aunt83me02
02-20-2001, 07:51 PM
My sister recently bought the Fisher Price Futura 20/60 for her 40lb. 2 year old. I enjoy researching baby product information so she asked me if I'd research carseats to find one that would best suit her son. After finding that the internal harness of all booster seats only go up to 40lbs.(like his Century Smartmove) and then switch to a belt-positioner, we decided on the Futura 20/60(I also contacted SafetyBelt U.S.A., they said it was really the only seat on the market that was appropriate for his age, weight and height). After she bought the seat I saw somewhere on the internet that Fisher-Price introduced it to retailers first as the 5-pt. harness and when nobody would carry it they switched to the 4pt. with the tray shield. What I want to know is why the retailers wouldn't carry the safer model. The 5pt. harness has been proven the safest, why don't they want customers to be able to buy the safest seat? Just today, while surfing the web I found this site in which someone had an entry that said the Center for Injury Prevention was the only place that carried the 5pt. version. I wish I had known the information before she bought the seat from another online retailer. I think this information should be broadcasted across the whole internet, I also think that Fisher-Price should say that the 5pt. model is available from CIP. I think a lot of parents figure that all products are equal in safety and that they just buy the cutest print. I think manufacturers should have a wider variety of fabrics, especially for the safest seats. I also think that more companies need to come out with 5pt. harnesses for more than 40lbs. I can't believe there's only one! When I enter college in the fall of 2002 I plan on majoring in textiles and clothing and working for a company on getting attractive fabrics, while not compromising safety. Another thing, why doesn't the whole industry switch to the 2-piece harness tie? They are so easy. Century was the only company that had them for a while on any seat. Some Cosco seats, Britax Roundabout and Freeway, and almost all Century seats have them. I believe all of Evenflo's 2001 product line has them. Century and Evenflo are the only ones that have them on their infant seats though. I work in several different nurseries and the infant seats with the 5pt. harness, without the 2 piece harness tie are a real pain! I can't imagine how it would have been to get my nephew into his Century Smartmove without the 2 piece harness tie! I just joined this forum today and look forward to exchanging information.