, 2012

joolsplus3 said:
I moved mine up rather than have them way below the shoulders. I wanted my kid to be firmly attached to the seat, not able to have her head fly sideways or towards her feet (on rebound or rear collision), so having them slightly above seemed to make more sense to me and was more comfortable for her. Yeah, it took some 'parental decision' on my part to go against the manual, but honestly, the 'at or below' for RF is an old rule invented when there were three point seats and overhead shield seats, without lap straps to prevent ramping up. A 5 point harness will hold the body down and into the seat better, and the head isn't going to fly up and over the top of the seat when RF as it might with no lower body restraint. I firmly believe in using the slots 'closest to' the shoulders. Better one inch above than two inches below, IMO, and better RF than FF if you can still fit RF. :twocents:

:yeahthatlove:

I moved them up when they were so far below that I think it created a bad harness fit.

Brigala · Feb 24, 2012

You're not an idiot. The manual is worded poorly. Lots of people misunderstand that part.

laurengt · Feb 24, 2012

Brigala said:
You're not an idiot. The manual is worded poorly. Lots of people misunderstand that part.

Thanks :0)

Belle's Mamma · Feb 26, 2012

joolsplus3 said:
I moved mine up rather than have them way below the shoulders. I wanted my kid to be firmly attached to the seat, not able to have her head fly sideways or towards her feet (on rebound or rear collision), so having them slightly above seemed to make more sense to me and was more comfortable for her. Yeah, it took some 'parental decision' on my part to go against the manual, but honestly, the 'at or below' for RF is an old rule invented when there were three point seats and overhead shield seats, without lap straps to prevent ramping up. A 5 point harness will hold the body down and into the seat better, and the head isn't going to fly up and over the top of the seat when RF as it might with no lower body restraint. I firmly believe in using the slots 'closest to' the shoulders. Better one inch above than two inches below, IMO, and better RF than FF if you can still fit RF. :twocents:

Yes, that exactly

Radian too below shoulders ERF? Anyone been there?

New member

New member

CPST Instructor

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

Active member

New member

Active member

Admin - CPS Technician

CPST Instructor

CPST Instructor

Active member

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics