Need NZ seat help again

[mommyof3tx]

So I've posted a few times about my friend in NZ needing to get her kids new seats. So she went ahead and ordered this seat

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Baby-gear/Car-seats/Car-seats/auction-300032108.htm

She ordered one for her older daughter and my other friend bought one for her younger son because his seat wasn't very good either. They went ahead and did this one instead of RF But at least she is very open to making sure it's installed correctly and it will be used correctly so safe as he can be FF at least.

So since I'm in the US and just know our rules and laws I need some help making sure she is using it correctly. She said there is no top tether? It's a new seat so is that not standard on NZ seats or is she somehow missing it?

Also I know here straps for FF are at or above and I think I was told it was the same for NZ but she said the manual says not to make them too high so the ones she put it on look like they are right below his shoulders, she thinks the next ones up would be too high...what do you think? I have permission to post the pics

Is there anything you can tell from the pics that needs to be changed? Are the straps tight enough all that?

 

[ketchupqueen]

The straps look loose. And too low.

 

[KiwiGem]

I agree that the straps look too loose & too low... although there seems to be a big gap between the current slot & the next one up so I'm not sure what some of the techs would advise to do in this particular case.

Unfortunately, we have quite a few (cheap) seats coming in from European countries with the ECE safety standard where the lack of a top tether is allowed. We have a loophole which allows seats from some countries in to New Zealand & there was mention last year of this loophole being closed to only allow ECE seats from certain countries in, not all countries as the case is at present. And sadly that's not going to happen any time soon.

If she would like someone to have a look at the installation for her, she can contact anyone off the current Safe2Go list to double check everything for her...

http://www.safe2go.co.nz/technicians/index.php

 

[finn]

No top tether is required on those seats, the belt kind of wraps around them and they are quite secure.

I would leave the straps where they are, the next slots are too high & it would be hard to get the straps tight enough. The straps look tight enough to me. I would move the shoulder pads up though so they touch were the straps come out of the seat.

I use a locking clip with my seat that is similar to that one, otherwise they come lose & move too much. It looks like she will twist the buckle down.

*Also the car seat belt needs to go through the red clip. See in pic 3 you can see the seat belt is on top of the red clip, it needs to go under it. So the shoulder part goes under the red clip the lap part needs to go under the arm rest. Does that make sense, so you split the belt, push it over the arm rest, then put the shoulder part in the red clip.

I cant see but the seat belt needs to go under the arm rest on the other side.

He looks much happier in that seat than his old one Did she get one for her daughter as well?

 

[mommyof3tx]

Yeah she ordered it later on in the night after my other friend ordered this one for her so it should be there today for her

Ok the seat belt, so on when looking at it, the left side where the seatbelt (lap and shoulder together) are going over the bottom of that red clip she needs to separate them where the lap belt goes under the arm rest and the top goes in that little red clip?

There is this pic too where you can see how the seatbelt is on the other side a little does it look right?

 

[ketchupqueen]

The straps are definitely too loose. finn, look at the hip area. Do you see all the slack that is hiding there? It needs to be pulled up, then re-tightened.

 

[finn]

Ok the seat belt, so on when looking at it, the left side where the seatbelt (lap and shoulder together) are going over the bottom of that red clip she needs to separate them where the lap belt goes under the arm rest and the top goes in that little red clip?

There is this pic too where you can see how the seatbelt is on the other side a little does it look right?

Yeah thats right the other side from what I can see looks ok, the lap belt needs to go under the arm rest and the shoulder belt looks to be in the right place

European seats are deceptive in their tightness, if its tightened too much more it will squash his shoulders down & be uncomfortable for him. It could look looser than it actually is because of the way the strap sits over the crotch pad.

And yay on her daughter getting one too

 

[ketchupqueen]

My daughter is in a Radian with her shoulders about the same amount over the slots (allowed by the Radian.) I absolutely would not be okay with her in a harness that looked like that. If the slack that is by the hips, which I can clearly see, is pulled up BEFORE tightening, it will not squash the shoulders down. Really. I'm not talking about belly gapping, that's normal. I see slack on the sides. (Unless I'm hallucinating, which is, I suppose, possible. )

 

[mommyof3tx]

I will tell her to make sure there isn't slack by his hips

She said she wasn't able to get the seatbelt under the armrest? That her seat belts are too short? So she said she was going to take it to the plunket, I think that's what she said lol, when her daughter's gets there to have them see if they can get them in right

 

[finn]

She said she wasn't able to get the seatbelt under the armrest? That her seat belts are too short? So she said she was going to take it to the plunket, I think that's what she said lol, when her daughter's gets there to have them see if they can get them in right

It will fit it will just be really tight which is good as it means she wont need a locking clip. In my Dad's car I have to kneel in the seat to get the seat belt under the arm rest, same in my sil's car. It will fit It'll just be a struggle lol Plunket do have some car seat techs, so hopefully she can find one, if she is anywhere near me I could give her a hand.

 

[mommyof3tx]

She's in Auckland but no idea what part...is that close to you?

 

[finn]

She's in Auckland but no idea what part...is that close to you?

No I'm at the other end of the same island, in Wellington, about 8 normal hours driving or 2500000000 hours with ds lol

 

[mommyof3tx]

Lol ok, any chance you know of a good tech in her area that she could have check it? Or is best bet to use that site posted above

 

[finn]

Lol ok, any chance you know of a good tech in her area that she could have check it? Or is best bet to use that site posted above

I don't know any She could try her luck with the website, I know our plunket checker is pretty good here and they actually run a car seat clinic so maybe she could find a plunket one in her area

 

[delgirrrl]

getting it checked by a safe-to-go technician would be a good idea. To me the buckle looks very high up on the belly.

I must say though that sadly we do have some seats on the market here in NZ that I just wouldn't consider using. In particular, these cheap european seats. By way of comparison, the price on that seat at $99 is about a fifth of what you'd pay for a britax seat here. Says it all really.

But on the great news front, the Radian XTSL is now available in NZ, RF to 20kg and FF harnesed to 36kg

I'm soooo glad that kiwi parents wont have to import "illegal" US seats to allow for high weight harnessing :thumbsup:

 

[finn]

But on the great news front, the Radian XTSL is now available in NZ, RF to 20kg and FF harnesed to 36kg

I'm soooo glad that kiwi parents wont have to import "illegal" US seats to allow for high weight harnessing :thumbsup:

My radian arrived this morning I got the 2nd shipment so got it at the discount price of $400, they are retailing for $499, the monterey has arrived as well and that is retailing for $299.

The buckles are high on the cheaper European seats, also I have a britax freeway (swedish version, rf only, to 25kg/ 55lbs) and the buckle is high on that too.

 

[delgirrrl]

The buckles are high on the cheaper European seats, also I have a britax freeway (swedish version, rf only, to 25kg/ 55lbs) and the buckle is high on that too.

That's interesting about the freeway, mind you, I don't suppose it's an issue with an RF only seat, as the risk of abdominal crush is negligible and I imagine it makes buckling in easier. It's low in my Multi tech, so I guess it's not a normal feature of a swedish seat, but of course the MT is also an FF seat, so different design considerations.

My Radian will hopefully only be a few days away. So stoked. Sadly I missed the cheaper deal you mentioned - too slow off the mark

 

[finn]

That's interesting about the freeway, mind you, I don't suppose it's an issue with an RF only seat, as the risk of abdominal crush is negligible and I imagine it makes buckling in easier. It's low in my Multi tech, so I guess it's not a normal feature of a swedish seat, but of course the MT is also an FF seat, so different design considerations.

My Radian will hopefully only be a few days away. So stoked. Sadly I missed the cheaper deal you mentioned - too slow off the mark

Our Multi Tech is short too, so short in fact that ds complains about it if i tighten it too much

Cool that you are getting a radian, we got ventura, its really nice, they are super heavy though! I thought the multi tech was a beast, the radian is heavier!

Do you still have your frontier?

 

[delgirrrl]

Our Multi Tech is short too, so short in fact that ds complains about it if i tighten it too much

Cool that you are getting a radian, we got ventura, its really nice, they are super heavy though! I thought the multi tech was a beast, the radian is heavier!

Do you still have your frontier?

I ordered ventura too - wow, heavier than the MT, that's err, interesting...

Yup, still have the frontier. Absolutely love it, and have actually ordered another one which is on it's way from the US. It's new carseat month at my house as the seats in our second car are outgrown. DS has outgrown the boulevard height wise, and DD is getting close to the 16kg RF weight limit of the scenera, so it's time to upgrade

 

[finn]

Yup, still have the frontier. Absolutely love it, and have actually ordered another one which is on it's way from the US. It's new carseat month at my house as the seats in our second car are outgrown. DS has outgrown the boulevard height wise, and DD is getting close to the 16kg RF weight limit of the scenera, so it's time to upgrade

I have frontier envy lol but dh would probably flip if i bought another seat, given that i have 6 for my 1 child lol