Seat Belt Extension

AceRider · Sep 9, 2014

Whenever people here talk about the issue of the plane's seat belt buckle ending up right in the middle of kid's back, someone says use an extension.

how would that solve anything? The extension's buckle will end up exactly where the main seat belt's buckle would be relative to the fixed male end of the seat belt.

What am I missing?

sunnymw · Sep 10, 2014

I've only ever heard of it being used for longer belt paths (I think the classic Marathon comes to mind). I didn't need it on the airplane for any of the seats I took (2 FF Radians, the kids couldn't feel it due to the padding but it was on their backs, and a RF Scenera, it was at her feet).

sarahlove · Sep 10, 2014

You adjust the buckles so that each one is outside the belt path.

Brianna · Sep 10, 2014

They are helpful for seats with closed belt paths, where the buckle falls inside the belt path. In some seats the buckle cannot be opened far enough to unbuckle and the seatbelt had to be undone at the anchor to get the car seat out. Adding the extender allowed for unbuckling without all the extra work.

AceRider · Sep 10, 2014

OK, call me stupid, but:

The male end of a seatbelt is fixed in length. How does using an extension move the buckle which will be attached to that fixed point? Whether it's the extension or the normal buckle, the part attached to the fixed male end of the seatbelt will be in exactly the same place.

What am I missing?

AceRider · Sep 10, 2014

Brianna said:
They are helpful for seats with closed belt paths, where the buckle falls inside the belt path. In some seats the buckle cannot be opened far enough to unbuckle and the seatbelt had to be undone at the anchor to get the car seat out. Adding the extender allowed for unbuckling without all the extra work.

This makes sense; in your scenario, one buckle may still end up smack in the middle of the kid's back, but you can unbuckle the second buckle and pull the belt out.

But it doesn't solve the belt in the middle of the back issue, does it? This is an installation issue, not a comfort of the kid issue?

Brianna · Sep 10, 2014

AceRider said:
This makes sense; in your scenario, one buckle may still end up smack in the middle of the kid's back, but you can unbuckle the second buckle and pull the belt out. But it doesn't solve the belt in the middle of the back issue, does it? This is an installation issue, not a comfort of the kid issue?

Britax seats have closed belt paths, so plastic separating the belt path from the child. In this case, the child can't feel the buckle and comfort isn't an issue. The Graco Nautilus for example has an open belt path- there is nothing between the seat belt and the child. This is where the buckle ends up in the child's back and a seat belt extender doesn't help. I have seen suggestions of placing a towel between the seat belt and car seat cover on a plane to help with comfort.

AceRider · Sep 10, 2014

Thanks. This is what I thought, but I was hoping I was missing something about the buckle that my mind couldn't figure out.

I've seen the Britax with the hard plastic flap that covers the seat belt path. We have the boulevard (or whatever the one with the rubber bags on the side is called) for our cars, but no way am I lugging that thing onto a plane.

Light and easy is what I'm after and have traveled twice with the Cosco High Backed Booster (or whatever THAT one is called). I love it, but the only issue is the seat buckle on the plane. Compounded by an upcoming 14 hour trip with our 9 month old. He MUST be comfortable or the other passengers will kill us!

My plan is:

- First try to shorten the male end by twisting it around something on the plane seat base or tying it in knots; that way maybe I can get the buckle off the left side of the seat
- failing that, use washcloths to pad him
- After take off, loosen seatbelt on seat and hopefully get the buckle out from behind him
- Remove car seat entirely after takeoff and let him sit/lay loosely buckled (so he won't fly off in turbulence) on the seat while turning the car seat heat down and putting it on the floor in front of him

What I really need is to be able to shorten the male side of hte seatbelt!

Thanks again!

Dillipop · Sep 10, 2014

AceRider said:
Thanks. This is what I thought, but I was hoping I was missing something about the buckle that my mind couldn't figure out. I've seen the Britax with the hard plastic flap that covers the seat belt path. We have the boulevard (or whatever the one with the rubber bags on the side is called) for our cars, but no way am I lugging that thing onto a plane. Light and easy is what I'm after and have traveled twice with the Cosco High Backed Booster (or whatever THAT one is called). I love it, but the only issue is the seat buckle on the plane. Compounded by an upcoming 14 hour trip with our 9 month old. He MUST be comfortable or the other passengers will kill us! My plan is: - First try to shorten the male end by twisting it around something on the plane seat base or tying it in knots; that way maybe I can get the buckle off the left side of the seat - failing that, use washcloths to pad him - After take off, loosen seatbelt on seat and hopefully get the buckle out from behind him - Remove car seat entirely after takeoff and let him sit/lay loosely buckled (so he won't fly off in turbulence) on the seat while turning the car seat heat down and putting it on the floor in front of him What I really need is to be able to shorten the male side of hte seatbelt! Thanks again!

Your 9 month old will be rearfacing on the plane, right? So you won't have the issue of the belt behind him. The belt may be under his bun, but usually it falls in front of the child, IMO. The scenera is cheap, light weight, and can be used rearfacing.

