Why does Sunshine Kids make the Mighty Tite?

InternationalMama · Jun 28, 2009

That's my question. And also: Does it bother anybody else?

I was reading another thread about the Mighty Tite in this forum and everyone agreed that it's a dangerous device and shouldn't be used by anyone. So why does Sunshine Kids make it??? And if they are willing to put something that is dangerous and compromises the safety of children onto the market, shouldn't we hesitate before buying their other products, aka Radian car seats, that get so much applause on this site?

I mean, I realize that the Radian is a very good seat and fills a need, but it bothers me that this company seems more interested in profit than safety. The Mighty Tite is sold worldwide even where their car seats aren't sold.

Sorry if this has been discussed to death. I'm new here.

I'd love to hear what people think.

Maedze · Jun 28, 2009

Sunshine Kids' is a BIG company, and the people responsible for developing the Radian are in no way affiliated with the design and production of the Mitey Tite other than by paycheck.

There are a lot of child restraints out there that are EXCELLENT in their own right, and yet their parent companies make some really questionable other products.

Selling the Radian world wide would be impossible. The cost of testing to other countries' standards would be astronomically huge.

InternationalMama · Jun 28, 2009

Maedze said:
Selling the Radian world wide would be impossible.

But Britax sells seats worldwide? As does Dorel, right? Or is Sunshine Kids a much smaller company? (Like I said, I'm new here.)

To clarify, I didn't mean they -should- sell the Radian worldwide. It just seems the Mighty-Tite is a not just one product they once came out with, but something they are still promoting and selling to a huge number of people.

Maedze · Jun 28, 2009

InternationalMama said:
But Britax sells seats worldwide? As does Dorel, right? Or is Sunshine Kids a much smaller company? (Like I said, I'm new here.)

Britax and Dorel are much, much, much bigger companies with a wide range of products and seats produced in different countries and continents, and they do not sell the same seats in different locations.

carseatcoach · Jun 28, 2009

I hate the Mighty-Tite, but I'm not willing or able to boycott every company that sells a product I hate.

InternationalMama · Jun 28, 2009

ETA'ed to clarify that I wasn't intending to argue they -should- sell the Radian worldwide. My point was more about the fact that the Mighty-Tite is a product being sold worldwide.

Sorry if I have offended anyone with my post. I can see the argument that the two products are made by different divisions, but they are both marketed under the same brand name. Couldn't consumer pressure have a positive effect here?

Evolily · Jun 28, 2009

Eh, recaro allows 1 year olds to be put in their boosters in some countries, britax offers next to no ERF seats in the UK, graco puts out dangerous walkers, dorel has bath seats that are death traps.

Really- any company you'll find problems with them. Best way to approach it, IMHO, is make laws making aftermarket car seat products illegal.

InternationalMama · Jun 28, 2009

CelticLabyrinth said:
Best way to approach it, IMHO, is make laws making aftermarket car seat products illegal.

Are there any states/countries that have laws like this?

Maedze · Jun 28, 2009

There are some states with a 'proper use' clause, meaning that a parent could be held legally responsible for using a seat against manufacturer's directions. Since no directions indicate a use for the Mighty Tite, I suppose you could argue it's against the law in proper use states.

Oh, your question doesn't offend me at all...I'm sorry if you got the impression that it does. It's a legitimate one and I think SK should be ashamed of themselves.

kandamom · Jun 28, 2009

InternationalMama said:
That's my question. And also: Does it bother anybody else?

I was reading another thread about the Mighty Tite in this forum and everyone agreed that it's a dangerous device and shouldn't be used by anyone. So why does Sunshine Kids make it??? And if they are willing to put something that is dangerous and compromises the safety of children onto the market, shouldn't we hesitate before buying their other products, aka Radian car seats, that get so much applause on this site?

I was recently thinking about the same issue, since I just purchased a Monterey for my 7-year-old. It seemed like it was the best choice for a child of his size, unless I wanted switch him to a backless booster. It fits him perfectly and he loves it. I'm trying to let the issue go in my mind, but I totally understand what you mean - the Mighty Tite thing bugs me.

Rebecca

InternationalMama · Jun 28, 2009

CelticLabyrinth said:
graco puts out dangerous walkers, dorel has bath seats that are death traps.

See, Graco and the walkers, for example, seems different to me because they aren't dangerous if you use them as directed, right? They just have a huge potential for mis-use. Whereas with the Mighty-Tite you could do everything exactly as they instructed and -that- would be putting your child at risk.

And for Dorel, aren't there a bunch of people here thinking about boycotting them for their recent press release, which essentially said that they are willing to put profit before safety? (No different than what SK is doing with the Mighty-Tite.) Sorry if that's opening a whole other can of worms!

Maedze said:
There are some states with a 'proper use' clause, meaning that a parent could be held legally responsible for using a seat against manufacturer's directions.

Hmm. Holding the parents responsible doesn't seem too appealing to me. But interesting!

Maedze said:
Oh, your question doesn't offend me at all...I'm sorry if you got the impression that it does. It's a legitimate one and I think SK should be ashamed of themselves.

I'm glad.

kandamom said:
I totally understand what you mean - the Mighty Tite thing bugs me.

Glad to know I'm not alone. I'm guessing we'll be purchasing a Radian in the future too so that's probably why it has been on my mind.

wendytthomas · Jun 28, 2009

They make it because it sells. Why does anyone make the awful after market covers, seat protectors, strap covers, headrests, and other things that can be fatal? Because their bottom line appreciates it. NONE of these companies are around because they get warm fuzzies from seeing kids safe. Parents have kids, kids are big business, and they all need a carseat. Viola! A huge market. So get in there, get something different, tell parents they need it (*cough cough* a carseat with airbags that do very little but you can now charge $380 for it?) and boom. You'll be making money.

