Question Issues with my Chicco Nextfit.

[Ineedanap]

I've had our Nextfit for 3 weeks now and I am just not loving it. I'm hoping you lovely ladies will have some suggestions. Otherwise this will be going back to the store.

Strapping my 2 year old is difficult and tedious. Is there some trick to getting the harness tight? I feel like I'm tightening the straps, adjusting the pads and moving the chest clip 2 or 3 times each time I buckle her in. And I still never feel like they are quite tight enough because while the straps and pads are pulled down hard on her shoulders, there will still be slack around her tummy. Or after I finally get it the way I want when I realize her butt wasn't scooted all the way back in the seat and have to start over.

Is anyone else having these kind of issues? I feel like I'm missing something and I can't find any videos of someone strapping in an actual child into the Nextfit.

Also, the chest clip is super easy for my daughter unbuckle, so of course she does. I would just turn them around so the button is facing in but that would require re-threading the harness, so that's a no.

And I tried installing the Nextfit into a car that seats don't recline and I could NOT get the latch tight enough no matter what I did. In my car, I have to recline the seat, install and tighten, then pull the seat back up to get it tight enough. Is anyone able to get theirs installed in non reclining seats?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Brianna]

bumping for you

 

[Persimmon]

Strapping my 2 year old is difficult and tedious. Is there some trick to getting the harness tight? I feel like I'm tightening the straps, adjusting the pads and moving the chest clip 2 or 3 times each time I buckle her in. And I still never feel like they are quite tight enough because while the straps and pads are pulled down hard on her shoulders, there will still be slack around her tummy.

Hi! I am not a tech and don't have a Nextfit but my understanding is that it is OK to have slack around the tummy but not below the shoulders. Here is a link to doing the pinch test to make sure the harness is tight enough. It has pics on where you should be testing for tightness:

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=49030#.UcxgRqOnbD0

 

[Ineedanap]

Thanks for the link. That is the best explanation of a pinch test that I've ever seen. I always thought you shouldn't be able to pinch anything, so the "tight enough" photo was enlightening.

Unfortunately the should pads on the Nextfit make it impossible to do an pinch test. And its pretty impossible to tighten the harness through pads. I could probably have 6 inches of slack at her tummy and still get the straps tight at the shoulder. To get rid of the slack you have to first pull it through the pads by hand, then tighten the harness.

If I can pinch a fold in half at her stomach, would that be too loose or is that alright?

 

[Carolinadaisy]

The video on chicco's website about securing the child actually does a pretty good job showing how to tighten the harness. http://www.chiccousa.com/nextfit/installation.aspx

It's on the installation page under both rear and forward facing videos. It does show a forward facing child, but the tightening is the same, maybe a little harder rf, but shows how to do pinch test with the seat.

That way works well for me. I just make sure the harness pads aren't pushing on my son's neck before I tighten it all the way. But pulling the chest clip down and tightening, and then sometimes pulling chest clip down and tightening more works best for me.

I actually think it's fairly easy to overtighten the nextfit. As long as all the slack is out of the hip area and you get it tight at the collarbone, it's good. Too tight and the harness pads start digging into the neck. Under the chest clip, there is always some slack at the belly, but it's normal and fine.

You can always post pictures on here and let us see it. I find uploading to photobucket and inserting or posting links easiest.

We have had ours since mid-March and it definitely took some adjusting to. I didn't love it at first but by the end of the first month I did. And really it's the only seat tall enough to keep my giant 2 yr old rf past 3. I'm not sure we'll make it to 4, but it will be close.

As to the latch installation in the car, I find it pretty simple. You just have to make sure both latch straps are all the way loosened before putting it into the car. Sometimes the one with the supercinch device can be tricky to get all the way loose.

Once they are all the way loose, I just hook both latch connectors in and then pull side 1 until it's snug, but not super tight. Then after pulling side 2 until tight, the seat is rock solid. My initial install was very quick. When I moved it to Dh's car, it wasn't solid, but it was because I didn't start with both sides completely loosened. Neither of our cars have reclining backseats.

Feel free to ask more questions if you have them. Once you figure out the quirks, it really is a great seat!

 

[Ineedanap]

Thank you! I gave up on the Chicco videos because the few I saw weren't helpful but that one was. Although I couldn't help but notice that they zoomed in on the button while she was tightening the harness so you couldn't see it, in real time how she did it. I'm pretty sure that was no accident.

And I think I have been over-tightening. My daughters yells "TOO TIGHT!" almost every time. I've been overcompensating because I feel like I can't tell if its tight enough or not. I remember reading on the car seat lady's website that if you can buckle your child without loosening the harness, then it wasn't tight enough so that's all I've been going on.

I'm going to try out your suggestions tomorrow and let you know how it goes. Thank you so much for taking the time to write all that.

 

[Jessica61624]

And I think I have been over-tightening. My daughters yells "TOO TIGHT!" almost every time. I've been overcompensating because I feel like I can't tell if its tight enough or not. I remember reading on the car seat lady's website that if you can buckle your child without loosening the harness, then it wasn't tight enough so that's all I've been going on.

This seems like really bad advice. I've never read that and she usually has good info. I never loosen or tighten(accept as needed) every time. The nextfit it is harder to do that but not impossible.

 

[skylinphoto]

When theres slack (a lot of it) on the tummy area try moving the chest clip down then retightening..then then push the button in and let em take a breath.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 using Car-Seat.Org

 

[Unregistered]

Just wondering if you or anyone else has had luck resolving the issue with the chest clip coming undone too easily? My 20 mo old's is coming undone super easy. Chicco sent me a new chest clip when I called, and I had a CPST rethread the harness with the new clip as well as assist with seat install and check how I put him in today. Clip was undone on our second trip in the seat after. We never had an issue rear facing, but the day we turned forward facing the clip started coming undone. The car seat specialist from Chicco told me I either did not have straps positioned correctly or my son was doing it on purpose. Hard to say if he's doing it on purpose since I can't watch him every second I'm driving, but one of the times it happened, he was asleep the entire time so I'm inclined to think it's not on purpose.

 

[carseatcoach]

Is there a reason your 20mo is forward-facing? Rear-facing is significantly safer at that age.

 

[Unregistered]

Is there a reason your 20mo is forward-facing? Rear-facing is significantly safer at that age.

He is FF because at 6 mo pregnant I was having difficulties getting him in and out RF. I'd rather be able to securely fasten him in FF than not be able to get him in his seat securely RF (at that point doesn't it defeat the purpose if not secured properly?).

 

[MommyShannon]

He is FF because at 6 mo pregnant I was having difficulties getting him in and out RF. I'd rather be able to securely fasten him in FF than not be able to get him in his seat securely RF (at that point doesn't it defeat the purpose if not secured properly?).

That is a really tough spot to be in. Children under 2 are not safe FF in a significant accident. Even after 2, he is 5 times safer RF. Would moving his seat or getting an inexpensive seat that might be easier to load an option?

 

[TechnoGranola]

That is a really tough spot to be in. Children under 2 are not safe FF in a significant accident. Even after 2, he is 5 times safer RF. Would moving his seat or getting an expensive seat that might be easier to load an option?

Do you mean LESS expensive seat?

 

[MommyShannon]

Do you mean LESS expensive seat?

Yes!

 

[Jessica61624]

I've found my son's chest clip undone multiple times. It doesn't happen when I do it on the smallest setting but it brings his straps too close together when it a on that setting.