# I don't get it?



## treqi (Dec 31, 2006)

I'm sure this is better suited for _Family Safety_ but this area gets more traffic and is close enough......

Why can't you move your really expensive, really safe convertible car seats around with your child? Its not that hard it takes me 5 minutes tops to move dds Boulevard now granted for flying I have a Cosco Scerena(not saying its a bad seat but alot easier to carry through airports) but for every day I like to know that dd is safe in her boulevard or any convertible 5-point harness and can't imagine thinking it would be too much trouble to move her car seat to another car but I guess I don't really participate in the "fast paced" world and tend to never have a demanding schedule but I don't see why you couldn't fit 5min in there somewhere......


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

If you're dealing with all simple LATCH installs with a britax seat, IMO it's not too big of a deal. BUT it gets complicated if you have a more difficult install. It becomes more dangerous to risk an improper install than to have a cheap seat to move around.

-Angela


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

Because it ISN'T 5 minutes, for some seats in some cars. Try 30 minutes, an hour. REALLY. And some seats simply do NOT install in certain cars, it is called an incompatibility. As a tech, I've personally wrestled with a Regent for 45 minutes prior to a vicious bout of swearing that would make a sailor blush. It can easily take 10+ minutes to install our ridiculously easy Vision in dh's car, because his car is STUPID. And a Britax convertible won't even fit in it.

In general, I DO think people make too big of an issue out of moving their carseats. I think a little bit more common sense, and a LOT more READING OF THE MANUAL, coupled with people actually using tech AS DESIGNED - which is to go and LEARN how to install your fricken seat YOURSELF, NOT have the tech install it for you - would greatly improve our country, lol. So, I do actually agree with you , in theory, sort of.

but, you asked, so I told you...for some seats , it REALLY is more like a 30-40 minute operation than a 5 minute chore.


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## LolaK (Jan 8, 2006)

Not sure if you are refering to another thread but I totally agree with you. I have noticed that a lot of people seem to have a hard time installing their car seats though. Maybe I am just lucky and my britax fits well in all the cars it goes into. Or maybe I am so super strong and big (this is what my 2 year old thinks







) that I can just make it work.


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## loitering (Mar 27, 2006)

I have a marathon, and my sister often borrows my car when she takes ds out even though our cars are similar. The reason is that the tether anchor in my car is much farther back than the one in her car, so we'd have to readjust it each time. I just find that it's difficult to get it perfectly tight, plus it's difficult to clip on/off.

But it's not *that* big of a deal to me. I'm assuming this thread is a spin off from another one I haven't read?


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## treqi (Dec 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
If you're dealing with all simple LATCH installs with a britax seat, IMO it's not too big of a deal. ......... cheap seat to move around.

-Angela

no my car doesn't have LATCH and I have no problem with a cheaper seat but why would you put a 30lb 4yo in a booster because they meet the requirements and you don't want to reinstall your 5-point in another car....


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *treqi* 
no my car doesn't have LATCH and I have no problem with a cheaper seat but why would you put a 30lb 4yo in a booster because they meet the requirements and you don't want to reinstall your 5-point in another car....

Well *I* wouldn't put a 4yr old in a booster...







:

-Angela


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## wannabe (Jul 4, 2005)

It takes a good 15 minutes to install our Britax in our car, and it's very physical.


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## indie (Jun 16, 2003)

I used to move our car seats, but now that we have three across in the back row, I am not touching them. Its not easy to install three in a row even if it is easy to install them independently. I also have a more difficult time getting them tight in my current car. If someone else has to drive the kids I usually trade cars or something.


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## octobermom (Aug 31, 2005)

I have a radian 65 and we really like it however we have no latch and it is fairly timely to install. Up to now though if I needed to I switiched because we had no other option and I felt like shes wasn't ready for a booster. However now she 40+ lbs and five years old we are hoping to get a graco booster seat for DH car. It will make life easier especially in the fall when both of us with be taking and picking her up from Kinder. Also shes at the age where friends sometimes ride and sadly around here carseats are not really used as long as they should. SO if shes has a friend riding I'll be able to have an extra seat.


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## 93085 (Oct 11, 2007)

I'm short and not particularly strong, and it takes some effort for me to install my Britax Marathon with latch. It actually takes some effort for me to un-install it too. I can do it if I need to, but it's not anything I'd want to do regularly, not even once a week.

But...I wouldn't use that as an excuse to put a too-young, too-small child in a booster. I'd either use our backup seat (Cosco Scenera) or suck it up and move the Britax.


