CarseatNanny

Cuddlebabe review

2011-11-18T07:29:00.000-08:00

CuddleBabe was kind enough to give me a sample to review. I asked for a 9-18 month because the model is 9 months and I wanted this to get her through the winter. The CuddleBabe is a wearable blanket that is SAFE to use in the carseat.

You put the CuddleBabe in the carseat, with the hole where the harness is.

Then you put baby in. Put baby's head in the hat, and legs in the legs of the blanket.

Fold the body flap up over baby's body

Wrap the sides around baby, and button the blanket closed.

This blanket does not interfere with the harness at all, so it's safe to use. It warps around baby and buttons (with a BIG button, not a choking hazard) so baby can't kick it off. I had my model use CuddleBabe for a week before asking what her Mom thought of it. And what did she think? She LOVED IT!! She said everyone loved it and was asking where she got it :)

CarseatNanny loves the CuddleBabe! CuddleBabe must love CarseatNanny too, because they have offered a discount just for my readers! Enter the code carseatnanny at checkout for 10% off your purchase!

Lula Clips Review

2011-10-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

First, I want to thank the creator of Lula Clips for kindly sending me a sample to use and review. I had heard about them at the ABC trade show, and wanted to check them out. I was actually very excited.

What are Lula Clips? They are orange pins, shaped like hands. They attach to the carseat with a safety fin, attached to their back. You pin it on the carseat cover, and put the buckle tongues (the metal pieces that go in the crotch buckle) on the hands. The hands have a strong magnet inside, so ideally the keep the harness out of the way while you put the baby/child in the carseat.

From their site:

Lulaclips™ hold the car seat harness out of the way when loading your child. They are like an extra set of hands when you need it most. Lulaclips™ ensure that you never have to dig the buckles out from under your child and make sure you never risk waking a sleeping baby. They will make you and your baby smile!

I tried it on my daughter's Radian. I wasn't terribly fond of it. I take excellent care of my carseats and their covers. I didn't like putting holes in the cover. And there's is a safety feature to the safety pin, so you must use 2 hands to open the pin. I felt like trying to get it off my seat, I was going to rip a huge chunk out of my cover :(

I also tried it on a friend's infant carseat. I had her use it for a week, to see what she thought. I thought it was easier to get on and off the infant seat, perhaps because I could flip the seat around however I wanted 9without baby in, obviously). My friend said she didn't like the clips much either :(

I know on the website, they put the clips up near the baby's head. I chose to put them lower because in a crash, I don't want anything extra near my child's head.

Clek Oobr

2011-10-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

The Oobr is a high back booster seat made by Clek. It is for children weighing 33-100 pounds in high back mode and 40-100 pounds in backless mode. The back is made from magnesium, and the headrest is attached with steel rods, just like your vehicle headrest. It has lower anchors to lock the booster into place with your vehicle's LATCH system.

I managed to get my hands on an Oobr to try out. First I tried a friend's daughter. She is 6 years old and weighs 45 pounds.

Then I tried Sofi. She's 5 years, 35 pounds.

Sofi is too light to be using a booster, but I am beginning to look at my options for when she is 40 pounds. So, what are my thoughts? I love that it's LATCHable, so kids don't have to remember to buckle it when they get out. I love how sturdy it is. Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to buckle next to the Frontier 85 in my van, and the girls didn't think it was comfortable. The lapbelt is higher than we usually like to see with booster (though still acceptable). There is very little leg support, except for my short legged 5 year old. It was also very difficult to pull the shoulder belt through the belt guide when trying to buckle. All that combined with a price around $300, puts it at the bottom of my list.

Product reviews to come....

2011-10-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been over a month since I blogged. Well, the good new is good things come to those who wait. I have a few product reviews lined up. I will be reviewing Lula Clips, the Diono Angle Adjuster, Clek Oobr, and the Graco Turbo booster.

Who is Diono?

2011-08-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

Sunshine Kids makes 2 seats. The Radian (65, 80, XT, 65SL, 80SL, XTSL) and the Monterey. In an attempt to become a more global company, they have decided to change their name. Sunshine Kids Juvenile Products will be Dinono as of Sept 1, 2011. They are also changing their seats a bit, once again. The new seats should be released in October 2011. Their Radians will be getting new names, and will have belt guides to provide for booster mode. They will have a minimum weight of 50 pounds for booster mode, and a maximum of 100-120 pounds (depending on which Radian it is). If you are confused by their seats, look for a future blog post explaining them all.

Now, here's the big question. How do you pronounce 'Diono'?

Comparing the BubbleBum to other seats

2011-06-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some comparison pictures, to see how small the BubbleBum really is.

Here is the BubbleBum sitting on a RadianXT. The Radian is 17 inches at it's widest point. The BubbleBum is about 12 inches wide.

Here is the BubbleBum sitting in a Graco TurboBooster. The backs of the 2 boosters are even, so you can see the difference in leg support.

BubbleBum Inflatable Booster Seat

2011-05-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

You read right, INFLATABLE booster seat. I admit, I was a skeptic. How on earth could something inflatable be safe for my child in the car? But if you think about it, some other safety devices are inflatable; life rafts for one. The BbbbleBum is made of thick plastic, similar to a life raft. The cover is also an integral part of the seat. The cover has straps around it made of webbing, similar to that of seatbelts.

The BubbleBum comes deflated, in a purple bag. You take it out of the bag, and open the black valve. Blow into the valve to fully inflate the seat, then close the valve. I found that after inflating it the first time, it will mostly inflate itself in the future. It has seat belt positioning clips on each side that the child places the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt in. Those position the lap belt just like the arm rests would on other booster seats. The US version comes with a shoulder belt positioning clip too. The Bubble Bum measures 12-12.5 inches across, and about 13 inches from back to front when fully inflated.

The BubbleBum is rated for children 40-80 pounds and between 40- 52 inches tall.

Here are 3 children modeling seatbelt fit.

This child does not ride in a booster seat at all. She is only 4 years old and no where near mature enough, she still rides harnessed. But she weighs 40 pounds.

This child is 6 years old and 42 pounds. She regularly rides in backless boosters. I hope to have some comparison shots of her in other boosters in the next few weeks. It doesn't look to provide alot of leg support.

This child is 8 years old and 84 pounds. While she does not fit by weight and therefore can't use the seat, I wanted to demonstrate a child at the top of the weight limit. She actually passes the 5 step test in this seating position and doesn't normally use a booster there at all. It doesn't seem to position the seatbelt any differently than if she wasn't in a booster seat.

I also plan to have picture of this booster in a 3 across in my 3rd row in a few weeks as well, so keep checking back!

Proper Seatbelt Fit Matters

2011-03-31T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hopefully you read my post about Anne's crash. If you didn't, please read it here . Anne's children were protected because of their properly used and properly installed carseats. But Jeff and Anne were protected because of their properly used seatbelts.

Most of us don't think about how the seatbelt is supposed to fit. But it is designed for the lap portion to ride over your hip bones, and the shoulder portion to cross your chest and rest between your shoulder and neck.

The oldest age that states require a child to use a booster is 8. There are very few 8 year olds that actually fit the seatbelt properly. A child needs to use a booster seat until they can pass the 5 step test. Children usually pass all 5 steps between ages 10 and 12. Does your child pass?

1. Sit with your back flat against the vehicle seatback
2. Knees bend comfortably over the edge of the vehicle seat
3. Lap belt lays across the tops of the thighs, not on the stomach
4. The shoulder belt crosses the center of the chest, and rests between the shoulder and neck
5. You can sit this way for the entire ride

If your child doesn't fit the belt properly, use a booster. If you pass the test, make sure your belt is worn properly- coming from above the shoulder, across the middle, touching your body all the way down, the lap belt low and snug, flat on the hips/thighs. Keep it there. If you're old enough to be out of a harness, you're old enough that you are responsible for your safety in the car. ONLY YOU can keep yourself safe by wearing your belt right.

Here is a picture of a bruise on Anne's hip. This was from a properly fitting seatbelt. This is also 5 days after her crash. If the lap portion had been higher on her stomach, it would have caused internal organ damage.

This is a picture of Jeff's shoulder, also 5 days after the crash. The hospital was concerned enough to CT his shoulder. Because his belt was properly positioned in the middle of his shoulder, in contact all the way across his chest, coming from above rather than below, it was only scrapes and bruises. What if it had been on his neck instead? Or if he had had it too low on his shoulder and rolled out? What if he had tucked it under his arm and left his head unrestrained and ribs vulnerable?

Why I do what I do

2011-03-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

Most of you know I'm carseat crazy. You may even think I'm bordering (or even crossed the border) on carseat insane. But do you know why I do what I do? Because it saves lives. How many times do we see on the news that children, parents, families died in a horrible car crash. My job is to try and prevent those stories. I have a friend, named Anne. Anne is just as carseat crazy as I am. What I am posting below, is her story. She and her family were in a crash a few days ago. They could have easily been one of those stories on the news. But they weren't, because Anne is carseat crazy. Make sure you read the entire thing. Read how many times they crashed and rolled. And read what the (very few) injuries were. Then look at the pictures.

On our way to Phoenix, just a few miles away, my husband (driving our 2002 Odyssey) hit an obstacle in the road. We don't know what it is, but we all felt the bump, then were airborne, and onto a gravel shoulder. We skidded on the gravel. The van hit a barrier (right at the rear driver's side, where my 4 year old daughter was seated.) It then flipped across the highway. My husband was braking the whole way. (He had just had the tires rotated and pressure checked, and the brakes replaced.) It slowed us considerably. We went into a ditch at an angle and became airborne. We went down on the passenger side of the vehicle, nose first, and then flipped over upside down.

My daughters (the 4 year old, almost 5, and her 2 sisters, 6 almost 7 and 2 almost 3) were screaming. This meant they were alive and I was glad. My husband and I were suspended by our (properly worn) seatbelts. I had significant neck pain. My husband was able to exit the vehicle fairly easily, but I was trapped; I had to be extracted with the Jaws of Life (after fending off a bystander who wanted to cut my belt with a pen knife and pull me out, yelling at him, "Do not cut my seatbelt! Wait until the EMTs arrive to hold c-spine! If you want to do something, get me a jacket and treat me for shock!")

My 4 and 6 year olds were harnessed properly in properly installed and used, tethered seats. (The 6 year old is usually boostered, but because it was a late night trip I didn't want to risk her falling asleep and falling out of position.) My 2 year old was rear-facing. The heavy cargo in the van was all packed tightly down in the bottom of the trunk, compartmentalized behind and under the seat as much as possible before we left. My husband and I had our seatbelts and headrests properly fastened and adjusted and were seated in proper position.

My husband has a mild lung contusion and abrasions from his seatbelt and "road burn." I have a lot of stitches in my arm (which dragged along the ground outside the car-- the trauma surgeon says that the braking slowed us enough to save me from having it ripped off) and on my face and bruising all over. My 6 year old has minor abrasions (more road burn) and bruises. My 4 year old, with the most severe injuries, suffered a severe cut to her foot (aptly and completely repaired by great surgeons) and a broken leg (remember, she was AT the first point of impact, a side impact.) My 2 year old, who was in the rear-facing seat, was completely unharmed. Not a mark on her. Nothing. Despite the fact that we landed on the side of the car she was on (she was behind me, I was in the second row passenger seat, and the forward-facers were second and third row driver's side.)

Anne said aside from the dirt, the carseats looked perfectly fine. THIS is why you can't buy used carseats, you won't know if it's been in a crash. Even though they look fine, they have done their job and must be replaced.

