Question Boulevard harness

FrauDrA

New member
#2 will be three next week (waaaaah! Where'd my baby go?) and is RF in a next gen Blvd. He has been in it for just over a year (he is tiny for his age and even when I moved him out of the step 1 SafeSeat, he still fit in it with room to grow.)

I've been finding the harness increasingly troublesome. Lately it's been very twisty, getting snagged not only in the HUGS but even twisting in the slot/behind the shell. But for some time (a few months) I've found it fussy to tighten. Because he's RF, I can pull on the straps behind the shell and then pull on the adjustment strap to take up the slack - but whenever I finally give in and FF him, that won't work.

Before tightening, I of course take out the slack from across the hips, and I make sure the HUGS and chest clip are properly positioned. Even so, there's slack across the torso, which I can't easily take out with the adjustment strap.

I have uninstalled the seat and checked all the straps; nothing twisted or snagged or otherwise out of position.

Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks!
Melanie
 
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Pixelated

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Hmm, that's very odd. The G2 seats I find so easy to tighten that it's very possible to over-tighten with little effort. I think I would take the seat out, take it apart, and re-do it and see if that solves the problem.
 

FrauDrA

New member
Pixelated said:
Hmm, that's very odd. The G2 seats I find so easy to tighten that it's very possible to over-tighten with little effort. I think I would take the seat out, take it apart, and re-do it and see if that solves the problem.

I did, last weekend :-(
 

Pixelated

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I think I'd call Britax. I've heard of having to tighten seats like that on other brands but honestly never a Boulevard. Their customer service is usually very good - quick and responsive.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
You mention that there is slack across his belly - is it snug on his shoulders and hips?

It is quite common for kids in Britax seats to have space between their tummy (belly buton area,) and the harness straps. This is just due to the harness geometry of the seat. As long as the harness is snug on the hips and snug on the shoulders, then that space along the tummy isn't a problem. Is it possible that you've been over-tightening him without realizing it and that the problem has become increasingly big if his proportions have changed as he's grown?
 

FrauDrA

New member
snowbird25ca said:
You mention that there is slack across his belly - is it snug on his shoulders and hips?

It is quite common for kids in Britax seats to have space between their tummy (belly buton area,) and the harness straps. This is just due to the harness geometry of the seat. As long as the harness is snug on the hips and snug on the shoulders, then that space along the tummy isn't a problem. Is it possible that you've been over-tightening him without realizing it and that the problem has become increasingly big if his proportions have changed as he's grown?

I'm used to Britaxes and the looseness across the belly, I think I phrased that part of the description poorly. The problem is getting it snug at the shoulders, it's difficult with the adjustment strap unless I pull from behind the shell, too.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I'm used to Britaxes and the looseness across the belly, I think I phrased that part of the description poorly. The problem is getting it snug at the shoulders, it's difficult with the adjustment strap unless I pull from behind the shell, too.

Yeah, that's not normal for this generation of Britax seats. Those adjuster straps are usually easy-as-pie. Is there any noticeable fraying along the edge of the adjuster strap? Any food or dirt that might've fallen in to the adjuster mechanism area? Is it difficult to loosen as well?

I'd definitely give Britax a call on Monday, but check those things out too just in case it's something simple.
 

FrauDrA

New member
To update: Britax is sending me a new harness and cover set to see if that solves the problem!


(And should address two other issues: the Velcro on one the hip portion of the harness kept snagging on the Velcro on the cover, even after ~14 months of use, and the warning label sewn to the cover behind where my son's back rests has come completely unsewn along the top edge and has basically formed a pocket.)
 

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