anybody have a type up of all carseat info?

one of my friends asked me to send her some stuff on HWH and i wanted to use it as an opportunity to send all the mamas in our playgroup all the important carseat stuff, including ERF and HWH and the youtubes as well as basic stuff like that the chest clip goes at armpit level and stuff like that, but i lazy and busy and dont want to try and type it all up so i'm wondering if anybody has it all typed up already for sending out to people and if they could post it for me
TIA

I have this, I don't know if it has everything you want. But like you I'm feeling lazy (working on a presentation on this stuff and I'm up to my yaya in carseat info, even more than normal) so I haven't looked through it. But I wrote this up for one of my boards a few months ago using all of the links I had then in my bookmarks.

Extended rear facing:
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/StayRearFacing.aspx
This explains very well why rear facing is best. It includes photos, crash test videos, and an album of older kids rear facing (look for Piper!)

http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html
This one again says why rear facing is safer, with more explanations. It''s a little outdated, but it''s still a good page.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=13&topic_id=44503&mesg_id=44503&page
This one shows the bones of a one year old and a six year old. Because the one year old’'s bones are still in three pieces the cartilage allows a lot more movement. Combine that with the disproportionately large head a baby has and internal decapitation is a real risk. It's like putting a twizzler through a phone cord. If you pull the kinked phone cord straight while holding the ends of the twizzler in the middle of the cord the twizzler will snap but the phone cord will be fine. Just like a baby. Their head will be attached and their spinal column snapped, resulting at best in permanent paralysis, at worst in death.

http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm
A good general description of when to move kids and what seats are and what to buy when. It's important to remember that every step up in carseats is a step down in safety. Rear facing is safest, then forward facing in a five point harness, then forward facing in a high back booster, then forward facing in a low back booster, then the least safe is us, those using just a seatbelt.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020801/practice.html
Another general guide of what seats are good when.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3225/is_3_66/ai_90137870
Another very similar page.

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;109/3/550
The actual AAP publication.

http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/isakswings/ratetherrf.html
This shows how to tether a Britax (could also be transcribed for a Radian) rear facing. NOTE: Australian style tethering is no longer allowed, and tethering to the seat the carseat is on is a last resort measure.

http://cpsafety.com/PDFfiles/RearFacingBrochure.pdf
Something to print out to hand out to people who need a shove in the rear direction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo
The Importance of Rear Facing. Look for Piper!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRP7ynNI8mI
A video someone made for their sister explaining why rear facing is so important.

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/airplaneRF.aspx
Rear facing on an airplane. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO USE A REAR FACING RESTRAINT ON A PLANE JUST AS YOU WOULD IN A CAR. If an attendant gives you grief, as to see their manual. The manual will prove you right.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9916868
A mainstream article about extended rear facing.

http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/7494d2b5161bf0/#1
A news video from WABI out of Maine about extended rear facing. It's not just extended harnessing, as the reporter says, it's extended rear facing. The seat is technically a 3 in 1, not a convertible (the Alpha Omega or the Eddie Bauer 3 in 1, they're all the same seat under different names). Caroline is sitting in a Radian and she is demonstrating extended harnessing.

Boosters:
http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm
Boosters are for big kids. This page has the five step test, which is how you know when your child (or teen, or in my case me) is big enough for just a seatbelt.

http://www.gm.com/company/gmability...passenger_safety/releases/booster_020304.html
This shows pictures and a video of children who are too small being restrained in only an adult belt. There are also other videos about child restraint safety and child safety on the site.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/m...tory/09-13-2005/0004106173&EDATE=Sep+13,+2005
This article discusses the importance of a booster seat for the four to eight year old range when it comes to side impact protection.

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-01/esv/esv19/05-0330-O.pdf
This discusses vehicular restraint and injuries for children 0-15 in Sweden. They have the lowest mortality in the world of children in regards to vehicular collisions.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c...LTWvyYw1vQh1DLiDxtNdw--&ts=1181917615&.src=ph
Comparing the old and new (B500/505 and B510/515) Compass boosters.

Videos:
http://home.comcast.net/~dcbsr/test...Child_Facing_Forwards_ten_years_old_seat.mpeg
This video shows a properly installed, proper size dummy in a 30 mph frontal collision with a 10 year old Britax (they expire at six years). The harness is ripped from the seat.

http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/seatbelts/archive.htm
A listing of UK videos showing the importance of wearing your seatbelt, AND making sure everyone else in your vehicle is wearing there (anything not restrained is a projectile. Toys, books, cups, and other people)

http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/frontcrash/recarostart.mpg
Forward facing harness versus a forward facing booster. 30 mph crash test.

http://depts.washington.edu/booster/images/video/DRIV754_6yr_lap.mpg
A six year old wearing only the lap portion of a shoulder/lap belt.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inj.../Archive-04/CPS Week Planner_files/video.html
A listing of some of the NHTSA''s crash test videos. They each have descriptions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ
The Kyle Miller video, a three year old who was killed while riding in his Turbobooster when the seatbelt failed. The video makes the claim that a Regent is the only safe seat and that it can be used to 80 pounds with LATCH, which is not true. The seat can be used to 48 pounds max, and that's only if your vehicle allows to 48 pounds. Honda, Mercedes, Acura, and Saab have 40 pound LATCH limits. GET TISSUES

http://www.carseatsite.com/videos.htm#rear-facing with LATCH
Videos showing how to install rear facing seats.

http://www.oeamtc.at/videobox/index...sitze_bis_13_kg_oder_15_Monate&movie_kind=swf
Crash test video, forward facing booster versus rear facing seat. It also has rear facing side impact testing. There are other videos on the site, but unless you speak German you'll just have to click here and there and see what comes up.

http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?h...refox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=gLd
A translated (online, so it's patchy) page of the site above with the videos. It's still a little hard to navigate, but it gives more information.

Airplanes:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rC4Q3ofz7SI
A video on the Sioux City crash, July 19, 1989, United flight 232 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_flight_232)

CPST Tools:
http://www.iihs.org/news/1997/iihs_news_062797.pdf
An article about why children should ride in the back seat, even if there is no front seat airbag.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/childseat.cfm
The recall list.

http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/LATCHApp_B_pg105.pdf
Quick guide to LATCH limits of different manufacturers

http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P8.htm
Using a tether for a child past 40 pounds.

http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P49.htm
Different pages in the same manual covering tethering past 40 pounds.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=9443
A list (put together by people on car-seat.org, so not conclusive) of cars that do and do not allow middle seat LATCH use. When in doubt ask or check your manual. I do have a LATCH manual and so can say whether your specific year does or does not allow it.

http://www.thecarseatlady.com/vehicles/the_latch_system_9.html
A site about LATCH

http://www.buckleupnc.org/laws_cps_recommended.cfm
A North Carolina site stating the law as well as best practice (they are NOT the same)

Other Photos:
http://members.tripod.com/uccomama-ivil/
Booster comparison photos

http://www.collisionsafety.net/Allpix/Rear facing car seat pre test.JPG
The before picture of a rear facing infant seat in front of an airbag.

http://www.collisionsafety.net/Allpix/Rear facing car seat post test.JPG
The after picture. It speaks for itself.

http://www.carseatsite.com/pinchtest.jpg
The Pinch test. If you can pinch ANY slack in your child's harness at their shoulder the harness is too loose.



Sites:
http://www.car-seat.org
http://www.carseat.org
http://www.freewebs.com/sacredjourneys/
http://www.thecarseatlady.com/

HTH

Wendy

Here is a list of all the recco'd car seats & basic info on each. Sorry its not formatted pretty.

Remeber a lot of kids outgrow carseats in torso room first... so more torso room is better. Thats why top slot height is so important once a child turns forward facing.

Its a huge problem, a lot of parents think their seat is good to 40lbs... and leave their child in the seat till they are 40lbs regardless of the other ways seats our outgrown.

(United States)
Higher Weight Limit Convertible Seats
Britax Marathon, Decathalon, or Boulevard (MA/DC/BV). 17 in top slots, RF 5-33lbs, FF up to 65lbs in 5 point harness. Awesome seats, allow for rf tethering, has lockoffs to replace locking clips, very easy installs, many bells and whistles that make them easier to use correctly every time, lasts most kids to age 5-6y/o. 220+ Check the FAQ sticky thread for a description of the three.

New Evenflo Triumph Advanced RF to 35lbs; FF to 50 lbs. Max harness height of 17". The new Triumph has the infinite harness adjuster too.. no rethreading the harness! Much nicer than the old Triumph! Much taller shell than the old Triumph too. We think it will be small enough for newborns! $129
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5933974

Sunshine Kids Radian. 18 in top slots, RF 5-33lbs, FF up to 65lbs in 5 point harness. Great seat, only second to Britax because it has some compatibility issues in some vehicles when installed with seatbelt. Really good seat otherwise, allows for RF tethering, lasts most kids to 6-7y/o. 8yr lifespan (most have a 6yr) $175+ www.skjp.com has the manual available for viewing.

Recaro Como & Signo. Recaro makes seats for NASCAR and has made car seats for the European market and a few for the US market for years. RF to 35lbs, forward face to 70lbs. Bottom slots of 9" so not ideal for newborns. Only 17.5in top slots.
The outside width of the seat at its widest point is approx. 19 ½” to 20”.
The Como & the Signo are basically the same shell the biggest difference is that the Signo has an infinitely adjustable harness (where the Como has to be re-threaded) and the Signo's latch straps are on a bar - similar to Britax (on all their models) - so you don't have to re-thread the latch belt if you're going from rear facing to forward facing. Como is $249 Signo is $289
*having problems with the interior shoulder room being too narrow for children to be comfterbal..

True Fit Convertible Car seat Available 1st Quarter 2008
rf 5-35 lbs, ff to 65lbs, 10in bottom slots, 18in top slots. 3 crotch positions, Designed to fit smaller cars- headrest is removable for easier rear facing installs in smaller cars. Can only be used rf w/o the headrest to 22lbs. After that the headrest must be used but the seat can be installed more upright to allow more room. Older rf kids prefer to be more upright anyways.
Cover removable without unhooking the harness, lockoffs for rf & ff, harness adjusted with a knob, everything adjusts by sliding something. Covered in EPP Foam.
Available for pre order 179$.
*does not rear face tether. Compass is adamantly against rf tethers.
http://gooresblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/new-convertible-car-seat-from-compass.html
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y172/murphydog77/truefit.jpg






And lower cost Convertibles we love... (For primary or secondary cars... they are still GREAT seats)
Cosco Scenera $40
5pt harness version.. Very basic no frills seat. Minimal padding, but it's rare for a LO to complain about it. 35lb RF limit with a taller shell! 40lb FF limit however most kids outgrow it in torso height at about 3-3.5yo due to the low 15in top slots.. It just doesn’t offer enough torso grow room to get most kids to 40lbs. Readily available at Wal*mart/ Target/ K-mart. Usually requires 1-3 chunks of pool noodle to get a good recline.

-Safety First Uptown: 35rf/ 40ff/ tall 16.5in top slots so this is the ONLY RF/ff 40lb limit convertible that will likely get a kid to 40lbs. EPP foam, velvety plush cover, super cushy. Very easy to use & install. 8 yr lifespan! (Most have a 6 yr) Around $100 at albeebaby.com, Target.com, and in store at Wal*mart.
The Graco Comfortsport, Evenflo seats, and the Alpha Omega 3in 1 types are very small seats that are usually outgrown the same time as the 40$ Scenera. You don’t get much for your money. While they are safe there are just other options that offer more for the same cost.



Forward facing only seats (child must be over age 1, and 22#’s)

Safe Gaurd GO. Harnesses to 60#’s, becomes a no back booster after. Top slots are 17 to 17.5 inches, needs adjustable headrest behind it for support. Requires top tether anchor. Child must be 30#’s to use. Retails for $179
*new Safeguard Go coming out min. weight limit was reduced to 22 lbs; top slots upped to 17.5-18in

Britax Regent (used to be Husky). KING of car seats is right! Harnesses to 80#’s. Top slots are 20 inches. Requires a top tether after child is 50#’s. Retails for $220-$260. Not good for children under 2yo. Requires college degree to read the manual.

Ride Safer Vest. A vest that comes in two sizes, Small 35-60#’s, Large 50-80#’s. The vest can be used with lap only belt. Requires top tether anchor & headrest. Retails for $89-$99. Great for 3 across situations in small vehicles! Tether strap HAS to be used if child is under 6 yrs old. http://www.safetrafficsystem.com/

Higher Weight FF/Harness Combo Harness/Booster Seats
Cosco/Safety 1st Apex. (FF harness/Booster) seat that harnesses to 65#’s. Top slots are 17 inches high. Requires adjustable headrest or a very tall vehicle seatback behind it for support. Then becomes a very nice BUT VERY WIDE booster that doesn’t fit small children well.. This seat is outgrown totally when the tips of the child’s ears reach the top of the vehicle seatback or headrest. (Fully extended it has a back height of 32.5in tall) EPP Foam in the headrest. Retails for $99-150.

Graco Nautilus . (FF harness/HBB/ LBBooster) 20-65lbs for harness. Top slots are 18 inches high. Converts to a high back booster similar to the Turbo Booster, then to a low back booster. 30-100lbs weight limits in booster mode; booster seat guide is at about 19.5".. 19 inches at the widest point (the base) and 13 inches deep. FAA approved. Built in cup holder and side pockets. The base has two settings and can be slightly reclined. Priced around $150. LATCH limit of 48lbs, Does not allow for LATCH in booster mode. Expected lifespan of 6yrs. should be in all walmarts by end of January. PICTURE:
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj111/Brendan0119/2008gracocarseat004.jpg


FF/Harness Combo Harness/Booster Seats: 40lb limits on internal harnesses

Evenflo Generations/Bolero: 80-110$ depending on model. FF ONLY to 40lbs with harness. Great harnessed seat/ great booster mode. Open belt guides. TALL 16.5in top slots. Adjusts tall in booster mode too! Flip up armrests make kids happy & make it easier to use in booster mode too!
(The Bolero is the dressed down version of the Generations. It lacks the piddle pad).

Graco Cargo: Harness to ONLY 40lbs ff, 17in top slots. Makes ok, at best, booster. Smaller closed belt guides.. but this can be ok if your seat belts lock & you lock them every time. The Cargo with front adjuster is about 90$.
The Treasured Cargo has a back harness adjuster. Avoid it. If you want to adjust the harness you have to unbuckle the whole car seat. *sigh*

Evenflo Chase: Harness to ONLY 40lbs ff The Chase is good for kids/parents that keep forgetting that chest clips go on the chest! 16.5 in top slots. Makes ok, at best, booster. Smaller closed belt guides.. but this can be ok if your seat belts lock & you lock them every time. The Chase is about 60$.

Avoid most other combo seats... VERY low top slots or seatback heights all with 40lb limits.. Just not worth the cost. This includes all the Eddie Bauer, Cosco, Dorel, and 3 in 1's. While safe & decent seats the harness mode doesn’t offer much grow room.

:2thumbsup: Wendy!! Can I use this too?

Sure, go for it.

Wendy

Where is that cool pic that shows the proper way to measure how much space is above your child's head when RF? I cannot find it.

wendytthomas said:

Sure, go for it.

Wendy

Click to expand...

Thanks!

Mama! said:

Where is that cool pic that shows the proper way to measure how much space is above your child's head when RF? I cannot find it.

Click to expand...

I think the picture you're looking for is in this article by Jewels about how to determine when a RF seat is outgrown by height:
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=30201

yes, thanks! I was apparently blind.

You're welcome, and you're definitely not blind. I help out with moderating the articles forum and remembered it was posted there. Otherwise it would take a lot of sifting/searching through threads here to find it.