I have two convertible car seats, both currently FF, an Evenflo (1 year old) and a Safety 1st (3 1/2 years old). [Ages are of the car seats, not of the children who sit in the seats.] I don't know the specific model names, but they were both bottom of the line.
With the Evenflo, I can almost get the LATCH belt tight enough, but it is tightened all the way to the stitching and won't go any tighter. The Safety 1st still has some slack when I'm kneeling in the seat and I cannot make it tighten all the way. I've tried all sorts of ways of pulling on it and pulling while pressing the release button (which is how I get it to that point), but it just will not tighten anymore. There isn't stitching to keep it from tightening anymore, like the other one. When I'm out of the seat, it can move about 1/2 inch from side to side. The other seat, I can usually get to not move at all or move less than 1/4 inch side to side. I have also had struggles with getting a good LATCH install on the base of my Graco Snugride infant seat, which I will be needing again in five months.
If I have LATCH in my car, is it ok with install with the seat belt since I can't get the LATCH belt tight enough? My current car doesn't have locking seat belts, so when I've used the seat belts, I've needed a locking clip (which makes installation a breeze if it's already set up). With the locking clip or in cars with locking seat belts, I can get a much tighter install, with no movement from side to side in either seat. I will soon be getting a car with locking seat belts, and I want to make sure that it will be ok to use them instead of LATCH.
With the Evenflo, I can almost get the LATCH belt tight enough, but it is tightened all the way to the stitching and won't go any tighter. The Safety 1st still has some slack when I'm kneeling in the seat and I cannot make it tighten all the way. I've tried all sorts of ways of pulling on it and pulling while pressing the release button (which is how I get it to that point), but it just will not tighten anymore. There isn't stitching to keep it from tightening anymore, like the other one. When I'm out of the seat, it can move about 1/2 inch from side to side. The other seat, I can usually get to not move at all or move less than 1/4 inch side to side. I have also had struggles with getting a good LATCH install on the base of my Graco Snugride infant seat, which I will be needing again in five months.
If I have LATCH in my car, is it ok with install with the seat belt since I can't get the LATCH belt tight enough? My current car doesn't have locking seat belts, so when I've used the seat belts, I've needed a locking clip (which makes installation a breeze if it's already set up). With the locking clip or in cars with locking seat belts, I can get a much tighter install, with no movement from side to side in either seat. I will soon be getting a car with locking seat belts, and I want to make sure that it will be ok to use them instead of LATCH.