How to SAFELY wear a winter coat in carseats...

**Jewels** · 10-10-2008, 03:49 PM

Since the cold weather is approaching us I thought I would bump this

**Car-Seat.Org** · 10-10-2008 03:49 PM

**brittany741** · 10-30-2008, 05:36 PM

Excellent! I was hoping for a solution!

**stayinhomewithmy6** · 11-01-2008, 03:22 PM

I used this method all the time last year. It works perfectly! I prefer jackets that don't have hoods or removable hoods. The kids wear a hat instead and it makes it easier to pull that jacket around the straps. I'll be trying it RF this year - hope it works!

**lemurmommies** · 11-20-2008, 09:13 AM

I used this trick last year (RF) and am using it again this year (FF.) I really thought it worked great!

I posted a link to this thread on another board, though, and the debate started as to how this is any different than riding with a Bundle Me under a child, since there is still a layer between the seat and the child. When it's in the -20s I'm not going to take my kids coat off completely, but I didn't have a terribly good answer except that the Bundle Me can also cause the straps to be positioned incorrectly.

**Jewels** · 11-20-2008, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by lemurmommies

I used this trick last year (RF) and am using it again this year (FF.) I really thought it worked great!

I posted a link to this thread on another board, though, and the debate started as to how this is any different than riding with a Bundle Me under a child, since there is still a layer between the seat and the child. When it's in the -20s I'm not going to take my kids coat off completely, but I didn't have a terribly good answer except that the Bundle Me can also cause the straps to be positioned incorrectly.

It would be different because the straps aren't going through anything and won't get caught.

Also the slots on the bundle me's go up and down (/) not sideways (-) which causes them to bunch and get caught (possibly stuck) in the slot and on the velcro.

This is a great way to wear jackets in the winter. You can also put them in their seat without the jacket and tighten the harness properly, take them out without loosening the harness and then put them back in with their jacket on, again not loosening the harness so that you know it is tight enough.

**pastrygirl** · 11-20-2008, 02:21 PM

Is it better to wear no coat? Or if you can do this trick, is it about the same? I was able to do it this morning with my son's coat -- everything moved out of the way nicely. For the ride back, he demanded that I take off his coat. I guess he's been trained!

I guess what I'm asking is is only OK in a pinch, or is it OK all the time?

**CDNTech** · 11-20-2008, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by pastrygirl

Is it better to wear no coat? Or if you can do this trick, is it about the same? I was able to do it this morning with my son's coat -- everything moved out of the way nicely. For the ride back, he demanded that I take off his coat. I guess he's been trained!

I guess what I'm asking is is only OK in a pinch, or is it OK all the time?

Either way is fine... whichever works better for you. The beauty of the coat trick is that the harness is the same tightness with it on or off. There is no compromising on safety.

**newmama** · 11-21-2008, 10:39 PM

What a great post- just what I was looking for- thanks!! I'm going to try this tomorrow.
One question- does it matter if the hood is up or down? I have the Britax Boulevard and this seems to push DD's head forward slightly anyway. Or does it matter?

**CDNTech** · 01-02-2009, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by newmama

What a great post- just what I was looking for- thanks!! I'm going to try this tomorrow.
One question- does it matter if the hood is up or down? I have the Britax Boulevard and this seems to push DD's head forward slightly anyway. Or does it matter?

I find it works better with the hood up... with the hood down, it just adds extra layers between the seat and your child.

If they want the hood off, I just take it off *after* I've buckled them in with the hood up and out of the way.

**featherhead** · 01-15-2009, 04:08 PM

I finally tried this with my dd yesterday. She's been wearing a double layer fleece jacket, with appropriate layers underneath, but yesterday was around -40 with the wind chill. Fleece just doesn't cut it in that kind of weather! We had to go out so I decided to try the coat trick with her parka which she usually just uses for being outside in winter. I was amazed at how well it worked. I thought with a smaller child, like my dd it wouldn't work as well, but I was wrong. I was even able to tighten her harness a tiny bit more than usual.

**jillianrose** · 01-25-2009, 10:32 AM

Ugh, I've got three kids and it's -40! I'd freeze to death in my own garage before I got them all buckled in safely this way! And I can't imagine trying to do this outside their school with the windchill we've been having.

I've been buckling them all in with their winter coats for years. Is it really that unsafe? Why?

I always pull up their coats so that the lap portion is flush against their laps.

Two are in FF Radians, the other in a Britax Bodyguard Booster.

I want them to be safe...

**jillianrose** · 01-29-2009, 02:29 PM

OK, so you guys have reformed me. I watched the youtube video and it became a "no brainer"! My kids are riding with their coats on backwards. My friends think I'm crazy and I'm disappointed that I cannot sway them, but I'm relieved that my children are riding safely. Thanks for reforming me! This site is a lifesafer, literally.

**CaseyRN** · 02-05-2009, 07:45 PM

Ok this might be a dumb question but I'm going to ask it anyway. If the coat is still on the shoulders it seems like that would be a problem. I'm thinking about how in DD's MA the straps always appear looser in the belly area but really snug in the shoulder/collar bone area. So if that is where the coat is going to be under the harness how does that not cause a problem?

**Jewels** · 02-05-2009, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by CaseyRN

Ok this might be a dumb question but I'm going to ask it anyway. If the coat is still on the shoulders it seems like that would be a problem. I'm thinking about how in DD's MA the straps always appear looser in the belly area but really snug in the shoulder/collar bone area. So if that is where the coat is going to be under the harness how does that not cause a problem?

The coat is still under and around the front of the straps affect how tight you can get the harness and the cold -40 temperatures don't help that any either.