Tightening BV harness?

[niccig]

I'm not sure what's going on. DS is in the seat, I pull up on the harnes straps so the lap straps are snugs and then I pull on the harness adjuster to tighten everything, but it doesn't seem ot work. It tightens a bit and then when I let it go, it seems to loosen just a little. I took DS out of the seat and the harness tightens all the way. So what am I doing wrong, when he's in the seat?
TIA
Nicci

[Joolsplus2]

Put him in it and buckle it, then give the harness adjuster strap a series of short tugs... ker chunk ker chunk ker chunk (now your brain will make that noise, even if your seat doesnt! <evil laugh>), and then ONLY check for tightness ON his shoulders. It's just a slightly different mechanism than the one-pull Snugride, is all.
You DO want to always loosen it when you take him out and tighten it when you put him back in, too... it just makes things easier in the long run if it's a habit (like un/tying shoes, really...)

:)


Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[niccig]

Thanks!
I knew there was something I wasn't getting. Now I'll ker chunk ker chunk ker chunk!

Nicci

[juliasmom05]

Thanks for posting :-). We were having the same trouble with our BV.
Marci

Mom to Julia 4/12/05

[niccig]

It's still more difficult to pull, or maybe I'm being a little paranoid about how tight the harness is. I'm trying to pull up any possible slack between the lap belt and the chest clip, but if I don't do that, it doesn't seem tight. I'll keep working on it.
Nicci

[Joolsplus2]

The belt over the torso will be mega loose, no matter what you do...that's why you only have to check for snugness at the shoulder (like a bra band...not falling down, but not pinching, if that makes sense?). Is the velcro keeping it from getting tight, maybe? sometimes on little babes it kind of keeps everything from tightening up enough.

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[niccig]

Once again, thanks. It is loose over the torso and that's what I was worried aboout. Actually, I've probably had it too tight over the shoulders in an attempt to get the torso tight. Ok, I can stop worrying now. I'll ker chunk ker chunk until it's snug at the shoulder and stop reefing on the strap to get the torso snug too.

Nicci

[Joolsplus2]

Don't worry, even some techs don't understand, and have been told to tell parents to return Britaxes that didn't "get tight enough".

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[o_mom]

I am having a similar issue with the DC. It is a much harder pull than the Roundabout, so I feel like I'm not getting it tight. Also, the comfort pads lie just where I would normally check for tightness, so it is hard to tell.

Does the DC loosen with age, or is it just a rf thing that it will be hard to pull?

I did remove the HUGS (RF), but it is still hard to get tight when DS is in it. Without him in, it pulls smoothly, just slightly harder than the RA which could be the newness. I have the head support in, but not the body pillow. I don't want to overtighten, but just find it harder to judge and I worry that it is too loose. Without easy access to shoulders, I keep wanting to check over the torso.

Sorry this is rambling - very little sleep and BOL....

[Joolsplus2]

I know a couple moms who have found the DC DOES loosen up with use...but some people were so disappointed with it they traded them in on BV's right away...but I think there's hope that the adjuster will get smoother with time.

To check the harness, you can also try the "pinch test"...try to pinch the fabric vertically between your thumb and forefinger (obviously it'd be easy to pinch it horizontally...), if your fingers just slip and slip and you can't get any fabric between them, then it's tight enough. Try loosening the harness up to compare, so you get a good feel of what 'tight enough' feels like versus 'too loose'.

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[o_mom]

Thanks Julie!

I do try the pinch test, but the comfort pads are right there at the shoulder, so I may just take them off for awhile until I am used to it.

The harness pull is very smooth when the seat is empty, so I think the hard pull may just be the weight of DS on the straps/slots when rear-facing. I don't remember this with the RA, but it has been awhile. Also, the RA doesn't have the head support which has a 'sticky' backing and may also be contributing.