Highest HEIGHT limit for 5-point restraint?

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Danabimytwomiracles

New member

• Sep 16, 2010

• #1

Need a new seat, looking to keep her in a 5-point as long as possible. She's in a SafeGuard Child Seat now, but it broke. She's 52.5 inches tall with a long torso. She has a little bit more room in the SafeGuard seat, but I don't know the strap height to compare it to other seats.
I'm not up on the latest models or which ones have higher limits, so any help is appreciated.

Thank you

 

J

jjordan

Moderator

• Sep 16, 2010

• #2

The frontier 85 has the highest harness of any current seat. The top harness position is 19.5", according to the measurements on this site, and the Safeguard seat is 19".

Incidentally, and you may know this already, but at 7.5, most children will be very safe in a highback booster. There is no evidence that a 5 point harness is any safer than a properly used booster for children at least 4 years old & 40 pounds. While many kids aren't ready to use a booster properly at 4 years old, most 7.5 year olds are ready.

 

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Danabimytwomiracles

New member

• Sep 16, 2010

• #3

Thank you - I do understand the readiness factor. She also has low muscle tone and joint laxity (very loose jointed with little muscle mass). I also know that the mechanism of injury in different crashes can vary. If all crahes were only frontal ones, I might think differently. But most involve some degree of side impact or force (rollovers after frontal crashes), and IMO it's still safer to be in a 5-point restraint. I keep hoping for active head restraints to show in child restraints, that would be even better. But in the meantime this is the lesser evil in terms of risk IMO.

 

J

jjordan

Moderator

• Sep 16, 2010

• #4

Sounds like your dd is one who can definitely benefit from being harnessed. She is lucky to have a mom like you looking out for her.

 

QuassEE

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Sep 16, 2010

• #5

If there is a valid medical concern, and she is approaching the maximum height limit of any traditional restraint (we'd have to have a torso measurement) you may want to consult her medical team with regards to obtaining a special needs restraint. The Frontier may buy you 6 months or a year, but if there's a long-term issue there you may want to take this opportunity to address it for the long-term.

-N.

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Sep 16, 2010

• #6

Hmmm...I wonder if the new Britax convertibles have what could be called an Active Head Restraint? http://www.youtube.com/user/BritaxUSACarSeats#p/a/u/0/n_-fncKg8cQ

Anyway, I think you'll like the Frontier 85, it's very tall and comfy, my kids fit harnessed it (or would have, if we'd owned one, lol) till about age 9, and is an excellent, supportive booster that can be left LATCHed in and fits kids up to 12 or older (5'5" is the top listed height for booster mode).

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Sep 16, 2010

• #7

Oh, good idea, Nicole, there's really a lot of very tall special needs restraints that might last a lot longer :thumbsup:

 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member

• Sep 16, 2010

• #8

How much harnessing room did/does she have in the safeguard child seat? Is brother okay to go booster, and for your dd to use his child seat? If she has a strap slot left in the safeguard, then there may be many options for a traditional harness for her.

 

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Zannie

New member

• Sep 16, 2010

• #9

Christine -- I'm pretty much here for the same reason! My soon-to-be 8 yo is at the max height on the Radian XT & I'm looking for another 5pt system (though I doubt it'll be another car seat) for him. We were in a serious car accident more than a year ago (from which I am still hurt) & he's not at all interested in vacating his saftey seat for a booster. Not after beign told in the ER that he likely wouldn't have survived the crash had (at 6-1/2) he been in a traditional booster. Can't say that I blame him & in fact tend to I agree... May we both luck out with a soultion!

 

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Danabimytwomiracles

New member

• Sep 16, 2010

• #10

QuassEE said:

If there is a valid medical concern, and she is approaching the maximum height limit of any traditional restraint (we'd have to have a torso measurement) you may want to consult her medical team with regards to obtaining a special needs restraint. The Frontier may buy you 6 months or a year, but if there's a long-term issue there you may want to take this opportunity to address it for the long-term.
-N.

Click to expand...

Here laxity is moderate, and her low tone is mild. The combination makes her somewhat floppy though. I don't *think* she needs a special needs harness, but it's something to ask her ped and neurologist about. She is not supposed to go on rollercoasters and similar rides due to her issues, so in the car I want to give her as much protection as possible.

Jennifer mom to my 7 said:

How much harnessing room did/does she have in the safeguard child seat? Is brother okay to go booster, and for your dd to use his child seat? If she has a strap slot left in the safeguard, then there may be many options for a traditional harness for her.

Click to expand...

She probably has another inch or so, but the headrest is at the top (it's not a slot system, it's an "infinite" sdjustment) Her twin brother has the exact same issues, except for slightly better joint laxity. And he's skinnier than she is weight-wise. I am planning on keeping him in the SafeGuard until he outgrows it and then we'll put him in a booster. My youngest is still RF, he's 3.5 in a Radian XTSL because I figured by the time I turn him around the SafeGuards will be expired (or broken at this rate, we bought 3 and so far 2 have broken).

Thank you for the confirmation that the seat *should* work for her

 

D

Danabimytwomiracles

New member

• Sep 16, 2010

• #11

joolsplus3 said:

Hmmm...I wonder if the new Britax convertibles have what could be called an Active Head Restraint? http://www.youtube.com/user/BritaxUSACarSeats#p/a/u/0/n_-fncKg8cQ

Anyway, I think you'll like the Frontier 85, it's very tall and comfy, my kids fit harnessed it (or would have, if we'd owned one, lol) till about age 9, and is an excellent, supportive booster that can be left LATCHed in and fits kids up to 12 or older (5'5" is the top listed height for booster mode).

Click to expand...

This is another reason i'm interested in it, but the height is the overriding factor.

 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member

• Sep 16, 2010

• #12

Okay, if you are looking for a traditional seat for now, then you need to look at the frontier 85. It will harness longer than the safeguard child seat, but I am not sure it will have the support you think they might need. This is why a special needs seat has been suggested. Then again, if they are okay as long as they are harnessed, the frontier 85 will be the highest harnessed seat available.