I was asked to add to this blog post. It is doing it's job and spreading information. However, some people are turning it into an "anti-booster" message. Anne's 6 year old is usually in a booster, except on a trip where she might fall asleep (and lean out of position). Anne was asked if she would reconsider the booster, and put her daughter into a 5 point harness for all car rides. This is her response:

My view on boosters has not changed. The reason that she was in a harness, was that she was likely to fall asleep, and she sometimes slumps when she does. She will still be boostered for normal use.

My view has always been that boosters are safe for a child who can stay seated properly 100% of the time, and that was not E (6, almost 7) on a long trip, and B (4, almost 5) is no where near it. So they were harnessed. If this same crash had happened and E was in a booster but asleep and slumped, she'd have been more hurt.

I think by 6 most but not all kids are booster ready for most trips, but most are NOT before 5. I think moving from harness to booster is ideally a process where you use the harness less and booster more as the kid gets more ready, until they're ready 100% of the time (even when asleep.)

Here is a link to a photobucket account that has more pictures of the van and carseats.

One more addition to this post. Anne wants everyone to know that proper seatbelt fit matters. With her help, I have posted information on seabelt fit here .

Graco Smart Seat, forward facing

2011-03-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a side view of Sofi riding in the seat forward facing. She uses it on harness position 5 (out of 6)

Here is a front view of Sofi, harness position 5. I'm not really a fan of how high the headrest is. It looks like it needs to be lowered.

The harness is connected to the headrest. So if you raise and lower 1, you raise and lower the other. Here is how Sofi fits in harness position 4. The headrest looks much better.....

But the harness is below her shoulders :(

Graco Smart Seat, locking system

2011-02-26T19:21:00.000-08:00

Because the seat/base is a new concept, I'm going to show how the seat locks into the base.

Here you can see 2 long slots in the side of the base. This is where a metal bar (next picture) attaches the seat to the base.

Here is the little metal bar, sticking out of the seat in lock mode. There are 4 of these on the seat. On by the knees, and one by the hips, on each side of the seat. When unlocked, the metal bar retracts into the seat shell.

There is a knob on each side of the seat to lock/unlock the seat from the base. To unlock, both knobs must be pushed in and turned at the same time. TO lock, you only have to turn 1.

There is a set of red flags in the seat to let you know when the seat is unlocked from the base. Here are 2 pictures of them unlocked:

Here is a picture of the seat when the flags are in locked position:

It's very easy to lock and unlock. But not easy enough that it would be unlocked accidentally. Even though the seat is 25 pounds (plus 10 more for the base), it's really very easy to switch from rear facing to forward facing, and back again.

The new Graco Smart Seat

2011-02-19T19:01:00.000-08:00

Graco is now releasing a new seat. It's a 3-in-1. Rear facing, forward facing, and booster. What is unique about this seat is, it has a base, like infant seats. I was lucky enough to have someone loan me then Smart Seat to try out and see what I think. The next few blog posts will have my reviews.

The Smart Seat can hold 5-40 pounds rear facing, and up to 65 pounds forward facing. It also converts to a high back booster for up to 100 pounds. You install the base once, and remove the seat from the base to switch from rear facing to forward facing. Then for booster use, you just take it off the base entirely.

First up, rear facing.
My Model is my 4 year old daughter Sofi. She is 4 years, 5 months old. She weighs 34 pounds.

Here she is rear facing on the 1st recline (Note, the amount of recline will vary because different vehicle seats are sloped differently- mine are pretty flat).

Here is the level bubble on the 1st recline:

Here she is on the 2nd recline. This is as upright as we can take it in my car.

Here is the bubble level on the 2nd recline:

Here is the growing room Sofi has. There is 1.5- 1.75 inches above her head. So she has .5 inch until she has outgrown the seat by height.

The Smart seat has a pair of harness covers that have a thick wedge inside them. They are required for rear facing use. Sofi, who doesn't like harness covers to begin with, HATED them.

More adventures in retrofitting tether anchors

2010-11-27T18:48:00.000-08:00

I posted in August about trying to get tether anchors retrofitted in my mother's 1999 Ford Escort Wagon. It originally began in April. There are still no tether anchors in my Mom's car. We went for our 3rd appointment last week. I found 1 of the holes in the ceiling, where the center tether anchors is supposed to be installed. That's all I needed really, just 1. We went to the dealership, only to find out they would NOT install the anchors correctly for us. Ford told them the ceiling isn't string enough. Yet my LATCH Manual (in which the authors spoke with engineers from all manufacturers), and the vehicle owner's manual say they belong in the ceiling. I have pictures from someone else that had her installed, in the ceiling. They still refused to do it, so I simply had them take them off the floor, since I know that's not where they belong.

I stuck 1 into the hole I found in the ceiling, and tightened it just enough so it doesn't fall out. All I need to do is find out from Ford how many pounds of torque are needed. I've called Ford Corporate, and left a message. I've also emailed one of the authors of the LATCH Manual, and she will check with her Ford contact.

So, I started in April, thinking we'd have plenty of time to get them installed before Sofi could ride forward facing, after she turned 4 in September. It's now Novemeber, and Sofi continues to ride rear facing in my Mom's car.

Do you have your screws?

2010-11-20T18:19:00.000-08:00

Do you have a Graco Turbobooster? For years, the Graco Turbobooster has come partially unassembled. You buy it, you have to put on the arm rests, then put in the screws. Many parents skip the screws. Why? Maybe because many parents don't read the manual, and the screws come attached to that. Maybe because they think the screws aren't really necessary. The newer TurboBoosters that are being sold have the screws pre-installed, but there are still some TurboBoosters being sold (such as the High Back Turbos or older ones that have not been sold yet) that do not have them installed. Or, you may already own a TurboBooster. Either way, be sure you have those screws in so your children can be riding safely!

If you're thinking to yourself, "What screws???" Check out the pictures below.

This is the baggy that came with your Turbobooster. It contains the instruction manual, the shoulder belt positioner, and a bag of 2 screws.

This is what the side of the TurboBooster looks like if there are not any screws installed in the armrest

This is what it should look like with the screws installed.

Why are the screws so important?

Graco is very insistent on having the screws installed. While we do not know the exact reasoning that the screws are required, there have been some theories tossed around. Please note that these are only theories. One theory is that, upon impact, the incredible strength of the crash forces may cause the armrests to detach from the booster. This poses a problem because the armrests are what act as a child's hip bones. If the armrests are not acting as the hip bones, the seat belt may slide up onto the child's soft tummy, where it can severely damage, injure, crush, or cut internal organs. Or, perhaps the seat failed testing without the screws installed, or maybe it was not tested at all and we just do not know what will happen. If it has not been tested without the screws, then I am not willing to use my child as the crash test dummy to find what out WILL happen.

Either way, we do not know exactly why the screws must be installed -- All we know is that Graco requires it, and they absolutely forbid the use of the TurboBooster without the screws properly installed.

My TurboBooster doesn't have screws! What do I do?

If you do not have the screws installed and you have lost them, I recommend calling Graco (800-345-4109 (US) and 800-667-8184 (Canada) ) or go to Graco's website -- the Replacement Parts search and put in your Model Number and Date of Manufacture and underneath the option, "Height adjustment screw for armrest (1 of 2)", click on two (you need two screws for each seat) and they will send you free screws -- free shipping and everything. They should arrive within a week or two, depending on your location.

I do not recommend going to a store and buying screws -- You need to be able to ensure that you are using the correct screw. There are many different shapes, sizes, and lengths. Ordering (for free!) directly from Graco is the best way to ensure that you have the correct screw, and you will know your seat will function properly.

The Date of Manufacture, Model Number, and Serial Number (if required) can be found on the bottom of your booster seat, on a white sticker.

*This was taken directly from a post at www.car-seat.org, and used with permission of the original poster*

How to keep your baby warm in the car

2010-10-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

You read that coats are not safe for children in carseats. But what about your baby that goes in and out of the car in her seat? How do you keep her warm? You have several options, and some are better than others.

Many Moms love the JJ Cole Bundle Me. It has a plush bottom layer that goes under the baby, in the carseat. The bottom layer has vertical cut outs for the harness to come through, then you buckle Baby, then there's another plush layer that goes over top of Baby. Sounds warm and toasty, right? Sounds dangerous to me. There are 2 problems with the Bundle Me.

1- The bottom layer can compress in a crash, leaving the harness too loose. You don't want anything plush between baby and the carseat.

2- The vertical cut outs can prevent the harness from laying properly on Baby's shoulders. If the harness isn't laying properly, there's a potential for injury.

So, is the poor baby left to freeze going from the house to the car? No! Fear not, I always have other options for you :)

Option 1- Carseat cover. It is a cover that goes over the top of the carseat, and zips up the front. It does not go behind Baby, and it doesn't even come close to touching the harness.

Option 2- Blankets. Tuck blankets around Baby to keep her warm and toasty.

Option 3- Polar Fleece. Just like I suggested using a fleece for your older child, you can use a fleece for baby too. Lands End, LL Bean, Columbia, just to name a few, all make a polar fleece that will keep baby warm, without adding bulk.

Opton 4- Cut the back out of the Bundle Me. If you cut the back off, it won't be under Baby, and it won't interfere with the harness.

Now, just remember that as the heater in the car warms up, Baby may overheat. She can't regulate her temperature as well as adults can. So keep that in mind when you're deciding which option to use.

Oh, how Graco loves to confuse us

2010-10-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

How many carseats can Graco make with the same name? The Graco Snugride is such a popular seat, they decided to play off the name to sell more seats. Here, I will try to explain the various seats to you.

Graco Snugride. It is nicknamed the SR22. It can be used up to 22 pounds. This is the rear adjust version. You must tighten and loosen the harness on the back of the seat, every time you take baby in and out. When looking online, you can tell which seats are the rear adjust because there's not harness adjuster strap hanging off the front (see next pic).

This is the SR22, front adjust. To loosen and tighten the harness, it's all on the front of the seat, near baby's legs. You can see the harness adjuster strap hanging down in the front.

Next came the Safe Seat 1. It is nicknamed the SS1. It can be used up to 30 pounds. It has a taller shell than the SR22. The base also has a lockoff, that makes installation in most vehicles a dream. The SS1 was discontinued a year or 2 ago. You can still find it for sale on some websites, so be aware, they likely have an older date of manufacture (and hopefully the price will reflect that).

When Graco discontinued the SS1, they created the Snugride 32, nicknamed SR32. It looks exactly like the SS1, base and all. THe only way to tell the difference is to read the labels on the carrier and base. THis seat didn't last very long, less than 1 year. Again, it can still be found on some websites, but there will be no new date of manufactures.

The SR32 was discontinued for the Snugride 35, nicknamed SR35. Again, it looks just like the SR32 and SS1. The only way to tell the difference is to read the labels. However, It looks like Graco changed their infant padding from just a headrest, to a body support with this model.

Now Graco is releasing a Snugride 30, nicknamed SR30. It is an entirely different seat. The base does not have lockoffs. Unlike the other Snugrides which all start at 5 pounds, this seat can be used for a 4 pound infant. It also has a lower harness slot, and closer crotch buckle slot to fit tiny babies better.

Leg room rear facing

2010-10-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

Children don't complain about their legroom (or lack thereof) when they are rear facing. But, parents often want them to ahve the most legroom they can. So, I used my daughter, who was 3 years 3 months old at the time as a model. I installed many convertibles in my van. The van's seatbacks were all set to the same spot, so any variance in legroom is purely because of the carseat itself.

