booster with latch

lourdes

Well-known member
Does having the latch system in a booster makes a difference at the time of an accident? Does it makes it safer? I was watching crash test videos of boosters and I don't like how the booster slides forward during the "accident"
 
ADS

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
There is no evidence to show that LATCH is a safety feature in boosters.

It doesn't really matter if a booster moves during an accident, since the child is restrained by the vehicle seatbelt and not the booster.
 

wavegal

New member
The biggest perk of having a latch-able booster IMO is that the seat is always secured to the car when a child isn't in it, I don't think many actually secure an empty booster which makes it a projectile.
 

aeormsby

New member
And to some extent having the booster move with the child during an accident might help keep the belt positioned correctly as the child moves (rather than the child moving forward and not being surrounded by the booster anymore). Pure speculation, but just one possibility that makes me completely un-concerned about the booster moving with the child.
 

MommyShannon

New member
Somebody mentioned in another thread that if the child moved past the seat' sedge it could be a problem. Not sure if there is evidence or if it's speculation. You don't LATCH tightly like you do a harnessed seat though. Some don't tighten much at all.
 

Mom2natalie

New member
I like the idea of a booster with latch. However Ill not latch the booster if there's any chance it may harm my daughter. I'd rather go through the annoyance of buckling the seatbelt than have her less safe.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
Somebody mentioned in another thread that if the child moved past the seat' sedge it could be a problem. Not sure if there is evidence or if it's speculation. You don't LATCH tightly like you do a harnessed seat though. Some don't tighten much at all.

With rigid latch it would be latched the same tightness as as harnessed seat with rigid latch.

Transport Canada did some unrelated testing awhile back and found that backless booster attached with latch increased the chance for abdominal injury. They didn't come to any conclusions with that other than it needs more testing, since that wasn't the purpose of those tests. I'll try and find the link.
 

lourdes

Well-known member
See I thought it was the other way around, so seats like the Nautilus or the Frontiers, that are heavy seats, when they are use in booster mode should be latch or not? I don't know much about physics but for some reason in my mind the latch made the booster safer, I guess it doesn't!
I am on the debate of which booster to get to start booster training my DD, so the booster won't stay in the car so I was only thinking of getting something with latch thinking it was safer.....
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
On the other hand, with very heavy boosters, a third-party testing agency in Europe frequently finds that loading on the child dummy leads to worse injury markers; boosters that are lighter or use ISOFIX tend to perform better in those tests.

Rigid LATCH may also have a benefit in side impact crashes.
 

lourdes

Well-known member
On the other hand, with very heavy boosters, a third-party testing agency in Europe frequently finds that loading on the child dummy leads to worse injury markers; boosters that are lighter or use ISOFIX tend to perform better in those tests.

Rigid LATCH may also have a benefit in side impact crashes.

So hard to make the "right" desition...
 

tiggercat

New member
My understanding of TC's testing of boosters with lower anchors is that the issue they saw with the Oto (the belt slipping out of the guide because the seat didn't move with the child) was pretty particular with that seat and its belt guides. I can't watch the videos on my phone but I do not recall seeing that issue with the Olli, which has actual arm rest style guides. Edited: read techno's post a few posts down.

My personal thoughts are that for a lightweight booster (hbb or backless), latch isn't really necessary if the child will buckle when not in use. Probably not harmful unless it has belt guides that would allow lap belt slippage. For heavier seats, I can see that it would provide some benefit to both booster rider by reducing loading on the child, and other occupants in the vehicle (when unoccupied). I'd definitely look at the geometry of the belt/ and armrest/belt guide and try to follow through a crash event in my mind.

My girlie uses lots of boosters without latch (pw sg, backless turbo, harmony youth) and I feel totally good with that. If I use the FRct as a booster eventually, I will want to use latch because it is such a heavy beast.
 
Last edited:

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
It was with the Olli as well:
The booster seat's rigid attachment does not allow it to move forward. The bigger and heavier a child is, the more likely the front edge of the booster cushion will tip down as he or she slides forward. This increases the likelihood that the lap belt will ride over the abdomen. And since children don't always sit according to manufacturer's instructions, sudden braking or swerving before a crash can place a child further forward on the booster seat. This reduces the distance between the child's bottom and the front edge of the booster seat, which means a child can drop off the front edge of the booster cushion if the collision is severe.

That was the paragraph about both seats then following that is a paragraph about the only the Oto.

They did further exploratory testing where this didn't happen though, but the shoulder came out of the belt sometimes.
 

tiggercat

New member
It was with the Olli as well:

That was the paragraph about both seats then following that is a paragraph about the only the Oto.

They did further exploratory testing where this didn't happen though, but the shoulder came out of the belt sometimes.

Thanks :) I wonder if some of that has to do with the squishy foam seating area too.
I wish they would do some testing with flexible systems on current seats so we would have more info to go on!
 

Pixels

New member
Is it me or Canada has higher standards than the US???

All of that testing was above and beyond Canadian standards. Basically, they put seats in real vehicles while they were crash testing the vehicles to see what happens in a real vehicle.

The US does the same thing.
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,655
Messages
2,196,895
Members
13,530
Latest member
onehitko860

You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.

Graco is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Britax is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Nuna Baby is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org!

Please  Support Car-Seat.Org  with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC

Top