Question rear adjust vs. front adjust

littleangelfire · Jun 3, 2008

Hey all - I'm hoping someone can show me pics of WHERE a rear adjust infant seat gets adjusted. LOL I feel really stupid, but my friend uses one for her baby and the harness is always really loose. I went to try and tighten it, but couldn't find the darn thing, so I'm figuring its a rear adjust. There was a skinny little strap coming out of the front, but when I pulled it nothing happened and its thinner than any adjustment strap I've ever seen! I don't think I've ever used a rear adjust infant seat so I don't get where the adjuster is.

An Aurora · Jun 3, 2008

I don't have a picture, but they are a PAIN. It's not a simple solution of turning the seat around and pulling a strap--it's the kind where you have to work half the loop tight and then the other half, if that makes sense. DD1's infant seat was a rear adjust and it was a total PITA.

littleangelfire · Jun 3, 2008

An Aurora said:
I don't have a picture, but they are a PAIN. It's not a simple solution of turning the seat around and pulling a strap--it's the kind where you have to work half the loop tight and then the other half, if that makes sense. DD1's infant seat was a rear adjust and it was a total PITA.

I'd heard how everyone hates them here, and makes since how just by sheer value of being on the wrong side of the seat its harder - but yeah, I'm a little more confused about how the darn thing works, lol. I don't get it. So there's no 'tail' strap to pull? I'd check out Walmart, but I'll be seeing her tomorrow morning again, though it likely won't be a good time to bring up the conversation I'd like to have...

An Aurora · Jun 3, 2008

There is a "tail" but it's not a simple pulling motion--you have to feed the slack through the little metal plate, making a loop, and then pull the tail to take that slack out, if that makes sense. That's how ours was anyway.

littleangelfire · Jun 3, 2008

Ahh. Does sound difficult and may partially explain why they never tighten/loosen to get her in and out. And why I can't surruptitiously tighten it.

jdchic3 · Jun 3, 2008

Do you at least know what brand it was? If it had a strap coming out the front I can't imagine that its a rear adjust, though I'm sure there is someone here who knows!

littleangelfire · Jun 3, 2008

jdchic3 said:
Do you at least know what brand it was? If it had a strap coming out the front I can't imagine that its a rear adjust, though I'm sure there is someone here who knows!

The strap was just so skinny, and when I pulled it did nothing to tighten her harness. Maybe you have to pull down? I always pull up on ours, usually anyways. The chest clip looked like a Graco - would've been bought in 2005.

Qarin · Jun 3, 2008

3pt or 5pt? what did it look like in back? is it possible they'd connected the shoulder straps as they came through the shell to... something else?

jdchic3 · Jun 3, 2008

littleangelfire said:
The strap was just so skinny, and when I pulled it did nothing to tighten her harness. Maybe you have to pull down? I always pull up on ours, usually anyways. The chest clip looked like a Graco - would've been bought in 2005.

The strap on a Graco front adjust is pretty skinny... How big is the baby?

mish · Jun 3, 2008

It sounds to me like the strap on the front is an adjustment strap. If they have done something wrong when putting it together, it could be caught on something. Graco infant seats have this cover thing on the back that the harness and splitter plate go under. I see them over the cover a lot. If it is like that, the splitter plate gets caught and won't adjust. It seems like that might be the problem. I think I saw a picture of this issue on this board once, but I have no idea where.

joolsplus3 · Jun 3, 2008

http://picasaweb.google.com/joolstag/Ss1Rearview

This probably isn't TOO helpful, but it's the back of a front adjust Graco (ss1 and sr are the same)... There really wouldn't be any kind of strap, skinny or otherwise, on the front of a rear-adjust, they just have little metal bar things on the back above the top slots and the straps dangle down on the back.

mytwobugs · Jun 3, 2008

Is it possible that it is a front adjuster but that the straps are hooked onto the splitter plate on the wrong loops for the size of the baby? If they are using the loops at the end of straps instead of the ones part way up and the baby is small enough then you would not be able to pull it enough to tighten the straps because the splitter plate would hit the tightening mechanism.
I hope that makes sense or if not maybe someone else understands and can explain it better.

mish · Jun 3, 2008

mytwobugs said:
Is it possible that it is a front adjuster but that the straps are hooked onto the splitter plate on the wrong loops for the size of the baby? If they are using the loops at the end of straps instead of the ones part way up and the baby is small enough then you would not be able to pull it enough to tighten the straps because the splitter plate would hit the tightening mechanism.
I hope that makes sense or if not maybe someone else understands and can explain it better.

That is definitely possible. On a front adjust snugride, there are two sets of loops. For smaller babies you have to use the top set. If you use the bottom ones it won't be tight enough. It sounds like you need to turn the seat over and check it out. You can look up instruction manuals on http://www.gracobaby.com.

abacus2 · Jun 3, 2008

I own a rear adjust Snugride; although with the strap in front, your friend probably has a front-adjust Snugride.

The Rear-adjusting straps:

Rear-adjusts can be annoying, but they do not have to be manually inched through the metal clamps in the back.
How the straps route through the metal clamps:

Instructions for how to use a rear-adjust Snugride:

To tighten the straps, pull the excess strap in the back while lifting it up and down like so:

To loosen the straps, hold the metal clamp approximately parallel to the ground as shown below and pull the front of the harness at the shoulders to loosen.

littleangelfire · Jun 3, 2008

Qarin said:
3pt or 5pt? what did it look like in back? is it possible they'd connected the shoulder straps as they came through the shell to... something else?

It's a 5 point, thank goodness. I think I'd have already had a panic attack if it was a 3 point and that loose!

jdchic3 said:
The strap on a Graco front adjust is pretty skinny... How big is the baby?

It is pretty skinny - while at Pump It Up today, I saw a Graco carrier and I think it must be front adjust b/c it had a really skinny strap, too. Just not what I'd seen before, I guess. My son's was a Safety1st. I think she said baby is 17lbs or so, so definitely shouldn't need anything for smaller babies.

mish said:
It sounds to me like the strap on the front is an adjustment strap. If they have done something wrong when putting it together, it could be caught on something. Graco infant seats have this cover thing on the back that the harness and splitter plate go under. I see them over the cover a lot. If it is like that, the splitter plate gets caught and won't adjust. It seems like that might be the problem. I think I saw a picture of this issue on this board once, but I have no idea where.

Whoa - could they make the seat any harder to use? LOL How many parents are actually going to figure that part out? I wonder which loops it comes threaded on? When she has the seat sitting out I'll have to check it out.

abacus2 said:
I own a rear adjust Snugride; although with the strap in front, your friend probably has a front-adjust Snugride.

THANK YOU! That's exactly what I was hoping to see - now I get it and see why its more difficult, I mean not completely undoable, but more difficult then just pulling the strap on a front adjust.

Question rear adjust vs. front adjust

littleangelfire

Well-known member

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

littleangelfire

Well-known member

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

littleangelfire

Well-known member

jdchic3

New member

littleangelfire

Well-known member

Qarin

New member

jdchic3

New member

mish

New member

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

mytwobugs

New member

mish

New member

abacus2

Well-known member

littleangelfire

Well-known member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics