Question Seat belt extender

mlohry · Feb 28, 2012

Sorry if this has been on here before:

I was just on Amazon and saw this: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005MKX2TY/ref=mp_s_a_26?qid=1330410088&sr=8-26"]3" Seat Belt Buckle Extender for Child Car and Booster Seats - 1" wide metal tongue (Type B) - Black:Amazon:Everything Else[/ame]

I have no need for 1 but have seen some pretty tight 3 across situations that would be helped by this. Allowing easier access to the seat belt. My biggest concern is that the seat belt would be too high on the child.

joolsplus3 · Feb 28, 2012

Problem is, it changes the belt geometry enough that the fit could really be compromised (I'm thinking lapbelt riding too high). And I think boosters discourage the use of these (haven't scoured through a manual lately to check, but it's one of those things I recall from reading various experts on various boards...)
Too bad, though, because yeah, not enough companies are doing enough to deal with the huge increase of kids in boosters due to changing laws (car companies focus on safety of adult dummies, seat companies have to keep coming out with higher weight rated products...none of it speaks to ease of buckling kids in boosters next to other kids in boosters!)

christineka · Feb 28, 2012

I've seen these at car seat checks and the belt geometry is all wrong. The buckle ends up on the child's soft belly and so does the lap belt.

Pixels · Feb 28, 2012

Belt extenders are not allowed by all vehicle manufacturers, even for those adults who are too big to fit the regular seat belt. Of those vehicle manufacturers that allow belt extenders, they all prohibit use with a booster seat. It does significantly change the belt geometry.

My brother is obese and needs a belt extender in some vehicles. We have one for him for DH's car. We got the belt extender from the vehicle manufacturer, and we had a choice of "short" or "long." We got short. Written right on the extender, it says that the buckle must be at least eight inches from the wearer's navel. Well, it's right at the eight inch mark on my brother. No way would it be eight inches from the navel of a child in a booster seat.

mlohry · Feb 28, 2012

I was pretty sure when I saw it that it would make the belt not sit right. It is too bad they don't have something that will work because I've seen it be an issue in a lot of 3 across situations.

christineka · Feb 28, 2012

There are things you can do to help. You could get a toilet paper tube and duct tape it around the buckle stalk to make it stiffer. You could get some sticky velcro and velcro the buckle to the side of the booster. At car seat checks, I teach parents and children to move the booster out, buckle, then smoosh the booster and child back into place. You can also leave the belt buckled and have the child slip in and out of it.

cmm7 · Feb 28, 2012

christineka said:
There are things you can do to help. You could get a toilet paper tube and duct tape it around the buckle stalk to make it stiffer. You could get some sticky velcro and velcro the buckle to the side of the booster. At car seat checks, I teach parents and children to move the booster out, buckle, then smoosh the booster and child back into place. You can also leave the belt buckled and have the child slip in and out of it.

OMG, genius with the toilet paper tube trick. I am so sick of waiting for Z to dig it out every time when she won't let me help her. I am so going to do this so it stays upright for her.

Question Seat belt extender

mlohry

New member

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

christineka

New member

Pixels

New member

mlohry

New member

christineka

New member

cmm7

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics