If you could design a car seat....

NZ Child Restraints · Feb 16, 2008

What would you do?
What features would you have, what would you not have?
What weight range?
Would you use ideas from one company more than others?

I thought it would be interesting to see what techs/car seat geeks could come up with.

HEVY · Feb 16, 2008

The only thing that has been in my mind lately is for the older, longer kids in the 5-point harness. I know these things are tested but to me there's the part of the torso that seems unprotected, now I know the seat is there but I still feel something more is needed. I would add a belt in mid torso to protect in side impacts. I know you may think that it would hurt the stomach or side, but if it was made so when there was impact that all the weight was equally distributed. It just seems if there was side impact that that past of the body especially on a older child would bend. The belt would take some of the impact off the neck and hips.

minismom · Feb 16, 2008

Hummm, let's see.

It'd be a convertible.

With really high top slots and really heigh RF weight limit. Maybe designed like the Swedish seats so at some point you could lift it up from the vehicle's seat to get more leg room.

There'd be a removable top part, like the True Fit, so that while your child is still short you don't need to have a monster taking up front to back space. But unlike the TrueFit you'd be able to use it without the extra part longer, regardless of weight, until your child's head was within 1" of the end of the shell, then you'd add the extra part.

RF tether.

If I could make that work with infinite harness slots I would, but if not regular slots would be ok, as long as the lowest one was low enough to fit newborns well.

Push button adjuster!

You'd be able to remove the cover without unistalling the seat. And definitely be able to remove and replace the harness.

Lock offs. Definitely lock offs. And aligator Britax like latch connectors. And Britax like chest clip.

TSIP, but unlike the BLVD, the wings would be farther from the child's head, so it'd just look like an MA except the part around the head would be deeper so the head was contained. So no headrest piece to push the head forward.

Well, while I'm at it I suppose folding like the Radian would be cool!

And of course, like any self respecting seat, there'd be EPS foam all over and lots of padding. Lots of cover options, including cute boy covers!

Who's buying one?

NZ Child Restraints · Feb 16, 2008

minismom said:
Who's buying one?

Wow! i am impressed!

minismom · Feb 16, 2008

NZ Child Restraints said:
Wow! i am impressed!

Well.... You know what to do when you're impressed with someone else's post!

NZ Child Restraints · Feb 16, 2008

Lol! your thread count = 666

minismom · Feb 16, 2008

problem solved!

TerisBoys · Feb 16, 2008

Mine would be FF > Booster only.

Essentially, take the Nauti, put an infinite adjust harness/headrest on it.

Make the back slightly taller - 22" to shoulder in booster mode, 20" top slots.

Make the interior of the seat about 2" wider without making the seat itself noticeably wider.

Line the sides/back with EPS.

Oh yeah - and do something about the jumble of elastics that attach cover to seat!

AdventureMom · Feb 16, 2008

I googled the other day and found these racecar seats... This would be cool, huh?

Lea_Ontario · Feb 16, 2008

I'd want to design all the energy and impact absorbing foam to be less bulky, so that the good seats aren't HUGE.

I'd get rid of multi-use seats (to reduce misuse) and only have dedicated RF, dedicated FF, and dedicated boosters.

I'd make all seats have an installable base like infant buckets do, even the FF seats. Why - because a base is easier to install than a seat is (at least for me).

I'd make the RF seats with a higher weight limit - like 40 lbs !

I'd make all FF seats with a weight limit of 80 lbs or more.

Boosters could be latched to the car.

While I'm at it - all seats would come with an invisible forcefield at the sides to keep siblings from touching one another !

elle7715 · Feb 16, 2008

I might just be uncreative but the hype about the Frontier has me excited. Now, my perfect seat right now would be...
FF only/booster combo with up to 20 inches for harness and even more for the booster.
Infinite adjust harness
SIP, but BV wings instead of the Wizard style
EPS foam everywhere
good seat depth
LATCH in harness and booster mode
and of course...a huge selection of covers and a website where you could buy additional ones for a decent price.

I'd also love it if there was a Radian/BV hybrid one day.

Synchro246 · Feb 16, 2008

Kashi said:
I'd make all seats have an installable base like infant buckets do, even the FF seats. Why - because a base is easier to install than a seat is (at least for me).

And all the bases would have a nice flat spot in the center to knee on or to press down on with your hand when you're tightening the belts.
and built in lock offs like on the ss1

azgirl71 · Feb 16, 2008

I think we need better FF seats.

I would use a shell that is like a racecar seat. maybe not solid aluminum, but similar design. The harness and shell would be high enough to accomidate a child or small adult up to 5'5". So they will stay harnessed much longer and eliminate the belt positioning booster. Also a higher weight limit of up to 150 lbs.

groovymom2000 · Feb 16, 2008

While I'm at it - all seats would come with an invisible forcefield at the sides to keep siblings from touching one another !

:thumbsup:

I like that one!

azgirl71 · Feb 16, 2008

Kashi said:
While I'm at it - all seats would come with an invisible forcefield at the sides to keep siblings from touching one another !

VEry good for those with more than 1 small child :thumbsup:

Synchro246 · Feb 16, 2008

And just for fun I'd do full testing with LATCH & seatbelts together
And I'd test it with bracing

TerisBoys · Feb 16, 2008

azgirl71 said:
VEry good for those with more than 1 small child :thumbsup:

Especially those with more than one child in a 3-across setup

I'm sure my middlest would have appreciated that about 4 years ago when baby brother learned to kick him in the face while wearing his AFO's. (Baby was RF in a RA, W was FF in an Elite which sat MUCH lower and put his face in just the right position to elicit a noisy response when Ry got bored).

Gypsy · Feb 16, 2008

I'd "invent" two seats.

One would be a lot like the SafeGuard Child Seat, but it would rear face from birth - 55 pounds, it would have the cool cubbies and cup holder that the Nautilus has. It would fit a child from birth-age 7 and have an 8 year expiration date.

The second would also be like the SafeGuard Child Seat, but would have 21 inch top slots and convert to a HBB then BB, it would also have a deeper seat for better leg support, it would also have the cool cubbies and cup holder of the Nautilus. It would fit a child from age 4-12 with an 8 year expiration date.

I like the SIP in the SafeGuard Child Seat, it's excellent while not being too confining.

safeinthecar · Feb 16, 2008

Kashi said:
While I'm at it - all seats would come with an invisible forcefield at the sides to keep siblings from touching one another !

And the forcefield would also act as a sound buffer, automatically adjusting all screaming to a reasonable conversational volume.

tjham · Feb 16, 2008

minismom said:
It'd be a convertible.

With really high top slots...

There'd be a removable top part, like the True Fit, so that while your child is still short you don't need to have a monster taking up front to back space. But unlike the TrueFit you'd be able to use it without the extra part longer, regardless of weight, until your child's head was within 1" of the end of the shell, then you'd add the extra part.

RF tether.

If I could make that work with infinite harness slots I would, but if not regular slots would be ok, as long as the lowest one was low enough to fit newborns well.

Push button adjuster!

You'd be able to remove the cover without unistalling the seat. And definitely be able to remove and replace the harness.

Lock offs. Definitely lock offs. And aligator Britax like latch connectors. And Britax like chest clip.

TSIP, but unlike the BLVD, the wings would be farther from the child's head, so it'd just look like an MA except the part around the head would be deeper so the head was contained. So no headrest piece to push the head forward.

Well, while I'm at it I suppose folding like the Radian would be cool!

And of course, like any self respecting seat, there'd be EPS foam all over and lots of padding. Lots of cover options, including cute boy covers.

Yes to all this, plus a low or removable base (the only thing I liked about the AOE!). I think the Marathon sits up too high for older kids, although I still love it. I like the way the Radian is a lower profile.

If you could design a car seat....

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