Question getting harness tight enough in infant carseat (PICS)

[ProudMomof5]

The carseat is a compass I400, I just got it for my 5week old, a little over 9lbs.
Anyway I love this carseat, and he fits in it great, and I will continue to love this seat if you all can tell me this is all right.

Basically the harness has to go through A LOT of carseat... like foam, and the actual cover before even getting to baby. Not only that but its a layer of softer foam, and a small space in between that foam and the actual cover. So, it's a lot. I keep thinking about how you can't use anything between baby and carseat, and I know that this is the seat itself, how it was made, but it just seems like the harness could have a lot of give, especially in a crash, it definitely could be compressed easily. I can compress it with my hand, but the baby doesn't weigh enough to compress it as far as my hand can - if that makes sense.

Anyways I have pictures, because as far as I have read, no one is too familier with this car seat.

This is how it looks under the head rest.. you can kind of see how deep it is, and the two layers of foam.

This is showing me stick a pencil all the way back to the shell, remember, besides the foams there is a small gap between the soft foam and the cover

This is how far the pencil goes in from the cover to the shell

Here I lifted off the seat cover so you can actually see the foam. Maybe I am just not used to nice carseats.... the scenera and the snugride have NO foam. BUT then again, the radians have some but its not this much of a huge gap that can easily be compressed. ((the distance seems shorter with out the cover on because of the gap between the foam and the cover))

Please tell me what you think! I want to post a review on this carseat, but i need to get this part figured out first.
Like I said, I like this carseat, other than being a tad worried about this.
Thank you!!!

 

[ProudMomof5]

oh, in the first picture you can see the shadow on the foam, it kind of gives you an idea of how much space is between it and the cover.

 

[wendytthomas]

If that's the way it came out of the box then that's the way I'd use it. I wouldn't think twice about it.

Wendy

 

[snowbird25ca]

If that's the way it came out of the box then that's the way I'd use it. I wouldn't think twice about it.

Wendy

:yeahthat:

And the white foam isn't going to compress in a collision - That's EPP foam. (I think that's what Compass uses anyways.)

I also think it's deceiving overall because the harness is on a sliding mechanism, so the distance that the pencil is going in is actually behind the shell. Really there's only about 3/4" of comfort foam (at most) in all of that and nothing more. :thumbsup:

Remember that anything that comes with the seat has been crash tested with the seat - and they used a heavier dummy with the seat which would have compressed the foam some. Really though, there's not going to be much compression in terms of the seat cover because baby is going to slide up during the rotation of the seat. It's different from a snowsuit because that snowsuit can prevent the harness from physically being tight enough and when it compresses the child will have more room to "ramp" up the seat back. The comfort foam won't have the same result. :thumbsup:

So as long as you're able to tighten the harness so that you can't pinch a fold at the collar bone, you're perfectly fine.

 

[ProudMomof5]

:yeahthat:

And the white foam isn't going to compress in a collision - That's EPP foam. (I think that's what Compass uses anyways.)

I meant the carseat cover compressing into the comfort foam and the comfort foam itself compressing.

I also think it's deceiving overall because the harness is on a sliding mechanism, so the distance that the pencil is going in is actually behind the shell. Really there's only about 3/4" of comfort foam (at most) in all of that and nothing more. :thumbsup:

Oh, I see... you are right. I just checked it out, the actual shell is about 3/4 of an inch higher than the sliding mechanism.. that makes me feel a lot better.

Remember that anything that comes with the seat has been crash tested with the seat - and they used a heavier dummy with the seat which would have compressed the foam some.

that is what I thought, but I was feeling unsure because I haven't heard a whole lot about the seat at all and its just so different than the snugride... where there is no foam at all.

Really though, there's not going to be much compression in terms of the seat cover because baby is going to slide up during the rotation of the seat. It's different from a snowsuit because that snowsuit can prevent the harness from physically being tight enough and when it compresses the child will have more room to "ramp" up the seat back. The comfort foam won't have the same result. :thumbsup:

that makes sense.... but how about the bundle me's, I know they are not tested with the carseat, but yet they don't have padding anywhere on the baby, just behind the baby. I know that can compress too, but if I were to buckle him into this seat with out the cover I'd have A LOT Of extra harness there. Even with leaving the comfort foam. I guess it's probably more that the cover doesn't touch the comfort foam that is bothering me, it seems so far out there. I actually like the comfort foam... I was just thinking that all that combined, the comfort foam, the cover being so high above the comfort foam and thinking that the sliding mechanism was actually the shell was alot put together.
Thanks!

 

[ProudMomof5]

Well, I do feel a lot better about it... relief! Because I really like the carseat.

Anyone have anything to add?

 

[TerisBoys]

that makes sense.... but how about the bundle me's, I know they are not tested with the carseat, but yet they don't have padding anywhere on the baby, just behind the baby. I know that can compress too, but if I were to buckle him into this seat with out the cover I'd have A LOT Of extra harness there. Even with leaving the comfort foam. I guess it's probably more that the cover doesn't touch the comfort foam that is bothering me, it seems so far out there. I actually like the comfort foam... I was just thinking that all that combined, the comfort foam, the cover being so high above the comfort foam and thinking that the sliding mechanism was actually the shell was alot put together.
Thanks!

Bundle Mes and other things can cause the harness to not be lined up correctly though and introduce a 'false fit'. For example, the BundleMe may pull the harness down lower than the slots, and the weight of the baby will hold it there. The straps seem tight, but when (heaven forbid) you wreck, the baby will ramp up the carseat IN the BundleMe and there's slack in the harness you didn't know was there.

The cover will stretch one the baby is in the seat. It should stretch down to meet it if you press on it.

 

[ProudMomof5]

Bundle Mes and other things can cause the harness to not be lined up correctly though and introduce a 'false fit'. For example, the BundleMe may pull the harness down lower than the slots, and the weight of the baby will hold it there. The straps seem tight, but when (heaven forbid) you wreck, the baby will ramp up the carseat IN the BundleMe and there's slack in the harness you didn't know was there.

The cover will stretch one the baby is in the seat. It should stretch down to meet it if you press on it.

oh I never thought of that.
The head support that came with the seat isn't lined up with the slots either, so could it have the same effect?
I try and line it up, but then it doesn't fit around the baby's head. So, the slots in the head support may be pulling up on the harness some. I'll have to double check for that. I am pretty sure I am getting it tight enough regardless, there is no slack in the harness at all when it's on him.
Hopefully that is all right.

 

[Mommy2Marcus]

If that's the way it came out of the box then that's the way I'd use it. I wouldn't think twice about it.

Wendy

:yeahthat:

 

[ShumNum]

I found that the head support that comes with the Compass does tend to make it more difficult to put baby in the seat correctly. I preferred to remove the head support and use receiving blankets rolled on either side of the baby to support his head.

It's a great seat and don't worry about the space created by the comfort foam, EPS foam, etc. Just follow the pinch test for the harness and you'll be fine!