Seat Belts vs. Harness Straps/Britax Regent vs Britax Parkway

mommy22 · Mar 27, 2006

My daughter's pediatrician said for us to move her out of a car seat because 'seat belt straps were stronger than car seat straps'

I've looked online and I can't find anything about this. Has anyone else heard this?

My daughter is 3 (40lbs) and I am trying to decide whether to get her a car seat (britax regent) or a booster (britax parkway)

Which would you choose and why?

Unregistered · Mar 27, 2006

What your ped may have meant (I'm hoping) is that since you dd is 40lbs, it would be safer for her to use a seat belt than it would be to use the harness on your carseat that is only safe until 40lbs.

BUT a 5pt harness that is able to hold your childs weight is ALWAYS safer than a seat belt.

There are many different seats now available to harness past 40lbs.

And since your dd is only 3, she needs to be in a harness since children need to be 4 years old AND 40lbs to be in a belt positioning booster.

I would definitely go for the Regent.

Unregistered · Mar 27, 2006

What your ped may have meant (I'm hoping) is that since you dd is 40lbs, it would be safer for her to use a seat belt than it would be to use the harness on your carseat that is only safe until 40lbs.

Do you mean the anchors?

mommy22 · Mar 27, 2006

On britax's site it says the parkway(booster) is ok for 1 year and over - 30-100 lbs. I was surprised it said that.

http://www.britaxusa.net/products/detail_parkway.aspx

Thank you for the response.

Unregistered · Mar 27, 2006

Unregistered said:
What your ped may have meant (I'm hoping) is that since you dd is 40lbs, it would be safer for her to use a seat belt than it would be to use the harness on your carseat that is only safe until 40lbs.

Do you mean the anchors?

No, I meant that on a carseat that has a weight limit of 40lbs, it is never safe to put a child who weighs more than 40lbs in it. The harness (and by harness I mean the 5pt harness that holds the child in) is only strong enough to hold a child safely in a crash that weighs at the most, 40lbs. That's why there are weight limits. So, if I had a child who weighed more than 40 lbs and was given the option of a seat belt or a 5pt harness that is rated to 40lbs, I would chose the seat belt as my child would at least be belted in. In the event of a crash, a child weighing more than 40lbs in a seat that is only rated to 40lbs would more than likely break the harness and be thrown from the car.

Unregistered · Mar 27, 2006

mommy22 said:
On britax's site it says the parkway(booster) is ok for 1 year and over - 30-100 lbs. I was surprised it said that.

http://www.britaxusa.net/products/detail_parkway.aspx

Thank you for the response.

Yes, most boosters say it's "ok" for 30 lbs and up, but in reality, it's NOT safe.

my3girls · Mar 27, 2006

It's sad that your ped couldn't have given you better advice, but many of the regular posters on this site are certified child passenger safety techs, and you will get well researched answers here! This site has helped me more than I can even begin to tell you about. My dd was 40# when she turned 3, but based on info I learned here and watching the crash test difference between harness and booster, I chose to buy her a seat that would harness past 40#! If the Regent fits in your vehicle, then I recommend you get it! It's such a wonderful feeling knowing that your kids are as safe as they can be. Most kids can learn how to buckle themself in a 5pt harness before they can learn to pull out a seatbelt and get it to buckle way down under them basically in a booster. Plus, I look at it this way: Riding in a car is the most danerous thing my kids do, so a little inconvenience and cost now to prevent a possibly life-changing injury that would cause great inconvenience and cost for a long time, is worth it to me.

LuvBug · Mar 27, 2006

mommy22 said:
On britax's site it says the parkway(booster) is ok for 1 year and over - 30-100 lbs. I was surprised it said that.

http://www.britaxusa.net/products/detail_parkway.aspx

Thank you for the response.

WOW that is a BIG mess up on britax's part! They are going to get an email about that. Children shouldnt be in boosters until a mimimum of 4y and 40lbs to actually fit right and sit right. But some kids still arent mature enough at 4y and 40lbs, and 5points are safer, so you should harness as long as possible.

