# What's up with European Car Seats?



## annakiss (Apr 4, 2003)

Why do they not have the five-point harness? The Britax's seem to have wide straps but I don't really understand how kids could not get out of them? Is this not as safe as the 5-point harnesses we have in the US? Or is it some new technology I don't understand that is actually safer?

See here: http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/types/index.htm
And the Britax: http://www.britax.co.uk/


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## emmasmommy (Feb 26, 2004)

They are a 5 pt harness (we were in Sweden this summer and used rented one for a bit), but they don't have the chest clip. DD didn't try to get out, so I don't know if she could or not, but probably not. It could just be designed differently to not need a chest clip.


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## Marylizah (Jun 17, 2005)

EU standards require that you be able to open the harness by pressing only one button, thus no chest clip.

From what I've read, the chest clip used in the US is not designed to restrain the child, but to position the belts properly on the shoulders. In fact, on impact, the clip will possibly even break. EU carseats have wide, non-slip belt positioners on the shoulder belts that keep them properly in place.

If the harness is tightened correctly, it should not be any easier for a child to get out of than an American seat.

Not necessarily better standards, just different.


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## LaughingHyena (May 4, 2004)

The first link just shows drawings of seats and that's perhaps why the FF seat looks to have only a 3 point harness.

I know a lot of the infant seats have 3 point harness http://www.mothercare.com/gp/node/n/...=UTF8&mcb=core has pretty good pictures. It was one of the reasons I went straight for a combination seat.

I haven't seen a forward facing (or combination) seat that doesn't have a 5 point harness though. The non slip chest pads seem to do a pretty good job of holding the straps in place. I doubt DD could get out once the straps are properly tightened.


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## roxyrox (Sep 11, 2006)

Yeah, most seats are 5pt harnesses in the UK apart from a few infant bucket seats. The chest clip is banned here for safety reasons.


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## annakiss (Apr 4, 2003)

Well heck, I want fancy non-chest-clipped car seats!


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *roxyrox* 
Yeah, most seats are 5pt harnesses in the UK apart from a few infant bucket seats. The chest clip is banned here for safety reasons.

Yes, exactly. The FF seats are all 5-pt harnesses just like here. There are no chestclips because the purpose of chest clips are to position the straps in the event of a crash. EU seats have grippy material on the back of the straps, and are thicker/wider than ours.

Also, I just wanted to point out that the EU 3-pt harness infant seats are MUCH different beasts than our 3 pt seats. The problem with US 3-pt harnesses is that the crotch buckle is way out on the edge of the seat, instead of down near the crotch like 5-pt harnesses. The EU seats have buckles down near the crotch like our 5-pt harness seats. Really in the US I dislike the fit of newborns in the vast majority of infant seats because the chest clip is too close to the trachea. The EU 3-pt harness seats eliminate that issue and can allow a tighter fit.


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## wendy1221 (Feb 9, 2004)

THe 5 points are where the car seat straps are attached to the carseat from 5 points: 2 at the shoulders, 2 at each hip, and 1 at the crotch. A 3pt harness is one where they just have the 2 at the shoulder meeting at the crotch. The chest clip will likely break in a crash and isn't an integral part of the harness, except as a positioner.


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