Reason HUGS are required?

laccaycol

Active member
Im trying to explain it to a mom that isnt using them for forward facing. Any other reasons than they spread the crash forces evenly? TIA
 
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fyrfightermomma

New member
Never could figure out how Britax has yet to make their seats pass without them, however every other seat on the market can !?!?!?! Or is it more along the lines that it didn't pass back then so they added them, marketed them as a patented safety feature, and now would look strange taking them off??

Just an honest question...it has always drove me nuts that all my other seats can do just fine without them. I hate those things!
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
Never could figure out how Britax has yet to make their seats pass without them, however every other seat on the market can !?!?!?! Or is it more along the lines that it didn't pass back then so they added them, marketed them as a patented safety feature, and now would look strange taking them off??

Just an honest question...it has always drove me nuts that all my other seats can do just fine without them. I hate those things!

I'm not sure. For awhile, Britax was the only manufacturer providing seats that harnessed above 40 pounds. Something about the higher weight limit made them either fail testing, or not perform up to their standards. I have read that it's because the HUGS help distribute the crash forces over the child's body, but I'm not sure how accurate that is.
 

PixieEMT

New member
I heard it was due to failing the head excursion (sp?) part of the government test? Not sure though?!
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
It was only the Super Elite that acutally failed the head excursion testing. The HUGS reduced that enough that it passed and Britax started putting them on all their HWH seats. Would the others fail without them? Who knows if they've even been tested that way. I doubt they'd fail given that the FPSVD didn't require them. Yes, it had a lower weight limit, but only in labeling since most kids don't make it to 65 in the similar Britax seats. What I do know is that they're required ff and apparently function well enough that they allowed the seat to pass and Britax feels strongly that all their HWH seats must use them.
 

PixieEMT

New member
It was only the Super Elite that acutally failed the head excursion testing. The HUGS reduced that enough that it passed and Britax started putting them on all their HWH seats. Would the others fail without them? Who knows if they've even been tested that way. I doubt they'd fail given that the FPSVD didn't require them. Yes, it had a lower weight limit, but only in labeling since most kids don't make it to 65 in the similar Britax seats. What I do know is that they're required ff and apparently function well enough that they allowed the seat to pass and Britax feels strongly that all their HWH seats must use them.


I forgot all about the FPSVD not having the HUGS. Stupid me! :p
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
The Roundabout was recalled first and they were the fix, then the Super Elite had them added...and I think the Freeway and Expressway had them for the last part of their lifespans (only 40 pound seats).
Even 40lb limit European seats have them, but they are easier to deal with without chest clips :p (and they are nicer! Have you seen the ones on the pictures of the Multi Tech that Lenats posted in the Canadian and International forum?).

Britax says HUGS™: Britax HUGS, Harness Ultra Guard System, are soft pads that gently cushion the child's neck and chest and work to reduce forward head movement in the event of impact.

Wouldn't it be interesting to see what kids with and without HUGS on their straps get in terms of bruises and injuries?

And think of it this way... a 30 pound kid in a 30 mph crash suddenly 'weighs' 900 pounds... you want to spread the crash forces as evenly as possible... have you noticed when you carry even a 20 pound bag with a narrow strap how it hurts your shoulder? But if you put the padding on your shoulder right, it doesn't cut into your shoulder and hurt as much (some shoulderstrap pads look *exactly* like HUGS, lol).

:)
 

southpawboston

New member
Never could figure out how Britax has yet to make their seats pass without them, however every other seat on the market can !?!?!?! Or is it more along the lines that it didn't pass back then so they added them, marketed them as a patented safety feature, and now would look strange taking them off??

yep. i think you hit the nail on the head. they patented their "bandaid" fix and turned around and spun it as a great "safety innovation". :rolleyes: now they are profiting from it. granted, it's a good idea, but its conception was based on needing a "fix", not trying to improve something that worked well to begin with.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Aren't we assuming they won't pass without them? What if they just make the performance MUCH better than without them? If no one's actually seen the crash test data that says Head Excursion is 33 inches without HUGS, then we can't be sure that the seats will fail without them. (Same with the Regent Advisory...it does 'better' with the recline bar and the new install instructions, that doesn't mean it 'fails' with the old ones, right?).
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
Aren't we assuming they won't pass without them? What if they just make the performance MUCH better than without them? If no one's actually seen the crash test data that says Head Excursion is 33 inches without HUGS, then we can't be sure that the seats will fail without them. (Same with the Regent Advisory...it does 'better' with the recline bar and the new install instructions, that doesn't mean it 'fails' with the old ones, right?).



Very good point. I think someone mentioned atleast one actually did fail, so you may be right, the rest pass without it....however it is better with them (maybe better than other seats without)

Never thought about it that way ;)
 

Morganthe

New member
Britax says HUGS™: Britax HUGS, Harness Ultra Guard System, are soft pads that gently cushion the child's neck and chest and work to reduce forward head movement in the event of impact.

Hmmm, I believe the cushioning the chest area, especially negating possible brusing from the plastic chest clip, but I doubt they have anything to do with the neck. :shrug-shoulders: Since dd doesn't wear the mini-shoulder pads that come with the seat and is now in collarless tops/dresses, I easily imagine cutting from the edge of the harness belts into her neck. I try to position them over her clothes.

I have no faith that there's any effect on her neck area and I really don't believe they make that much of a difference where they are sitting on her. --- If they were longer and higher, you betchya. Why they can't have good pads with some grippy material on the bottom, I don't know :(
 

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