Odd frontier harness.... issue?

Splash

New member
So last night I was convinced I was returning the FN, then I changed my mind (AGAIN!) and now I'm back to... I don't know what. Anyway, irrelevant to the topic at hand.

Charlie's in the Frontier in my car, recline block used forward, crotch buckle in first slot, harness at... -3 or -4 click, I don't know for sure. About 1/2 inch over his shoulder.

He can move in this seat. Big time. I've got the harness as tight as it can be on his body without hurting him, and he can MOVE. He can lean really far forward, and way over to the side. How is he doing that? I've never seen him do it before in a seat, but maybe he always could and never needed to. He can't reach the (stupidly designed and completely inaccesible from a natural seated position for a child his size) cupholder or the window button without moving forward, so he leans forward to reach. A LOT. He'll bring his body 3-4 inches from the seat, even though there is NO slack in the harness. How is he doing that? What (if anything) can I do about it? These straps can't get any tighter, the chest clip is properly positioned, and I know he's not letting it out because when he leans back the straps are perfect and tight again. What gives?
 
ADS

mominabigtruck

New member
Peyton can do that in the husky. I think because it's meant for so big of kids that the harness positions are so widely spaced. I've noticed that no matter how much I fuss wit the harness I can never get the leg straps as tight as I would in a convertible, just because his legs are so skinny and the slots are so wide out.
 

Pixels

New member
Hmm. I wonder if when he's sitting back in the restraint while you're trying to tighten, he's compressing the harness against the vehicle seat. When he leans forward, his weight shifts forward, uncompressing the harness.

Try asking him to lean forward, and grab the harness while he's forward. Then have him sit back, and see if the harness pulls tight again for some reason, or if you're left with a handful of harness.
 

Splash

New member
No, it's not that because as soon as he leans backs, the harness is completely tight. And if I pull on the harness, it's tight. It's so tight that the harness is buckling in the middle. He's just contorting his body in some way to make this possible. I don't know what he's doing, or if it even matters. He doesn't do it in his other seats.
The Frontier hates me. It's out to get me. I know it is.
 

Pixels

New member
If he's really working to contort, I wouldn't worry too much about it (other than the fact that he is out of position, and if an impact were to happen in that moment, it wouldn't be a good thing). If he's not having to work at it, just leaning over no problem, I'd be more worried that the restaint allows so much movement and wouldn't do a good job restraining the child. After all, it's called a "restraint." It's job is to restrain. It doesn't sound like it's restraining him very well.
 

Splash

New member
I don't think he's really trying to do it, he just leans forward and somehow the geometry of the harness is letting him do it. I'll try to get a picture of him doing it and see if anyone can suggest anything.
 

fyrfightermomma

New member
Nope not just you. When I had my oldest in ours (much smaller than Charlie) she was able to pretty much lean out sideways from the lack of side wings. She seemed to be able to shift around quite a bit. The harness just never fit right. Granted she was a pound under the minimum but was as tall as a normal 3 year old. I can't imagine one pound changing that.

I was never comfortable with the fit of the harness. It was tight, but she could move around a lot. We sold ours. Sorry!
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
oh no, I'm there with you...if I do not LOVE the frontier, dd is getting a new AOE for her new seat.......
 

zactayaus

Well-known member
I have been thinking the same thing about DS in his Frontier and he is almost 6yo. He sits perfectly confined in his GN and Cargo, but in the Frontier he is all over the place even with the straps as tight as they will go. I just figured it must be ok because there was no way I could even get the harness any tighter if I wanted to. It still makes me wonder if he is really safe in this seat in the event of an accident.
 

Kecia

Admin - CPST Instructor
Here's my :twocents: on the matter. Take it for what it's worth. You can't have a seat that's made to fit a wide range of kids and expect it to fit one particular child as well as a seat with a narrow fit range. Big kids usually fit great in the Regent and the Frontier - but that may be at the expense of smaller kids. Is it a safety issue? Maybe to some degree but I don't think we can say exactly to what extent. I'd be less concerned about a too-roomy 5-pt than a too-roomy bpb.

However, I'll admit that I like seats that fit my kids just right so that means they usually get new seats every 18-24 months. The DC has been an exception though. We've been using it for a few years and it's still a great fit. It is getting a little short on thigh support now (he wears size 5 pants) but even that isn't a big deal because he props his heels on the front edge of the vehicle seat cushion. I know the DC isn't very popular around here but I don't care because it meets all my criteria and works for my kid in my vehicles.
 

Amaris

New member
We had the same problem with I in the regent, it always fit M perfectly but he's always been bigger than I at the same ages. We decided that the fit of the regent wasn't what we wanted so I is now in the nautilus. I think I've read that you've tried one of those, too, though. Personally I would try the new AO and see if it fit him better, but I'm just not comfortable with my kids being able to move around that much in a 5pt harness.
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
I'd like to see some video footage... of the same kid doing the same movements in both seats to see how the harnesses keep them in or let them roam.

And if my ankle weren't sprained and I wasn't shuffling around my house on pain pills, I'd go to BRU and take such videos myself.
 

Splash

New member
He fits fine in the Regent, no movement at all. I just don't understand how the crotch strap could be perfectly between his legs, the shoulder straps just above his shoulders, the harness tight, the harness tie perfect, and still be so mobile. I'm not seeing how it's even possible.
It's sooo hard to install, but I might take it out and just move the harness down one more and see if that changes it.
 

zactayaus

Well-known member
It's sooo hard to install, but I might take it out and just move the harness down one more and see if that changes it.

I actually did the opposite. I moved the harness up a bit to see if it would make a difference. It didn't.
 

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