Tricks to tightening car seats

[cwesis]

I am not the strongest person and am generally pretty scrawny... How do I best use leverage to tighten the LATCH straps on a car seat base? I am trying to install a MR65 in my 2011 Odyssey rear-facing. I know it can tighten more, but I just can't seem to do it. I am trying various positions to put weight in the seat to compress the cushion underneath for a better fit but am not sure how best to do that either.

Also, what is best to put under this seat to recline it a smudge further? Towel? Pool noodle?

Thanks!
Adele

 

[hrice]

Attach the LATCH hooks to the vehicle anchors and remove the slack. Then remove the cover from the area around the cup holder on the side that you are pulling the strap. Pull back the cover so you can see the belt path from the inside of the seat and feed the strap back into the belt path and bring it to the inside of the seat (where you child sits). That gets a better angle to tighten. You can also put a foot or a knee in the seat (in the "butt" area) to compress the vehicle cushion while you tighten.

Let me know if that was completely confusing.

I don't know if there is a preference between noodles and towels. For me, I like using a tightly rolled towel best.

 

[NannyMom]

With the My Ride (and many other seats), I have better luck tightening if I stand behind the seat. Stand behind the carseat, tighten the latch a bit, the pull back the cover to pull the latch through where the child sits (like previous poster said). Using your body weight to push the carseat into the back of the vehicle seat, and down (at the same time), tighten the latch strap.

 

[murphydog77]

With the My Ride (and many other seats), I have better luck tightening if I stand behind the seat. Stand behind the carseat, tighten the latch a bit, the pull back the cover to pull the latch through where the child sits (like previous poster said). Using your body weight to push the carseat into the back of the vehicle seat, and down (at the same time), tighten the latch strap.

:yeahthat: and when you tighten the LATCH strap, press down with your other hand on the stop of the side of the carseat where the belt path is. That way you can use your arm strength pushing down as you pull tight. Wait, here's a pic. It shows me pulling the seatbelt tight, but it's the same principle for LATCH.

 

[skaterbabs]

Also, pull the webbing parallel to itself, instead of up. It's easier to tighten that way.

 

[jess71903]

As for the recline- I find if I get behind the seat to tighten, like the others have said, I can control the recline and don't need a noodle. The MyRide is also one that I can tighten and get really nice and tight, then manhandle the top of the seat down and into the seat cushion to recline it more. I don't know why that works, and maybe it's just my car, but it does.

 

[flipper68]

Tip the CR slightly toward the buckle where you are tightening the harness. Put your weight on the "arm rest" of the CR and pull belt/strap as described by POs.

Also, check the belt path. Make sure the strap is flat & smooth from anchor to anchor AND that it is not "hung up" on the CR (I have sometimes have this problem with seats that have a base or lip, like an AO or Scenera).