Unrecommended Tether

UntetheredMom · Mar 16, 2017

We just switched from A Chico KeyFit 30 to a Gracco Milestone for our one year old. We installed it rear facing using the latch system in our Honda Accord. It is as tight as we can possibly get it and doesn't move much side-to-side, but if you push on the back of it you can almost fold it into the seat it's facing. My husband was very concerned by this so he looped the tether strap for forward facing installation around the headrest of the front passanger seat. I am worried this is unsafe, because it's not recommended by the manufacturer, but he thinks it will be safer than our child being slammed against the seat she's facing in the event we are rearended. I can't give him any specific reasons for why I think it's unwise, but I am uneasy about doing something that the manufacturer doesn't recommend. Can anyone give me possible reasons why this would be unsafe?

wendytthomas · Mar 16, 2017

Hi, yes. It's not allowed at all, and could be a fatal modification to your seat. The seat doesn't allow rear facing tethering, so that's the first error. The second would be to attaching it to something that's not a tether anchor. The third would be the angle he's done it. The worst case scenario is that it cracks the seat in half because it's not meant to be attached at all there, and it's the wrong angle, and it takes your child's back with it. If your husband would like more info, he's welcome to talk to an engineer at Graco. They've spent years designing the seat and millions of dollars testing it. Your husband will not better it by rigging it up in 20 minutes in your garage.

You only check for movement at the belt path. You don't check at the back. Rebounding into the backseat is not dangerous. The backseat is well padded to reduce injury to occupants.

You have your child on the side? Your Honda doesn't have lower anchors in the center.

Wendy

Unregistered · Mar 17, 2017

Yes, we have her on the passanger side. The middle seat doesn't not have the correct spacing between the anchors. Our car manual says not to install there with latch. I think we've decided to get a different seat. He just doesn't like the idea of rebound even if it is supposed to be safe and I'm not okay with it not being installed correctly. I'm thinking about getting the Chico Nextfit. It doesn't have a rebound bar, but looks like the shape would minimize rebound. Is this correct? The britax have the bar, but I don't know that we can afford $500. Is there another good lower cost option that I'm missing?

wendytthomas · Mar 17, 2017

The Britax Boulevard ClickTight with anti-rebound bar is $328. Is that a more agreeable price?

The shape of the NextFit may stop rebound, or manage it. It has the same tall front sitting on a base as the Milestone does.

You're definitely right that you cannot use the seat as it is, being so misinstalled. It's perfectly safe to have rebound, but if you or your husband are uncomfortable with it, a seat like the Britax ClickTights with the anti-rebound bar, or a Clek seat, would work.

Wendy

Unrecommended Tether

UntetheredMom

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