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## Yooper (Jun 6, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *treqi* 
no my car doesn't have LATCH and I have no problem with a cheaper seat but why would you put a 30lb 4yo in a booster because they meet the requirements and you don't want to reinstall your 5-point in another car....

Well, frankly, because IMO a poorly installed car seat is more dangerous than a impossible-to-mess-up booster. I am the person you are complaining about (maybe not literally, but I apparently fit the description). I occasionally have to take taxis or get last minute rides with other people. When possible, I do use our 5-pt harness. But many times I am dealing with cars I have never seen before where an owner's manual to explain the types of seatbelts/LATCH/tethers/etc are not available (such as our lovely taxis). Not to mention our taxi drivers are not exactly thrilled about waiting around for 30 minutes while I wrestle our car seat in only to throw up my arms and determine I will not be able to get it in well enough and am not going to use the taxi afterall. I am far more comfortable using the car's actual safety devices (with a booster) for short trips where I am sitting right next to dd (to make sure she does not squirm) than to have my car seat put in incorrectly. And I do know my manual inside and out. I can get a very good install in my own car, but it still takes me at least 20 minutes. It is not like I am letting her jump around in the truck. Obviously mindful parents make these decisions based on what they think is best. Not just to tick off some overly-judgmental posters on MDC or to wallow in laziness......


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## dancingmama (Dec 18, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Yooper* 
I occasionally have to take taxis or get last minute rides with other people. ...

Wow! They have taxis in the U.P.?














:


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## Yooper (Jun 6, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dancingmama* 
Wow! They have taxis in the U.P.?














:

Yes they do







But they are ancient so car seat install can be a crap shoot......


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## treqi (Dec 31, 2006)

a taxi I can understand but another persons car..... i dunno how it could take more than 10 minutes.....


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## Yooper (Jun 6, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *treqi* 
a taxi I can understand but another persons car..... i dunno how it could take more than 10 minutes.....

For the same reason it does in a taxi. It takes 20 MINUTES to get it it my OWN car. I am not sure what is difficult to understand about that. When dd was in a smaller convertible, we had one that was easy to install. Our bigger one is very difficult. And I have heard similar reports of the other larger seats in that class. And that is in my modern car with every safety bell and whistle. Most of the other cars we occasionally ride in are older and have added "issues" like no tethers, non-locking seat belts, other car seats that make putting my beast of a seat is difficult, etc..... With unlimited time, I might be able to get the seat in "good enough", but I am not comfortable with "good enough" when my dd does meet the recommendations for a booster. I am more comfortable with the actual seat belts (that I cannot screw up) than a dubious car seat install. Obviously, before she met the requirements for a booster, we either got a good install with her seat or did not go.

This seems like a very strange thing to beat people up about. Most of the people I know with kids dd's age do not even use a booster. They do not have to in my state. They are within the law. I have also seen many many people with their kids legally in boosters at age 3 and under. Not to mention the tons of people who do not bother with car seats at all, never tighten the straps even close to tight enough, stuff their kids in with huge winter snowsuits, have kids in WAY outgrown seat, etc..... There are far bigger fish to fry that the parent who occasionally puts their kid in a booster that they are large enough for, old enough for, and is surpassing the legal requirements. Of course I appreciate knowing what is "safer" and that is why I have my dd in a 5-pt for 99.9% of our driving, but I do not think it is a far leap at all to understand why some of us do use alternatives in specific situations.

The funny thing is, car seat, booster, or nothing, being in a moving car AT ALL is a huge risk compared to walking. I drive very seldom. Dd might be in a car for a total of 30 minutes a week most weeks. We walk or bike most places. I could start a thread saying I that I just cannot understand how any loving parent would put their child at risk by driving x amount of hours a week when CLEARLY, driving 30 minutes a week is much safer. I mean come on, how LAZY is it to drive?!?!? (I am being sarcastic here....) But, I do not start that thread because I know that everyone's circumstances, opinions, etc.... are different and that the parents on this board love their children and are always doing what they feel is best, even if they do not agree with me.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

Because I have three kids in harnessed seats. Even if I was inclined to take out all the seats and reinstall them in another car, what the heck do I do with all my kids while I'm doing that? It's just not workable. It would take an hour, and I'd have to be constantly stopping to keep my three year old out of the street and hold the babies and all that.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

When I'm installing our MA's then it's not that big of deal to move around, I don't do it often, we have enough car seats not to have to do that regularly because I do find it a PIA. One issue is when I drop DD1 off at dance, gymnastics, etc... and DH picks her up, there just isn't a place to leave a car seat, so we make sure we each have a seat for her in each car. I won't consider a booster until she is at least 6y, but we don't face the same challenges some of the other posters have written about, taxi's, car pool...