Safety 1st Complete Air:

Evenflo Triumph Advance:

Evenflo Symphony:

Britax Marathon:

Graco My Ride:

Sunshine Kids Radian:

The First Years True Fit Premiere:

Evenflo Titan:

Evenflo Tribute:

The newest 40 pound rear facing seat

2010-10-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

Cosco has slightly redesigned the Scenera. Right now, the Scenera 40RF is only available at Target, but will soon be headed to other stores as well. Currently, all other stores have the Scenera that rear faces to 35 pounds.

Safety experts agree: Babies should remain rear-facing as long as possible.The Scenera^® 40RF is helping parents meet this goal with a convertible car seat that can remain rear-facing all the way to 40 pounds and 43 inches in height.

Rear-facing 5-40 pounds
Forward-facing 22-40 pounds
5-point harness system with up front adjustment
4 harness heights
3 buckle locations

How to wear a winter coat in the carseat

2010-10-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

With winter around the corner, I imagine most parents are looking for a warm winter coat for their children. Something to keep in mind, is carseat safety. Many winter coats are not safe to use when your child is riding in a carseat. Below is a demo of how to keep your child warm and safe in the car.

Here is a child, properly buckled into his carseat.

You can see it's properly tightened. The harness should be tight enough that when you try to pinch a horizontal line at the shoulders, you can't pinch any.

Here is a child wearing an average winter coat, buckled into his carseat.

He unbuckled, without loosening the harness, and removed his coat. Now you can clearly see how much slack that coat allowed in the harness. In a crash, the puffy coat would compress, and this his how loose he would be.

One option is to buy a polar fleece. It is plenty warm, but not thick and bulky.

A second option is to do the "carseat trick". You unzip the coat, and pull the sides out of the harness

Next, buckle the child, and tighten properly. This is often enough to keep the children warm, especially once the heater gets going.

Another optional step, is to rezip the coat over the harness.

I'm currently shopping for Sofi's winter coat. I'm ordering a fleece from Lands End, overstocks. I've had to order a few to find the coat I like, in the right size. Once her coat arrives, I will post some pictures of her in it.

Adventures in Retrofitting Tether Anchors

2010-08-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

It is extremely important to use tether anchors when you're carseat is forward facing. Did you know that if your car doesn't have tether anchors, you can often have them retrofitted? If you don't know how to go about doing this, read you car's manual. It is very important that you know where the anchors should be, here's my story.....

My mother drives a 1999 Ford Escort Wagon. Sofi is currently rear facing in her car, but one day she will be forward facing. We decided to have the tether anchors installed, so we're ready when that forward facing day comes. I call the Ford dealership of my mother's choice. The dealership ordered the anchors, and called her once they came in, and set up an appointment. My mother had them installed, and I took a look after it was done. According to the 2009 LATCH Manual, the tether anchors should go in the ceiling. Where did Ford install them? On the floor. How odd. I checked the car's owner's manual, and spoke with some CPSTs online, and we decided that they were installed incorrectly. I spoke with the dealership twice, and will soon be going to have them reinstalled. I will be going with my mother this time, to make sure they are placed correctly.

It's been too long

2010-07-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe I haven't blogged since March! I'm so sorry I haven't kept everyone up to date, but life has thrown me some curve balls. So many new seats have come out, watch for more info coming.

Q & A: Britax Marathon

2010-03-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

Q: What are your thoughts on the Britax Marathon or Boulevard?

A:
I bought my first Marathon a year ago. A few months later, I bought a Boulevard because I got a great price on it. I love how easily they install with LATCH. I love all the different covers I can buy to refresh the seat a bit. However the Britax convertibles don't have much legroom for older rear facing kiddos. That is not a deal breaker for me, but the seats moved to the Grandparents' cars so I could get a seat with more legroom for her primary ride. There are more seats out now with a higher RF weight limit, and more seats with more legroom. Would I spend the money on another Britax convertible? No. I can get other seats with higher weight limits for less money, or seats with higher weight limits, taller top slots, and a taller shell for about the same money.

Is your True Fit tether hook "broken"?

2010-02-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

Have you looked at the tether hook on your True Fit? If it's forward facing, I hope you have. If it's rear facing, maybe now is the time to look at it. We have noticed that the Tether hooks on some True Fit and True Fit Premier carseats are not bent correctly. At first, Learning Curve was replacing seats, as the tether is not replaceable. Learning Curve realized how wide spread this problem may be, and designed a fix for it.

This is what a tether hook should look like.

This is what the "broken" tether hook looks like. See how the thin metal piece is up further then in the first picture? Like this, it may not hold like it should in a crash.

This is the fix that Learning Curve has made. It's a piece of plastic that you put on the tether hook to help bend it into position.

This is what the hook looks like with the plastic piece on it.

If your True Fit tether hook is not shaped correctly, gather the information from the carseat. You'll need the date of manufacture, and model number. Then call Learning Curve and explain about the tether hook.

The new Evenflo Serenade

2009-12-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

Evenflo has come out with a new infant seat, the Serenade. It is just now showing up in Babies R Us stores. I was fortunate enough to have them pull the first seat out of the box as a display for me at my local Babies R Us. Below you will find out what Evenflo says about their seat, and what I say about it :)

Here is what Evenflo says about their seat:

New! Serenade™ Infant Car Seat featuring SureLATCH® combines the latest technology to provide a safe and comfortable ride for your baby and peace of mind for you.

A Series of Innovations:

SureLATCH® technology – an exclusive Evenflo innovation consisting of two connectors for use with a vehicle’s LATCH system to ensure proper installation in a fraction of the time of a traditional seat. Safety so simple!
Infinite Slide™ Harness Adjust – an innovative harness system that simply slides for an accurate harness fit everytime!
Full Coverage Canopy – With superior padding, and a full-coverage canopy to shade baby from every angle, baby will be comfortable everywhere you go.
Side Impact Tested! Like all Evenflo car seats, the Serenade™ Infant Car Seat is Side Impact Tested AND meets ALL Federal. safety standards.
Designed and tested for structural integrity at energy levels approximately 2X the federal crash test standard
Additional Features: 5-Point Harness for security, adjustable PositionRight™ base with dual level indicators and an ergonomically designed handle for a more comfortable carry.

Here are my thoughts on the seat:
PROS:
-It is nice and lightweight, so it'll be easier to carry a heavier baby
-The seat shell has good height, to accommodate taller babies
-It has a high weight limit
-They have changed the red tabs on the harness shoulders. They are now narrower than the harness, and should not irritate the child's neck
-It has the infinite slide harness, so it's always at the proper height for your child
-It has a nice low harness position for newborns (I measure it at about 5 inches)

CONS:
-The SureLatch sure didn't work well for me. I tried everything but standing on it, and I still couldn't get it tight enough. I'd rather have the regular LATCH.
-I tried my 11 month old, 24 pound child in the seat. I had to loosen the harness all the way, and when she was in with a thin fleece jacket, it was the perfect tightness for her to ride in. If she grew any, it would be too tight. She did have a few inches above her head to grow though. (And for comparison, she may have had a tad more room above her head than in her SnugRide 32, but int he SR32, we have a little more harness room).
-It is over priced. Really, for $159.99, I'd much rather buy a Snug Ride 32. It will install much easier with both LATCH and seatbelt
-Evenflo has NOT changed their handle rule. In the car, the handle must be behind the carseat, and there must be 1.5 inches between the carseat (handle included) and the vehicle seat in front of it.

Review of the True Fit Premier

2009-12-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

I did it. I bought another carseat. I have had a True Fit, but I bought a True Fit Premier. The TFP is now Sofi's primary carseat.

What's the difference between the True Fit and the True Fit Premier? The TFP has an anti rebound bar (arb). In a frontal crash, a rear facing carseat will rotate downward, towards the front of the car/ the floor. Next it will rebound back up, towards the back of the car. The ARB will reduce the amount of rebound.

With the original True Fit, it can be difficult to access the harness adjuster. It can be buried in the back of the vehicle seat. The TFP doesn't have the same problem because of the arb.

Like the original True Fit, the top of the carseat can be removed until the child is 22 pounds, or the head is within 1 inch of the top of the seat. After the top is put back on, the child can remain rear facing until 35 pounds, or the head is within 1 inch of the top of the seat. The True Fit and True Fit Premier have the same weight and height guidelines. I'd be surprised if a child outgrows this seat by height before reaching 35 pounds, because the seat shell is so high.

The Original True Fit has a line on the side, that says it should be level with the ground when rear facing. The True Fit Premier has a different level guide. On the front, above the harness adjuster it has a rolling ball and 3 sections. One is labeled with X, meaning it's over reclined. Next is labeled with 1 which is where is should be at 45* for a newborn. The last section is labeled 2 which is 35* for an older baby or toddler. The TFP also has a recline mechanism to help with achieving the correct recline angle, though sloped vehicle seats may still need a rolled towel or pool noodle.

The True Fit and True Fit Premier both have lockoffs for rear facing and forward facing. The lockoffs are helpful when using the seatbelt to install, but the also muct be used when using the LATCH to install. I don't find the rear facing lockoffs to be much trouble, unless I'm trying to get a 45* recline. Then the seatbelt or LATCH belt want to slide down, where the lockoff closes.

Both the True Fit and True Fit Premier have a no rethread harness. It has a yellow knob on each side of the seat. You pull them out a little, and slide the harness up or down, to the correct position. For both seats, the harness can be used in slots 1, 2, or 3 for rear facing and slots 3 and 4 for Forward facing.

Both seats also come with infant padding, that can be used until the child reaches 22 pounds. This infant padding helps the seat fit newborns well. Both seats also have a forward facing weight limit of 65 pounds. They have top harness slots of about 17 inches, which should get most children to a good booster age.

Overall, I really like the True Fit Premier. And I do like it more than the True Fit.

Don't forget the registration card

2009-11-29T16:13:00.000-08:00

What's that? It's a card that comes attached to your carseat. One side has space for you to fill in your name and address, the other side is rreaddressed and postage paid to mail it back to the manufacturer. You should always fill this out and mail it in as soon as you can. I know if I don't, I'll forget, and even loose the card.

What if I've already lost my card? Don't worry, you can call the manufacturer to register. Get all the information off your carseat (date of manufacture, serial number, batch number, item number, whatever is on the sticker). Call the manufacturer and tell them you want to register your carseat. They'll do it for you over the phone.

Why do I need to register my seat? If the seat is recalled, you will be notified if you registered your carseat. Sometimes, manufacturers even issue an Advisory that isn't a full recall. You may have no way of knowing of the advisory if you haven't registered the seat.

Some good videos to watch

2009-11-23T13:09:00.000-08:00

I went to an ADCAN meeting last night to talk about carseat safety. I had wanted to show some videos, but the community center has Youtube blocked. So, here are the ones I wanted to show you.

Joel's Journey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8gU9zzCGA8
Joel is the 18 month old I talked about that had serious injuries because he was forward facing too young. I also wrote about him in my blog, here.

We talked not using puffy coats in the carseat, just a fleece. Here is a video about that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM1LJaOIu34

Here is a forward facing vs rear facing crash test video. I think it's from Sweden, so you will see the rear facing seat in the front seat, but they can turn off their air bags.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM1LJaOIu34

Here is another rear facing crash test. See how supported the child is by the seat?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K62Ea8Fs4ng

Here is a video about a little girl that died because she was in a booster seat too young. Children should be in a harness until at least 4 years and 40 pounds, preferably longer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04

My fight with the Radian continues

2009-11-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

I thought I had won, but I was wrong. The Radian kept reclined more and more. Sofi's weight was compressing the vehicle seat cushion. I took the Radian out to let the seat decompress and try again. For some reason, this time I couldn't get the LATCH tight enough. I was told it's a 2 person job.... So I enlisted my brother to help me :) All we succeeded at doing was bruising his hands :(

I have been told the new Radain SL LATCH is easier to tighten. So tomorrow I'm headed to Buy Buy Baby to try it out. I'll let you know how it goes.