1mommy · Sep 10, 2014

If he still fits in his infant seat (and is comfortable with that) I would just use that.

jjordan · Sep 10, 2014

How old is the child who will be using the seat?

I agree that using the infant seat is a great idea, if he still fits.

AceRider · Sep 10, 2014

Dillipop said:
Your 9 month old will be rearfacing on the plane, right?

Nope, forward. This seat really isn't made for him, but it works for what we need for such a long flight.

1mommy · Sep 10, 2014

I would guess that the child will be much more comfortable rear facing on a plane due to the angle at which you rearface, which is more reclined, and the fact that he is used to it, and he is not old enough to need to have the plane tray table down. Not to mention if you are using a seat which doesn't fit him on the plane hopefully you have a better seat for any car traveling you will be doing after you get off the plane? I don't mean to sound rude as I don't know your situation but I am trying to help you think of other ideas that may work. If you are concerned about the person in front of you being able to recline (as in several recent news stories) if you mention it to them as they are being seated, and the stewardess can help find someone wiling to switch I would imagine it would not be a big deal.

AceRider · Sep 10, 2014

1mommy said:
I would guess that the child will be much more comfortable rear facing on a plane due to the angle at which you rearface, which is more reclined, and the fact that he is used to it, and he is not old enough to need to have the plane tray table down. Not to mention if you are using a seat which doesn't fit him on the plane hopefully you have a better seat for any car traveling you will be doing after you get off the plane? I don't mean to sound rude as I don't know your situation but I am trying to help you think of other ideas that may work. If you are concerned about the person in front of you being able to recline (as in several recent news stories) if you mention it to them as they are being seated, and the stewardess can help find someone wiling to switch I would imagine it would not be a big deal.

No problem.

1. A rear facing seat will likely stop the seat in front from reclining, and I'm not getting into a fight with the person in front. this is a 14 hour flight and no on will be OK with that. But more importantly, i want to be able to remove him from the car seat to sleep on the seat (in a belt of course), but the bigger seat won't fit upside down between us and the seat in front.

2. He is MUCH happier sitting up and looking around

3. I will have him slightly reclined for sleeping comfort by using a blanket under the front of the seat to prop it back while reclining his seat in flight.

4. The seat fits him perfectly in weight and height, but the manufacturer's suggestion is one year old, which he's not. It's not MADE for him, but it fits just fine.

5. We are renting a seat at the destination for him and my older son will use this one.

Brianna · Sep 10, 2014

I would definitely pick up a Cosco Scenera and rear face him. He doesn't meet the minimums for the Cosco High Back booster, and he will be much more comfortable (and might even sleep

) rear facing. That and the buckle won't be behind his back. It will also eliminate having to go through your list of problems to fix

AceRider · Sep 10, 2014

Brianna said:
I would definitely pick up a Cosco Scenera and rear face him. He doesn't meet the minimums for the Cosco High Back booster, and he will be much more comfortable (and might even sleep ) rear facing. That and the buckle won't be behind his back. It will also eliminate having to go through your list of problems to fix

The only thing he doesn't meet is age and it fits him perfectly.

The Scenara or the other one I found (Evenflo or something) will have to be wedged in and will impact the person in front of me. AND I can't remove it mid-flight when he wants to sit up on the seat.

1mommy · Sep 10, 2014

What about buying him a Combi Coccoro, according to this thread you can rear face him and the person in front of you can recline.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=213210

If he gets crabby during the flight I would just take him out of his seat and put him on your lap for a bit then you don't have to rent a car seat of unknown origin (and cleanliness) for your little one. Maybe its just me but I'm having troubles imaging a 9 month old sleeping on just the plane seat with no car seat, I think he would be much more comfortable in a car seat - but hes your child and you know him best. I have also read about installing the Coccoro on a plane FF but very reclined which may work better for you.

Your oldest could bring a backless booster on the plane with him (not to sit in but store it under his seat) and if you don't think you will have room for a backless booster in your luggage you could get a bubble bum which deflates and fits in a backpack.

AceRider · Sep 10, 2014

1mommy said:
Maybe its just me but I'm having troubles imaging a 9 month old sleeping on just the plane seat with no car seat

He would lay on the seat, feet on mom's lap or sideways scrunched up.

This seat is interesting; but I want to see them beforehand and no store availability near me as far as I can tell.

AceRider · Sep 10, 2014

1mommy said:
...then you don't have to rent a car seat of unknown origin (and cleanliness) for your little one...

Have you ever been to Japan? Nothing there is as you describe! Most people don't even use car seats, so I think ours will be new units from a store that sells them. In-laws are dealing with this.

finn · Sep 12, 2014

AceRider said:
1. A rear facing seat will likely stop the seat in front from reclining, and I'm not getting into a fight with the person in front. this is a 14 hour flight and no on will be OK with that.

I thank you for this, I couldn't imagine being stuck on a plane for 14 hours without being able to recline my seat.

Seat Belt Extension

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