JillianMarie
New member
brand new seat, solid install, but can't get my son as tight as I'd like; problem persists with Latch and SB installs. any ideas, or just call Britax? Thanks
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Frontier click tight not harnessing tightly enough
- Thread starter JillianMarie
- Start date
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joolsplus3
Admin - CPS Technician
Does the harness tighten freely when he's out of it, and then is it hard to tighten when he's in it? That's a really common problem with a million seats, so I'm trying to see if that's what you mean?
sb518
New member
I've noticed with my CT Frontier that sometimes the back of the frontier is so tight against the seat back of the car that it doesn't allow the harness to tighten once installed. I think it's because of where the harness comes out behind the shoulder slots, there's the height adjuster bar that the straps go over, and that bar sticks out pretty far and then gets smashed into the seat back of the car after you close the plate - kind of pinning the harness between the height adjuster bar and the seat of the car. But then I've installed it in other cars and not had the issue.
I also can't adjust the head rest because of this when it's installed.
I also can't adjust the head rest because of this when it's installed.
JillianMarie
New member
I just tried the harness without him in the seat and it tightened no problem. It tightens with him in it, but I yank full force up, then yank downwards and it's still a few fingers gap at the chest clip
JillianMarie
New member
that sounds really likely because that sucker is in there tight, but I just tested tightening and loosening the harness *no kid* and I can fit my hand between the car seat back and the back of the Frontier where the harness moves.
JillianMarie
New member
it's not possible that my son is too small, right? that seems like a bone head question to even ask because he's 4.5 yo, 37 lbs, he was still fitting in his convertible. I have to double check his current height, but I know he's within the specs for this seat. I will try the trick mentioned by previous poster, thx
Dillipop
Well-known member
My daughter is 4.5 and around 35-37 lbs. Not sure of her height either but she is a pretty slender kid. She fits fine in the seat.
JillianMarie
New member
see, our kids are identical sizes, so it must be a seat issue. I'm going to try your tips in the morning for buckling/tightening.
It is really common with this seat to be nearly impossible to tighten with the kid in the seat. Workarounds include leaving the harness at a set position and not loosening/tightening each time, pulling straight down on the strap while leaning over it with body weight, unbuckling the crotch buckle to tight a bit then re-buckle. We almost never adjusted the harness on ours since it was so difficult. We'd make micro adjustments for variances in clothing here and there as needed but only in slight amounts.
Have you tried a different position in the vehicle? Sometimes different contours will let it sit differently against the seat back and work better.
P
pcayer
Guest
2017, same seats, same issues...
We bought the Frontier because we have spent the past 3 years with Britax products for our kids. Not the cheapest but you get more than you pay for. Not for the Frontier though... Impossible to tighten the straps. Our daughter is not tal nor to short. With my 200 lbs it is just impossible to tighten the straps to a secure position.
We went to the vendor we tried with our daughter in 2 demos and they could not set the straps right. They even tried with an adult sitting in the seat to get the exact same result. There is clearly a design flaw.
We returned the seat and bought a Diono instead which is far from the same quality but we needed a seat to get back home.
Spending over 500$ on a product and not being able to use it because the seat is not design to be used with someone seating in it is really annoying...
Have they tested the seats before they even sent it out to the public? How many people have or are still using these seats without a proper set up for there kids?
We bought the Frontier because we have spent the past 3 years with Britax products for our kids. Not the cheapest but you get more than you pay for. Not for the Frontier though... Impossible to tighten the straps. Our daughter is not tal nor to short. With my 200 lbs it is just impossible to tighten the straps to a secure position.
We went to the vendor we tried with our daughter in 2 demos and they could not set the straps right. They even tried with an adult sitting in the seat to get the exact same result. There is clearly a design flaw.
We returned the seat and bought a Diono instead which is far from the same quality but we needed a seat to get back home.
Spending over 500$ on a product and not being able to use it because the seat is not design to be used with someone seating in it is really annoying...
Have they tested the seats before they even sent it out to the public? How many people have or are still using these seats without a proper set up for there kids?
Last edited by a moderator:
I've never had a problem with my seat. I'm sorry you did. I bet Britax would appreciate your feedback.
I'm a bit curious why you went with Diono instead; they aren't really in the same category longevity wise since they rarely make a useable booster and the slots are much lower, plus the difficulty getting a proper install in most vehicles means they are at least as frequently misused as the Frontier, probably more; they aren't particularly easy to tighten either. Would you like recommendations on other seats that may meet your needs? There are many convertibles out there which is great, since not every seat works in every vehicle or with every child.
I'm a bit curious why you went with Diono instead; they aren't really in the same category longevity wise since they rarely make a useable booster and the slots are much lower, plus the difficulty getting a proper install in most vehicles means they are at least as frequently misused as the Frontier, probably more; they aren't particularly easy to tighten either. Would you like recommendations on other seats that may meet your needs? There are many convertibles out there which is great, since not every seat works in every vehicle or with every child.
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