EDIT: I still loose. I couldn't get the Radian SL any tighter than I can the regular Radian. I've given up for now, and bought a True Fit Premier. I will have a review after it arrives :)

Q and A

2009-11-12T17:09:00.001-08:00

Q: What do you think of the Evenflo Symphony?

A: It's not high on my list :)

The Evenflo Symphony is a convertible carseat. It can be used rearfacing from 5-35 pounds. It can be used harnessed forward facing up to 40 pounds, and as a booster up to 100 pounds. It has SureLatch, which is supposed to make installation easier. You attach the LATCH, and push the seat down (to allow the SureLatch to retract and tighten), and you're done! Except..... it's not always that easy :) In my opinion, it's expensive for a seat that only goes up to 40 pounds with a harness. And if you're not using LATCH, you're paying alot for a feature you don't even need. However, it is nocely lined with EPS foam, for good side impact protection. It's has a nice no rethread harness, so the harness is always right at the child's shoulder (though the red tabs bother some children). It has nice infant padding,a nd should fit a newborn well.

There is a newer version called the Symphony 65 that is just coming to stores now. It has the same features, but the harness can be used up to 65 pounds. The weight increase bumped it up a little on my list ;)

My Review of the Radian

2009-10-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

Sunshine Kids Juvenile Products makes 1 car seat and 1 booster seat. However, their 1 carseat now has 10, yes 10 versions.

The Radian 65 and 80 started out rear facing up to 33 pounds and forward facing up to 65 and 80 pounds (hence the names). In late 2007 or early 2008, they changed the rear facing weight limit from 33 to 35 pounds. In Sept 2008 they added the Radian XT, it is a Radian 80 with added head wings. In early 2009, SKJP retroactively (back to seats made in/ after Sept 2008) changed the rear facing weight limit to 40 pounds for all 3 Radians (65, 80, XT). There were cosmetic and structural changes made to the Radians in Sept 2008, those are the seats that passed tests rear facing to 40 pounds.

Now in Sept 2009, SKJP has released a new generation of the Radians. The Radian 65SL, 80SL, and XTSL. The SL stands for Super Latch. The new Radians can use LATCH up to the full weight limit of 65 or 80 pounds (*if the vehicles allows it). Most vehicles have a LATCH limit of 40 or 48 pounds. All vehicles manufactured after Sept 2005 were required to pass a stricter test for the LATCH. ONLY vehicles manufactured after Sept 2005 can use LATCH with the Radian SLs up to the full weight limit. Confused yet? So are many of us :)

The Radian 65SL can rear face up to 40 pounds. The Radian 80SL and XTSL can rear face up to 45 pounds.

Now that you have all the info, I will give you my review :)

The Radian has 5 sets of harness slots; 8 inches, 9.5 inches, 11 inches, 14 inches, and 16.5 inches. The lower 3 can only be used rear facing, and the top 2 can be used rear facing or forward facing. There are 3 crotch buckle positions. The Harness adjuster is like a Britax in that you tug, stop, tug, stop a few times while tightening.

The Radian XT has head wings that slide freely. You simply push them up or down so they are right above the child's shoulders. However, when a child is using the bottom 2 harness slots, the head wings must be all the way at the top of the seat.

The Radian has a rear facing base that must be used when the seat is rear facing. Unlike most other seats, you can not use a rolled towel or pool noodle to help with the recline. Unfortunately, sometimes the base makes to seat too reclined (like in this picture), even for a newborn. There are a few tricks you can try to make it more upright, but it doesn't always work. Like Britax seats, it can be tethered even when rear facing.

The Radian installs very upright forward facing. It does have a recline feature, but it doesn't recline it very much. Because it installs so upright, children can often fit in the harness longer than they can in seats with taller harness slots. It can also be difficult to install forward facing in some vehicles.

The Radian has a nice tall shell. It should fit most children rear facing for a long time (usually at least 3 or 4 years). With the new rear facing weight limits, it can definitely keep kids safer longer :) The covers are nice and soft. There are several mesh covers, I don't like the mesh but I've heard it can help keep kids cooler in the car. The newer seats (post Sept 2009) even have comfort foam under the child's butt.

I think the Radian is a nice seat, but not the answer for everyone. I'd say try it in your vehicle before you buy one, or buy from an online retailer with a good return policy. I'm using mine for Sofi now, and I'm liking it so far. I kind of wish I had the head wings of an XT though, so I may end up with one somewhere in the future.

Some pics and info courtesy of members at car-seat.org

My fight with the Radian is over, and I won.

2009-10-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

I tried installing a Radian in my van, before I bought one. I think it installed pretty well after a few tries. Unfortunately, I didn't attach the RF tether, or put Sofi in it.

I bought a pretty pink Radian. I installed it, attached the tether, and put Sofi in. Attaching the tether reclined it a little more, and so did Sofi's weight :( I got tips from others online that had successfully install it in the center seat in this van, and it just wouldn't work for me :( I'd pretty much given up :(

Then, I got a message from another carseat crazy friend. She had a different way of installing the seat. So, I went out today and gave it a try. I reclined the vehicle seatback all the way, and put the base of the Radian forward of the hump on the van seat (there is a hump at the seatbite that covers the lower anchors). Didn't think that would work at all, there was a ton of space between the seatback and the Radian (even with the seatback put back up). I pulled and pulled the LATCH strap to tighten. It was still too loose :( I put the strap through the belt path to pull at a different angle, and it wouldn't tighten :( I had my husband pull, and it wouldn't tighten :( I took it out of the belt path to pull from the top again, I knelt on the Radian and bounced a little and pulled alot. And It got tight! I put the vehicle seatback up again, and voila! I attached the tether and had Sofi climb in. The seat reclined just a tad more, but not too much :)

I WIN! Sofi now has a new carseat :) She looks like she has less legroom than in the Titan, but alot more room to grow heightwise.

Recline, level indicator, and an infant seat

2009-10-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Infant seats come with a level indicator. Different seats have a different kind, but I'm pretty sure they all have one. They are meant to tell you when your seat is properly reclined. Unfortunately, it gives you a 30- 45* range. Newborns need the 45*. If the seat is installed more upright (closer to the 30*), the baby's head can fall forward. When a newborn baby's head falls forward, it can close off their airway. The best way to make sure you have a 45* recline is to recline the seat as much as you can (either with the base's recline foot, or with noodles or rolled towels) until the indicator is on the edge of the 'ok' zone. Just, make sure you're parked on a flat surface when you do this :)

*I didn't even think about blogging about you tonight, until you mentioned it* ;)

Which seat will I buy?

2009-10-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

Sofi needs a new carseat. She has 1 inch to grow in her Titan in my car. That 1 inch could take a month, or it could take a year. So... I prepare to get a new seat. Here is my thinking process......

My choices are: First Years True Fit, Graco My Ride, Sunshine Kids Radian, Evenflo Triumph Advance, Britax Marathon

All of these seats are taller than the Titan. Three of them will RF to 35 pounds, and 2 will RF to 40 (or 45) pounds. Sofi weighs 29 pounds. Sounds like wight isn't an issue if I want to keep her RF for 1 more year. However, she just gained 4 pounds in 6 months! So.... how much will she gain in the next year?!

I own a Radian that could RF her to 40 pounds. It's currently sitting in the closet, getting no love :( Why not just use that? I can NOT get it to install well in the center of my 2nd row :( No matter what I try, it always looks too reclined :( So.. I get to pick a new seat :)

The True Fit- It is a nice tall seat. I like how easy it is to adjust the harness height, if I wanted to put another child in it. But... Sofi's head always slumped over when she fell asleep. It wasn't dangerous or uncomfortable for her. It was just uncomfortable for me to look at ;)

The Triumph Advance- I like the seat ok. Again, easy to adjust harness heights. But it won't fit next to BabyS' Titan in my van.

The Marathon- I love how easy that was to install. I really really do. So, I took it out of my Mom's car and put it in mine. Sofi really had no leg room. She wasn't uncomfortable, but again it was uncomfortable for me to look at. So, not my choice for her primary seat.

The My Ride- Oh how I miss this seat. It installed so nicely. It really hugged her and looked like she had so much Side Impact Protection. And how she loved the cup holders (pockets). And.... I really like the purple one :D I know, I had issues with the harness adjuster strap fraying. But from those that lept their seats, it looks like it starts to fray, and then stops. So, I'm willing to give it another try.

So the winner is..... The purple My Ride! Now... if Walmart's website would just have it in stock.... we could get one.

My Pediatrician says I can turn him Forward facing

2009-09-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

My Pediatrician says I can turn my son (1 year, 23 pounds) forward facing. Why should I keep him rear facing if my pediatrician says forward facing is fine?

Short answer, because it's safer. The American Academy of Pediatrics has been recommending rear facing beyond 1 year and 20 pounds for years. My question would be, if the pediatrician is not following the advice of the AAP on carseat issues, what else is he not following?

Children between 1 and 2 years old are 5 times safer rear facing than they are forward facing. That much we have studies and statistics for. We know that physics shows everyone is safer rear facing, just how much safer we don't know. We do know that the child's neck bones mature between 4 and 6 years old. And we know that in Sweden they rear face until 4 to 5 years old.

American carseats are now coming out with higher rear facing weight limits. Why? So children can rear face longer.

New Rear Facing Video

2009-08-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

There are videos on Youtube showing why Rear Facing is safer. But there's a new one out. And it has my daughter in it. Please watch, and read, and keep your children rear facing.

Rear Facing is Safer

Who's that lady hanging out in the carseat isle?

2009-08-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, it's just me. Yes, I admit it, I have too much time on my hands some weekends. So what do I do? I go hang out in the carseat isle in my local Babies R Us. Sometimes it's very busy, lots of Moms to be looking for the perfect seat for their baby, lots of very confused parents staring at way too many carseats. What is a parent to do when they have to choose the 1 perfect seat out of 30+ seats?! Accept my kind help :)

If I come up to you when you're looking at carseats and offer to answer any carseat questions you have....please, ask away. That's what I'm there for. That's what I live for. Believe it or not, I enjoy helping you protect your most precious cargo :)

And if anyone here has any questions, please ask away. You can even email me.

A 3rd 40 pound Rear Facing Seat

2009-07-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

It was released yesterday that newer Sunshine Kids Radians can rear face up to 40 pounds!! So exciting. The Radian has almost the tallest shell of any RF seat, so it will even get older children to 40 pounds. Sofi could rear face until she's 6 or 7 with her growth pattern.

Radians (65, 80, and XT) manufactured in or after Septemeber 2008 can now RF up to 40 pounds. Seats manufactured before Sept 2008 can not. There were some structural changes to the seat in September, making the pre and post Sept seats different.

First Graco, Now Dorel.

2009-06-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

It has started. The 40 pound rear facing seats are here. Graco was first, with the My Ride. Now Dorel is about to release a seat that can RF up to 40 pounds. It's the Safety 1st Complete Air. It can RF up to 40 pounds, and FF up to 50 pounds.

