Booster Options (without latch)

judesmommy

New member

• Jun 14, 2014

• #1

My little guy is 5 years 8 months now. He is 47 lbs. and 44 inches. Here are my questions, thoughts, facts, etc.

1) I drive a 2001 Blazer, so I don't have latch

2) My seat belts in the back are all stretched looking and feel weird when I touch them, they are also twisted.

3) I have a Frontier 85, Frontier 90, Parkway, Evenflo Maestro

4) Frontier 85 is in Grandma's car. Frontier 90 is in mine. Parkway and Maestro are for emergency use or for carpooling with friends.

I recently converted the Frontier 90 to a booster, and it fit DS weird. I can get pictures later. The Parkway also fits DS weird, (I may just have it adjusted wrong), I can also get pics. The Maestro fits DS really good IMO, as a booster.

In my car, my concern is that I don't have latch. The Frontier 90 is such a heavy booster. I would rather use a lighter booster.

5) Any ideas on good light weight boosters?

But, the heavy frontier 90 has to be safer than a light weight booster, right??

6) Which is safer, extended harnessing in a frontier 90, boostering in frontier 90 without latch, or using a light weight booster without latch.

7) In my situation, would you:

A: Continue to use the Frontier 90 WITH THE HARNESS for at least another year and get closer to the max weight for the seat. Then, after a year or two, get a lighter weight booster to use.

B: Use the Frontier 90 to booster when you feel like the child is ready, even without latch.

C: Get a light weight booster when the child is ready because there is no significant increase in safety when it comes to extended harnessing at this child's age.

Thanks... Sorry for the novel!!

P.S. Right now DS is harnessed in both the Frontier 90 and Frontier 85

 

Last edited: Jun 14, 2014

S

Syllieann

New member

• Jun 14, 2014

• #2

I would, without a doubt, just continue to harness. With the seats you have, you should have plenty of time before you need to worry about a hbb. It sounds like maestro in hbb mode will work for the random emergencies in other people's cars.

You should definitely have the seatbelts checked and possibly replaced.

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Jun 14, 2014

• #3

I'd continue to harness, and my reason is your belts. (I prefer not to use a heavy booster without LATCH, myself, to prevent potential loading on the child, but that's more gut-feeling than well-backed-up with studies; I've only read a few things on it.)

But the belts being stretched, yikes. I'd rather you use them to install a harnessed seat because if the belt doesn't stretch in the way it should, at least the extra forces are transferred to the car seat first, where he's got the stretch of the harness (and in this case the SafeCell and a rip-stitch tether for more load mitigation) rather than those extra forces transferring directly to his body.

I'd get your belts replaced before he uses a booster back there.

 

judesmommy

New member

• Jun 15, 2014

• #4

Thanks for the replies! so the most important thing is to have my belts examined. After the belts are replaced:

Should I keep DS harnessed still? Is it significantly safer for him to be in the harness then a booster at his age/weight?

Is it safer to have a light weight booster or a heavy booster in a car without latch? I feel like the light boosters don't provide enough protection... but, I also don't want DS to be crushed.

 

tiggercat

New member

• Jun 15, 2014

• #5

I don't suppose we can see a picture of the stretched belts?

 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician

• Jun 15, 2014

• #6

I notice in a previous thread of yours (from a very long time ago) you mentioned using a Mighty-Tite. Is this the same car? If so, that definitely could have caused the belts to stretch. I, too, would look into replacement. In fact, if the belts were damaged by a Mighty-Tite, I would replace them even if using them for installing a harnessed seat.

In the meantime, twisted belts can usually be untwisted pretty easily. Usually you fold the seatbelt webbing over and slide the latch plate over it. It's kind of hard to explain, but I think there might be a video somewhere. (Of course, I just had a car--my own--where the bolt was actually put on sideways, and the twisting had nothing to do with the latch plate. A dealer can take care of that.)

 

judesmommy

New member

• Jun 15, 2014

• #7

Yes LISmama810, I used the mighty tight back in 2009 before I knew better... after that my seat belts were never the same... and then when I got the Frontier 90, they got much worse after I used the click tight. I posted a picture in a previous thread... but, I can take new pictures. Can someone remind me how to post photos on here? Can I post from Facebook??

I'm going to go take photos now.

 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician

• Jun 15, 2014

• #8

The best way is to upload the photos to a photo-sharing site like Photobucket and then copy and paste the IMG code.

 

judesmommy

New member

• Jun 15, 2014

• #9

Okay, I took belt pictures, Maestro pictures, Parkway pictures, and Frontier 90 pictures. I figured while I had the camera out, I might as well get a picture of everything. Please ignore the food stained car... DS has severe hypoglycemia and has to eat ever 1-2 hours... so he often eats in the car.

Belt pictures:

[/URL][/IMG]

 

judesmommy

New member

• Jun 15, 2014

• #10

In the Maestro. NOTE: DS does NOT ride in a booster in my car because the belts worry me... but, these pictures show fit, and how the belt twists. I also need opinions on booster fit for after I get the belts fixed.



In order to get the belt flat on DS, it has to twist twice at the top:

 

judesmommy

New member

• Jun 15, 2014

• #11

Here's how DS is riding now:

Same belt twist

 

judesmommy

New member

• Jun 16, 2014

• #12

Bump!! Any ideas... comments... would be appreciated.

 

tiggercat

New member

• Jun 16, 2014

• #13

Does the belt spin around at the bottom? I was able to fix a similar twist in my van by turning the webbing back around the bolt the other way.

 

judesmommy

New member

• Jun 16, 2014

• #14

No it is bolted into place... I could try unbolting it? I'm going to take it to the dealship next week though... I also found a recall for seatbelts on 2001 Blazers online... not sure if our car is affected though.

 

tiggercat

New member

• Jun 17, 2014

• #15

judesmommy said:

No it is bolted into place... I could try unbolting it? I'm going to take it to the dealship next week though... I also found a recall for seatbelts on 2001 Blazers online... not sure if our car is affected though.

Click to expand...

Yes, it is bolted, but can you turn the belt around the bolt? Do not unbolt it your self!