RFing tethering

[MamanMag]

Hello Everyone!

Is it better to have a rfing CS tethered? I have been out of the loop for 2 years and it seems to me that we talk a lot more about rebound when RFing... So is the rebound a bad thing? Pretty much all infant seats do that when in an accident. I always scared me to see those videos when you could see that the baby would hit the seat but at the time, it was just the way it was supposed to work... Not anymore apparently?

Should I tether my RFing convertible car seats? I haven't seen any info about that in my Orbit Baby toddler seat but I didn't worry as my 4 yo was FFing in it and it was tethered. But now that I will use it RFing for one of my twins, I wonder if I shouldn't tether it... And also, do I need to find a convertible (I need one for my other twin) that has that feature or it is not too big of a deal?

Thanks!

Mag

PS: Thank you for your patience and your help here, I'm trying to catch up

 

[Mamasboys]

RF tethering is only allowed by certain manufacturers/seats. Orbit does not allow it, for example. We don't know if RF tethering would fail in that case, or if they didn't crash test that way. We don't want our babies to be the testers, kwim?

AFAIK, the Combi Coccoro, Britax, and Diono all allow and/or recommend RF tethering. Other seats, such as some models of True Fit and the Foonf, have ARB bars in lieu of tethering.

 

[MamanMag]

Thanks! And is it safer to have the seats tethered while RFing (or using an ARB?)?

 

[Pixelated]

I like this summary of the pros and cons, courtesy of tiggercat -- note that it referenced Canadian stuff, and probably misses at least one US seat that can be RF tethered, but you get the idea:


Rear-facing tether is never required, and may or may not benefit the child depending on the specifics of the collision.

There are two types of rear-facing tethering: Australian (over the top to the designated forward-facing tether anchor) and Swedish (to the front vehicle seat track, using a D-ring strap provided by the child seat manufacturer). Australian tethering is to reduce downward rotation during the collision event, while Swedish tethering is designed to minimize rebound after the initial collision and to minimize side movement in a side impact crash. However, neither of these are exactly the same as on Aussie and Swedish child restraints. Aussie seats also have an anti-rebound bar, while the attachment points and installation on Swedish models are quite different.

In Canada, rear-facing tethering is only allowed on Sunshine Kids/Diono and Britax infant/child seats. Britax allows both Aussie and Swedish style, and Sunshine Kids/Diono allows only Swedish style.

Risks of rear-facing tethering in the Swedish style include increased neck loads for young infants, and the potential issue of creating your own anchor point in the vehicle without the vehicle manufacturer’s permission/approval. If your vehicle is new enough to have advanced airbags, the tether strap pulling up on the seat track may affect the sensors, decreasing protection for the front passenger if the air bag doesn’t deploy properly.

Benefits of rear-facing tethering Swedish style include increased lateral stability in a side impact collision, and a reduction of rebound after the initial collision, both of which may have a protective effect on the seat’s occupant. For an older, heavier child, this would be more important.

Rear-facing tethering Aussie style has less risk because you use a designated anchor point, however it is really hard to get the child in and out of the restraint with the tether strap, and it is unclear how reducing downward rotation can help when there is no rebound management in the form of an anti-rebound bar (such as that found on the First Years/Lamaze True Fit or the Clek Foonf).

Whether rear-facing tethering is appropriate for your child, your vehicle, and your comfort level should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

 

[tiggercat]

The Combi Coccoro can also be tethered rearfacing

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[Pixelated]

The Combi Coccoro can also be tethered rearfacing

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org

I knew there was at least one - and I thought it was that one - but I didn't want to guess! My link wasn't working to go straight to where I have that whole bit typed out, so I just copied and pasted it, I hope that was okay.

 

[tiggercat]

I knew there was at least one - and I thought it was that one - but I didn't want to guess! My link wasn't working to go straight to where I have that whole bit typed out, so I just copied and pasted it, I hope that was okay.

That's fine

I want a CCO just to play with, it looks adorable.

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org

 

[MamanMag]

Thank you ladies for your input! Now, if you had to buy a convertible CS would you buy one that has an ARB or one you can tether RFing or neither?

Thanks again!

Mag

 

[Mamasboys]

Personally, I chose RF tethering (Britax and Diono) over ARB because of other advantages those seats give me (good for a 3-across install/40 & 45lb RF limits, respectively). True Fit w/ ARB would be too wide for my 3-across situation, and only has a 35lb RF limit. The Foonf w/ ARB is cost prohibitive for me, and would sit up too high in my short car and short door opening.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that I considered first what seats fit my child's needs, my budget, and my vehicle. Then I was able to narrow the list to what seats had anti-rebound features. Anti-rebound was secondary in my decision-making process, but ultimately equally important to the other requirements for my child's seat.

 

[luckyclov]

Personally, I'm not over-concerned with rebound risk in a crash because I know I have properly installed seats and a properly restrained rear-facing child.

RF tethering is optional. As mentioned, only certain CRS manufacturers allow it; SKJP/Diono, Britax, and Combi.

That said, I did tether my Radians and Marathon 70 in my previous vehicles, but I do not in my current vehicle or hubby's truck. And I'm perfectly OK with that.

