# Cosco Alpha Omega Manual



## klg47 (May 20, 2003)

Does anyone have the Cosco Alpha Omega (NOT the Elite)? I need to know what the fitting guidelines are. Such as - where should the shoulders be in relation to the straps, and where should the head/ears be in relation to the top of the seat, etc. Our instruction book magically disappeared after dh cleaned out the file cabinet, and the Cosco website makes it quite difficult to get a replacement!


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

If your child is rearfacing the straps need to be at or below the shoulders and the head needs to be completely contained within the shell.

If your child is forward facing the straps need to be at or ABOVE the shoulders and the ears need to be contained within the shell.

HTH


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## nonnymoose (Mar 12, 2004)

I have the A/O and that's what the manual says, although if you really want me to dig it up I will


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## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

Funny thing is ...I happen to have the manual sitting right here infront of the computer.But yeh.What three beans said is what's in the manual.


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

3 beans is right.....thge HUGE problem with the crappy AO seats is that they are NOT "the only seat you'll ever need" unless your kid is pretty petite.
The reason being, taller, longer-torsoed kids are going to outgrow the height (meaning their shoulders are going to be above the top slots and therefore they are no longer allowed to use the harness and must use the seat in booster mode) WAY sooner that is safe to let a child use a booster. As a minimum, children should be at least 4 years old and 40 pounds before using a vooster seat. Personally, my daughter, who is only about 50% height for her age, but with a bit longer torso than average, outgrew this seat by height by her 2nd birthday!!!!!!!!!! Which means if I had this seat, she would have had to start using it in BOOSTER mode at 24 months old. NOT a good idea!!! I've not met anyone who said their kid made it over about 3 harnessed in this seat......which means there are a bunch of kids out there either A) using the seat in harness mode after their shoulders are above the top harness slots, which is incredibly dangerous, as the harness will not work properly in a crash or B) being forced to use this seat in booster mode at WAY too young of an age. I REALLY dislike this seat.
Anyway, that is my little rant.


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## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bobandjess99* 
3 beans is right.....thge HUGE problem with the crappy AO seats is that they are NOT "the only seat you'll ever need" unless your kid is pretty petite.
The reason being, taller, longer-torsoed kids are going to outgrow the height (meaning their shoulders are going to be above the top slots and therefore they are no longer allowed to use the harness and must use the seat in booster mode) WAY sooner that is safe to let a child use a booster. As a minimum, children should be at least 4 years old and 40 pounds before using a vooster seat. Personally, my daughter, who is only about 50% height for her age, but with a bit longer torso than average, outgrew this seat by height by her 2nd birthday!!!!!!!!!! Which means if I had this seat, she would have had to start using it in BOOSTER mode at 24 months old. NOT a good idea!!! I've not met anyone who said their kid made it over about 3 harnessed in this seat......which means there are a bunch of kids out there either A) using the seat in harness mode after their shoulders are above the top harness slots, which is incredibly dangerous, as the harness will not work properly in a crash or B) being forced to use this seat in booster mode at WAY too young of an age. I REALLY dislike this seat.
Anyway, that is my little rant.

My daughter is 2.5 and in the 99th percent for height but has not out grown the harness option.I don't think she has a particularly short torso.

I'm not really trying to defend this seat.But I'm wondering is there a seat that can start out refacing and then last longer than the Alpha Omega?


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rere* 
My daughter is 2.5 and in the 99th percent for height but has not out grown the harness option.I don't think she has a particularly short torso.

I'm not really trying to defend this seat.But I'm wondering is there a seat that can start out refacing and then last longer than the Alpha Omega?

Are you aware you can't use the top harness slot? That is for the booster function only.

And the answer to your question is yes. The Britaxes Marathon, Decathalon (although this seat has some issues) and Boulevard will all get you MUCH further than the AOE. As will the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe and the Safety First Uptown (the Uptown is a 40 lb only seat, but it has taller top slots than the AOE)


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

Oh, the Sunshine Kids Radian65 and Radian80 will also go years longer than the AOE


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## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ThreeBeans* 
Are you aware you can't use the top harness slot? That is for the booster function only.

There is only one set of slots and then a bar in the back that moves those slots up and down.Or is the bar thing what you are talking about?If so Yes,I noticed the bar can't go all the way to the top for the harness.

Thanks for the info on the other seats.

It is disappointing that the Alpha Omega is advertised as the only seat you will ever need.


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## SomedayMom (May 9, 2002)

Quote:

There is only one set of slots and then a bar in the back that moves those slots up and down.
The top position is not reinforced and cannot be used with the harness in as the child would not be protected. Most kids will hit that position before they are really old enough for a booster, and that's a big problem.


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## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SomedayMom* 
The top position is not reinforced and cannot be used with the harness in as the child would not be protected. Most kids will hit that position before they are really old enough for a booster, and that's a big problem.

So what's up with seat manufactures?Why are there so few options for harnessed seats?I find it really frustrating.I guess there is just too much disagreement with what is safe.


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## klg47 (May 20, 2003)

Sorry for disappearing - my computer was being evil.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bobandjess99* 
I've not met anyone who said their kid made it over about 3 harnessed in this seat

Wow! My ds is 5-1/2 and he is still fitting in it easily by *slot height*. He is getting close on the weight though - he's 38 pounds. However, he is 1" over the total height recommendation, which I find very confusing. I did find our manual and decided that I should probably move the shoulder straps up for ds. He's on the 2nd to the top slot, and I think we could still stand to go back _DOWN_ one, depending on how he's sitting that day. So how could we be on the 2nd or 3rd to top slot, and the top of his head is just barely peeking over the top of the shell, yet he's too tall for the overall height requirement? I didn't think his legs were extraordinarily long.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ThreeBeans* 
Are you aware you can't use the top harness slot? That is for the booster function only.

This doesn't make sense to me, because you have to remove the harness entirely to use the booster. I'll have to check out the manual and see if I can figure out what you mean. Do you have a page number?


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## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *klg47* 

This doesn't make sense to me, because you have to remove the harness entirely to use the booster. I'll have to check out the manual and see if I can figure out what you mean. Do you have a page number?

If you look on the back of the seat it's written in the plastic right by the top slot, that it's not for use with the harness.It really is ridiculous that they didn't make it to be used with the harness.

Also it is on page 14.


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## pumpkinhead (Sep 15, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bobandjess99* 
3 beans is right.....thge HUGE problem with the crappy AO seats is that they are NOT "the only seat you'll ever need" unless your kid is pretty petite.
The reason being, taller, longer-torsoed kids are going to outgrow the height (meaning their shoulders are going to be above the top slots and therefore they are no longer allowed to use the harness and must use the seat in booster mode) WAY sooner that is safe to let a child use a booster. As a minimum, children should be at least 4 years old and 40 pounds before using a vooster seat. Personally, my daughter, who is only about 50% height for her age, but with a bit longer torso than average, outgrew this seat by height by her 2nd birthday!!!!!!!!!! Which means if I had this seat, she would have had to start using it in BOOSTER mode at 24 months old. NOT a good idea!!! I've not met anyone who said their kid made it over about 3 harnessed in this seat......which means there are a bunch of kids out there either A) using the seat in harness mode after their shoulders are above the top harness slots, which is incredibly dangerous, as the harness will not work properly in a crash or B) being forced to use this seat in booster mode at WAY too young of an age. I REALLY dislike this seat.
Anyway, that is my little rant.


I have this seat, and aside from the twisty straps, I have no complaints about it. My oldest was in it until he was almost 4 and has always been at the top of or off the charts for height. Here's a picture of him in it at 3.5. As you can see, he still has plenty of room to grow. http://www.babiesgallery.com/gallery...2/Dscn1661.JPG

I won't ever use this seat as a booster, but as a convertible rf/ff seat, it has worked very well for us







.


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

AJ was too tall for this seat by 2.5 in cd and 3yo w/out cd. Here's a pic of the back of the seat that shows the top slot is only for booster made (to make the headrest higher).

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1.../aotopslot.jpg


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## klg47 (May 20, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thepeach80* 
Here's a pic of the back of the seat that shows the top slot is only for booster made (to make the headrest higher).

Wow! After you guys mentioned this, I carefully scrutinized the manual to see if I could figure out what you were talking about. The manual never at any time mentioned that the top slot was not to be used with the harness. The closest it got was to say that the harness can be used with the 4th highest slot. If you're not sitting there with the seat in front of you, counting slots, you'd never know there was one higher! And I swore that my seat did not have the inscription on the back. I took it out of the car to check. It does. I consider myself to be the type that very carefully reads instructions, and I would never have known I wasn't supposed to use that slot if I didn't read it here.

