Check your LATCH and vehicle weight limits here!

[mom2binsd]

PLEASE STICKY this!

http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php...&postcount=123

These new rules are very confusing, and to most parents won't be easy at all!!!!

[mommylamb]

Hmm... so, I have DS2 in a Boulevard 70 and our car is a Hyundai, which says to refer to the seat's limit for LATCH. For some reason, I had just assumed that I could only keep the LATCH install until he was 40 lbs, but this seems to say that he could stay wit LATCH until 46 lbs??? Is that right? Either way, we're a long way away from that.

And DS1 is in a Frontier 85, which I also thought had a 40 lb limit for LATCH, and he has had a seat belt install for a long time because of that, but this seems to say that he could have stayed with LATCH until 45 lbs.

I'm confused.

[legaleagle]

Hmm... so, I have DS2 in a Boulevard 70 and our car is a Hyundai, which says to refer to the seat's limit for LATCH. For some reason, I had just assumed that I could only keep the LATCH install until he was 40 lbs, but this seems to say that he could stay wit LATCH until 46 lbs??? Is that right? Either way, we're a long way away from that.

And DS1 is in a Frontier 85, which I also thought had a 40 lb limit for LATCH, and he has had a seat belt install for a long time because of that, but this seems to say that he could have stayed with LATCH until 45 lbs.

I'm confused.

If I understand that correctly, since Hyundai defers to Britax and Britax says if the car doesn't specify, assume 40, you should keep following the 40 lb child rule.

But if I'm totally wrong, someone please chime in!

[longtallsally05]

Tell me if I'm right or wrong (& if wrong, please correct me).

DS1 (40 lbs) & DS2 (24 lbs) both have a Diono Radian RXTs which have a LATCH limit of 80 lbs per Diono. I drive a Kia, so according to the list I'm supposed to defer to the guidelines of the child restraint manufacturer. There is no guidance in my car owner's manual. I'm okay to keep both RXTs installed with LATCH, right?

I confess I don't really understand the SafeStop thing. DS1 is FFing and the SafeStop thing is still on his seat. I think I'm supposed to remove it after 40 lbs. DS2 is RFing and has the SafeStop thing on his seat too. Both seats are top-tethered.

I'm good to go, until DS1 gets a little heavier, at which point I should remove the SafeStop thingy, right?

[DietCokeLover]

Yikes! I guess I need to un-latch our Frontiers. So, I guess we move to using the seatbelt now? I need to look in the manuals I guess.

[123LuckyMom]

Is the belt install really as safe as LATCH? When I FF'd DS at 35 lbs, I just installed his MA FF with the belt, because I knew the limit was 40lbs, and I didn't want to have to keep weighing DS just in case he slipped over the limit (although it probably takes a long while for a kid to gain 5lbs.) The install seems solid, and I actually find it just as easy to use the belt. I'm in an Ody, so my recs haven't changed beyond kid weight at 40lbs, right?

[tmahanes]

Tell me if I'm right or wrong (& if wrong, please correct me).

DS1 (40 lbs) & DS2 (24 lbs) both have a Diono Radian RXTs which have a LATCH limit of 80 lbs per Diono. I drive a Kia, so according to the list I'm supposed to defer to the guidelines of the child restraint manufacturer. There is no guidance in my car owner's manual. I'm okay to keep both RXTs installed with LATCH, right?

I confess I don't really understand the SafeStop thing. DS1 is FFing and the SafeStop thing is still on his seat. I think I'm supposed to remove it after 40 lbs. DS2 is RFing and has the SafeStop thing on his seat too. Both seats are top-tethered.

I'm good to go, until DS1 gets a little heavier, at which point I should remove the SafeStop thingy, right?

You could ask an car-seat.org but I am pretty sure you do not use the safe stop RF!

Sent from my DROID RAZR

[trcy]

Anyone know what the Evenflo Symphony weighs? I can't find it anywhere. TIA!

[Joolsplus2]

Tell me if I'm right or wrong (& if wrong, please correct me).

DS1 (40 lbs) & DS2 (24 lbs) both have a Diono Radian RXTs which have a LATCH limit of 80 lbs per Diono. I drive a Kia, so according to the list I'm supposed to defer to the guidelines of the child restraint manufacturer. There is no guidance in my car owner's manual. I'm okay to keep both RXTs installed with LATCH, right?

I confess I don't really understand the SafeStop thing. DS1 is FFing and the SafeStop thing is still on his seat. I think I'm supposed to remove it after 40 lbs. DS2 is RFing and has the SafeStop thing on his seat too. Both seats are top-tethered.

I'm good to go, until DS1 gets a little heavier, at which point I should remove the SafeStop thingy, right?

Safestop is only for forward facing (it's an energy management device for young forward facers with bigger heads and softer necks, so they don't slam to a stop too fast, increasing injury risk). And you only use it when the seat is top tethered, for kids up to 40 pounds.
I don't even know what to say about the Super LATCH in a car with no guidelines (car is newer than 2005?). Probably it's fine, but I'd try a seatbelt+top tether install anyway, since I think the Radian is pretty heavy.

[Joolsplus2]

Is the belt install really as safe as LATCH? When I FF'd DS at 35 lbs, I just installed his MA FF with the belt, because I knew the limit was 40lbs, and I didn't want to have to keep weighing DS just in case he slipped over the limit (although it probably takes a long while for a kid to gain 5lbs.) The install seems solid, and I actually find it just as easy to use the belt. I'm in an Ody, so my recs haven't changed beyond kid weight at 40lbs, right?

Yeah, a good seatbelt install is as safe as LATCH. Make sure the belt is locked (with the built in lockoffs, or in that van, pull the seatbelt all the way out--slowly and let it retract to be locked). And use the top tether (I used to install my MA with the belt all the time in my Ody, I liked it better than LATCH, too!)