Something else new is coming to the market with this seat. Dorel calls it Air Protect technology. The wings around the child's head are not foam, but air. The video on their website makes it look nice. They will also be adding Air Protect technology to other seats.
http://airprotect.safety1st.com/

The Complete Air is available for preorder on Babies R Us' website on July 1. The seat will be released in August, and sold at other retailers later in the year.
http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3629011

Am I excited? Somewhat. I'm excited we're getting another seat that can RF higher than 35 pounds.

Could I see myself buying this seat? Yes. But I probably won't. It will sell for $250! I haven't paid that much for any of my carseats. However, it looks like it will have a slightly different RF height rule, allowing taller children to still fit.

Goodbye to my beloved My Ride

2009-06-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Right now, my My Ride is sitting in my hall closet. I really love the seat, so why on earth is it in the hall closet? It's awaiting a shipping label to return it to Graco. My beloved My Ride is returning to the manufacturer to be inspected and likely killed :(

I read on www/car-seat.org about problems a few people had with the harness adjuster fraying on their seat. I don't usually adjust Sofi's harness (I've mastered squashing her in there). Since I often reccomend the seat, I decide to try adjusting the harness everytime I put Sofi in/out of the seat, like most parents do. After only 3 days it's fraying :(

I tried to take pictures, but it's really difficult to see. The harness adjuster strap is the strap between the child's legs/knees. You pull it to tighten the harness (the straps around the child). That strap is held by a metal piece that unfortunately has sharp edges. So as it rubs them, it frays. Fraying looks like the strap is getting fuzzy on the side/sides.

So, I noticed the problem and called Graco. They said they'd send me a shipping label to return the seat, and then give me a full refund. I know at least 3 other My Rides are being returned by other people.

I now have 2 replacement covers (I complained about the cover not staying on the sides, they sent me another. I complained about the hole in the cover they sent me a 3rd- a different color) and no seat to put them on. I do still love the My Ride. I do still reccomend the seat, but also make parents aware of the possible problem. And I will happily buy another My Ride (Sonata- pink!) when they fix the problem :)

I have emailed a 'higher up' in Graco. Not exactly sure how high she is, but deffinetly higher than the customer service reps :) We'll see what she says about the problem.

Would you like to see more 'boy color' carseats?

2009-06-10T07:31:00.001-07:00

Someone on car-seat.org has decided to start a petition. Parents are tired of neutral colors being considered 'boy colors' while girls get pretty pink and yellow and floral seat covers. She has started a petition to get some more fun boy covers on carseats. SHe's starting with the Graco Nautilus. Graco makes a zillion cover options for their infant seats. They even make some wonderful covers for the Turbo Booster. Why does the Nautilus have to be either Grey or pink? The petition will be sent to the buyer for major retailers.

Here is a link to the petition.
http://www.petitiononline.com/Nautilus/petition.html

Here is her post on car-seat.org
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=86921
Ok, I have the petition up: http://www.petitiononline.com/Nautilus/petition.htmlSign the petition if you want the Nautilus to be available in some sort of color appropriate for boys (or just not aimed specifically at girls. or gray.)Even if you don't personally need a colorful Nautilus, please sign the petition if you think they should be available for others. Feel free to share the link.When we have lots of signatures, I'll forward it to the corporate offices of at least one major retailer.You do need to leave your name and email address, but the addresses are kept private--even I don't have access to them. They just use them for verification to make sure people aren't signing a bunch of times.FTR, I'm not doing this out of self-interest. I'm perfectly happy with our current Nautilus (I love gray!), but I realize there is a need for colors. (Seriously, five different types of gray seats? A bit much...) I'm also curious to see if going to the buyers really will have an impact. So this is a social experiment that hopefully will result in some cute car seats

Roundabout 50

2009-05-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

What is the Roundabout 50? It's Britax's newest convertible. It will RF up to 35 pounds, and FF up to 50 pounds. It will sell for about $199.99.

The seat shell is the same as the Marathon. The harness heights are the same as the Marathon. If it's so similar to the Marathon, why did they call it the Roundabout50? I have no idea. Because Britax is crazy I think (why else would they have 9 convertible seats, but discontinue their boosters?).

There are 4 harness slots. Lowest being about 10 inches, and highest being 16-17 inches. There are 3 crotch buckle positions. The Marathon has 1, that is in about the same spot as the center slot in the RA50.

Like the Roundabout40, it does not have HUGS (the rubbery things on the harness). Those are only required on the 65+ pounds seats. Also like the RA40 it does not have harness covers, but does have a belly pad (weird, to me the harness covers are more important than the belly pad).

The harness adjuster is thinner than that of the Marathon. The RA50 does not have the lockoffs like all the other Britax convertibles. It has a LATCH strap similar to the RA40 (not the Marathon with bars), but it only loosens and tightens on 1 side.

I know the seat is now on sale at Babies R Us. I went into my local store and it was still in a box on the top shelf above the RA40s. I asked them to get one down, and they did, and opened it for a display model.

A warning message from another Mom

2009-05-25T12:39:00.001-07:00

I was contacted by a mother that has often read my blog. She has read it, but apparently didn't follow all the advice. Her 3 year old son was 40 pounds, and riding in a highback booster. He certainly met all the stated minimums for the seat. Except for age. Age can play a crutial role in booster readiness. Her son was riding with her older (college age) son. He unbuckled himself, and no one knew. The little boy fell asleep, and fell out of his booster! He fell out and right onto the floor of the van. In the fall, he hit his face and got a black eye. Mom is horrified. What if there had been a crash? He wouldn't have fallen on the floor, he would have flown out the window! No 3 year old is really mature enough to be in a booster. At my advice, Mom went out and bought a Graco Nautilus. He is now safe and secure in the van. Children under 4 years (often under 6) need to be in a seat with a harness.

Kids Rear Facing in the My Ride

2009-05-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures and stats of children I've tried in the My Ride. None of them are my children, but I have permission to post their pictures.

N is 19 months old. She weighs about 18 pounds. She has a 12 inch torso, and a 17 inch seated height. She normally rides RF in a Comfortsport and is still on the bottom slots. In the My Ride she was on the 2nd from bottom slots.

X is 3.5 years old and weighs 40 pounds. His torso is 12.5-12.75 inches, and his seated height is 19.5 inches. He has now outgrown the seat RF by weight, but still has 3.5 inches above his head. He normally rides FF in a Graco Nautilus, on the 2nd from bottom slots.

This is G. He is 3 years, 8 months old and weighs 34 pounds. His torso height is 12.5 inches, seated height is 20 inches, and total height is 41 inches. His head was even with the stripe that goes across the My Ride, so he has 2.5 inches above his head. He could probobly RF in this seat for another year. However, G normally rides in a Graco Nautilus (harness on the 2nd from bottom slots).

An update on my My Ride

2009-05-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

So I've been using it. We keep the driver's side 2nd row seat flipped down so the older kids can get in the back. I think I really like it. The harness adjuster is smoother than the Marathon, and higher than the True Fit. It installs easily with LATCH. Sofi loves the "pockets" (cupholders). It also has more legroom than the Marathon. I think it has a deep, angled seat because Sofi has more trouble getting out of it than she did her other seats. I think I really like it :)

How do I like it so far?

2009-05-16T08:04:00.001-07:00

How do I like the My Ride? Well, I'm not sure. I love that it can RF to 40 pounds. It will get those chunkier toddlers to RF longer. I think I'd like it better if it was installed in my van, not riding in my trunk :) It's too wide for where I wanted to use it right now. And that's saying alot since I can fit 3-across of almost any seats in my 2nd row Sienna! I think I will love it if/when BabyS reaches 35 pounds and needs to continue rear facing. I've thought about returning it since I won't need it for awhile. But... I still need more models. I plan to take it to church with me this weekend and try some kids in it. Hopefully their parents will allow me to post pics :)

It's here! My new Graco My Ride 65

2009-05-13T06:47:00.000-07:00

I bought a Graco My Ride 65 today. It's 2 shades of brown, called "Spiral". It can rear face to 40 pounds (the first in the US!) and forward face up to 65 pounds. It comes with infant padding that can be used when the baby is on the bottom slots. The infant padding is not in these pictures.

There are 5 harness slots. All measurements are with me pushing on the padding.

9 inches (8 with infant padding)

11 inches

13 inches

14.5 inches

16.5-17 inches

The bottom slots can only be used rear facing. The next 3 slots up can be used rear facing or forward facing. And the top slot can only be used forward facing.

The seat shell measures 24 inches. My Marathon measures 25 inches. I put my daughter in both seats. In the Marathon she had at least 4 inches above her head. In the My Ride she had barely 4 inches above her head.

The widest part of the seat is at the cup holders, and it measures 20.5 inches. The widest at the head is 18.5- 19 inches. For comparison, the widest part of the True Fit is 19 inches.

The seat width at the knees is 9.5 inches. The width at the butt is 10 inches. The width of the base is 11 inches. The harness adjuster is 7 inches from the floor.

The harness adjuster is similar to the Graco Nautilus. The harness material is the same as the Nautiuls and the Safe Seat 1 and Snug Ride 32. The chest clip and crotch buckle are also the same as on the GN, SS1, SR32.

The seat is lined with EPS foam from the top of the head, down to below the bottom harness slots. It lines both the back and the sides of the seat. The seat cover is "Spiral" which is 2 shades of brown. It is nice and soft. There is no mesh on this seat (like on the GNs). I am having a hard time keeping 1 side of the cover on now, but it's not a big deal.

BabyS is 4 months old and 16 pounds. She is on the 2nd slots in the Safe Seat 1, with a few inches to grow above her head. She's still on the bottom slots of the My Ride, and the top of her head is even with the top slots.

Sofi is 2 years 7 months and 25 pounds. She is on the 2nd slots of the Marathon and True Fit. She's also on the 2nd slots of the My Ride. I didn't try her in the seat installed in my car (but I did on the test bench at BRU) but she has a little more legroom in the My Ride than in the Marathon, but less than in the True Fit.

J is 6 years old and 50 pounds. He is on the top slots of the Nautilus. He is over the top slots of the My Ride by about 1 inch. A few weeks ago he was dead even, or a hair above the top slots on the Marathon.

To switch from forward facing to rear facing, you need to flip 2 feet on the bottom of the base. You can see me flipping the foot on the left. You need to do the same to both feet. You simply flip the feet under/in the base for rear facing (which is what I'm doing in the picture). Or flip the feet out and on the sides for forward facing.

The Harness has 3 length adjustments. The picture I show it on the middle adjustment. Both Sofi and BabyS could use the harness there. As the child gets bigger and harness gets tighter, you can adjust it in the back to give you more length. Similar to the Safe Seat 1/ Snug Ride 32.

Can my child use a booster seat?

2009-05-12T09:08:00.001-07:00

My son is 3 years old and weighs 32 pounds. I found a booster seat that says it can be used at 30 pounds. Is this a good choice for an extra seat in Grandma's car? His main seat is an Evenflo Chase in my car.

No. Your son is way too young and too light to use a booster seat. The minimum for booster use should be 4 years and 40 pounds. A child less than 40 pounds doesn't fill out the seatbelt well and can submarine (slip under the seatbelt) in a crash.

My daughter is 3 1/2 and weighs 38 pounds. She needs a new seat as her only goes to 40 pounds. Is the Highback Graco Turbobooster a good seat?

Yes, that is a nice booster, but not for your daughter. At only 3 years old, she too young for a booster and should remain in a harness. The minimum for booster use is 4 years and 40 pounds. However, many children aren't mature enough to sit properly the entire ride until 5-7 years old. I would suggest the Graco Nautilus, Safety First Apex 65 (If your vehicle has headrests), or the Britax Frontier. They will all keep your daughter in a harness longer (up to 65, or 80 pounds). They can also convert to a booster once she's old enough.

