Weird nbb belt fit

fyrfightermomma · Sep 23, 2012

Evelyn has started riding in a nbb. She rode in a harmony once and in the 3rd row of my grand caravan the fit was awful. We waited a while and just got a no back turbo. She's plenty tall enough (52") but the fit is just weird. The shoulder belt is where it needs to be but it's like two inches away from her body. I cant figure it out. The seatbelt don't adjust

I've heard the nbb booster in that car isn't easy but she can buckle herself in a no back so it's much easier

So is this unsafe? Am I never going to be able to use a no back in this car?

skylinphoto · Sep 23, 2012

I don't know if it'll help in your situation..but I found the shoulder belt was too far away (not touching but positioned right) with my ds when he used the harmony nbb. I tried the evenflo amp nbb and it fit him better..it boosted him up higher... and with the positioner clip and being boosted up higher, it worked.

I don't have the same vehicle and you said height wasn't the issue though. Lol.

njkj · Sep 23, 2012

We have the same problem in Dh's Silverado. The belts in the back come from the the side and can not be adjusted up or down. When we first for it we had Ds in a NB turbo but the belt didn't touch him till his belly. I tried to use the belt portioner but couldn't figure it out so we just got a hb booster for his truck instead. I'm not sure wether it is safe or not but it bothered both myself and Ds.

Kat_Momof3 · Sep 24, 2012

definitely unsafe... that two inches is how much her body would move before being able to hit the seatbelt to engage it to lock.

joolsplus3 · Sep 24, 2012

I wonder if the Cosco Top Side would be better, it has the shoulderbelt route over the armrest, so it might be closer to her chest?

I hear nothing but complaints about those vans (third row seatbelts, among people who know what a good belt fit should look like...), I wish there were better (any?) standards at all for rear seat belts

fyrfightermomma · Sep 24, 2012

joolsplus3 said:
I wonder if the Cosco Top Side would be better, it has the shoulderbelt route over the armrest, so it might be closer to her chest?

I hear nothing but complaints about those vans (third row seatbelts, among people who know what a good belt fit should look like...), I wish there were better (any?) standards at all for rear seat belts

Oh never heard of that. Where do they sell them? I would get her a hbb but funds are a definite issue right now and she's about out of her hb turbo.

I'll definitely check it out! And yes...those seats are horrible. And we are gonna have this car a long time and soon two no back riders. One captain seat is broken (jammed in the stow and go. Oops. No clue who did that :-/) and ds is in the other one. Dumb car

mamom · Sep 24, 2012

They are sold at KMart. Not sure if anywhere else.

babyherder · Sep 24, 2012

I think I saw the topside at Target last week.

Kat_Momof3 · Sep 24, 2012

they have them at walmart, kmart, and target. It sits lower and the routing over the armrest keeps the belt closer to the neck which is good for Ruthie in her dad's car where all other boosters had the belt too close to the edge or off of her shoulder. It does not have a belt guide (as with all cosco boosters in backless mode) so for some kids, this may not be a good fit (I've seen picks of kids with the belt over their face because of it sitting low AND the routing)

it won't move the belt backwards onto her chest, but it may help somewhat.

I would put her in the 2nd row and put your other two in the third row until you can get the other captain's chair fixed.

fyrfightermomma · Sep 24, 2012

It looks like the harmony which was awful. Is it different somehow? And ugh. I hate a rear facer in the third row. Can't wait till he's forward facing. Will make life a lot easier!

JOII · Sep 24, 2012

Top side shoulder belt is supposed to be placed like this: (see arm rest)

Clearly it doesnt work in this car, but for a car with the shoulder belt being too far away it might help because it seems to bring it closer to the body.

kater-tot82 · Sep 24, 2012

I have a Top Side and a VW Routan (third row very similar to GC/T&C) and I know the exact problem you are talking abt!! I haven't tried the Topside in that seating position yet but I might be able to in the next day or two if you wanted to see the shoulderbelt fit on my 9yo. (52 inches tall, 58 lb).

I actually need to figure out a way to combat this issue since when out baby arrives in the spring DD1 is likely moving back there.

fyrfightermomma · Sep 24, 2012

kater-tot82 said:
I have a Top Side and a VW Routan (third row very similar to GC/T&C) and I know the exact problem you are talking abt!! I haven't tried the Topside in that seating position yet but I might be able to in the next day or two if you wanted to see the shoulderbelt fit on my 9yo. (52 inches tall, 58 lb).

I actually need to figure out a way to combat this issue since when out baby arrives in the spring DD1 is likely moving back there.

I woukd love it if u could! Thank you! They are the same height so hopefully it would be similar

Kat_Momof3 · Sep 24, 2012

it's different than the harmony... the harmony is narrow at the bottom, wider up top... so it can be tippy (or it is in my van).. the top side is not... the harmony is about 6" high in how much it boosts a child... the top side is all of 3" high.

here's pics of Ruthie in both (please forgive belt fit in the harmony... we don't use the seat for her... it is one of many attempts at trying a backless that we had before we ended up going with the top side

and she was leaning a touch toward the door in this pic... she was bored and wanted to get moving...

Genevieve · Sep 25, 2012

I know exactly what you are talking about (I think I have the same van). I won't let Ninja ride in a NBB back there because I'm not comfortable with the fit. We have a cosco Topside and it does help a little, but doesn't completely fix the issue. I realize my comment is totally not helpful, but I can commiserate!

kater-tot82 · Sep 25, 2012

Pics

View attachment 18209

View attachment 18210

I was not impressed w the fit. Def won't let her ride like that.

I hate those belts.

You can see on the side shot that it is really forward from her body (at least I think it is). It was like that in basically every booster I have tried there. I think in our situation she will sit in the middle bc there doesn't seem to be the issue then.

When are you ok with FF Joey? Could you keep her in a high back til then?

Kat_Momof3 · Sep 25, 2012

they shouldn't have messed with the previous design (unless it was then adjustable... and still, why move it forward? the third row belts in my 2005 are great and don't give the problems that other years after it do.)

aept · Sep 25, 2012

Ugh. I feel like the third row of my DGC is practically useless. I'm still hoping to find a hbb that fits well outboard back there with a decent belt fit and that retracts ok through the belt guide.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

keri1292 · Sep 25, 2012

I'm also cursed with the Town & Country (same as Grand Caravan). I can use the Compass (B540?) with the big, open belt path and nothing else there. I have no idea what I'll do when they outgrow those. I've yet to find a backless that works. Even though dd 5 steps there, the lap belt fit is atrocious and again the shoulderbelt is nowhere near her body.

I despise that van. :thumbsdown:

fyrfightermomma · Sep 26, 2012

keri1292 said:
I'm also cursed with the Town & Country (same as Grand Caravan). I can use the Compass (B540?) with the big, open belt path and nothing else there. I have no idea what I'll do when they outgrow those. I've yet to find a backless that works. Even though dd 5 steps there, the lap belt fit is atrocious and again the shoulderbelt is nowhere near her body.

I despise that van. :thumbsdown:

Yeah the compass is the only hbb I've gotten to work there. All other hb's are a nightmare and nbb's are a nightmare. Family friendly my arse!

Weird nbb belt fit

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