DD1 mostly rides in Regents now, and those suckers are not a quick install, so they don't not get taken out of DH and I's cars, we a spare MA that we use when she rides with others.


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## artgoddess (Jun 29, 2004)

for some people it's more difficult than it is for others. What's not to understand? i find this whole idea of "It's easy for me, so it should be easy for everyone" really condescending. I'm sure that there are areas the OP has difficulties that seem easy to others.


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## Fuamami (Mar 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Yooper* 
For the same reason it does in a taxi. It takes 20 MINUTES to get it it my OWN car. I am not sure what is difficult to understand about that. When dd was in a smaller convertible, we had one that was easy to install. Our bigger one is very difficult. And I have heard similar reports of the other larger seats in that class. And that is in my modern car with every safety bell and whistle. Most of the other cars we occasionally ride in are older and have added "issues" like no tethers, non-locking seat belts, other car seats that make putting my beast of a seat is difficult, etc..... With unlimited time, I might be able to get the seat in "good enough", but I am not comfortable with "good enough" when my dd does meet the recommendations for a booster. I am more comfortable with the actual seat belts (that I cannot screw up) than a dubious car seat install. Obviously, before she met the requirements for a booster, we either got a good install with her seat or did not go.

This seems like a very strange thing to beat people up about. Most of the people I know with kids dd's age do not even use a booster. They do not have to in my state. They are within the law. I have also seen many many people with their kids legally in boosters at age 3 and under. Not to mention the tons of people who do not bother with car seats at all, never tighten the straps even close to tight enough, stuff their kids in with huge winter snowsuits, have kids in WAY outgrown seat, etc..... There are far bigger fish to fry that the parent who occasionally puts their kid in a booster that they are large enough for, old enough for, and is surpassing the legal requirements. Of course I appreciate knowing what is "safer" and that is why I have my dd in a 5-pt for 99.9% of our driving, but I do not think it is a far leap at all to understand why some of us do use alternatives in specific situations.

The funny thing is, car seat, booster, or nothing, being in a moving car AT ALL is a huge risk compared to walking. I drive very seldom. Dd might be in a car for a total of 30 minutes a week most weeks. We walk or bike most places. I could start a thread saying I that I just cannot understand how any loving parent would put their child at risk by driving x amount of hours a week when CLEARLY, driving 30 minutes a week is much safer. I mean come on, how LAZY is it to drive?!?!? (I am being sarcastic here....) But, I do not start that thread because I know that everyone's circumstances, opinions, etc.... are different and that the parents on this board love their children and are always doing what they feel is best, even if they do not agree with me.

ITA! Though I might be feeling a little beat up since I recently posted on here for advice for getting two carseats and a booster in my back seat, and was merely chastised for turning my ds around at one year. So thanks for saying this so eloquently, Yooper!


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## ginadc (Jun 13, 2006)

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who has trouble installing a Britax with a LATCH system. I'm a pretty small woman and I always find myself wrestling the thing like a maniac. We usually don't have to move it out of our Jetta, but occasionally we need to put it in DH's truck for some reason, and I detest having to put it back. I'll do anything to get out of it and make DH do it instead!


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## MommytoTwo (Jun 20, 2004)

I assume this is in reference to my thread about taking DD to dance class. Ever feel sorry you even brought something up? Anyhow, to get it undone, out of my car, into another car, back out of there and back into my car, since it is in the back row I also have to undo one of the carseats in the 2nd row in order to get it out, all while supervising 3 kids in a parking lot is a pita. I'd rather just not move it. Besides the more you move it the more chance you take of forgetting something or installing it wrong. As I updated in my original post she ended up riding in the 5 pt carseat regardless.


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## Papooses (Dec 20, 2006)

Let me preface by saying that I'm a CPST & that I've own a shameful amount of carseats (well over 2 dozen)







: + lots of family/friends cars to test them all in....

Britax convertibles in general are much easier than most carseats in most cars. Notice this is not a blanket statement, though, because incompatability is a very real occurance. That being said, I've never been a big fan of LATCH. It was designed merely to be easier for some parents. I almost always find seatbelt easier. That's just me.

