Question To LATCH or not to LATCH

mommaon112903

New member
When you have the option of a LATCHable booster? With the newest findings from Graco and them now saying the GN can not be LATCH'd I am hearing that LATCHable boosters may not be the best thing anyways. I can understand the GN in booster mode being LATCH'd, that thing would not budge an inch, but what about the SK Monteray and others like it? Josef's Monteray is installed with LATCH, and it is not rock solid, so it WILL move upon impact unlike the GN.

Just really curious as why if LATCHable boosters really are better than not. Having a LATCHable booster was something we really wanted and are pleased to have.


I am sooo :confused:
 
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mommaon112903

New member
This is the reply I received from another tech on another board talking about the GN in booster mode. When is Graco going to tell the public about it is my question.

No it is not ok. They specifically talked about it in the manufactures workshop. They did farther testing and found that it was much better not latched.

Latching a booster is not neccissarily a good thing. Crash testing is showing that the seat moving with the child is better and more protective. A booster being latched does not allow that. Since a booster is not load bearing it won't move and it won't allow for stretch of the webbing. The ONLY thing latching a booster is good for is keeping it from flying when unoccupied.
 

loufrando

New member
Quote:
"Latching a booster is not neccissarily a good thing. Crash testing is showing that the seat moving with the child is better and more protective. A booster being latched does not allow that. Since a booster is not load bearing it won't move and it won't allow for stretch of the webbing. The ONLY thing latching a booster is good for is keeping it from flying when unoccupied."

I don't understand this logic. When an adult/older child is riding in a car with just the seatbelt, the vehicle seat 'moves with' the rider the same amount that a LATCHed booster would move with the rider. So how would LATCHing a booster affect the way the seatbelt stretches and moves? Isn't a booster just for correct positioning of the belt and therefore crash-wise the same as a non-booster riders experience in a crash? :confused:

Maybe they are talking about in a side impact? Like if the booster moved forward with the child more then the head and torso wings and stuff would be still around them instead of the head thrown forward and the seat staying behind? But wouldn't the belt locking on impact minimize that?

I still don't understand how LATCH/non LATCH for a booster would affect the seatbelt webbing stretching though. :scratcheshead: It seems like the seatbelt stretches the amount it's made to stretch whether it's restraining an adult, a booster rider or a carseat. I'm probably wrong here, I'm no expert, just trying to understand Graco's statement about their crash test results. Doesn't seem logical to me.
 

SPJ&E

New member
Lauren, I was thinking the same thing. That explanation doesn't make sense to me.

It doesn't really apply to us at this point anyway, as we've got a couple years (at the very least) left in harnessed mode. I would certainly think they would have things cleared up by that time.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
That 'moving forward with the child' story is what we used to make up to tell people before there were any LATCHed boosters and we were trying to encourage proper use (combination boosters said to remove the LATCH, and no dedicated boosters had it). We know it's not true now, so we don't say it anymore.
Bottom line, though, is that the Monterey (and the Frontier, and the Jane Indy Plus, and the Recaro Start(top tethered), and the Clek--and a dozen models in the EU/UK) is NOT a Graco. They say LATCH it, so LATCH it without worry.
 

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