Do you trust Super LATCH?

[irishgator1]

I have two brand spankin' new Radian R100s in a 2010 Odyssey and one child is close to 40 lbs. The LATCH limit on the R100 is 65 lbs, while Honda's is 40 lbs. Do you trust Super LATCH? I have read elsewhere that the law is about to change (early 2014, and retroactive to existing car seats and cars) to require that the car seat plus child be under 65 pounds if you want to use LATCH connectors. In light of that, my kid would still be able to use LATCH, but I don't know how comfortable I feel about Diono superseding Honda. Thoughts?

 

[Baylor]

No. Not after what I have learned here. I always take the advice and use the lowest limit in the combo. Whether it be car or seat.

 

[Brianna]

*I'm not a tech, this is my personal opinion.

I don't see a reason to consider using LATCH over the vehicle limit if you don't have a seat belt incompatibility. I feel it's best to follow the more conservative limits in the case of child passenger safety.

I also tend to install with the seat belt in the first place, and then go to LATCH if the seat belt is giving me a problem.

 

[bnsnyde]

I can't speak for anyone or you, but I do trust it. I use it.

All the cases when I've used it, I've done so because a seatbelt option was not compatible. So, I used it because it was my only choice.

My daughter has the SL right now in our 2011 Odyssey. She's 40 lbs. My son used it to 50 lbs. and I FINALLY got a seatbelt install I'm happy with for him, in a different seating position So now he's 54 lbs. and very secure with the seatbelt. My daughter's seatbelt comes from the ceiling, and I'm not holding my breath that it would install well there. I'll attempt it once I remove her Safestop, which will be soon. I would replace her seat with a Frontier but she's next to an Orbit that needs to rotate, so I need the Radian's width. Complicated.

 

[creideamh]

No. Not after what I have learned here. I always take the advice and use the lowest limit in the combo. Whether it be car or seat.

Exactly this for me.

 

[Baylor]

I can't speak for anyone or you, but I do trust it. I use it.

All the cases when I've used it, I've done so because a seatbelt option was not compatible. So, I used it because it was my only choice.

My daughter has the SL right now in our 2011 Odyssey. She's 40 lbs. My son used it to 50 lbs. and I FINALLY got a seatbelt install I'm happy with for him, in a different seating position So now he's 54 lbs. and very secure with the seatbelt. My daughter's seatbelt comes from the ceiling, and I'm not holding my breath that it would install well there. I'll attempt it once I remove her Safestop, which will be soon. I would replace her seat with a Frontier but she's next to an Orbit that needs to rotate, so I need the Radian's width. Complicated.

Im really shocked at this. Considering your using every seat to the limit of rfing, won't ff til at least 4. I am shocked that you would trust a strap to hold your child past the car limit for latch. It has no magical power. Im more concerned the LATCH anchors themselves would give.

This just shocked me.

 

[HappyHoo]

No I don't. Although I don't trust my SuperLATCH strap in general in one of my vehicles (it's one of the vehicles that's incompatible and comes loose with normal use when installed RF - never bothered to get the newer strap since I can just install with a seatbelt if needed).

However my DD didn't hit the 48lb vehicle LATCH limit until she was done using it and DS is still under 40 lbs so I also haven't technically had the opportunity to have to fully decide whether to trust it or not.

 

[ketchupqueen]

Im really shocked at this. Considering your using every seat to the limit of rfing, won't ff til at least 4. I am shocked that you would trust a strap to hold your child past the car limit for latch. It has no magical power. Im more concerned the LATCH anchors themselves would give.

This just shocked me.

The connectors are much, much, much more likely to break than the anchors, which is why they beefed the connectors up for SuperLATCH. They also used stronger webbing.

I have no issues trusting the connectors or anchors to hold, really, personally. I do have issues with the adjuster- it's incompatible in a lot of cars, so that's a concern for me. And I prefer not to assume the liability of this particular parental decision when there's a viable alternative (seatbelt) available- I see it as one of those "there's another choice so why bother making it a "tough choice" when it doesn't have to be?" situations. But, I would consider it if the Radian was the seat I needed to use, the car was new enough to qualify for SuperLATCH use, the seatbelt install was completely incompatible (rare, very rare) and the adjusters hit in a spot where they stayed tight.

 

[Baylor]

The connectors are much, much, much more likely to break than the anchors, which is why they beefed the connectors up for SuperLATCH. They also used stronger webbing.

Thank you for the clarification. I appreciate how much I learn from you.

My issue is that in most cases the cars stipulate 40 -48 lbs of child then on top of that car seat. That to me means that they are not positive of what will happen beyond that. I don't know why. It seems to me that they would be the safest way to hold a seat into the car. That that would be the strongest hold in a crash. But I know nothing of mechanics and the physics side of restraint safety so I have to rely on what the techs here share with us and what I learn here.


Again, Not arguing.. just pondering trying to find an answer my brain likes..

Also were all the SL issues worked out?

And I want to make sure its 80 limit on superlatch for just child? Or child and seat?

 

[ketchupqueen]

The "issues" were "worked out" in that they changed the length, but there are still a lot of cars where there are incompatibilities because of LATCH positioning and seat depth, etc. Just like there are sometimes issues with a locking latchplate, except there's no buckle to twist down to help fix it when using LATCH!

The limit on SuperLATCH is to the full weight capacity of the seat, according to the manufacturer. So just the weight of the child.

The thing is that while they state lower limits, for their own CYA purposes, ALL anchors manufactured on or after 9/1/05 MUST be able to meet the new stronger standard that was established. Period. So regardless of the stated limit- and most of them just kept the older limit they already had decided on- they all must meet or exceed this new strength test. Diono did testing based on THAT strength test, the minimum that they known all cars meet. I actually do trust the science on this one. Though as I said- since there's an alternate safe installation method, I prefer not to break the vehicle manufacturer's rule whenever possible.

 

[Baylor]

The "issues" were "worked out" in that they changed the length, but there are still a lot of cars where there are incompatibilities because of LATCH positioning and seat depth, etc. Just like there are sometimes issues with a locking latchplate, except there's no buckle to twist down to help fix it when using LATCH!

The limit on SuperLATCH is to the full weight capacity of the seat, according to the manufacturer. So just the weight of the child.

The thing is that while they state lower limits, for their own CYA purposes, ALL anchors manufactured on or after 9/1/05 MUST be able to meet the new stronger standard that was established. Period. So regardless of the stated limit- and most of them just kept the older limit they already had decided on- they all must meet or exceed this new strength test. Diono did testing based on THAT strength test, the minimum that they known all cars meet. I actually do trust the science on this one. Though as I said- since there's an alternate safe installation method, I prefer not to break the vehicle manufacturer's rule whenever possible.

Awesome response! Thanks so much..

 

[LISmama810]

Do I think it will hold? Yes. Will I use it past the vehicle's stated limit? No.

Just like I wouldn't put a 41-lb kid in a seat with a 40-lb limit (even though it'll probably hold), and I won't put a 41" kid in the Complete Air (even though the limit seems asinine). I'm not big on ignoring instructions.

If I had a Radian and a kid over the limits, and a seatbelt was incompatible, I'd consider the seat incompatible and would get a new one or move it to another position.

 

[Phineasmama]

I use it in my CR-V because I cannot get it installed tight with the seat belt, and I NEED the Radian in there to get 3 across. My kids are not very heavy though and I can't imagine any of them would be over 50 lbs when they outgrow the harness (my oldest is close to outgrowing it). I don't think I'd be comfortable using it for like an 80 lb child, but using super latch for just a couple pounds over the 40 lb Honda latch limit? Yeah I'm okay with that.