LATCH 101: The Basics You Need to Know

LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It's also known as ISOFIX in Europe and LUAS (Lower Universal Anchorage System) in Canada.

LATCH is a way to secure a child safety seat to the vehicle using straps from the child safety seat that connect to special metal anchors in the vehicle.

VEHICLE LATCH ANCHORS

LOWER ANCHORS:

• Lower anchors are a pair of metal “u-shaped” bars hidden in the vehicle’s seat crack.

TETHER ANCHOR:

• A tether anchor is a metal anchor (often a ring or bar) found behind the vehicle seat.

**FYI: Vehicles since model year 2003 must have the lower anchors in at least TWO seating positions and tether anchors in at least THREE positions. This means that, in most vehicles, the side seats have lower anchors AND tether anchors, while the center seat has a tether anchor but NO lower anchors.

This diagram above shows the varied locations you may find the tether anchor in the vehicle.  ALWAYS check the vehicle owner's manual to make sure that what you have found is indeed the tether anchor (and not a cargo hook, which can not withstand the force of a crash).  See bottom of this post for pictures of different locations for tether anchors in a wide variety of vehicles.

CHILD SAFETY SEAT LATCH STRAPS

LOWER ANCHOR STRAP

• All child safety seats that use the vehicle’s lower anchors have a lower anchor strap with a connector on the end. Some child safety seats have two separate lower anchor straps, each with a connector on one end. These connectors attach to the vehicle’s lower anchors.  A few booster seats have a rigid lower anchor connector, instead of having the connector on a flexible strap.
• Rear-facing car seats typically just use the lower anchors (a few can also use the top tether).  Forward-facing car seats use the lower anchors AND top tether.  

Forward-facing car seat
using Lower Anchor Strap

Forward-facing car seat
with Rigid Lower LATCH

TETHER STRAP

• All forward-facing child safety seats that use the vehicle's lower LATCH anchors will come with not only a lower anchor strap, but also a tether strap. The tether strap comes from the top of the child's car seat and has a hook on the end that connects to the tether anchor in the vehicle.

Forward-facing car seat
Using tether in a minivan

Forward-facing car seat
Using tether in a sedan

AN ANALOGY: 

Vehicle Seat Belt: Glasses   as   Lower Anchors : Contact Lenses  

- Just an analogy for those yearning to relive their high-school SAT studying days.  But in all seriousness, this analogy explains why you never use the lower anchors & the vehicle seat belt at the same time to install the car seat.   Just like if you were to wear contacts & glasses at the same time you would see worse rather than better, so too the performance of the car seat may be NEGATIVELY affected by using both the lower anchors and the vehicle's seat belt at the same time.

- Note: Lower anchors are used INSTEAD of the vehicle's safety belt to secure the child safety seat to the vehicle. Tethers are used IN ADDITION to the lower anchors OR the vehicle's safety belt to secure a forward-facing (and some rear-facing) child safety seat to the vehicle.

JUST A FEW PICTURES SHOWING THE HIGHLY VARIABLE LOCATIONS FOR TETHER ANCHORS 

***ALWAYS CHECK YOUR VEHICLE OWNER'S MANUAL TO SEE WHERE YOUR ANCHORS ARE LOCATED***

MINIVAN
Tether on bottom of vehicle seat

MINIVAN
Tether on bottom of vehicle seat -
but covered up by carpet flap

SUV/Wagon
Tether anchor in the roof

SUV/Wagon
Tether anchor on back of vehicle seat

SUV/WagonTether anchors in floor of cargo area
(very inconvenient when trying to load packages)

5 door Hatchback
Tether Anchor on back of vehicle seat

SEDAN
Tether Anchor is on the shelf below the rear windshield

SEDAN
Tether Anchor is on the shelf below the rear windshield

LATCH Tip: Right Way Up or Upside Down - Attaching the Lower Anchor Connector Right

Did you know that there is a right way and a wrong way to attach the lower anchor connectors?  If attached the wrong way, the anchor may not hold securely in a crash - so make sure you get it right!

