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Original poster

Really boring car seat thread

20 replies

AlohaMolly · 27/11/2021 19:22

DS is 5.5. I appreciate this is an incredibly MN thing to say, but he’s genuinely tall for his age - he’s just under 4 foot 1 and 3 stone 8.

He’s got a Graco something car seat that I bought from Halfords in 2017 and it’s perfectly fine, never had a crash etc etc.

None of his friends wear the harness part any more and they’re all shorter and lighter than him. It never occurred to me to stop using them as I assumed it was safer? The gov website for weight based seats says seatbelt or harness until 35kg. What do other people do??

OP posts:

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 27/11/2021 19:24

You need to look at the weight rating on the seat. Its usually 18kg (some its 25kg). As he weighs more than 18kg, the seat won't be tested for his weight.

Original poster

AlohaMolly · 27/11/2021 19:50

It’s definitely a grow with me seat, until age 12, but they still seem so small, especially his class mates whi are genuinely smaller than him, to move to ‘just’ the seat belt across the car seat and no harness!

OP posts:

LaTomatina · 27/11/2021 19:55

High back booster with isofix and a normal car seatbelt for a year or so now.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

5 year olds Families

Original poster

AlohaMolly · 27/11/2021 19:58

@LaTomatina

High back booster with isofix and a normal car seatbelt for a year or so now.

How old/tall/heavy is your DC?

OP posts:

LaTomatina · 27/11/2021 20:00

Slightly shorter and lighter than yours I think - 110cm, 20kg.

LaTomatina · 27/11/2021 20:01

5 years, 1 month

LaTomatina · 27/11/2021 20:05

But if your child is happy and comfortable in the harness, no reason to stop? We switched because he'd outgrown the previous seat and was heavy enough for this one.

Ducksurprise · 27/11/2021 20:08

Check the weight limits, often the seats have a fixed limit for harness and then an increased limit for full car seat belt.

If under the weight limit keep him as he is. The obsession with moving children out of the safest option is terrifying. My eldest (adult child) races, he uses a harness because it is safer, the three point seat belt was created as it improved saftey but wasn't a pita to use so people were willing to use it.

hemhem · 27/11/2021 20:09

Most harness seats are only safety tested up to 18kg, after this if its a 'grow with me' type seat you're supposed to detach the harness and use the car seatbelt. My DD1 was more than 18kg aged 4 so we got her a high back booster then. It connects to the car with isofix and has a chest pad and lap clip thingy to guide the seatbelt properly. My DD2 is relatively much smaller and is still in a harness seat at 15kg, but once she gets to 18kg we'll put her in a highback booster as well.

If you want a harness seat for longer there are a couple rated to 25kg from Diono or Axkid, or go for a seat with an impact pad from Cybex

dementedpixie · 27/11/2021 20:11

The harness will probably not be suitable for your ds's weight as they tend to be only ok until 18kg unless you buy a car seat with a higher limit in the harness

SockQueen · 27/11/2021 20:23

My DS is a similar size at 5y2m - 122cm and about 23kg. He is in a Britax HBB (Kidfix 3S) which secures with the seatbelt, with a crotch bit to stop him sliding under. It's secured with isofix as well, though can just go in with the seatbelt.

Check the instructions for your seat - most of the grow with me types only test the harness to 18kg, after which you need to use it as a HBB with the seatbelt.

littleowls83 · 27/11/2021 20:37

Unless it's an extended harness seat with top tether then they outgrow the harness at 18kg so most people are just following the safety instructions on the seats.

Hercisback · 27/11/2021 20:38

5.5 and still in a harness seat? That's good going, check his weight.

Mines now in a cybex high back booster.

littleowls83 · 27/11/2021 20:39

Both my kids were too heavy for a harness before 4, youngest was less than 3. I looked at getting an extended harness for youngest but there wasn't any evidence they were safer and the seats were quite narrow, so we stuck with a HBB.

Original poster

AlohaMolly · 27/11/2021 20:45

I genuinely thought I was doing the right thing by keeping him in the harness for as long as possible I’ll double check the specific make and the safety weight inthe morning. I watched some of his friends over the summer and their mums had them with the seatbelt in my car, and it was quite unnerving, watching them jig about in my mirror!

OP posts:

MsChatterbox · 27/11/2021 20:53

My car seat said on the side what weight I could use the straps until maybe see if yours does?

trekcrockett · 27/11/2021 21:05

Both of mine were harnessed until about 8...they had Diono seats which harnessed far higher than other brands. They then moved to HBBs
Both also rear faced until they started Reception.
Do what you think is best for your child, ignore what others do, it's not a milestone to be unsafe.

SockQueen · 28/11/2021 10:51

@trekcrockett

Both of mine were harnessed until about 8...they had Diono seats which harnessed far higher than other brands. They then moved to HBBs Both also rear faced until they started Reception. Do what you think is best for your child, ignore what others do, it's not a milestone to be unsafe.

But if the seat she is currently using is not harness tested past 18kg, that in itself could be unsafe.

Sadly Diono don't seem to make the Radian 5 (which was RF and FF to 25kg) any more, or at least I couldn't find one a few months ago.

GroggyLegs · 28/11/2021 11:02

But if the seat she is currently using is not harness tested past 18kg, that in itself could be unsafe

I agree - it's about ergonomics too, not just how securely they're strapped in.
If you keep them in harnesses past the assessed height limits, the fixings of the straps can sit below the top of the shoulders, making it less safe than a conventional seatbelt.

Mine were rear facing til 4.5, now in Britax Kidfix 3 HBBs.

MyCatHatesWhiskas · 28/11/2021 11:07

Mine was in a Joie Stages used as a HBB (ie with seatbelt) until 5.5 as he’d passed the weight limit on the harness. We have now moved him into an actual HBB, which is much lighter and looks more comfy for him. He’s 122cm and around 22kg aged 6.

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