# did your child really stay harnessed willingly up to 80 lbs?



## coloradomama1 (Dec 31, 2006)

as you know from my other thread i'm on the market for a seat and i'm leaning towards one that harnesses till 80 lbs BUT i'm wondering if the kids really end up staying harnessed that long?
they'll obviously be of the age where they could undo the buckle eventually...my 3 yo can almost do it now on our roundabout.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

The Britax Regent is the only seat on the market that stands a chance of getting a child close to 80#.

My own child asked to be boostered full-time at 7.25y and 50#, and I was fine with it. We had been doing enough booster training that I was comfortable with her ability to use a booster properly.

There is absolutely no evidence that supports harnessing big kids (say, over 6y and 50#). There's nothing wrong with it, of course, but no reason to make it a goal for physically and developmentally typical kids.


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## coloradomama1 (Dec 31, 2006)

yeah, see i could foresee it being an issue trying to get a "big kid" harnessed that long without it becoming an issue of wills. i'd almost rather her be safely boostered and belted when she's over 65lbs than fighting to keep her in something she can get herself out of till 80 lbs.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

I really think that depends on when your kid hits 65#. I've seen 65# 3yos. They should be harnessed. My own child (healthy and small but not _tiny_) probably won't hit 65# until she's around 9y. There is absolutely no reason to harness a typical 9yo (special needs for the child or the car aside).

I think a more reasonable, but still quite conservative safety-wise, goal would be to harness to somewhere between 6y-7y. Once kids hit the minimum best practice weight for a booster (40#), age counts much more than weight.


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## Irishmommy (Nov 19, 2001)

Well dd1 didn't hit 80lbs until 13 yo, so that would be a hell no!


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

My dd is 5 and harnessed. She's not yet 40lbs so I'm not comfortable with her boostered. But remember- it is rare for kids to make it to 80lbs in any harnessed seat on the market. I'll be shocked if dd makes it to 65lbs in any of her seats (safeguard in my car, regent in dh's, frontier in my dad's)

And she can get out of any of them. Why would she?

-Angela


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

My kids have outgrown the harness by height (even on seats that go to 65 lbs) long before they would have by weight.

My 4.5 yr old is harnessed, even though he is over 40 lbs b/c he cannot sit right in a booster 100% of the time. My 6.5 yr old, also over 40 lbs, is in a booster b/c he can sit well and he's taller than any of the extended harnessing seats allow, anyway.

I think it would be really rare to have a child who got to 80 lbs before they got too tall to be harnessed - and not mature enough to sit correctly.


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## chfriend (Aug 29, 2002)

My 5 year old is 47 pounds and happily harnessed. She likes a 5 pt harness better, so I can see her in it for a good while to come.

My 8 year old was profoundly uncomfortable in a 5 pt harness. We got her into a booster as soon as she fit.

So....I'd say depends on the kid.


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## paxye (Mar 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
I really think that depends on when your kid hits 65#. I've seen 65# 3yos. They should be harnessed. My own child (healthy and small but not _tiny_) probably won't hit 65# until she's around 9y. There is absolutely no reason to harness a typical 9yo (special needs for the child or the car aside).

I think a more reasonable, but still quite conservative safety-wise, goal would be to harness to somewhere between 6y-7y. Once kids hit the minimum best practice weight for a booster (40#), age counts much more than weight.









:

My three are all harnessed still... My older two can go in and out of their seats by themselves and that has never been an issue... just makes things easier...

Some kids are bigger and some are smaller... but I think that there are other factors that determine readiness... I think age and maturity are the biggest factors at times... My 2 year old weighs more than my 5 year old... and has weighed more since he was a year old (he was 44# at a year)... but that doesn't mean that we will be ready to be out of a harness before...

Ds#1 will be 7.5 when the new baby will be born and might be nearing 60# by that time (though it would surprise me because he is 55 right now) and even though he could technically be harnessed longer and really wouldn't mind it... because of space in the car (or lack of) he will be graduating to a booster seat... I wouldn't have been comfortable with that a year ago, but he has grown in maturity in that time and I have no problem with him doing the switch now...


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## octobermom (Aug 31, 2005)

No I guess if we had insisted and made it our battle yes but we switched to a HBB and seat belt at around 6 years DD met the requirments plus some (not just the package ones) she obeyed the rules and shes desired the ability to handle getting in and out of the car. She was somewhere in the 50lb range at the time and fairly tall for her age.