Here are some videos on children that were too small for the booster seats they used.
Isabelle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYDasLZh1Tk&feature=related
Another for Isabelle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBSEQ4xbTw&feature=related
Kyle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ&feature=related
Kyle's family on Good Morning America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pDnBO76RFM&feature=related
Toni http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G59s3PjcntQ&feature=related

Those videos are not saying booster seats are bad, or that your child needs to be in a harness forever. They're simplying showing you what can happen if a child is too young/small for a booster; even if they meet the minimum requirements on the seat.

If you want to support a group that donates high weight harness seats to families that can't afford them, please visit the Kyle David Miller Foundation http://www.kyledavidmiller.org

More Q and A

2009-05-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

My child's carseat says it can be used to 40 pounds. He only weighs 34. Someone told me he can't use it anymore because his shoulders are at the top slots. Do I really need a new seat even though he still fits in the weight limits?

If his shoulders are at the top slots, he still fits. However, tomorrow his shoulders could be over the slots, or it could be next week or next month. It's hard to tell when most children will have their next growth spurt. For my own child, I'd prefer to buy a new carseat now. A Forward Facing carseat can be used if 1-Child is withing the weight limits 2- The harness slots are at or above the child's shoulders 3-The top of child's ears are not above the top of the carseat. You must meet all 3 of those to continue using a carseat.

These pictures are of children properly using a carseat forward facing. They are within the weight limits, the harness slots are above their shoulders, and the tops of their ears are well below the top of the seat.

The pics are here

2009-05-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

Bryan of Kids N Cribs has given me permission to use his photos of the My Ride 65. He has them and info from Graco on his website here http://www.kids-n-cribs.com/carseats-convertible-car-seats-c-1_5/graco-my-ride-65-patina-bloom It is sold there for $149.99, and shipping to me is estimated at $10.95.

So, here are the pictures. I must say, I like the gray and black that was previously "leaked" more than these. But, it is nice to see that Graco is releasing a new seat in options other than gray (The GN was available in 4 colors, all shades of gray).

The First 2 pictures are from Kids N Cribs. The 3rd is from Graco's website.

Sofi in her many seats

2009-04-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

I've been told I'm a carseat manufacturer's dream. A new seat comes out, and I want it. Well, that's true. So I though I'd post some pics of Sofi RF in her many seats.

Here is Sofi in the Cosco Scenera. This picture was taken Nov 2008. We had 1 as a back up seat, and 1 in Grandma's car.

This is Sofi in the Britax Marathon. This picture was taken early spring 2009. This was her main carseat for awhile. When we needed to replace Grandma's carseat, I decide to give her this and get one with more legroom for the main carseat.

This is the Evenflo Triumph Advance. This picture was taken beginning of 2009. It's not my first choice of seats because of the knobs. But my husband has a hard time pulling a harness adjuster (an arm injury) so the knobs work well for him.

This is the Safety First Uptown. This picture taken April- May 2009. This is a backup seat, and is also used by my friend's daughter in my car. Sofi looked squashed in this seat, but she never complained.

This is the First Years True Fit. Picture taken April or May 2009. It gives her much more legroom than the other seats.

The new arrival, Graco My Ride 65. Picture taken May 2009. Sofi likes this seat because it has "pockets" (cup holders). I like it because it's easy to install, easy to adjust the harness, fairly lightweight to carry.

This is the Evenflo Titan Elite. Picture taken June 2009. We stopped using this seat last fall because I thought Sofi was too close to outgrowing it by height. I installed it to check again tonight, and she has a good 3 inches above her head (giving her 2 inches to grow).

Graco My Ride

2009-04-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

The rumors are true. The Graco My Ride 65 will RF to 40 pounds and FF to 65 pounds. It is now a real seat. I have seen real life pictures of it. The seat shell measures about the same, or slightly shorter than the Marathon. However, the pictures with a child in it look like he has slightly more growing room in the My Ride than in the Marathon. The top harness slots are slightly below 17 inches. The Marathon is supposed to have 16 inch top slots, but often measure at 17.

What does this mean? Can my child RF until she's 6?! Probobly not. But those 34 pound 1 or 2 year olds can RF longer now :) It is said to be in stores the first week in June. And it's said to be $150-175. Great price for what sounds like a great seat. Can you guess where I will be everyday in June until it arrives? Or until the nice manager (Nick.... do you read my blog...?) gives me an exact arrival date. Babies R Us. I WANT THIS SEAT.

This is history in the making. The very first American carseat that can RF to 40 pounds. Very exciting :)

New seat coming out soon...

2009-04-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

You've read my blog. You've done your research. You want to keep your child rear facing as long as possible. But you can't, you're child is 34 pounds at 18 months. You don't want to turn him forward facing (you read my blog about the injuries recieved to 34 pound, 18 month old Joel). You don't want to keep him rear facing beyond the American carseat limits of 35 pounds. So what do you do? Buy a Sweedish seat? They rear face up to 55 pounds. But they are illegal to use in the US, and are very expensive to get.

It looks like Graco may be here to help! It started as a rumor.... "Graco will be releasing a new high weight harness (HWH) seat this year." That rumor grew.... "Graco will be releasing a seat that will Rear Face to 40 pounds and Forward face to 65 pounds." WHAT?! Did we hear that right?! REAR FACE TO 40 POUNDS?! No, surely it must just be a rumor. Luckily for you, CarseatNanny called Graco and asked about it. And yes, There will be a new convertible that rear faces to 40 pounds. I almost jumped for joy! :) The Rumor is now truth. There is a seat called the Graco MyRide. We don't yet know how tall the seat will be. We're hoping it'll be nice and tall to accomidate an older, 40 pound child rear facing. It will be in the May/June issue of Fit Pregnancy magazine. It's projected to cost $150-175.

Don't worry. As soon as more info is available, it'll be here!

AAP Releases New RF statement

2009-04-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

The American Academy of Pediactrics has released a new statement today on Rear Facing. They have gone beyond their previous reccomendation of "rear face to the limits of the seat". They now say to rear face to the limits of the seat, and at least 2 years old.

Here is the link, and the article.
http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/30/4/12-a

Keep your toddler in a rear-facing car seat until age 2 (not 1)
Lori O’Keefe
Correspondent

New research indicates that toddlers are more than five times safer riding rear-facing in a car safety seat up to their second birthday. Following are some safety tips for car seat use:

All infants should ride rear-facing in either an infant car seat or convertible seat.
If an infant car seat is used, the infant should be switched to a rear-facing convertible car seat once the maximum height (when the infant’s head is within 1 inch of the top of the seat) and weight (usually 22 pounds to 32 pounds) have been reached for that infant seat as suggested by the car seat manufacturer.

Toddlers should remain rear-facing in a convertible car seat until they have reached the maximum height and weight recommended for the model, or at least the age of 2.

To see if your car seat is installed properly and to find a certified passenger safety technician in your area, visit http://www.seatcheck.org/ or www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm. You also can call 866-SEATCHECK (866-732-8243) or 888-327-4236.

Here is Ruthie rear facing at 19 months. Doesn't she look comfy? Rear facing provides a nice recline for sleeping too.

Q and A time

2009-03-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

Okay quick question, okay maybe not so quick. J is 30 lbs. Should he still be rear facing? He has about another inch before he is taller than the two inch rule for his car seat. My husband and I talked about getting a new car seat and we are not sure what to do. Money is tight since I am not working, hopefully that will change by the summer. We know that J is going to be tall and weigh more than most kids his age. He is about the same height/weight as a lot of the two year olds in his class. Should we purchase a better car seat than what we have? Sitting on the floor, he's 19.5 inches to the top of his head.

Since J is under 2 years, and still under the weight limit for rear facing, he should remain rear facing if at all possible. What seat is he currently in? Also, it's a 1 inch rule, not a 2 inch rule. He can continue rear facing in the seat as long as he's within the weight limits (is your seat a 30, 33, or 35 pounds seat?), and has 1 inch of seat shell above his head. Since money is tight, I would reccomend the Cosco Scenera for $35-60 or the Safety First Uptown/Avenue for $65-90. The Uptown and Avenue have a taller shell than the Scenera and more padding/foam as well.

This is the proper way to measure how much room is above a child's head. Imagine a line at the top of the carseat (the top of the shell, don't include cover padding). Imagine another line at the top of the child's head. Both lines should be at the same angle as the carseat. If the child has more than 1 inch between the 2 lines, he still fits in the carseat RF.

This is the wrong way to measure the space above the child's head. The line should not be level with the ground. It should be at the same angle as the back of the carseat. This looks like the seat is outgrown, but she really has more growing room.

Here is a picture of a child with 1 inch above her head. She now needs a new carseat to remain RF, or needs to turn this seat forward facing.

*NOTE- These pictures were used with permission from their owners at www.car-seat.org*

Q and A time

2009-03-10T17:13:00.000-07:00

I have a question too. I have a Britax Decathlon for my nephew and I'm having the hardest time getting it installed facing backwards in the infant position. Any tips? The tether straps aren't long enough to lock it in. Is the middle the best place to put him (only place with the metal bottom tethers, so that's where I placed it.

What vehicle do you have? I suggest you start by checking the owners manual for it's information on LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren). Most (though not all) vehicles don't allow you to use LATCH in the center. There are usually a set of LATCH anchors for each outboard seating position, and they can not be used for the center. If the LATCH straps aren't reaching, than you may be trying to use the anchors in the wrong seating location.

The middle seat is the safest as long as you can get a good installation. If you can get a better installation outboard (side), than that is safest. Also, if you want to keep the carseat in the middle, you can install with the seatbelt. LATCH is not safer than the seatbelt, it was simply designed to be easier.

Q and A time

2009-03-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

My charge is getting close to needing the next size seat. She is in a carrier car seat now. What would you suggest for a seat that can do both rear and forward facing and can last to at least 40 pounds?

I suggest you look at my post http://carseatnanny.blogspot.com/2008/11/carseat-likes-and-dislikes.html For convertible seats. A convertible seat is one that will go rear facing and forward facing. It'll tell you my likes/dislikes of the various seats. Different features are important to different people. There are nice seats in all different price ranges as well.

Carseat Expirations

2009-01-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

Why do carseats expire?
The plastic breaks down over time. It's no longer strong enough to handle the forces sustained in a crash.

When do carseats expire?
Most carseats expire 6 years from the date of manufacture (DOM). Some seats even have their expiration date stamped onto the seat itself. Read your owner's manual to find the lifespan of your specific seat.

What is the Date of Manufacture?
The date the seat was made. All carseats are labeled with the date they were made. It's usually on a white sticker on the side, back, or bottom of the carseat.

What should I do with an expired carseat?
If your area has a carseat recycling program, you can take it there. If not, destroy it. Take it apart as much as possible. Take off the cover and harness. Remove any screws. Smashing it with a sledgehammer is a wonderful idea as well :) You can even attack it with some power tools. When you're finished, put it all in a black trash bag and dispose of it.

I bought my carseat 4 years ago and it's already 6 years old. Can't I still use it?
No. Many people buy a carseat off a bargain website only to find it a year or 2 old already. Expirations are set in stone. It doesn't matter how long the seat was actually used. If you think you're getting a *great* deal on a carseat, check the DOM first. You might also want to check the DOM when you buy in a store. I've seen seats over a year old on store shelves, being sold at full price.

