Problems with Dorel Prospect Booster install

fyrfightermomma

New member
We had an install tonight at work , and it was the Dorel Eddie Bauer Prospect combo seat
http://www.albeebaby.com/edbaprfoboca.html


Tried center in an Acura TL with seatbelt. No go. Tried outboard with LATCH. No go. Tried outboard with seatbelt. No go

WTH??


The LATCH adjuster was so stupid and short and when you tightened it it ended up BEHIND the carseat (hence you couldn't tighten anymore or loosen). With seatbelt, the buckle stalks were so long, even 3 twists wasn't enough. But the big problem was the gigantic armrests. They put this big plastic circle like 4 inches across RIGHT next to the belt path. So when you tightened it would push the plastic armrest closer to the car and hit the female end of the buckle, squishing it and making it unable to be tightened.

We finally got it in with about 1.5" of movement (that was as good as it was getting) and she was told to immediately go get another seat.

But when I showed her how to tighten and loosen the harness, the splitter plate got stuck. There was NO room between the plastic shell of the seat and the seat of the car. The splitter plate would just stop and there was no way to get it past that point

Also the top half of the carseat was like 4 inches away from the seatback. Not even close, even with the top tether. WTH???

So is this the seat? or the car? or a combo?

I have decided I hate that seat! so does my poor bloodied hand

ETA: This link shows the stupid arm rest circle thing better that is right next to the beltpath, so you can't fit your hand in there or tighten a seatbelt. It squishes it sideways
http://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Bauer-Prospect-Adjustable-Booster/dp/B000NW3ZO8
 
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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Huh. Looking at the seat, that is a very oddly designed seat. It doesn't look like it would install well in a lot of cars. But I'm sure the seatbelt stalks didn't help.
 

MissAllyLou

New member
My professional opinion is that those seats suck. :twocents: I've never gotten a good install, I think I've tried 3?
 

spokaneCPST

CPST Instructor
In my experience, it is the seat. I have had major problems with it in different styles of cars as well as different seating positions in the cars. It is a beast!
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
it's the seat... it's too thin (for lack of a better word to describe it)
basically... if it were as thick in the beltpath as the Nautilus, the problem would be eliminated.

turn it sideways and look just at the back and you'll see what I mean about how thin it is.

I swear, sometimes when I look at that seat, I just shake my head at it..... I mean, they've stopped selling just the bottom as a backless booster (a real shame as it is super wide and deep for big kids... and really inexpensive), so what's the point?? It's just a tote-n'go slapped on a piece of plastic and put on the backless booster with a really horrid looking headrest popped on top.
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
LOL. Ok I feel better now. I'm usually "the one" everyone goes to to install tricky seats, and this one kicked my butt.

She was 13 months and FF and not heavy or tall enough. And the mom couldn't stop complaining that her head was so slumped and she couldn't sit up straight because of how upright the seat is. And she shoved a huge blanket under the kids butt to help her sit up straight. When told that RFing would solve all her problems....she of course wanted nothing to do with it.

When she asked why Dorel would have a 34" FFing rule me and my tech partner said at the same time "so parents don't turn their kids the moment they turn 1" :p She looked a little taken a back. We explained again, RFing would solve all these problems. But nope. She wanted her seat that wouldn't install, with a blanket under the kids butt, with the headrest ALL THE WAY up so it didn't push her kids head forward. Grr, Grr, double Grr.

"but it's eddie bauer! I thought it was the best!"
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
did you try to explain to her that it's not eddie bauer... it's dorel, who bought the right to put the eddie bauer name on their seats??

ugh... did she get a new seat and come back yet??
 

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