Alsot the parkways MINIMUM height is 38" and minimum weight is 30lbs. It would be a very large 1yo to fit in that seat. DS is slightly bigger than that and he is big for his age.

I would definitely go with the regent.

Victorious4 · Mar 27, 2006

Race car drivers use harness type restrains for a reason

5-point harnesses are always safer than regular 3-point lap/shoulder belts ... assuming the passenger fits the manufacturer's crash tested & recommended limits.

There are various carseats now that harness past the minimum 40 pounds ... some up to 80 pounds or even more!

Photo Album of Kids harnessed past 40#

Crash test comparison: harness vs. booster
(Boosters are vital for kids who no longer fit harnesses, but about 4+ years is the earliest they are mature enough for a booster to do it's job)

My DD's pediatrician also was unaware of the AAP & NHTSA recommendations until I brought a print out for him -- he has since changed his advice to all patients

mommy22 · Mar 29, 2006

Thank you for your replies.

Again, with the harness/vs/belt thing. I found on evenflo's website today an article about 'choosing a booster' and they said 'once a child reaches 40 lbs it should be taken out of a 5pt harness, but they don't give their reason.

http://www.evenflo.com/Home/Parenti...hoosingaBoosterCarSeat/tabid/100/Default.aspx

Unregistered · Mar 29, 2006

mommy22 said:
Thank you for your replies.

Again, with the harness/vs/belt thing. I found on evenflo's website today an article about 'choosing a booster' and they said 'once a child reaches 40 lbs it should be taken out of a 5pt harness, but they don't give their reason.

http://www.evenflo.com/Home/Parenti...hoosingaBoosterCarSeat/tabid/100/Default.aspx

Well, Evenlo's seats max out at 40 lbs. Meaning, they haven't tested whether or not their straps will contain child past 40 lbs. So, in an Evenflo, 40 lbs is the max weight you can harness to. A child who is *over* 40 lbs would be safer in a seat belt booster as no one knows how the harnesses would fare with an over 40 lbs child.

Other companies have seats that are rated past 40 lbs (the 65 lbs Britax's, the Britax Regent, the Cosco Apex 65, Safegaurd, Radian). These seats HAVE been tested for the larger harness weights. They are relatively new to the market and your ped may not be aware of them, so his advice isn't taking these new seats into account at all. He's missing a large chunk of the equation. They ARE a safer option than using the cars seat belt for a child over 40 lbs.

Unregistered · Mar 29, 2006

Thank you for listing those brands; I was just searching for harnesses boosters rated over 40 lbs!

LuvBug · Mar 29, 2006

The apex is the only harnessed BOOSTER that goes past 40lbs. It is usually better to get a dedicated booster after the harness seats though, they tend to work a little better than combination boosters.
Seats that harness past 40lbs:
safety 1st apex(65lbs with 17" top slots)
sunshine kids radian(65lbs with about 17.5" top slots)
fisher price safe voyage deluxe(55lbs with 17" top slots, the 55lbs isnt going to lose you any time unless you have a very heavy and short child)
britax marathon, boulevard, decathlon(17" top slots and 65lbs)
britax regent(20.5" top slots and 80lbs)
safeguard(19.5" top slots and 65lbs)

More than likely your child will outgrow any of the above seats in torso height before weight, as the majority of children do, so take that into account when deciding. I personally would go with the regent since it will last the longest, but if you only wanted to harness a few more years if you got us her torso height(sit against the wall and mark to top of shoulders then measure) we can tell you which will fit her better for the timeframe.

Victorious4 · Mar 29, 2006

mommy22 said:
Again, with the harness/vs/belt thing. I found on evenflo's website today an article about 'choosing a booster' and they said 'once a child reaches 40 lbs it should be taken out of a 5pt harness, but they don't give their reason.

Basically, it's a marketing ploy -- Cosco customer service also told me on the phone a few months ago that "any 12 month old who weighs 30# should be in a booster"

B.S.!