Here is a crash test video using a 10 year old Britax seat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvCRz7BRAM0&NR=1

Britax Reacalls Frontier April 1- Sept 18

2008-12-12T05:59:00.000-08:00

Two previous blog posts have talked about safety problems with some Britax Frontiers. We noticed in September, Britax had changed their seat to solve the problems. Now, they have finally recalled the ones that are unsafe.

Here is NHTSA's release:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/results.cfm?rcl_id=08C010000&searchtype=quicksearch&summary=true&refurl=rss

Child Restraint Brand Name / Model or Model No.:
BRITAX / E9L5490 (FRONTIER) APR 01, 2008 - SEP 18, 2008
BRITAX / E9L54E7 (FRONTIER) APR 01, 2008 - SEP 18, 2008
BRITAX / E9L54H6 (FRONTIER) APR 01, 2008 - SEP 18, 2008
BRITAX / E9L54H7 (FRONTIER) APR 01, 2008 - SEP 18, 2008
BRITAX / E9L54M6 (FRONTIER) APR 01, 2008 - SEP 18, 2008

Manufacturer: BRITAX CHILD SAFETY, INC.
Mfr's Report Date: DEC 10, 2008
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 08C010000
N/ANHTSA Action Number: N/A
Component: CHILD SEAT: HARNESS
Potential Number of Units Affected: 31492

Summary: BRITAX IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONTIER CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS, MODELS E9L54E7 (FRONTIER RED ROCK), E9L54H6 (FRONTIER RUSHMORE), E9L54H7 (FRONTIER PINK SKY), E9L54M6 (FRONTIER CANYON), AND E9L5490 (FRONTIER SAHARA), MANUFACTURED BETWEEN APRIL 1 AND SEPTEMBER 18, 2008. IF THE HARNESS STRAPS ARE LOOSENED USING ONE STRAP AT A TIME, THEN THE HARNESS STRAPS MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE METAL YOKE LOCATED ON THE BACK OF THE CHILD SEAT.

Consequence: SHOULD THE HARNESS STRAPS BECOME DETACHED, THE CHILD WILL NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: BRITAX WILL MAIL THE CONSUMER NOTICE AND REMEDY KITS TO ALL REGISTERED OWNERS FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS WHO HAVE NOT REGISTERED THEIR SEATS WITH BRITAX MUST CALL BRITAX AT 1-704-409-1700 AND REQUEST A KIT. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT JANUARY 7, 2009. INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS RELATED TO THE CAMPAIGN WILL BE POSTED ON THE BRITAX WEBSITE AT http://www.britaxusa.com/ NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 17, 2008. OWNERS WITH OTHER QUESTIONS CAN CONTACT BRITAX AT 1-704-409-1700.

Notes: CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO http://www.safercar.gov/ .

Carseat Likes and Dislikes Forward facing

2008-11-29T14:34:00.000-08:00

Previously I posted about things I liked and didn't like in various rear facing/ convertible seats. Now I will discuss Forward Facing harness seats. I would again like to stress that these are my opinions.

If you've picked a wonderful convertible seat, you can continue to use it forward facing. However, if you're having another child, you might want to pass down the convertible to the new baby instead of buying another. Or, maybe you chose a smaller convertible, and your child is outgrowing it but isn't ready for a booster yet.

Cosco Ventura
Like:
-It has a harness
-It's inexpensive
Dislike:
-The top slots are pretty low, and it's usually outgrown by height between 2 and 3 years
-Doesn't make a good booster
-Only harnesses to 40 pounds

Evenflo Chase
Like:
-pretty good top slot height
-Inexpensive
Dislike:
-I don't like having the harness adjuster on the front of the child instead of the front of the seat
-Only harnesses to 40 pounds

Safety First Vantage
*never used this seat*

Graco Cargo
Like:
-High top slots
-Narrow seat, works well in a 3 across
Dislike:
-Only harnesses to 40 pounds

Eddie Bauer
*never used this seat*

Safety First Apex 65
Like:
-Harnesses to 65 pounds
-High top slots
Dislike:
-This seat MUST have the vehicle seat or headrest behind it, at least up to the child's eyes
-Wide seat

Graco Safe Seat Step 2 (Soon to be renamed the "cozy cline")
Like:
-Nice recline for children with special needs
Dislike:
-Only harnesses to 40 pounds
*note: Not sure how high the top slots are*

Graco Nautilus
Like:
-Very high top slots
-Harnesses up to 65 pounds
-Usually easy to install
-Becomes a high back booster after harness is outgrown
-Becomes a backless booster (with 9 year expiration on the backless part) after HBB is outgrown
-Design of buckles makes it easy for older child to buckle/ unbuckle themselves
Dislike:
-hmmmm......not sure there is anything...I LOVE this seat

Britax Frontier
Like:
-Very high top slots
-Becomes a booster after harness is outgrown
-Harnesses up to 80 pounds
-9 year seat expiration
Dislike:
-Some earlier DOMs have some safety issues, though I think it was fixed for DOMs after 6/2008 *note- see Britax Frontier recall in seperate post*

Britax Regent
Like:
-Highest top slots of any seat
-Harnesses up to 80 pounds
Dislike:
-Different rules for installation with child of different weights
-Very wide seat
-MUST use tether after 50 pounds (though I reccomend using tether for ALL forward facing seats)

Carseat likes and dislikes: rear facing/ convertible

2008-11-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

It was suggested I do a post on carseats I like. I will mention many different carsaeats, in different price ranges. Please keep in mind that these are my opinions. This is not neccisarily on safety features, it may be more based on convenience features. ALL carseats must pass the same safety tests to be sold in the US. Some people may agree with me, some people may disagree. Again, I want to stress that these are my opinions only.

Infant Seats:

1. Graco Snugride
Like:
-Inexpensive
-Pretty easy to install with LATCH or Lap belt
Dislike:
-Need a locking clip to install with a lap/shoulder belt
-Many children outgrow before 6 months

2. Graco Safe Seat Step 1 (soon to be named Graco Snugride 32)
Like:
-Has lockoffs making a seatbelt install easy
-Doesn't need a locking clip
-Has a higher weight limit, and a larger shell (the plastic of the seat) to accomidate larger babies
Dislike:
-It's bigger than most infant carriers

3. Chicco Keyfit 30
Like:
-Has a higher weight limit
-Has infant padding, fits small babies well, parents will be less likely to buy after market products
-Has lockoffs, making seatbelt installation easier
-Doesn't need a locking clip
Dislike:
-Has a smaller shell, so babies won't fit (height wise) as long as the Graco SS1

Convertible Seats:
1. Cosco Scenera:
Like:
-Inexpensive
-Easy to install with LATCH or lap belt
Dislike:
-No EPS/EPP foam
-only forward faces to 40 pounds

2. Safety 1st Uptown (this seat has been discontinued, but you may still find it at Big Lots)
Like:
-fairly inexpensive
-Has EPS/EPP foam
-Easy to install with LATCH or lap belt
-Has a tall shell
Dislike:
-Children sometimes look squished in the shoulders (though is it uncomfortable? Don't know)
-Needs a locking clip for rear facing
-only forward faces to 40 pounds

3. Safety 1st Avenue
*never used this seat*

4. Graco Comfortsport
Like:
-well paded
Dislike:
-only rear faces to 30 pounds
-top harness slot is for forward facing only
-top harness slot is short (13ish inches I think)
-children usually outgrow the seat very early

5. Evenflo Titan Elite
Like:
-rear faces to 35 pounds
-not terribly expensive
-forward faces to 50 pounds (though I doubt many kids will get near 50 pounds)
Dislike:
-straps can be twisty
-top harness slots are low compared to other seats (14ish inches I think)
-short seat shell compared to other seats. I'd rather use a Scenera

6. Evenflo Triumph Advance
Like:
-Forward faces to 50 pounds
-rear faces to 35 pounds
-you don't have to remove harness to change heights
-top harness height is pretty good
Dislike:
-knob to adjust harness can be difficult/impossible to use when rear facing (depending on your vehicle)
-some children find the red tabs on the shoulders bothersome

7. First Years True Fit
Like:
-Rear faces to 35 pounds
-forward faces to 65 pounds
-top of seat is removable to babies under 22 pounds
-has infant padding to fit young babies better
-has a tall shell for taller rear facing children
-has high top harness slots
-don't need to remove harness to adjust height
-has lockoff so you don't need a locking clip
Dislike:
-some people have a hard time accessing the harness adjuster when rear facing (especially when it's not at 45* angle)
-Lockoffs are required even when using LATCH.
-Depending on angle of the seat, the seatbelt or LATCH strap can be difficult to keep in the right spot for the lockoffs. Especiially when trying for a 45* angle.

8. Evenflo Symphony
*I've never installed this seat*
Like:
-rear faces to 35 pounds
-don't need to remove harness to change height
-has a pretty good top harness height
Dislike:
-some children don't like the red tabs on the shoulders
-only forward faces to 40 pounds

9. Britax Roundabout
Like:
-can be tethered rear facing
Dislike:
-forward faces to 40 pounds
-has a pretty short shell height, most children outgrow it early

10. Britax Marathon
Like:
-forward faces to 65 pounds
-has a high top harness height
-rear faces to 35 pounds (those manufactured prior to Feb 2008, it's only 33 pounds)
-Easy to install
-can be tethered rear facing
Dislike:
-lockoffs don't always hold tight, but locking the seatbelt retractor will help

11. Sunshine Kids Radian 65/ Radian 80
Like:
-forward faces to 65 or 80 pounds
-80 comes with infant padding (you can purchase seperately for 65)
-can be tethered rear facing
-narrow seat, excellent for fitting "3 across"
-high top harness slots, even allowed to go over the top slots
Dislike:
-confusion as to if it can rear face to 33 or 35 pounds (manual says one thing, seat say another)
-can be very difficult to install
-must use the "boot" that comes with the seat for rear facing, doesn't always give the correct angle

12. Sunshine Kids Radian XT
*haven't used this seat yet

13. Britax Boulevard
Like:
-Rear faces to 35 pounds (33 pounds for seats made before Feb 2008)
-Forward faces to 65 pounds
-Has a high top harness height
-Easy to install
-Headwings provide more Side Impact Protection
-Can be tethered RF
-Knob makes it easy to adjust harness height
Dislike:
-Lockoffs don't always hold tight, but locking the retractor will help
*I don not like the Boulevard CS. Sometimes it will click before the harness is tight

Please see seperate post for forward facing only (combination) seats, and booster seats

Outgrowing the forward facing seat?

2008-10-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

How do you know when your child is too big for their forward facing harness seat? The seat is outgrown when ANY ONE of the following happen:
1- His shoulders are above the top harness slots in the seat
2- The tops of his ears are above the top of the carseat
3- When he has reached the maximum weight for the harness (usually 40, 50, or 65)

So what do you do now? Is your child ready to use the vehicle seatbelt? NO! Children are not usually ready for a vehicle seatbelt until 10-12 years old. So, what do you do? If your child is at least 4 years and 40 pounds, you buy a booster seat. If your child is not 4 years old, or 40 pounds, he is really too small or to young to use a booster, and should be in a high weight harness.

Booster seats come in a few varieties.
1- High Back booster- This booster has a back on it, which may be removable
2- Backless booster (or no back booster)- this booster has no back, only a seat and arms/handles 3- Combination seat- this is a seat that is a forward facing harness seat, and a belt positioning booster

Which type of booster is best?
The one that fits your child and fits your car and fits your budget :)

I choose to use a high back booster for the children I take care of. A HBB povides more side impact protection. With a HBB, your child's head will hit the "wings" of the booster, not the vehicle door or window.