When we have the seat out of the car and ds is in his usual underwear-only, his shoulders are well below the slot in the 4th highest position. When we're in the car and he has his clothes and huge fluffy coat on, his shoulders are definitely above it! It's amazing how much difference his coat makes. So now he has to take his coat off in the car.


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

Actually, he shouldn't be wearing a coat in a carseat period









In an accident the coat will compress, and the straps will not be tightened properly. Only day clothes should be under a carseat harness


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## klg47 (May 20, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ThreeBeans* 
Actually, he shouldn't be wearing a coat in a carseat period









Hmm, I don't recall the manual mentioning that either! You'd think they would mention something as common as that. When we tighten the straps up, they compress the coat quite a bit, though it is hard to get them tight enough with the coat on.

I'm not exactly sure how it would be generally feasible not to wear a coat. I mean, the poor kid would freeze to death in the 5 degree weather every morning, even if we put a blanket or something over him. And there's no way for us to warm our car up beforehand.


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

Put him in his seat and his coat on backwards after that w/ a blanket.


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## pumpkinhead (Sep 15, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thepeach80* 
AJ was too tall for this seat by 2.5 in cd and 3yo w/out cd. Here's a pic of the back of the seat that shows the top slot is only for booster made (to make the headrest higher).

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1.../aotopslot.jpg

Yeah, mine doesn't have that, and I've checked the manual and it doesn't say anything about the top slot not being reinforced. Again, maybe it's a Canadian seat thing?


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## pumpkinhead (Sep 15, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *klg47* 
Hmm, I don't recall the manual mentioning that either! You'd think they would mention something as common as that. When we tighten the straps up, they compress the coat quite a bit, though it is hard to get them tight enough with the coat on.

I'm not exactly sure how it would be generally feasible not to wear a coat. I mean, the poor kid would freeze to death in the 5 degree weather every morning, even if we put a blanket or something over him. And there's no way for us to warm our car up beforehand.

Does he have a fleece jacket? Fleece is really light weight and very warm. We put the kids in fleece for car travel with fleece blankets overtop and then put their heavier jackets on them when they're getting out of the car







.


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## klg47 (May 20, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SomedayMom* 
The top position is not reinforced

How did you find out that it wasn't reinforced? My manual doesn't seem to say anything about that, though my seat does have the inscription in the plastic.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pumpkinhead* 
Yeah, mine doesn't have that, and I've checked the manual and it doesn't say anything about the top slot not being reinforced. Again, maybe it's a Canadian seat thing?

My manual doesn't say it either. Do you have an Alpha Omega Elite, by any chance? My 2nd ds has the Elite, and I haven't checked it yet.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pumpkinhead* 
Does he have a fleece jacket?

That's a great idea for next winter.


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## pumpkinhead (Sep 15, 2003)

I'm pretty sure it's not an Elite, but I'll check it out







.


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## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *klg47* 
How did you find out that it wasn't reinforced? My manual doesn't seem to say anything about that, though my seat does have the inscription in the plastic.

My manual doesn't say it either. Do you have an Alpha Omega Elite, by any chance? My 2nd ds has the Elite, and I haven't checked it yet.


I'm looking at the manual right now.It's the one for an Alpha Omega that was bought in 2004.On page 14 there are illustrations showing how to move the bar in the back.There is a big warning box that tells you to make sure the metal bar is locked in and right above that it says NOTE:The highest position is for belt positioning use only.

Maybe they revised the manuals.


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## klg47 (May 20, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rere* 
I'm looking at the manual right now.It's the one for an Alpha Omega that was bought in 2004.On page 14 there are illustrations showing how to move the bar in the back.There is a big warning box that tells you to make sure the metal bar is locked in and right above that it says NOTE:The highest position is for belt positioning use only.

Maybe they revised the manuals.

Mine was probably bought in 2002. The definitely revised the manuals. My manual doesn't say that. In fact, I looked up the exact wording, and it is _very_ misleading about the top bar. It refers to things like "the highest toddler position", but NOWHERE says that there is one higher position for the booster, etc. The only place you'll find that is in the inscription on the seat.

How did you find out the top position wasn't reinforced?

Sorry for only visiting this thread every few days. My computer at home is still being awful and I can't get on at work.


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## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *klg47* 

How did you find out the top position wasn't reinforced?


Well,I didn't know it wasn't reinforced.I just knew it said not to use it.But that's only because my manual says it.I probably would not have noticed that little inscription on the back of the seat without the note in the manual.It's really hard to see.


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