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Original poster

Help!! DD can escape the straps in her car seat......

53 replies

robino · 12/02/2009 17:47

We have a maxi cosi tobi (hate the bloody thing too, would never buy it again now I know what I know about kids and carseats!). DD is 2 and, no matter how well I install her (it even has the colour coded belt thing to tell you when it's tight enough) she can escape the shoulder straps and I suddenly spot her dangling out of the side of it. We do a lot of motorway driving so I end up having to wait til the next junction to pull off and sort it (when I yell she'll put her arms back in the straps but they'd never save her in the event of a crash).

we do have to buy a second car seat because DD2 (7 month) will be out of her stage 1 soon. I am planning to put DD1 in new one (am thinking of getting one suitable up to 11 years) but a dd2 is not ready to come out of stage 1 seat for a while, b)DD1 might still be able to escape the new one and c)DD2 might also have the same car seat escaping genes.

I'm generally quite a relaxed mum but this has me really freaked out. What do I do? Any ideas?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Metatron · 12/02/2009 17:51

Ihave just got one of these

Fabulous seat so easy to fit great safety reviews and dd2 can't get out of it - huzzah!

differentCupID · 12/02/2009 17:53

Is she wearing her coat in the car?

Timeisablindguide · 12/02/2009 17:57

This might not be what you want to do BUT a friend of mine had the same problem so to ensure that her dd realised WHY she had to leave her straps alone and not undo them, she drove, very slowly on a safe bit of her cul-de-sac and then braked hard and dd toppled down into the footwell of her seat - it wasn't enough to hurt her obviously, but it was enough to give her a jolt and let her know that if she messes with her straps that's what happens. I hasten to add, it was done after trying everything else, but it did work!

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Original poster

robino · 12/02/2009 18:02

Different - no, not wearing coat in car.

OP posts:

shootfromthehip · 12/02/2009 18:05

Duck tape.

shootfromthehip · 12/02/2009 18:05

onlinemummy · 12/02/2009 18:20

You can buy a safety strap that attaches the two straps together so that it is more difficult to get their arms out, think they are really cheap. Can't remember where I have seen them but you could probably find it if you google!

differentCupID · 12/02/2009 18:29

online mummy- they're not legal in uk. You aren't supposed to use anything that interferes with safety equipment.

Original poster

robino · 12/02/2009 18:34

Shoot think i did threaten to staple them to her shoulders at one point today on my harrowing trip along the m62!

and just to clarify - dd2 will be growing out of her stage 0 car seat rather than her stage 1, she's not a giant with superb muscle control...

OP posts:

Original poster

robino · 12/02/2009 18:38

Metatron - v interesting. Do you know where I might be able to see one in the flesh as it were? And is your DD able to climb up into it herself? I'm hoping beyond hope that I can get one that DD1 can climb into rather than be lifted into because sson I'm going to have to lift DD2 into the Tobi and I can't see how it'll work out if I have to lift 2 small ones (18 month gap) into car seats...

OP posts:

Original poster

robino · 12/02/2009 18:39

really should preview these messages...

OP posts:

Shoshe · 12/02/2009 18:42

set of reins back to front so that they do up at the front.

put them behind the child do up car seat straps and then reins over the top, it stops the child being able to slip the arms out but can still be unclipped quickly if need be.

Stopped my lots doing it.

comparethePeachydotcom · 12/02/2009 18:45

There are legal harnesses that incorporate the thing onlinemummy said, designed for the SN amrket (we have one)- it's called a Crelling HArness and is googleable, but tbh not massively cheaper than a new seat I'd expect.

hedgepig · 12/02/2009 18:51

How stressful for you. Have you spoken to Maxi Cosi they should have a help line and may be able to suggest something.
Also it would be worth checking the strap height is correct for her body size , if they are too high this may be what is giving her enough room to escape

Metatron · 12/02/2009 19:03

No idea where you would see one ion the flesh - sorry. It is a universal fit though. You strap the 3 point belt round it a bit like a booster so no worries about bucklecrunch. DD2 climbs in easy - she is 2.6.

Internet selling though.... think youcan return without a problem.

Manufacturer's website here

you can download the user manual shows vclearly how it works.

youtube videos about it

frazzledoldbag · 12/02/2009 19:35

I've got a maxi cosi toby too and HATE IT. My DH wants me to take it back and complain because it's a pain to do up, straps are never tight enough and our DD2 (who is somewhat 'lively' anyway) gets her straps off and dangles out of it within seconds, even when it's done up as tight as i can manage. I am 28 wks pg too and find it a big strain trying to pull the straps ever-tighter around her.
Sorry no suggestions for a solution to the problem but symapthy from me. Nightmare.
I do like the look at that seat that metatron suggests though - if I can get money back on the horrid toby I might swap for one of those!

differentCupID · 12/02/2009 20:32

frazzled- you would be highly unlikely to get your money back on a used item you just don't like. Your dd getting her arm out of the straps isn't a manufacturing fault.

frazzledoldbag · 12/02/2009 20:38

I was intending to take it back to complain that it's very difficult to tighten the straps to a safe tension. They are extremely stiff (even after being used for the last 10wks) and sometimes I can't get them to tighten at all. Plus even when I've managed to tighten them to the green line that is supposed to show that they are tight enough they still feel loose and then within seconds of me driving away she's out of it (when she feels like getting out that is!)
It's absolute rubbish.
I had a maxi cosi with DD1 and it was much easier to use and far better. Am v. disappointed and shall be as stroppy as I dare taking it back to the shop. I don't know if they'll refund but it is possible that mine is actually faulty? God help other people if they're all as bad as mine

frazzledoldbag · 12/02/2009 20:39

And by the way I thought I was buying one of the best - I paid about £170 for it. Which is why I'm so p**d off.

differentCupID · 12/02/2009 20:43

please don't be stroppy- it will only turn the people you speak to totally against you.
If you are firm and polite the store will be more likely to help you.
Where did you get it from?

frazzledoldbag · 12/02/2009 21:04

It's ok, I do stroppy but am also very polite with it. Perhaps I shouldn't have said 'stroppy', think more along the lines of 'assertive' and 'no-nonesense'.
I got it in Mothercare.
DH said from day 1 I should take it back as the straps don't function properly. I just thought they'd loosen up with a bit of use and become easier to tighten. They haven't.
And really the concern has to be DD who isn't properly restrained and therefore the seat isn't fulfilling it's function.

Sorry robino I seem to have hijacked your thread! Hope you find a solution.

differentCupID · 12/02/2009 21:11

I think you will probably be told the same as your dh said.
What weight is your dd now?

frazzledoldbag · 12/02/2009 21:31

Haven't weighed her lately but she's two and a half and about average I'd say size-wise.

differentCupID · 12/02/2009 21:33

do you still have her previous group 1 car seat? If it needs to be sent back to MAxi Cosi for a report you'll still need a car seat.

frazzledoldbag · 12/02/2009 21:36

We have another car seat in our other car which we can swap temporarily so that's not a problem.
Do you work for Maxi Cosi or Mothercare by any chance???!

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