Is this really a BAD seat?

Auntie2six

New member

• Sep 15, 2008

• #1

Title says it all. Is this really a terrible seat? I have this seat for my nephew and I was wondering what makes it a bad/good seat. Any imput is welcome. Thanks !
http://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Bauer-Booster-LATCH-Pattern/dp/B0006N8YSQ

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Sep 15, 2008

• #2

IMO, it's overpriced for what you're getting. The harness slots are rather low and it will be outgrown quickly.

But if it fits your kid and your car, go for it.

 

Ahzryn

Active member

• Sep 15, 2008

• #3

It's not that it's a bad seat necessarily, it's just that there are many better options out there for the same amount of money.

The issues with that particular seat are:
1. Harness slot height - very low. Lower than pretty much all convertibles, let alone all other combination seats. Combine that with the 40 pound weight limit on the harness, and most kids will outgrow it long before they are ready for a belt positioning booster. Those kids who do still fit height wise may even be eligible to still rf.

2. difficult install - the few I have run across have been a real bear to install.

3. totally inadaquate as a booster - the belt guides are sewn to the cover, and do a very poor job for actually positioning the seat belt. They also will allow slack in the belt.

If it fits your child and you vehicle, it's a perfectly safe seat, but as I said before there are definitely better seats out there to be had for the same amount of money.

 

crunchierthanthou

New member

• Sep 15, 2008

• #4

All seats pass the same minimum standards. It's fine as a harnessed seat as long as he fits by weight and height and you are using it correctly. Keep in mind that though marketed to 80 lbs, it only harnesses to 40. The harness is outgrown by height when his shoulders are above the top slot. Be sure to read both the vehicle and carseat owners' manuals.

I will say that it does make a relatively poor booster.

 

MomToEliEm

Moderator

• Sep 15, 2008

• #5

Provided the seat fits your child and installs well in your car, then it is a great seat. I don't know the top harness position on the eddie bauer seat, but the cosco high back booster (I am assuming they are very similar) has a top harness position of 15.3". This seat would typically by outgrown by height by a 3 year old. It has a 40lb weight limit on the harness. If it behaves as a booster similar to to the other cosco seats, it might not be a good belt positioning booster since it holds the seatbelt incorrectly on the child (too high on the child's belly and too far away from the chest).

As a harness though, as long as it works for you and the child still fits in the harness, then keep using it.

Note that the harness on the seat will be outgrown when one of the following conditions occurs:
* Child's shoulders extend above the top harness position
* Child's ears extend above the top of the shell
* Child exceeds the weight limit of the harness

 

S

SusanMae

Senior Community Member

• Sep 15, 2008

• #6

As long as he fits and you're using it correctly, it's fine.

That said--it has short top slots so the harness will be outgrown early. A FF harness is outgrown when the child's shoulders go over the top slots OR they hit the weight limit(40 pounds in this case) of the harness OR the top of the ears go over the top of the seat.

Susan

 

Auntie2six

New member

• Sep 15, 2008

• #7

skaterbabscpst said:

IMO, it's overpriced for what you're getting. The harness slots are rather low and it will be outgrown quickly.

But if it fits your kid and your car, go for it.

Click to expand...

Yes I agree, it is overpriced. I have this seat already though. I just wanted everyone to have a visual of what seat I was talking about.

 

Auntie2six

New member

• Sep 15, 2008

• #8

crunchierthanthou said:

All seats pass the same minimum standards. It's fine as a harnessed seat as long as he fits by weight and height and you are using it correctly. Keep in mind that though marketed to 80 lbs, it only harnesses to 40. The harness is outgrown by height when his shoulders are above the top slot. Be sure to read both the vehicle and carseat owners' manuals.

I will say that it does make a relatively poor booster.

Click to expand...

Yes, harnessed only to 40 pounds. Once that is outgrown, I will be getting my nephew another harnessed seat. Like maybe the Graco Nautilus. My nephew is only 2 right now so I dont need the GN yet.

 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Sep 15, 2008

• #9

If you already own it and it fits the child and the car, there's no reason not to keep using it to the limits (I wouldn't use it as a booster unless I had no other choice). As a harnessed seat, it's not so much BAD (unsafe) as it is short and overpriced.

 

Auntie2six

New member

• Sep 15, 2008

• #10

A lady that lives in my building just bought her 11 month old a Nautilus! Def not a good idea right?

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Sep 15, 2008

• #11

Auntie2six said:

A lady that lives in my building just bought her 11 month old a Nautilus! Def not a good idea right?

Click to expand...

Yup, pretty bad idea. Bare minimum for turning forward facing is age 1 and at least 20 pounds, but it's really recommended that kids ride rearfacing to at least age 2 or longer as long as they aren't too large for a big convertible seat (over 35 pounds, head about an inch from the top of the seatback), rearfacing is 5 times safer than forward facing . One thing you might want to mention, since she probably won't run out and buy a convertible, is that the top tether should be attached, that cuts down on the risk of head and neck injury in littler kids quite a bit (assuming her car is newer than about 8 years old and HAS a top tether, of course!)

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Sep 15, 2008

• #12

Auntie2six said:

A lady that lives in my building just bought her 11 month old a Nautilus! Def not a good idea right?

Click to expand...

definately not.

 

MorgieBear'sMama

New member

• Sep 15, 2008

• #13

Auntie2six said:

A lady that lives in my building just bought her 11 month old a Nautilus! Def not a good idea right?

Click to expand...

NO! At 11 months old that baby should be rearfacing for atleast another year.