shoulder belt vs lap belt

MunkyCrazy · Dec 17, 2012

I was under the impression that a shoulder belt would be safer than a lap belt only even if it meant riding outboard, but I just came across this review. My 4yo has a Bubble Bum back up but I haven't had to use it yet. I realized I should look into it more before I do.

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog...ce=CJ&cm_pla=5146583&cm_cat=2617611&cm_ven=CJ

By SafetyMom

Good only for 3-point (shoulder-strapping) seatbelts, which is a drawback since safest place for kids is middle of back seat & many of those belts aren't 3-point. Also, not sure if this seat is FAA-approved for airplane seats (which have 2-point belts). Still, a good thing to have on hand for those stontaneous carpools or travel, if you're o.k. with your kid sitting in a less-safe place in car.

Jessica61624 · Dec 17, 2012

Many cars DO have a 3pt shoulder belt in the middle. It seems like on 2002 they started showing up. The older cars are the ones without them.

wendytthomas · Dec 17, 2012

All boosters MUST use a shoulder belt. Middles with lap belts only aren't safer, they become not an option. No boosters are FAA approved because there are no shoulder belts. A four year old in a BubbleBum is not going to be super easy as you'll have to thread the belt every time. Also four years old is very young for any booster, nevermind a backless. I'm assuming this is for travel only since you said you haven't used it yet?

Wendy

rachelandtyke · Dec 17, 2012

Shoulder belt outboard trumps lap belt center everytime. A lap only belt in a motor vehicle is only good for installing car seats - it's not safe for anyone to use.

No booster seats (belt positioning boosters) are approved for lap-belt only positions and are also not approved for use on airplanes, so those complaints by the reviewer aren't unique to this particular seat.

wendytthomas · Dec 17, 2012

Jessica61624 said:
Many cars DO have a 3pt shoulder belt in the middle. It seems like on 2002 they started showing up. The older cars are the ones without them.

They weren't required until 2008. http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/childps/boosterseatprogress/pages/NHTSALed.htm So it's still possible to find newer cars with lap belts only. Though even those are going to be five years old now, so "newER" but not "new."

Wendy

CrazyBoysMamma · Dec 17, 2012

List of things a lap only belt is great for:
Installing RF seats
Restraining a dog in a car harness
Securing random object(in my case, usually a desert) that you don't want flying around the car.
That's it.

I also agree with Wendy on the 4 year olds in boosters because my list of 4 year olds I've met who are booster ready is shorter than my list of things to use a lap only belt for.

MunkyCrazy · Dec 17, 2012

Thanks that's what I thought but I wasn't sure. I think I'll email OSA and ask if they can remove the review or add their own information to the bottom.

wendytthomas said:
All boosters MUST use a shoulder belt. Middles with lap belts only aren't safer, they become not an option. No boosters are FAA approved because there are no shoulder belts. A four year old in a BubbleBum is not going to be super easy as you'll have to thread the belt every time. Also four years old is very young for any booster, nevermind a backless. I'm assuming this is for travel only since you said you haven't used it yet?

Wendy

He rides in a harnessed FR85 in our minivan and the BB is just a spare. We only have 1 car for now so it would just be used if I had to borrow a car or have someone come over short notice to take us out. (rare, esp. if they don't stay and babysit while I finish the errand) At the time we were looking I didn't know of any other harnessed seats he fit that would fit our budget for a rarely used seat. He outgrew the Scenera that was passed on as a spare to DS2. The BB was $10 and I figured better than nothing. Also, he'll be 5 in Feb.

wendytthomas · Dec 17, 2012

Where did you get the BubbleBum for $10? Somewhere trustworthy?

Have you looked into the Evenflo Maestro?

Wendy

MunkyCrazy · Dec 17, 2012

wendytthomas said:
Where did you get the BubbleBum for $10? Somewhere trustworthy?

Have you looked into the Evenflo Maestro?

Wendy

Yes, a local store. Kecia has looked into it for me.

I haven't looked into it but I will keep my eye open for a good deal on one!

I can always tell DH the Scenera can be passed on to DS3 and the Maestro to DS2 when the time comes so it's not an absurd expense. (although I have to check the Scenera expiration date. We'd probably need a new one for DS3 anyway.)

wendytthomas · Dec 17, 2012

With multiple kids definitely not. The BubbleBum is a great deal at $10, so I'd keep it, but remember it lasts four years from the date of purchase. So of it, the Scenera, and the Maestro, it'll last the least amount of time.

Wendy

MunkyCrazy · Dec 17, 2012

Date of purchase? That's odd... how does that even work? What if it was on the shelf for a while? (obviously I haven't opened it to read through it) Basically, why does that get different rules than regular seats?

wendytthomas · Dec 17, 2012

No idea, and no idea.

