Chest clip for older kids

[Kac]

I've recently noticed a lot of pictures of older/bigger kids in combination seats with the chest clip a few inches lower than armpit/nipple height. Is there a reason people use it lower when kids are bigger?

 

[Phineasmama]

I know I've posted a pic of DD1 recently where her chest clip was too low. I am constantly telling her to move it up it seems like every time she gets in her seat it needs to be adjusted!!

 

[mominabigtruck]

Ds2's is always super low. It's a pre crash positioner, his straps are where they should be, I'm not going to loose sleep over it.
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[PikkuMyy]

I always position my son's at armpit level and he doesn't mess with it. As far as I know, the chest clip should always be at armpit level regardless of age and size. I don't see any reason to have the clip lower for an older child. I'll be watching the thread for more insight though.

 

[hedgefun]

Ds2's is always super low. It's a pre crash positioner, his straps are where they should be, I'm not going to loose sleep over it.
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Not to derail, but how low is too low? I thought I'd heard/read that when it becomes a "belly clip" it can cause injuries in a crash?

Not saying that yours is a belly clip or even too low, but the "super low" is what caught my eye and got me wondering.

 

[jjordan]

I think it's less important for bigger kids to have their chest clip at one very specific spot, because the strong part of their chest is just longer, so you have a larger "safe zone." Another thing I've noticed is that for babies, armpit level and nipple level (two common descriptions of the "correct" level) are the same. But for big kids, they're really not. And in some seats (eg Radian), the straps are brought very close together by the chest clip. So if it's on the high end, it can make the straps really dig into the kid's neck.

 

[mominabigtruck]

Not to derail, but how low is too low? I thought I'd heard/read that when it becomes a "belly clip" it can cause injuries in a crash?

Not saying that yours is a belly clip or even too low, but the "super low" is what caught my eye and got me wondering.

Probably lower rib cage. It's normally at the bottom of the hugs, he likes to be able to unzip his sweater so that's how it gets there.
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[mamakc]

I put it about nipple level on older kids. Armpit level seems too high to me.

-Krista
DD~5~Monterey & Dreamtime
DS~3~Complete Air 65 LX & Maestro
DN~1~Complete Air LX

 

[cookie123]

I know the pic I posted of Matthew had the clip too low. He normally is good at keeping it on his nipples, as he says.

The Evenflo chest clip says at the level of the armpits right on it.

 

[Jessica61624]

DDs chest clip is usually lower. She complains she can't breathe when its at nipple level. So its usually around the bottom of the hugs.

 

[Brigala]

Probably lower rib cage. It's normally at the bottom of the hugs, he likes to be able to unzip his sweater so that's how it gets there.

Well, I, for one, would lose sleep over that. Sounds way too close to his spleen for my comfort. I agree that the strong part of the chest is a bigger target on an older child, but it still needs to be placed over the sternum.

 

[LISmama810]

I'd remove the chest clip entirely before intentionally using it too low. I'd also use it correctly before either of those.

I haven't noticed a glut of older kids with low clips. I wonder if part of it is optical illusion/camera angle. I know I sometimes take a photo of my kids and they look fine IRL but the chest clip looks off in the photos.

 

[Jessica61624]

This is a bad picture. This is where the clip ends up a lot. It's not that low imo.

And if its here where I like to see it she cries that the straps are too tight and she can't breathe.

 

[christineka]

I let my bigger kids do their own clips and while I often have to say, "Push your clip up!" and sometimes, "Push your clip down just a little!", I'm not as picky. Sometimes I take the photo and then have the kid fix the clip.

 

[Lenae]

If I am one of the guilty ones of too low chest clip, it's because DH is notorious for forgetting to make sure it's positioned at armpit level, and he is 90% of the time the one to buckle DS in. I don't worry if it's in the nipple area, like slightly underneath, because that is still on the sternum. I usually shoot for armpit though.

ETA: This is the picture I use for showing the Nautilus without headslump, and the chest clip is a little low. Do y'all think it's *too* low?

 

[jennlana]

I'm always telling my oldest to push it up to her boobies! =)

 

[jeminijad]

Those pics look fine to me. I woiuldn't want it any lower, but the clips are definitely over the sternum and above the soft tissue of the belly. And the straps are snug and positioned correctly.

 

[aschofield]

If I put the chest clip up too high DD will push it way too far down, and then fight me if I try to put it back up. If I don't push it up quite so high in the first place (still over her sternum, but probably just under nipple height) than she won't touch it. I'm not a tech, but for me, in this situation having the chest clip a little too low is better than having DD messing with the it and trying to push it way down or undo it completely. When she was younger and not able to manipulate the chest clip on her own, I just put up with the complaining

 

[katiesmommy]

Nipple and Armpit level are very different on bigger kids. We go with nipple level because armpit level puts it up in their throats (which also seems unsafe to me). We were having issues with DD's always being low since she had started buckling herself. I taught her where it should go by putting her thumbs in her pits and hands across her chest, she's done much better since then.

 

[keri1292]

Quinn likes his lower and I'm fine with it. He puts it just below his nipples, still on his ribcage. The Radian chest clip just irritates his neck too much when it's an inch or two higher in the perfect spot.

I think the difference is that a bigger kid has about 4" of space considered correct and littles need that clip spot on, KWIM?