I'd like a bit of advice on what 'others' think/use for booster seats? We have just upgraded DD1 into a booster seat (yesterday!), I looked on the RACV site and finally decided on the safe n sound hi-liner SG and I also purchased a harness suitable for it. It takes me a while to make these decisions as I try to make the safest/best choice, so you can imagine my now confusion when I phoned an installer who advised that this booster seat does not 'require' professional fitting-fine, but then he said that a harness is not really necessary and can sometimes be more harm than good if not used/fitted correctly!?! So we have fitted the booster after his explanation and watching good old you tube videos without the harness but I'm now wondering what everyone else who has this seat uses/recommends?? The booster is not in the middle seat, it is positioned behind the passenger seat, we used it yesterday for a short trip to the shops and I found it easy to use without the harness and DD1 felt like a big girl but I guess I'm just used to 'strapping' her in!! Think I'm used to her being in a carseat strapped to the max and bit hard for me to kinda let go a bit, feels weird having a seat sort of just sitting there on the anchor with the seat belt going through it?? We had her in the middle of our old car with the middle sash belt and a belt from one side going through the seat so she wasn't going anywhere!! Thanks heaps
How old is your dd? I have 2 of my kids in hi liners and the fitter is right the harness is unnecessary as a general rule snf can cause more harm than good
I was talking with DH about this yesterday and trying to work out why people say using the harness can be less safe than not using it. Is this because having a harness can impact on how the recoil mechanism of the lap sash belt (on new cars) works?
bellany - DD1 is 4 1/2, put her on the scales yesterday to make sure and she's just on 16kgs...yes I'm paranoid!! She does reach the shoulder markers, DD1 LOVES her new cup holders, and I'm glad I chose the hi-liner as it has the middle clip to clip to the sash belt which is kinda like a harness, so from your post and the installers recommendation think I'm ok without using the harness. Thanks heaps for your input I'm paranoid and wanted advice from other mums!
HotI - I think so. He said if the harness is inbuilt into the car seat it's all fine and good but if it's added onto the seat and not inbuilt that's where it can be more harm than good as it's another element-kinda....that's how I understood what he was saying!
HotI - the issue is with the positional injuries that are more likely with the harness, and that they do not perform any better in accidents in terms of preventing injury. The issue seems to stem from the issue of incorrect installation or incorrect application, which is exceptionally easy to do and difficult to get right. Another paper also suggests that a major flaw in the H Harness design is that it is attached directly to the bolt anchor point, not the seat, and this directs massive force to the neck and head.
HotI - the issue is with the positional injuries that are more likely with the harness, and that they do not perform any better in accidents in terms of preventing injury. The issue seems to stem from the issue of incorrect installation or incorrect application, which is exceptionally easy to do and difficult to get right. Another paper also suggests that a major flaw in the H Harness design is that it is attached directly to the bolt anchor point, not the seat, and this directs massive force to the neck and head.
Yep what Lime said! The H harnesses are usually more trouble than they are worth and misuse is very common as they aren't the easiest to use. They will do damage if not used right. If your DD can sit properly and still for the whole car trip then the lap sash will be better than the H harness. If you're finding she has trouble sitting still and the seat belt placement isn't always staying correct, you might have to consider changing to a booster that will keep her in a harness for longer. If belt placement isn't right it won't protect her in an accident. There are quite a few out there now that can harness even 6 & 7 year olds.
Thanks so much LimeSlice and Willow5! I will be returning the harness and put that towards a bassinet for bub2 DD1 is pretty good at sitting properly/still and loves her new seat....especially the cup holders!! I'll get her 'old' seat re-fitted for bub2 and ask the fitter to double check the booster seat, they did say they could have a look and a quick check. If need be I'll upgrade to a booster with the harness but we went on a trip to the beach on Monday, over an hour car trip and she sat still the whole way, apart from once or twice discovering the novelty of being able to reach forward to push the button to put the window down! Thanks again
DS has just turned 5 & has been in his hipod booster for a while now. I was using the H harness when he was littler, but it was a PITA, so I gave up. The lap sash belt goes through his seat so its positioned in the right place on his body anyway. It was only recently I found out the H harness isn't all that safe.
I've bought DD3 a safe'n'sound seat that she can use til she's 8. The harness will probably fit til she's over 5, the we remove it & use the lap sash belt.
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Booster seat harness??
I'll get her 'old' seat re-fitted for bub2 and ask the fitter to double check the booster seat, they did say they could have a look and a quick check. If need be I'll upgrade to a booster with the harness but we went on a trip to the beach on Monday, over an hour car trip and she sat still the whole way, apart from once or twice discovering the novelty of being able to reach forward to push the button to put the window down! Thanks again
Just keep an eye on her if she ever falls asleep too she may flop over to one side and the belt might not be quite right
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