Wendy

MunkyCrazy · Dec 17, 2012

Maybe I should write the date in permanent marker on the bottom. Otherwise I doubt I'll remember when to toss it when the time comes.

littleangelfire · Dec 17, 2012

I want to write that reviewer. Or maybe that wouldn't do any good. There's a lot of misinformation or misleading there.

bummer. can't write the reviewer to let her know that NO boosters are FAA approved since you can't use a booster on a plane, and that NO boosters can be used with a lap belt only.

CrazyBoysMamma · Dec 17, 2012

2 things...I desperately want to know where in the heck you got a $10 bubble bum, cuz I want like 4! Also, if you have kids to pass it down to(heck, even if you don't) the Maestro is a great value seat, you should definitely look into it. I recommend it quite often.

MunkyCrazy · Dec 17, 2012

littleangelfire said:
I want to write that reviewer. Or maybe that wouldn't do any good. There's a lot of misinformation or misleading there.

bummer. can't write the reviewer to let her know that NO boosters are FAA approved since you can't use a booster on a plane, and that NO boosters can be used with a lap belt only.

I am going to email OSA. That's the one thing I like about Amazon reviews, you can respond!

ETA: You can click Flag This Review below the review and write them directly about it!

littleangelfire · Dec 17, 2012

MunkyCrazy said:
I am going to email OSA. That's the one thing I like about Amazon reviews, you can respond!

ETA: You can click Flag This Review below the review and write them directly about it!

Email who? It's an Amazon review?

Oh, and I did flag it.

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

LISmama810 · Dec 17, 2012

Wait, what's wrong with that review? It's not terribly complete, but I don't see anything incorrect about it. Outboard IS less safe than center, this product can't be used with a 2-point belt, and it's not FAA approved. Of course you could say that about any booster, but none of it is wrong. Maybe write a review that explains that a little more, but I see no reason to flag it or write to the reviewer or the website. Unless I'm completely missing something

littleangelfire · Dec 17, 2012

LISmama810 said:
Wait, what's wrong with that review? It's not terribly complete, but I don't see anything incorrect about it. Outboard IS less safe than center, this product can't be used with a 2-point belt, and it's not FAA approved. Of course you could say that about any booster, but none of it is wrong. Maybe write a review that explains that a little more, but I see no reason to flag it or write to the reviewer or the website. Unless I'm completely missing something

I need to go back and read it, but her wording is such that it's better to sit in the middle with a lap belt than outboard with a lap/shoulder, which is obviously wrong. And that this seat in particular is bad b/c it can't be used with a lap belt...even though no booster can, same with the FAA comment. It implies pretty bluntly that it's the only one, or that most others are FAA approved. When they're not. None of her cons are reasons to actually not use this seat or any other booster. It's an uneducated review that could easily lead another parent to do the wrong thing unknowingly.

That's why I think it's flag worthy. Other parents will read it and think "oh yeah, middle is always safest! I want a booster I can use in the lap belt." And they'll get another booster where a reviewer doesn't mention it. I'm not suggesting we go tar and feather the reviewer, but that I wish we could reach her to inform her that that outboard position with lap/shoulder is much safer than middle lap belts only, AND that her child will need a booster at some point and she can't use any with a lap belt barring the comeback of the laptop.

MunkyCrazy · Dec 17, 2012

littleangelfire said:
I need to go back and read it, but her wording is such that it's better to sit in the middle with a lap belt than outboard with a lap/shoulder, which is obviously wrong. And that this seat in particular is bad b/c it can't be used with a lap belt...even though no booster can, same with the FAA comment. It implies pretty bluntly that it's the only one, or that most others are FAA approved. When they're not. None of her cons are reasons to actually not use this seat or any other booster. It's an uneducated review that could easily lead another parent to do the wrong thing unknowingly.

That's why I think it's flag worthy. Other parents will read it and think "oh yeah, middle is always safest! I want a booster I can use in the lap belt." And they'll get another booster where a reviewer doesn't mention it. I'm not suggesting we go tar and feather the reviewer, but that I wish we could reach her to inform her that that outboard position with lap/shoulder is much safer than middle lap belts only, AND that her child will need a booster at some point and she can't use any with a lap belt barring the comeback of the laptop.

That's exactly what I thought when I read the review. I thought I was doing my son some disservice by putting him outboard in it rather than getting a different booster and putting him in the middle. Although, I thought that sounded wrong because I didn't think lap belt only was safer... so it was confusing. I can see how someone else who doesn't know to look more would just pick up another booster and stick their kid in the middle with a lap belt only.

shoulder belt vs lap belt

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