Wendy

Maedze · Jun 28, 2009

InternationalMama said:
See, Graco and the walkers, for example, seems different to me because they aren't dangerous if you use them as directed, right? They just have a huge potential for mis-use. Whereas with the Mighty-Tite you could do everything exactly as they instructed and -that- would be putting your child at risk.

I don't know if you can read downstairs yet in the community forums, but a poster here had an issue where she used a tub-side seat (made by Dorel, I believe!!!) exactly according to directions, and her son slipped and got trapped in it. If she hadn't been able to wrench the seat off the tub, he might very well have drowned in a few inches of water while she had her hands on his body.

Dorel and Sunshine Kids' both make ridiculously thick car seat 'mats' that a lot of people use. That won't stop me from recommending the Apex to a mom with a 40 pound 3 year old on a really tight budget, or a Radian to a mom who needs to put a three across in a Hyundai Elantra.

My point isn't to be dramatic, but to say that there are LOT of companies out there who make really GOOD child seats and some really AWFUL aftermarket products, or other 'kid-gear'.

I wish I had the luxury of campaigning for the 'higher moral ground', but I don't. My primary goal is that kids are safer when they leave me, than when they got there, and sometimes that means lying in bed with fleas, so to speak.

Evolily · Jun 28, 2009

InternationalMama said:
See, Graco and the walkers, for example, seems different to me because they aren't dangerous if you use them as directed, right? They just have a huge potential for mis-use. Whereas with the Mighty-Tite you could do everything exactly as they instructed and -that- would be putting your child at risk.

And for Dorel, aren't there a bunch of people here thinking about boycotting them for their recent press release, which essentially said that they are willing to put profit before safety? (No different than what SK is doing with the Mighty-Tite.) Sorry if that's opening a whole other can of worms!

And then Dorel came out with a 40 lb RFing car-seat and everyone is goo goo eyes over it

.

It's hard to get all up in arms about a company, because if you did you would do it so often that you wouldn't have a company to buy a car seat from! And that doesn't help anyone, does it?

I tend to think that car seats are created (for the most part) by engineers who, probably, could have easily chosen a different career with their education, but didn't. They chose to get into car seats because they wanted to help make kids safe.

InternationalMama · Jun 28, 2009

wendytthomas said:
Parents have kids, kids are big business, and they all need a carseat. Viola! A huge market.

Yeah, I'm an FTM so I'm just learning this. It's even harder to negotiate the big business around kids than it was around wedding planning!

Maedze said:
I wish I had the luxury of campaigning for the 'higher moral ground', but I don't.

I guess as long as I do have the luxury I'll take it. And when I really need a Radian I won't hesitate to buy one.

CelticLabyrinth said:
And then Dorel came out with a 40 lb RFing car-seat and everyone is goo goo eyes over it .

It's hard to get all up in arms about a company, because if you did you would do it so often that you wouldn't have a company to buy a car seat from! And that doesn't help anyone, does it?

It's true, but I do think consumers have a lot more power than they realize. If being more ethical was also more profitable companies would make more ethical choices. But maybe that's just my dream world.

Maedze · Jun 28, 2009

My current plan is to buy the Smith and Wesson plant near where I live, melt down all the guns and make a large variety of child restraints. Affordable, various niche products, all made in the USA by unionized employees receiving excellent medical and personal benefits.

I'll let you know when it happens. :thumbsup:

carseatcoach · Jun 28, 2009

InternationalMama said:
Maedze said:

I wish I had the luxury of campaigning for the 'higher moral ground', but I don't.

Click to expand...

I guess as long as I do have the luxury I'll take it. And when I really need a Radian I won't hesitate to buy one.

It's not really the moral high ground if you won't hesitate to buy from the company when it suits you. I hate the Burger King commercials, but I also hate Burger King, so it's not really a moral high ground that keeps me from eating there.

joolsplus3 · Jun 28, 2009

Oddly, though, there's never been any real life evidence that the Mighty Tite has ever cause a seat or seatbelt to fail in a crash, nor has there been any indication it's ever hurt a child. It's basically just a useless hunk of metal that could be replaced by a little manual reading and a bit of seatbelt tugging.

Compare that with Safety 1st still cranking out seatbelt adjusters that cause horrible seatbelt syndrome and death, but somehow have never been implicated in a lawsuit and thus keep sitting on the shelf and bought and misused and risking more injury and death... But we'll gladly overlook that sin if we can buy their new seat that rearfaces to forty pounds

InternationalMama · Jun 29, 2009

chickabiddy said:
It's not really the moral high ground if you won't hesitate to buy from the company when it suits you.

I think there is a difference between buying when there is a need that no other seat meets (can RF/harness/etc. your child longer) and buying because it suits you. Buying when it suits you to me would be buying that seat over another equally good choice because you like the cover choices better, for example. But if my moral high ground isn't that high I guess I'm okay with that. These are new ideas for me.

joolsplus3 said:
Oddly, though, there's never been any real life evidence that the Mighty Tite has ever cause a seat or seatbelt to fail in a crash, nor has there been any indication it's ever hurt a child.

That's very comforting. And interesting about the seatbelt adjuster. I'm not feeling very warm and fuzzy towards Dorel at the moment myself, but that's mainly because of my experience with my own seat from them.

Evolily · Jun 29, 2009

What company would you be purchasing car seats from, then?

With virtually all of the car seat companies out there, at least in the american market, I can give you a relatively good reason to boycott them on moral grounds. I tend to think, however, that instead of boycotting we should buy and promote the good products, rally against the bad products, and hope that sends a message to the company. If no one would buy a MT, we'd have no MT's.

Why does Sunshine Kids make the Mighty Tite?

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