Deanna


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## octobermom (Aug 31, 2005)

I personally don't think I'd move a child under 5 out of a harnessed seat if at all possible I also like to see at least a 50lb weight but before age 5 would overall be outside of my personal comfort.
Deanna


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## phathui5 (Jan 8, 2002)

My 8yo doesn't mind unless he has friends with us in the van. 5yo dd hasn't complained at all.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

Our 8 year old is 65 pounds and too tall in the torso for the Regent. So, no, we couldn't keep him harnessed until 80#. He is still in a booster, but he's only about 3" away from not needing that. (His height is primarily in his torso.) I expect him to be 4'9" long before he hits 80#.

Our dd is 5, 50# and still harnessed in a Marathon. She's going to outgrow that this year, and I'll move her to a high back booster with a regular seatbelt. I'm OK with that. She complains occasionally, but it's just not negotiable. She can undo the buckles, but doesn't. She gets why it's important. (Actually her being able to undo the buckles is an advantage - she can get herself OUT of the car without my help!)


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## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

I totally agree that it depends on when your kid hits 80 pounds. I was probably 12 or 13 before I hit 80 pounds. I expect that our girls won't get to 80 pounds until they're at least 10... not with our family history and their current pattern of growth. I don't see myself forcing a child in middle school to ride in a carseat.

That said, it is safest to be harnessed. There's a reason that pilots and race car drivers wear 5-point harnesses. DH was in a minor accident a couple of years ago, and our family doctor went off on a ten minute explanation regarding the history of automobile safety systems, and how a 5-point harness would have saved DH's back and neck from the minor injuries he suffered.

Our 5 year old is in a Marathon now, and the harnessing is not an issue. I don't think I'd have a problem harnessing a child until they were somewhere between 6 and 8 depending on the kid. We'll see what happens. At the very least, our 5 year old won't be moving out of the Marathon anytime soon, and our next carseat for her will probably be Britax Regent so I see her being harnessed for awhile.


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## MilkbarMom (Mar 28, 2003)

Mine were harnessed up to 80 pounds in a Britax Husky. My younger dd was 7, and my older was 9 when they out grew them at 80 pounds.


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## Eris (Sep 11, 2002)

My 7.75yo DD is 47lbs, and harnessed (in a Graco Nautilus)- she has booster seats she uses with other people, but said, as recently as yesterday (while in a booster seat in my parents' van), that she prefers her harnessed seat. If she wished, she could switch to a booster fulltime.

And, of course she can get out (and in) herself. I'm not really clear what your concern is about that- my DDs are not in harnesses to keep them trapped. My 4.75yo DD can unbuckle, and usually buckle as well, herself from/into her Britax Wizard harnessed seat, too.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Yes -- actually, if there is a real concern that the child will "get out" of the harness because she doesn't like it and doesn't understand why she needs it, that's a sign that the child is NOT ready for a booster (regardless of age/size) and may in fact need *more* restraint than a 5-point harness.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

I highly doubt DD1 will get to 80 lbs in our regent. She is 6.5 and 44 lbs, I don't trust her to sit still in a booster yet. I imagine she will stay in our regent until age 8 or so and then maybe switch to a booster. She has been buckling and unbuckling herself since she turned 4.


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## Cinder (Feb 4, 2003)

none of my kids will come even close to 80lbs before they outgrow seats by height. Assuming they stay in their same "percentiles", most of my kids also won't be 80lbs till they are like 16 years old.

Both my big kids can buckle/unbuckle themselves...Janelle since around 4 and Kincaid since around 5. Both are harnesses in Nautiluses right now, and will move to them as boosters when they outgrow the harnesses by height. Kincaid just moved up to the top slot and Janelle still has a little bit of time left on the second to top slot.


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## LizaBear (Feb 1, 2003)

80lbs, no - but we don't have any seats available in Canada that have an 80-lb limit.

I do have three seats in my van right now with 65-lb limits, which is the highest available in Canada right now.

