My love of harnessed seats has been reinforced this week

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
I have kept the kids in my life harnessed as long as possible because... it is easier for me. :eek: I do use boosters if necessary, but prefer harnessed seats because I find them much easier to use. :eek:

This past week, however, I have had to use boosters a lot and I have been reminded of why I so very much prefer harnessed seats.

Case One: Almost-eight-year-old child, about 65 pounds, backless Turbo, Subaru Outback. What a pain it was to get the seatbelt buckled each and every time. Ugh! The booster kept slipping over the female end of the buckle, making it a total pain.

Case Two: Five-year-old child, about 45 pounds, Parkway SG, Toyota 4Runner. Trying to "install" this seat in the center so two adults could sit in each outboard seat was impossible. The booster sat OVER the female end for the passenger-side outboard seat. We could scoot the booster over, buckle the adult, then slide the booster back. It was a pain. When we moved the booster to an outboard position, it became difficult to buckle.


At one point, we were able to get two kids in a five-point harness faster than we were able to get one kid in a booster. :(


I don't usually have this much difficulty with boosters, but I still think this was reinforcement of why I prefer harnessed seats. :eek: I am not looking forward to the day that all the kids are in boosters. :(
 
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KaysKidz

Senior Community Member
Yep. I have been booster training Patrick (he's 5) and he does great. Except he can't buckle himself. If he's in a FR85 he can buckle himself up. I briefly thought it would be easier to have the boys in boosters for the drop off line in school. Nope. Harness is easier. And I don't have to get out of the car, which they don't let you do anyways...so it's pretty much a no brainer what they will be riding in.
 

trippsmom

CPST Instructor
Lol! A friend of mine moved her dd to a booster as soon as she hit 4yo. She said it was because she was tired of having to crawl to her third row to buckle her harness. Two weeks after she moved her, she broke her wrist when she slipped trying to buckle the booster between two others. I laughed out loud when she told me what happened. I felt a little bad I did, but it WAS really funny.
 

finn

New member
I must say I prefer the booster, ds (5.5) can buckle himself every single time, the straps or his case, seat belt doesn't get twisted & I don't have to do anything to install it in anyone elses car other than putting the seat belt in the guides. Ds even knows to pull the lap belt tight, then the shoulder belt, so its snug & he can do it faster than the time it takes me to get dd into her seat :love:
 

libranbutterfly

New member
My SIL and I were discussing this the other day when she insisted on boostering her 3 yr old for vacation. She thought it would be easier to fit 3 across with all boosters. Yeah right. Couldnt even get 3 boosters to fit, so i put lexi in the radian in her car (she was riding with me but had to switch for this three across) she still wanted matt in a booster, so i just laughed every time she scraped her hand reaching between radiaan and booster to buckle him. He rides harnessed with me and will for at least another year (he will be 4 next week)

Sent from my VS920 4G using Car-Seat.Org
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
I think it just depends on the child (who should obviously be 5-7 preferably), the vehicle, the seatbelt geometry, and who is riding where.
 

hedgefun

New member
I agree that the turbo + subaru is a pain! I've only done it once, an I'm going to buy something else beforei have to do it again.
 

skylinphoto

New member
When I moved my ds to a booster at 5.5 yrs old, it was so much easier. He's never been able to buckle/unbuckle a harness seat but has no problem buckling his seatbelt in a booster. He's almost 6.5 now and buckles up just as fast as me and dh. :)
 

Boot

New member
I feel the same way about rear facing. So much easier. However, to me, having DS in a booster is WAY easier than a harness. He gets himself in and out beautifully whereas he couldn't undo the nauti harness himself. Plus the turbo is so light and easy to move between car. But we have captains seats. If we had a 3 across situation I might feel differently.
 

cookie123

New member
I much prefer them doing up the harness themselves. The big kids couldn't do boosters for a long time. Especially with me in the tight 3 across. Now that they're in low back boosters, I don't have to help often but sometimes Hannah needs help getting the belt in the belt guide of the BB. I've tied one of dh's athletic socks around the female end of Brett's which has made it much easier for him, as it was hard to get it buckled when it kept sliding in it's hole.
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Thanks, everyone, for not making me feel like a freak. :eek:

The Parkway in the center of the 4Runner was awful, but that might have been because the child using it couldn't buckle himself at all. :(
 

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