Random car seat ponderings...

Shaunam

New member
Will there ever be a dedicated rf'ing seat that's not an infant seat? You know how everyone says the 3 in ones are trying to do too much and that's why they don't do any of it very well...well if a seat was JUST for rf'ing would they be able to design it better so it worked better? I'm thinking higher weight limit, taller, tethered, more like the swedish seats.

Will britax ever make another laptop or something similar?

Will graco come out with an awesome convertible to round out their ever-improving line?

Will OHS ever become illegal?

Will the AAP ever raise their ff'ing minimums?

I want a lengthy discussion about the future of car seats so someone humor me please! :D
 
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Neatfreak

New member
Personally, I'd love a laptop. As long as I live abroad in less-industrialized countries I think I'm destined to have a vehicle with merely a lap belt in the center rear position. I have car-pool duty in my future!

Doesn't Britax made RFing-only seats for Sweden and other countries in northern Europe?
 

cpsaddict

New member
I don't get the Laptop. It has too much room in the leg area, it looks like a child could submarine. And the shield part looks more dangerous than the OHS. These are pics I found on it.
http://justhandy.com/laptop.htm

It looks scary, but it works much different than a regular shield booster. The Lap Top is made out of EPS foam. The whole thing. When the child is installed properly in the seat, the shield portion is very snug against the body. In a crash the child moves forward and the restraint absorbs the crash forces. The legs are not the focus of the seat. It's restraing the upper body, which is what the Cosco shield boosters failed to accomplish. I have a Lap Top that just expired and I am sad. It filled a hole in the market for a lower cost, high weight "seat". Mine was only $50 brand new.
 

cpsaddict

New member
Graco must get on board with the convertible thing. I totally didn't see the Nauti coming. WTH? That's a good seat! Kidding! But seriously, the CS needs to go. I think Graco knows this, but are letting it slide through in the dust of the Nauti and Safeseat 1.
OHS? Well, they do technically pass testing, so until the government ups the standards or changes what they test for, they will continue to pass.

The AAP will eventually, but if we aim for 2 now, maybe we can get more to go to 1. Before we aimed for one and most went close to it or before.

Now, the real question is, WTH did Evenflo test the Titan to a higher ff limit, instead of the Chase? How wonderful would a $60 50lb seat be? I also would like to know how they can come up with a great seat like the Advance and then the Embrace. What were they thinking?
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
I don't know about Graco coming out with a HWH convertible - that's what the SS2 was supposed to be, but they couldn't get it to pass testing with a 50 lb weight limit.

I agree that Evenflo should have tested the Chase to a higher limit. We know it can handle higher weights - it goes to 47 lbs in Canada, and I don't think there is anything different about the seat sold in Canada. Even a 45 lb limit would get a LOT more kids to (or almost to) an appropriate size/age for a booster. They've got to come up with a HWH combo seat - I know the EFTA has a FF limit of 50 (?) lbs, but really I wouldn't recommend it to someone whose kid is FF and is past, say, 3, simply because there are other seats in a similar price range that will last the child longer. (Well, the Nautilus, at least.)

I don't see much of a market for a dedicated RF seat - we can't even get people to RF to the limits (or even close) of current seats.
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
I thought the word from lifesavers is that Graco does have a convertible in the works. or is that just wishful thinking on my part? the comfortsport has got to go!

also, doesn't Britax/Romer still make a version of the laptop in Europe?

edit, yup. neatfreak, just do a search for Romer Vario.
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
I thought the word from lifesavers is that Graco does have a convertible in the works- the comfortsport has got to go!

Oh yes, you're right, I heard that too. It will be very interesting to see what they develop. They really hit the mark with the SS1 and the Nautilus, in my opinion (especially the Nautilus), so let's hope they continue the trend with the next seat.
 

cpsaddict

New member
It seems to me when they designed the SS1, they only looked at the weights it would accomodate and not an actual child. It's quite reclined, even with the recline foot up. Most 2 year olds are not going to like riding in it. Even though it does go to 30lbs, it is still an infant seat. The SS2 really could have been great. The idea is great, but they should not have released it before they tested it to a higher weight limit. Besides the fact that they contradict themselves. The SS1 goes to 30lbs so that 97% of one year olds will still fit. Rear to a year, right? Well then, WTH does the SS2 start at 20lbs? Obviously, they know the recommendations, so why not make the SS2 a real "step 2" and go 30-50lbs?
I need to work for these people. In fact, they need a whole panel of car-seat.org members. We can have signs that say "yes" or "no". When they come up with a product, we can vote with our cards! LOL! ;)
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
I would LOVE to see the Laptop make a come-back. It's an amazing seat, really (and keep in mind I've actually used both it and the old shield boosters - they may look similar and both be considered shield boosters, but they are NOTHING alike!)

I like the idea of a dedicated RF seat that's not an infant carrier. I've never liked carrier/infant seats, but I agree the convertibles also "do too much." They can't even make it easy to flip them around - using the wrong belt path or not switching the anchors (on a MA/BLVD) is one of the most common mis-uses.
 

HEVY

New member
I thought the word from lifesavers is that Graco does have a convertible in the works. or is that just wishful thinking on my part? the comfortsport has got to go!

also, doesn't Britax/Romer still make a version of the laptop in Europe?

edit, yup. neatfreak, just do a search for Romer Vario.

Well that one looks a bit better. Why did they discontinue.
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Well that one looks a bit better. Why did they discontinue.

I was told it was because of the LATCH laws. How could they add a LATCH strap to it? And it's not counted as a booster, I forget why.

Although now that I think about it, I wonder if it was just because of all the negative publicity about shield boosters, and sales dropped too much.
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
I was told it was because of the LATCH laws. How could they add a LATCH strap to it? And it's not counted as a booster, I forget why.

In my tech class we talked about shield boosters briefly and they mentioned that the Laptop is not considered one since it does nothing to actually boost the child--just goes over the child and not under.
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
In my tech class we talked about shield boosters briefly and they mentioned that the Laptop is not considered one since it does nothing to actually boost the child--just goes over the child and not under.

HA! Yes, that was it, thank you! It's not a booster, therefore it's a carseat, therefore it must have LATCH. Which it can't. So they quit making it. :(
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
What was the weight/height limit on the laptop?

30-65lbs, 33-51 inches.

The biggest problem with it was that it didn't always fit in the seating position - I tried it in my mom's car and she had stiff buckle stalks in the center position (the one with the lap-only belt that I needed the Laptop for) and it wouldn't fit between them.
 

thepote

New member
I keep hoping that in 10-20-30 years we'll be going 'remember when...' and talk about how much better things are with CPS.

Kind of like we do now with CPS standards from the 20th century ;)
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
I keep hoping that in 10-20-30 years we'll be going 'remember when...' and talk about how much better things are with CPS.

Kind of like we do now with CPS standards from the 20th century ;)

Predictions (or fantasies :p), anyone? What do you think car seats will be like in 10 or 20 years?
 

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