harness adjustment on TF

I just bought a True Fit - and son is 9 months, and the second slot is just under his shoulders - as the directions state it should be.

HOWEVER - if I put the headrest on, so he can use it RF'ing until 35 lbs - the straps must stay at level two - the user guide says slot three and four are for front facing only.

So, my question is - is it safe to have the straps well below his shoulders like that? He has alot of growing to do until he is 35 lbs or reaching the height limit.....right now he is about 19 lbs and 28 inches.

I called First Years, but the person only said I should take it to a car seat check - and could not comment on how safe the harness will be if it sits well below his shoulders.

From years gone by, I always thought it had to be almost AT shoulder level....I understand that a little below would be safe - but question how FAR below they can go before it's unsafe????

It's AT OR BELOW for RF. So, he basically stays at slot 2 until slot 3 is AT his shoulders. My DD is 25 months and 34" tall and she's still using slot 2 just for comparison.

Also, slot 3 can now be used for RF as well, mine has it on the stickers and in the manual. You should check with Learning Curve to be sure that yours can be used RF on slot 3 as well. I do recall there was a mama here with a tall 3 year old that she wanted to RF and she was really worried about not being able to use slot 3 (as when the seat first came out they said only 1 and 2 for RF), and then she got the seat and found that it wasn't the issue she thought it would be.

hmmmmm....I wonder why the customer service person there didn't tell me that? I bought my seat from amazon.com - and it was manufactured 03/2008 - so dunno - will call again - cuz if you can't use the next strap height, then the straps will be much below once he gets past the 22 lb mark and needs the head rest (or reaches the red line).

I had to take the infant pad out cuz it was putting him too close to the top - gained him another inch tho he is a little slouchy....gotta find another kind of pad to keep him snug in there.

Just a reminder - it's not safe to use a pad under or behind the child in the carseat if it didn't come with the seat. It wouldn't have come with the seat, so hasn't been tested with the seat. It may compress in a crash leaving your child with the harness too loose. If he needs something, try a blanket roll on the side of the body.

Unregistered said:

hmmmmm....I wonder why the customer service person there didn't tell me that? I bought my seat from amazon.com - and it was manufactured 03/2008 - so dunno - will call again - cuz if you can't use the next strap height, then the straps will be much below once he gets past the 22 lb mark and needs the head rest (or reaches the red line).

I had to take the infant pad out cuz it was putting him too close to the top - gained him another inch tho he is a little slouchy....gotta find another kind of pad to keep him snug in there.

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I would be interested to know if anyone with a TF that says you can use positions 1 & 2 have been told they could use #3 as well.

Just for reference, my 25lb 14 month old is on slot 2 with TONS of room to go before he's at #3. I expect him to get to 35lbs before he reaches #3.

And, you can't use another pad in the seat. No aftermarket products are safe to use with your seat. For one, they have not been crash tested with your seat. Also, it would void the warranty on the seat. If he is slumping, I would guess that you don't have the harness tight enough. You should be able to get a finger under the strap at his shoulder but not pinch any webbing together, so really snug.

jess71903 said:

I would be interested to know if anyone with a TF that says you can use positions 1 & 2 have been told they could use #3 as well.

Just for reference, my 25lb 14 month old is on slot 2 with TONS of room to go before he's at #3. I expect him to get to 35lbs before he reaches #3.

Click to expand...

The First Years indicated awhile back that the ability to use position 3 rf'ing is retroactive to all seats.

Position 3 is a full 15", so most kids will hit 35lbs before reaching that torso height anyways. My almost 4yr old was *just* using position 3 rf'ing at 40.5" tall, she was just a lb shy of 35lbs though. She's in the top position now that she's using it ff'ing, but also had a torso growth spurt over the summer. :thumbsup:

I called L.C. about my TF, which shows only slots 1 and 2 rf on the sticker. Customer service person said it is ok to use 3rd slot for rf as well. This was a relief to me, because my 19 month old is 36 inches tall and only 25 lbs.
Jessie

My 2 year old was using the 3rd slots RF on the True Fit. Our seats did not have the new stickers. I did call Learning Curve and was told that it was okay to use the 3rd slots RF.

I agree. My tall 38" 3 year old is still way under the 3rd set of slots. Kids torso's grow very slowly. I think it's one inch of torso for every 4 inches of overall growth or something like that. It shouldn't be an issue until your child is much older or much taller. And I was also told mine was retroactive I was 3/08 I believe as well

Are you using the infant padding that came with the seat? He has a long torso if you are not using it. It should only be used until the baby's shoulders reach the bottom slot without the help of the padding. I almost made that mistake when we first purchased the seat.
I actually just called True fit a few days ago to ask them about the slot positioning. Our manual says only 1 and 2 can be used for rear facing and Caleb is about an inch above that slot at only 14 months and 32 inches. They reassured me that all True fit owners can now follow the new manual and the third slot can be used while rear facing.

I called LC again and the tech was quick to tell me that I could use slot 3 rf'ing - so that was a relief - yes, my son has a long torso.

as for the pad - maybe I am misunderstanding the manual? - it says I can use the pad until the harness is above the top slot on the pad - which corresponds with the first three slots on the pad.

as for him slouching - being sloppy - it's more an issue of him sitting "straight up"...I do keep the harness snug - like you recommended - but if he is not positioned "just right" - he is kind of crumpled over some.

I did not know about using after market pads - tho my snuzzler only has padding on the side "wings" and none under the tushie - so I don't see a compression issue. However, knowing I can use slot three and knowing that I can fit this seat in my neon (going to get a car seat check to make sure it's right) and knowing I don't need it at 45 degrees (because he is 9 months.....means I can use this seat and not have to stress about returning it and getting a different one.

thanks to everyone, I feel better.

Re: more info from learning curves regarding infant pad

I spoke to learning curves again - and because they have gotten many calls about the use of the infant pads, they took the question to the engineers - who state that the infant pads can be used until the child reaches 22 lbs - once you put the headrest on the seat, you should not be using the pads. The seat has been tested with the pads thru 22 lbs - and that is why the pads have three slots - because they can be used on position 1-3, same as the harness straps, rear facing, as long as the child is under 22 lbs.

We spoke at great length and I suggested that they put some of these answers on their website, as they seem to be frequently asked questions and not all that clear in the manual, and people like me, with dialup, cannot access the new manuals or find the info anywhere else online - that many people ask the same questions here - and how helpful everyone here has been. He was happy for the feedback - and said that he has had enough calls that he agrees that it's important to get the right info out there.

So, we shall see - in the meantime, I have learned that 45 degree incline is only important when they are small, that I can use the pads until he is 22 lbs and that I can use the 3rd slot RF'ing, and I can fit the seat properly in my neon.

I am now a happy mommy!!!! and do not need to return this seat to find something else.