Sorry I lost track of this thread before we headed home early December!
Thanks for all the info.
One question though, it seems to be counter-intuitive to say that the chest clip is just a positionin guide and isn't necessary in the sense of actually helping in a crash, yet in NA we say that the positioning of the chest clip is very important. If it is just to help position everything else, then as long as it was in the general right area (ie. not at the throat to choke a little one...) then that should be good enough... Do you know what i mean? I'm not arguing the placement of the clip, just that the two points seem to conflict in my mind..
The split on the crotch strap is interesting. Drove my little one nuts, she kept telling me she had a boo-boo and pulling at it, seemed to dig into her thighs no matter what I did. Any particular rationale for this that anyone knows about?
thanks again!
Interestingly I was thinking about the chest clip yesterday. I have a Boulevard RFing for one of my kids, and it seems the straps might be at risk of sliding off her shoulders in certain impacts, were it not for the chest clip. However, IMHO the straps on my Australian seat, and swedish seat wouldn't. I think the US seats position the straps slightly differently than the European and Australian seats.
Re the crotch strap split, this is to "reduce genital loading" in the event of impact. So says Britax's australian arm anyway. I'd be inclined to agree, it seems to me to be preferable when strapping in a boy, anyway.