 

[nataliem257]

The increased load on the neck is what has always concerned me. Before I tethered my boulevard I had a long conversation with a britax csr about it -- I always thought part of the advantage of rear facing WAS the rebound. When the perpetual motion tries to send the RF seat forward, the seat having the option to rotate back therefore absorbing part of the crash force and then bouncing off was a good thing. It seems to me that when u tether, the body would have to take that force instead of the seat, if that makes any sense. I ended up deciding to do it anyway, mainly because the two companies who's brand I trust both recommend it, but I still don't really understand it.

 

[tiggercat]

For me it depends on the child, the vehicle, and the seat.
I tether my big RFer in his Diono in my older van (no advanced airbags). I figure at 3.5 he could be FF so the potential for increased neck loads aren't a big deal, and the additional stability and SIP, as well as rebound control are more important.
I wouldn't tether an infant or in a vehicle where it is prohibited (AAB).
I would use an ARB any time it is available, I love me some ARB I didn't chose a seat with one because the only one avail at the time was the TF and it's low RF weight limit didn't seem like enough. Now that there are more seats with ARB available, I'd probably lean towards that.

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[LISmama810]

For me, rear tethers and ARBs are nice features but not something I base a purchase on. I've owned several seats that allow rear-tethering over the years, and I hardly ever use the option for one reason or another.

 

[MamanMag]

The increased load on the neck is what has always concerned me. Before I tethered my boulevard I had a long conversation with a britax csr about it -- I always thought part of the advantage of rear facing WAS the rebound. When the perpetual motion tries to send the RF seat forward, the seat having the option to rotate back therefore absorbing part of the crash force and then bouncing off was a good thing. It seems to me that when u tether, the body would have to take that force instead of the seat, if that makes any sense. I ended up deciding to do it anyway, mainly because the two companies who's brand I trust both recommend it, but I still don't really understand it.

I agree with you on that... I don't understand it either but if they say it's better, well maybe we should trust them... I have to admit though that it always scared me to see the videos of RFing infant seat flipping all the way to the seat it was attached to, throwing the baby head first against the seat... So maybe the tethering is to avoid that...

 

[bubbaray]

I am in the minority, but for my own use, with my own kids, I prefer to RFg tether when installing in a truck. Just my own personal comfort level.

 

[luckyclov]

I am in the minority, but for my own use, with my own kids, I prefer to RFg tether when installing in a truck. Just my own personal comfort level.

The outboard vehicle head restraints in hubs' truck are substantial and cover most of the rear window space behind it, so my comfort level remains unchanged in that circumstance. But for some trucks, yeah, I might make the extra effort for rebound control.

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[nataliem257]

I agree with you on that... I don't understand it either but if they say it's better, well maybe we should trust them... I have to admit though that it always scared me to see the videos of RFing infant seat flipping all the way to the seat it was attached to, throwing the baby head first against the seat... So maybe the tethering is to avoid that...

That's my logic. I see no reason or ulterior motive for Diono and some of the others to strongly recommend it other than the crash test numbers are better, so there must be something to it, or they wouldn't recommend it. I definitely would not decide against a seat because it didn't offer rebound control though.

 

[ketchupqueen]

I'm highly in favor of rebound control, for my own kids. Now, what type is best seems to depend on the child's age and type of crash. So, I don't care much what kind as long as it's there... I use the seat that works best, with a strong preference for some kind of anti rebound device. But I'd rf without one before ffing, or using a seat that was inconvenient in some significant way or caused a problem or potential safety reduction for another passenger.

 

[tiggercat]

The increased load on the neck is what has always concerned me. Before I tethered my boulevard I had a long conversation with a britax csr about it -- I always thought part of the advantage of rear facing WAS the rebound. When the perpetual motion tries to send the RF seat forward, the seat having the option to rotate back therefore absorbing part of the crash force and then bouncing off was a good thing. It seems to me that when u tether, the body would have to take that force instead of the seat, if that makes any sense. I ended up deciding to do it anyway, mainly because the two companies who's brand I trust both recommend it, but I still don't really understand it.

Rearfacing seats work by spreading out the collision forces across the back of the shell. Rebound is just what is observed to happen afterwards, it is not a necessary part of the sequence. Limiting rebound may reduce the risk of the child impacting other vehicle structures in the event of a collision.
In a collision, the child restraint rotates forward towards the point of impact. The child's head, neck and spine stay in a straight line against the back of the child seat, and the force on the child is spread out and absorbed by the shell of the seat. (This is the "magic" of rearfacing). The seat then rebounds back into the vehicle seatback with much less force. For a RF tethered seat, this movement will be limited (but not eliminated) by the tether.

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[Persimmon]

What about the safety of RF tethering in regards to airbag sensors? Subaru is fussy about the front passenger seat in my 09 Forester. No getting the seat pad wet, no bracing, and they don't even want you to store an umbrella underneath that seat because of the sensors. For that reason, I would tether to the base of the driver's seat track (when the CR was installed in the center or driver's side) since the manual didn't mention any restrictions on that seat. I have always wondered if it would make a difference or not.

Also, any thoughts on if it matters where you tether to? I would tether to the inside seat track base (the side farthest away from the outside of the car), in the hopes that it would help keep DS from hitting part of the car when rebounding.