Also, please note that children don't usually have the maturity to sit properly in a booster seat until 5-6 years old. If they can not sit properly the entire ride, they need to be in a 5 point high weight harness seat. That will allow you to use the harness to 65 or 80 pounds (also depending on the child's height). The 5 year old I take care of still rides in a seat with a harness.

Here are some crash test vidoes to watch before selecting your booster seat.
High back booster with deep side wings:
http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/seitencrash/concordliftpro.mpg
High Back booster with shallow side wings:
http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/seitencrash/htsbesafe.mpg
Backless booster:
http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest/videos/tests_2001/seitencrash/Baby_Sunny_touring_P3_vorne.mpg

Britax's Frontier problems solved

2008-10-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

In a previous blog, I pointed out some serious problems with the Britax Frontier. I wanted to post a new message to let everyone know that Britax has listened to the complaints and has fixed the problem on new Frontiers. If you have either of the problems previously mentioned, PLEASE call Britax and let them know. I don't know why they have not recalled seats, and I don't know if they will. So you must be proactive to make sure your seat is safe.
Britax added some stiching to the end of the harness to prevent it from coming off the splitter plate. You can NOT add your own stiching to fix it yourself. There is no gaurantee that is safe! Britax will send you a new harness.

Here are pics of someone's Frontier with a new harness. These have been posted with the owner's permission.

My child needs to be forward facing, now what?

2008-10-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

You were the safe caregiver and kept your child rear facing until the limits of the seat. Good for you! Now your child should use a carseat forward facing. If you made it to 35 pounds RF, you must have a nice convertible carseat. You can continue to use that seat (as long as it's not expired or recalled) for foreward facing.

Make sure you switch the LATCH belt or vehicle belt to the belt path designated for Forward facing. Make sure the harness straps are at or above your child's shoulders (you can't use a harness slot below the shoulders now), and follow the seat's instructions for installation. Make sure you use the top tether, even if you're not using LATCH. If your vehicle does not have a tether anchor, contact your dealership about having one retrofitted.

If you can't use your convertible seat any longer (it's expired, it's recalled, or you just don't like it), you have some choices. You'll probobly want to buy a Combination seat. A Combo seat is one that will harness the child until 40, 50, 65, or 80 pounds forward facing only, and then it can be used as a belt positioning booster afterwards.

How do you know if the child is to big for the forward facing seat? The seat is outgrown if 1 of 3 things happen:
1- Your child reaches the weight limit (40, 50, 65, or 80 pounds)
2- The top harness slot is below your child's shoulders
3- The top of your child's ears are even with the top of the carseat

Unfortunately, number 2 or 3 usually happen before number 1. So, weight is not always the best thing to look at when selecting a new seat.

When looking for a new seat for forward facing, here are some thing to consider:
-You want to have high top harness slots (16-18 inches from the seat of the carseat)
-You want a high weight limit, preferably 65 pounds (some 80 pound seats will be outgrown before the child actually weighs 80 pounds)
- And with all carseats, you want to make sure the carseat fits your child, fits your vehicle, and fits your budget.

Some Britax Frontiers are having some problems, please beware

2008-10-03T08:02:00.000-07:00

The Britax Frontier is a new High Weight Harness Forward Facing seat made by Britax. It harnesses to 80 pounds (unless the child gets too tall) and then becomes a High Back booster. Many people love Britax seats and think they must be the best because they are so expensive. The Frontier is a brand new seat, just out for 2008. Some people have bought the seat, and have run into problems. Not all of the Frontiers are having problems, but some are. Many of us in the carseat community are expecting Britax to recall the seats. If you already have one, here are some problems to look for.

Problem 1-
The harness comes off the splitter plate. When installed in the vehicle, loosen and tighten the harness straps a few (or several) times. Make sure when you pull the straps to loosen, you're only pulling 1 strap at a time, not both together. Then pull hard on 1 harness strap and see if it comes out of the seat. Repeat for the other side of the harness.
If you harness comes out of the seat, uninstall and fix. THe ahrness came off the splitter plate (metal clip that holds it). Simply replace the ahrness through the seat and reattach to the splitter plate. Make sure all future harness loosening is done by pulling both harness straps equally.
Also, if your harness came off, you need to contact Britax and NHTSA. Call Britax and tell them you're having a problem. THey are aware of the issue, and are working to replicate it and fix it. The more calls they get from people having problems, the better! Also, go to http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/ and fill out the information to report the problem. I know NHTSA has already received 3 reports, again, the more the better! Once NHTSA gets enough reports, they will look into it and possibly order a recall.

Problem 2-
Some people have found that when they install the Frontier, it becomes difficult or impossible to loosen or tighten the harness. When they uninstall it, they've found the splitter plate can get stuck on a small piece of plastic on the back. If this happens, follow the same steps as above to report it to Britax and NHTSA. It looks like Britax was aware of this, and seats made after August have had the plastic on the back changed to it can't get stuck.

This is a picture of problem 2. The splitter plate gets stuck on a piece of the plastic.

This is a picture of a Frontier where Britax fixed problem 2 :)

All photos are used with permission of the owners

One grandparent's plea to rear face your child

2008-10-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

This was posted on another board I'm a member of. The Grandfather wants to spread the message far and wide about extended rearfacing, to help save other families the pain his family has endured. This has been posted with his permission.

PLEASE, for your childrens sake, consider leaving them in REAR-FACING (RF) car seats as long as you can. Although it is "suggested" by many people and organizations, that you can turn them forward facing at 1 yr / 20 lbs, and seats are made to accommodate that, it doesn't mean they will not be subjected to cervical spine injuries in an accident. Sure, it'll hold their body in place, as it did for my grandson. But their head is thrown violently forward!! Actually, if you do your homework, front facing children "75% more likely to be injured" in a crash ( http://www.carseatsite.com/rf.htm ).

I am Grandpa, and here's my personal view. My 18 mo old grandson, Joel, was injured in a front impact car crash 4 weeks ago. He is a "beefy" boy, weighing in at 34lbs and about 39" tall. According to his mom, the doctor told her it was "okay" to put him in a front facing car seat, because he was a "big boy". So she did. And he was securely strapped in the rear seat. The car hit a tree, for reasons unknown, at city speed limit of approx 35 mph. At the accident scene, the EMT crew took Joel out of the car while in the car seat and all, and transported him to the hospital. They had to "bag" him at the scene to restart his breathing. The true miracle is that the ambulance was driving by, and some people flagged it down. They didn't even get time to call 911. You can bet God had his hand in that!!! they were on the scene in about 60 seconds!! Below are some photos of Joel, before and after.

YOU decide whats best for your child.......not anyone else!!! He sustained dislocated top 2 vertebrae in his spine (C-1 & C-2). Some of the doctors put it in very simple terms...his skull, internally, became detached from his body... and was basically held on with his skin. In the last few weeks, I've scoured the internet to find these facts:* a young child's head is approx 25% of his/her bodywieight. If that were true of adults, my head (I'm 220lbs) would weigh 55lbs! as it is, an adults head is only about 6% of their body weight. So, kids are very top-heavy.* Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland recommend rear facing until 4 yrs old* look on You Tube at the crash test videos of front facing vs. rear facing. you'll be amazed.

YouTube - Crash Test - http://babyproducts.about.com/od/carseats/youtube/rear_facing.htm

* if a young childs spine is "stretched" a 1/4 of an inch, it could result in total paralysis or death. * and this is amazing! There was an article published in Pediatrics (the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics) earlier this year that states: ""A recent analysis of the protection provided in rear-facing compared with forward-facing car safety seats has revealed that children under the age of 2 years are 75% less likely to die or sustain serious injury when they are in a rear-facing seat.2 This finding was true regardless of direction of the crash, even those crashes with side impact, which typically are the most severe.""Parents may be helped to understand the importance of using the convertible car safety seat in the rear-facing position longer than 1 year if they are counseled that children are 5 times safer than when riding in a forward-facing seat into the second year of life."After hearing about that, I contacted the AAP via email, and asked what their position is on this issue. Their response was "While this was published in the Academy's journal, it does not necessarily constitute AAP policy" and "Because riding rear-facing does provide significantly more protection to children's heads, necks, and spines, the Academy does recommend it for as long as possible, but the only minimum we have set is 12 months/20 pounds. This policy statement is under revision but is current at this time."The policy statement is under revision.... at this time?? Do you're home work folks!!!

Oh, and you'll also find out that in the USA, rear facing seats only go up to about 35lbs. In Europe, whose testing standards seem to exceed US standards (http://daddytypes.com/2007/01/05/consumer_reports_daddy_types_was_right_about_the_car_seat.php ), the RF car seats can be purchased up to 55 lbs. AND, made by the same manufacturers as in the US. So, the question is, why can't we get them?? And don;t worry about legroom. check out these larger RF seats: http://forum.nybaktmamma.com/showthread.php?t=524428

Sure, they can break a leg in a violent crash, but I think bones are easier to fix than a broken neck!!! Heck, it's better to mount a portable CD player in the back window shelf and let them watch it, then to risk their life! Think about it....their body is strapped down to a car seat that is strapped down, and the car comes to an abrupt stop!! where is their head going to go? FORWARD, and at a tremedous velocity!! The back of their neck/ spinal cord is vunerable to injury.But the BIG question is....... for you to decide.

I know you want to see their darling faces. But you don't want to see them in a halo.I know this is a very long blog, but if it saves one child...or one family, the agony of what we've endured these last 4 weeks, it is worth the read!! The pic's below are about six weeks apart. he was eating cake by himself....very cute. And now, he is is headed for intense physical therapy. he does move his fingers and his legs, but he doesn't pick up his arms. The therapy people are very optimistic, given the movement in his extremities. Doctors believe it was some compression of the shoulder nerves from the car seat straps acroos his collar bone area. You had to see those big, wide bruise marks. Again...front facing will do it.!! I welcome all comments, as I would like to see: the FF threshold raised to 24 months, and larger RF seats available in the US. Thank you

Rear facing is safest

2008-10-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

"Rear to a year" right? WRONG! Rear facing to the limits of the seat is the safest way for children to ride. In 2002 the AAP said that 12 months and 20 pounds is the minimum children can be forward facing. However, many people don't realize they also said children should remain rearfacing until the limits of the seat.

What exactly are "the limits of the seat"? A carseat is outgrown rearfacing when the child only has 1 inch above their head, or they reach the maximum weight (which is 30, 33, or 35 pounds for all convertible seats).

There have no reports of children breaking their legs or hips because of rear facing. Unfortunately, there have been MANY reports of broken necks and deaths because of forward facing at a young age. My next blog will include 1 child's story.

This is a picture of my daughter rear facing at 25 months old. She will either bend her knees, cross her legs, prop them against the back of the seat, or throw them over the sides (as seen in this picture). All of those are safe to do. She does have her foot on another carseat in this picture, but when another child is in that seat, she keeps her foot in her own carseat.

Welcome to my blog

2008-10-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

I've never blogged before. Another nanny suggested I start my own blog in an effort to get carseat safety info out there. So, here we go!

Who am I? Why should you listen to me?

I'm a professional nanny, and a mom. Most importantly on this blog, I am a CPST (Child passenger Safety Technician). I have been trained in carseat safety and installation. I have been doing my own research into carseats. I am keeping up to date on new carseats on the market, and on new safety standards.

I practice what I preach. My daughter will be rear facing until she's 35 pounds. My charges are harnessed beyond minimums (40 pounds) and boostered beyond state laws (8 years in my state). Everyone rides safe in my car.