(I immediately requested to file a vehement formal complaint, for which I had to give my full information, etc. but it was worth it if they start changing their advice to parents)

scatterbunny · Mar 29, 2006

Unregistered said:
Well, Evenlo's seats max out at 40 lbs. Meaning, they haven't tested whether or not their straps will contain child past 40 lbs. So, in an Evenflo, 40 lbs is the max weight you can harness to. A child who is *over* 40 lbs would be safer in a seat belt booster as no one knows how the harnesses would fare with an over 40 lbs child.

Exactly. It is safer to use a booster for a child over 40 pounds IF the child's current seat is a model that is only tested/rated to 40 pounds. However, the same child is much safer in a harnessed seat that is tested/rated to a higher weight limit than in a booster seat with the vehicle seatbelts. Think about it: a vehicle lap and shoulderbelt do not provide the same number of points of restraint as a five point harness does (lap+shoulderbelt provides 3 points of contact with the body: one at the shoulder, one on each hip; five point harness provides five points of contact: one at each shoulder, one at each hip and the crotch strap). More points of contact with the body means more restraint in a crash.

Other companies have seats that are rated past 40 lbs (the 65 lbs Britax's, the Britax Regent, the Cosco Apex 65, Safegaurd, Radian).

Also the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe (a Britax Marathon clone missing a few features).

These seats HAVE been tested for the larger harness weights. They are relatively new to the market and your ped may not be aware of them, so his advice isn't taking these new seats into account at all. He's missing a large chunk of the equation. They ARE a safer option than using the cars seat belt for a child over 40 lbs.

That's exactly right.

Unregistered · Jul 7, 2006

I just wanted to add that Britax anchors (latch system) are only good until your child is 40# and then you need to use your car seat belt to secure the carseat. (The tether is still okay to use after 40#.) I read my Britax books over and over and some how missed that information. My best friend pointed it out to me after she purchased her Decathalon and read her book. Thankfully my son is not 40# yet.

We have two Britax Decathalons and I have found them to be very easy to install and have worked great with my 3 and a half year old.

wendytthomas · Jul 7, 2006

Actually it's 48 pounds for LATCH, unless your vehicle's manual says otherwise (some go to 60, I don't think too many go below 48). Britax says,

"Use vehicle belt (not LATCH connectors) for installations with children weighing more than 48 pounds (21kg). Refer to the vehicle owner's manual or contact the vehicle manufacturer for the maximum weight rating for their LATCH anchors. Unless specified otherwise by the vehicle manufacturer, assume a 48 pound child is the vehicle LATCH anchor limit."

That's from the Decathalon user guide, page 2.

Wendy

Splash · Jul 8, 2006

Now I've wondered about going over 48...
It says to refer to your owner's manual. Well, my car (the Subaru) says you can use them up to 60 pounds (the lowers anchors as well, yes) provided that it's okay by the car seat manufacturer.
So...?? Britax tells me to stop at 48 or refer to my car. My car tells me I can go to 60 or refer to Britax.
So should I stop at 48? Does Britax actually test them over 48? Or are they meaning refer to your car to see if your car allows less?

wendytthomas · Jul 8, 2006

Call Britax. I would guess, though, that if your car allows it, Britax will allow it (remember, your Subaru doesn't know if you have a Britax or a Cosco, so if your Cosco only goes to 40 pounds period and the Britax says 48 unless your car says higher, I would go with the higher).

But call Britax. I'm curious now too. Too bad they're not open on the weekends. I want to work for them, such short hours.

Wendy

bucket2 · Jul 8, 2006

There's one more: Nania Airway

It's not seen as much, but at around $140-150, is lower cost. Depending on date of mfg, is rated to 50 or 55 pounds - the newer ones are to 55, but I'm not sure when the change was made

http://www.safertransport.com

http://www.showeryourbaby.com

My local Safe Kids purchased several for families with lap only seat belts and for bigger toddlers because they are priced lower than the others. The top slots are pretty high (I could measure if interested). I won't recommend using it as a booster, though.

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