? for those of you who have both Britax and non-Britax seats.

zactayaus

Well-known member
Do the hugs on the Britax seats make the harness easier or harder to use than a harness without? What exactly do the hugs do? I'm just about ready to purchase a Frontier but I have never had a Britax seat and I want to make sure the harness is going to be easy to use.
 
ADS

crunchierthanthou

New member
IME, they only make it more difficult when you use them rf with smaller children. The HUGS reduce head excursion by spreading the crash force over more of the webbing. Think about a rubber pad on a gym bag or laptop case shoulder strap. It holds it in place and keeps it from digging into your shoulder.
 

firemomof3

New member
I agree, my son was in a britax wizard rf and the HUGS were a pain! But when my daughter was ff in the wizard they were awsome, loved'em!!
 

myliljunebugs

New member
what they said :) I tried to use them RF (to ensure that I wouldn't lose them) but they were a PITA until she was FF. I did end up taking them off for a better fit until then. You won't have that issue on the Frontier since it is FF only. I want this seat soooo bad. I'm getting the pink on in July ;)
 

carseatfreak

New member
I never had any complaints about the pads. Only difficulty I really have is getting my daughter's hair pulled out of them before we buckle in but that problem was with the evenflo too (doesn't get stuck in them...just pulling her long hair from under them). If anything I view them as a benefit...in the evenflo the straps look uncomfy around her neck and in the Britax that is not the case...super comfy and no red lines on her neck from straps. Just my two cents. :)
 

supermommyof2

New member
I agree that for RFing it's easier to remove them.

For FFing I don't notice a difference in the fit or use of the harnesses with or w/out Hugs.

The only complaint I have with Britax seats is the useless comfort pads. IMO they're too short to do anything.
 

Murphy's Law

New member
I found that our DC adjuster was *ever so slightly* easier to use without the HUGS, shoulder strap pads, and infant inserts - but it's still a typical difficult DC adjuster even w/o the extras.

I removed them all at once though so I can't be sure if it was the HUGS or a combination of all those things that made it more difficult.

I have used that seat FF with my dd and we also have a Regent and the HUGS are fine for FF use on both seats.
 

ginny4

New member
i only have one true britax seat. the regent. it took some getting used to but they hare fine. i doesn;t seem to be any harder or easier. it does keep DD from sliding her chest clip down too far.
 

KirasMommy

Senior Community Member
I had no problems using the Hugs with my oldest when she was using the MA RFing from 5 months old. But with my younger one, who is a year old, I could not get the harness tightened enough with the hugs, so I removed them. (I threaded them through the extra tether length before folding it and tucking it into the pocket.) My oldest is in a Regent and they are no problem at all.
 

zactayaus

Well-known member
Thanks for the replies. Is it safe to say that hugs will prevent the chest clip from moving out of position when putting the child in and out of the seat. If this is true this will definetely be a seat for us. My dh is horrible about putting the chest clip in the right spot. I have been trying to teach ds to remind daddy where the chest clip goes but it seems to go in one ear and out the other. I am pretty sure I will be ordering a Frontier soon.
 

Kalinky

Senior Community Member
I've never removed the HUGS. I don't mind them being there and feel like the harness is of adequate tightness with them on RF. DD was around 9 months when she first started riding in it. If she were any smaller at that time, I probably would have removed them.

I don't think that they are intended to keep the chest clip in position when the child is transferring in/out in any way, just for reducing head excursion by spreading the crash force over more of the webbing (as Crunchy said). From my experience with DD's MA, they do not aid in keeping the chest clip from moving out of position when taking her out and putting her back in. We readjust it to be level with the armpits each time. Not saying that it *couldn't* help a little, just probably not a lot.

Also for clarification: HUGS are not optional for FF, they are mandatory. They are only optional for RF.
 

myliljunebugs

New member
My dd was 13 months when she moved into one, but she was so super super tiny that the hugs took up her whole body. She still had too much slack. By the time she was over 20 lbs (about 16 months I think) it would have probably been better though.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I personally prefer the fit of a harness without HUGS, but I didn't really notice it until we were using the Radian for dd instead of the MA.

That being said, once you get used to how to place the HUGS when buckling your kiddo in, they're not that much of a pain. I just prefer seats that don't have them. :thumbsup:

eta: As you can tell from my siggy, dd is back in the MA again, so obviously they don't bother me THAT much, I just prefer seats without them if I had a choice... right now the MA is what works best for dd, so that's what we're using. :)
 

HEVY

New member
I had an easier time with my Summit HBB, the pads were the same size and don't have the same problem as I do with the Regent (pinches her neck). As for the hugs I think it's more difficult for adjusting but it does keep the straps nice and straight, and gives you a sense of security.
 

Kabes

New member
I like hugs they help prevent strap twisting, although as others have posted that is not why Britax put them there. Otherwise I've never had anymore difficulty tightening the harness or any other problems associated with them.
 

cryswilkins

New member
I took the Hugs off when Zoe was really little because to me, it seemed like they were too big for her body. I put them back on when she got bigger because I figured that even RF they would be good to distribute the crash force better.
 

Mama2J

Member
I like the hugs and have not had a problem with them on the Regent. They do seem to keep the chest clip in place and the harness straighter.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
We've never had an issue with the HUGS on our Britax convertibles or the Regent. My kids have long torsoes and started out in infant seats prior to transitioning to convertible seats, though, which contributes to the non-issue of the HUGS for us. ;)
 

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