If the child is very tall or very heavy, then choosing a seat get's trickier especially for considerations of travel & alternative vehicles: there's no way I'm switching the Husky (Regent) out everytime my kid rides with Grandma or when we go to NYC









This is why there are *niche* seats







:

Graco SafeSeat Step1 is great because it fits over 90% of 12 month olds & even many almost 2 year olds -- can be installed in about 99% of vehicles without the base!

Ride Safer Travel Vest is a fantastic travel/spare seat choice for kids who meet the size requirements (ideally used in center -- most large city taxis have 3 shoulder belts in the back or 3 top tether anchors)

Compass B510 folding booster is also nice for spare/travel -- I'm fine with using this on any child who fits so long as a responsible adult will be capable of providing constant supervision to maintain proper positioning.

Britax Laptop used to be one of the best niche seats, but it's out of production now







:

We have these last 3 seats as spares for my 1 kid since her primary seat is the Husky (Regent)


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## dallaschildren (Jun 14, 2003)

Nationally 96% of parents think their child's car seat is installed correctly. The reality is that 82% have it installed wrong. It's not about how fast you do it. It's about being installed correctly into your vehicle and having your child in it correctly, every single time.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *natensarah* 
ITA! Though I might be feeling a little beat up since I recently posted on here for advice for getting two carseats and a booster in my back seat, and was merely chastised for turning my ds around at one year. So thanks for saying this so eloquently, Yooper!

I hope you don't really feel like you were chastised. I certainly did not mean to chastise. As a tech, my duty is to educate parents, and that's what I was doing. I simply was providing you with information, giving you my recommendations, and letting you make the decision. And, FTR, I did recommend seats as you requested in your OP.


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## ScotiaSky (Jul 2, 2004)

Well I have three seats per child to ensure that I don't have move my seats all the time.
But both my kids are harnessed and a very long way from using a booster.


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## hottmama (Dec 27, 2004)

I'm considering getting a booster for my ~44 lb. almost 5 yr. old to use on the rare occasion we ride in other cars. Here's why:
I have to correctly install my littlest's rearfacing Cosco Scenera first.
It is very difficult (near impossible) to unhook the tether hook on the Husky, which I have to do twice if we are going into a car with a top tether.
I don't feel comfortable using the Husky without the tether, and not all cars have one or have one available (if there are other kids in the car).
I can't fit the Husky in with two other people in the back of every car.
I don't have automatic locking belts and to reinstall my carseats in my car, I sometimes have to take the locking clip off and put it back on, which means it takes a good 10+ minutes to install each seat.

I prefer to leave the difficult to install Husky where it is, which up to this point has meant my son doesn't ride in other cars. His dad has a harnessed seat (the Cosco Apex) but is going to switch to a booster soon at my insistence, since he seems incapable of installing a carseat correctly yand I'm not always there to help. But he lives in another state so it won't get a lot of use. Also, his paternal grandmother had a combo seat and had to switch it to booster mode when he passed 40 lbs. so he's been riding in a booster in her car occasionally since a little past his 4th bday. He is very aware of car safety and sits very straight and still in a booster (so far). I know the importance of extended harnessing and he'll be harnessed in my car until he runs out of options. But I don't think that occasional booster seat for a 4+ yr. old, 40+ lb. kid is anything to get all angst-y about.


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## crazydiamond (May 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *treqi* 
I guess I don't really participate in the "fast paced" world and tend to never have a demanding schedule but I don't see why you couldn't fit 5min in there somewhere......

Well, there ya go. You don't have a fast-paced schedule so you _can_ spare 5 minutes. But I am not you and I _do_ have a fast-paced schedule and moving seats around is the last thing I want to do.

My DD rides in 2-3 cars _every single day_. I've got Britax seats and fortunately, I can them them installed in all vehicles involved in about 5 min each. But it's ridiculous for me to install the same seat in 3 different cars everyday, even if that's only 15 minutes out of my day. But you know what? Between full-time work, full-time graduate school, tight schedules, and an attempt to maximize my time, that's more work than I want to put forth. Not to mention the fact that's already been brought up -- all that moving around really opens up more possibility for incorrect installation.

So I while I wouldn't put my 2 year old in a booster, I would consider it when she's older, weighs enough, and is mature enough to sit in one. My solution, now, however, was to buy 4 seats (3 permanently installed, 1 as a spare) so I don't have to worry about moving the seats around all the time. Call me crazy, but 5 minutes is literally time I don't have.


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