My oldest is still happily harnessed in his at 7yrs (well, he'll be 7 in less than a week) and 50lbs. BUT - he's only got about an inch of torso growth left before he's too tall for it. It might see him to 55lbs, but no where near 65lbs.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

I would be absolutely shocked and completely thrilled if either child makes it to 50 pounds harnessed. DD1 just turned 4 and is 33 pounds and in a Regent, and she will outgrow it by height well before she comes close to the weight limit.


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## WC_hapamama (Sep 19, 2005)

My older two were too tall for harnessed seats by the time the more affordable ones with the 65-85 lb limits came out.

My DD, almost 7, was in a Marathon until just before she turned 6. She was 40 lbs, and the tops of her ears reached the top of the plastic shell of the Marathon. Long torso, short legs.

DS #3 is almost 4 and still well within the weight and height limits of his Marathon, since we won't have to worry about peer pressure until he starts kindy (at almost 6), we suspect we'll be able to keep him in the Marathon until then.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

My son was buckling and unbuckling himself from the harnessed seat when he was 4 or so. He learned to stay buckled when the car is moving and unbuckle only when we're ready to get out of the car. I mean, I can undo my own seatbelt and it's not a problem!









There really is a big difference between having a 3yo who can unbuckle herself, and having an older child who can unbuckle herself. Once they're in boosters, they can generally control their own seatbelts anyway. Unless you're dealing with toddlers or special needs kids, the ability to unbuckle themselves does NOT result in them unbuckling themselves in the middle of the highway.

Some kids are just bigger than others. A seat that CAN harness to 80 lbs likely also harnesses TALLER than one that only harnesses to 65 lbs. Some kids will outgrow the seat by height before they're mature enough to sit in a booster.

Also, there are kids who are comfortable and happy with their carseats, and don't mind the harness even if they're old enough and mature enough for a booster. If the child minds, then you can switch to a booster when they're 6 or 7 or 8, regardless of size.


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## mom_to_my_rugrats (Aug 9, 2008)

By the way my daughter is growing, she will be 15 before she hits 80 lbs!! LOL I can just picture her still harnessed!!! LOL She is in a Britax Regent and as stated can harness up to 80 lbs. I have actually been looking into rear facing her because of her small size....she isnt even 40 lbs yet, very small for her age. She knows how strict I am when it comes to her safety so she doesnt try to unbuckle herself, even though she can although its difficult for her to do, she still can do it. I had to move her to the other side because she kept kicking the back of my seat. That was SOO annoying to say the least. I know alot of you would probably tell me I am crazy to want to rear face her but if I had the option, I would in a heartbeat. I feel it is the safest and with her being as small as she is, in my heart, I feel its the best and safest option. So, depending on her height as she gets older will determine how long I plan on keeping her harnessed. Hope to hear everyone elses opinion. Have a wonderful day!

Patti


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## egoldber (Nov 18, 2002)

Quote:

Also, there are kids who are comfortable and happy with their carseats, and don't mind the harness even if they're old enough and mature enough for a booster. If the child minds, then you can switch to a booster when they're 6 or 7 or 8, regardless of size.








: My older DD just turned 8 and is about 55 pounds. Earlier this summer I offered to put her in a booster full time (she has ridden in a Parkway in DH's car for a couple years) and she told me she wanted to stay in the Regent. She said it was more comfortable and she preferred it. She's able to buckle herself in and out of the Regent far more easily than she can do the seatbelt on the booster.


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## TEAK's Mom (Apr 25, 2003)

My 7 year old dd1 grew out the Regent by height some time ago (we did move her about two months before her shoulders passed the top slots because 40 pound dd2 got too tall for the Marathon). I don't think she weighs more than 65-70 pounds. I'm also absolutely certain that neither of my kids cares how their seat fastens. I think they care more about cup holders and head rests tbh...


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## UltimateSerj (Apr 9, 2002)

my 11 year old is only 69 lbs! but would not fit in any harnessed seat because of height


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

Another agreement that most kids just won't make it to 80 lbs in a harnessed seat.

DS has a friend who is 8 and about 100 lbs, so I guess he could have easily been in a harnessed seat until 80 lbs. DD, though, has not yet hit 80 lbs and is going into the 6th grade (and 1-2" short of 5'). I can literally not imagine trying to fight her into a harnessed seat. If you have very heavy kids (hitting 80 lbs before 8 years) I would say you have a chance of it, otherwise probably not.


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