PUSH ON LOWER ANCHOR CONNECTORS

RIGHT WAY UP

UPSIDE DOWN

Close-up of the Fine Print:

"UP" - THIS SIDE FACING CHILD SEAT
FASTEN WITH AUDIBLE CLICK ONTO LOWER ANCHOR BAR

RIGHT WAY UP

HOOK STYLE LOWER ANCHOR CONNECTORS

RIGHT WAY UP

UPSIDE DOWN

RIGHT WAY UP

WHY DOES IT MATTER

Look at the direction of the metal tooth - you want the metal tooth to start from the top and come downwards for a secure hold - rather than coming from the bottom upwards.  The metal tooth in this pictures is almost all the way down (I'm holding the release button outside the frame of the picture so that the tooth isn't all the way down).

Also, attaching the lower anchor connector upside down usually means that you are twisting the lower anchor strap (which isn't good) which can lead to the strap getting twisted in the locking mechanism for the strap - which once the strap is twisted in the locking mechanism it is typically impossible to get the strap looser or tighter.

Lower Anchor Connector attached upside down - with strap twisting in the process

(most) Coats & Car Seats are NOT a safe combo (here are ways to keep kids WARM & SAFE)

Does winter time in your car ever look like this?  

These girls are NOT safe in their car seats due to bulky winter coats

Have you ever struggled to just get the harness buckled when your child is wearing a coat?  Notice how the girl on the left doesn't even have the buckle between her legs fastened as there wasn't enough room in the straps with the bulky coat on.  The problem is that in a crash the plastic chest clip is designed to open under certain circumstances - so if you haven't fastened the straps between the child's legs, they will come out of the seat!  Do you notice the straps sliding off the child's shoulders with their coats on?  Do you notice that when you take the coats off the straps seem very, very loose?

Would you wear a bulky coat under your parachute harness?

Wondering what parachutes have to do with car seats??? The whole idea of the car seat is to act as your child's parachute in a crash.  30mph feels the same to the body as if you jumped from a 3rd story window and landed on the pavement.  You would be absolutely crazy to jump - but if you had to, you'd rather land with a parachute as you would land as slowly and gently as possible.  If your child's car seat is secured tightly to the vehicle, and the straps are snug to the child's body, the child will come to the slowest, gentlest stop possible in a crash.  If, however, the car seat is loose to the vehicle and/or the straps are loose to the child's body, the child still needs to come to a stop - but it becomes a much more jolting stop, like landing on your feet, and that is what hurts and causes injuries.  
 
If you were about to jump out of a plane, you wouldn't wear anything fluffy between you and your parachute harness as you would be afraid that the harness wouldn't hold you tight.  The same thing goes for your child - you don't want to put anything bulky like coats, snowsuits, buntings, Bundle Mes, body supports, strap covers, etc between the back of the car seat and the harness straps as the straps won't be snug to the child's actual body.  

Here's how to keep your kids WARM & SAFE in the car in winter

Step 1: Dress the child in thin, tight layers under their winter coat - dress them as if it was 50-60 degree weather.  For example, under their winter coat they should wear an undershirt, long sleeve shirt, and sweater.  

Step 2: Take the child to the car with their coat unzipped - have them take off their coat when they get to the car.  Quickly buckle the child and get the straps snug withOUT the coat on (remember to pull firmly up on the shoulder straps to get all the slack out of the legs/stomach area, then pull firmly on the tail to tighten the straps).

Step 3: Have them stick out their arms and put the coat on backwards.  The best part about this is not only are they safer, but they also won't overheat as the car gets warmer as they can pull their coat off when they get hot.

Some coats are SAFE for the car seat

Some coats are thin enough That they don't interfere with the snugness of the straps - and are therefore safe for the car seat.  Want to know if your child's coat is safe for the car?  Buckle your child into their car seat with their coat on & get the straps snug.  Take the child out of the car seat, remove their coat, and rebuckle the child into the straps.  Firmly pull upwards on the shoulder straps - you should notice no slack coming up, and only enough room for one finger to fit between the child's collar bone and the strap - if the straps are looser than this, then the coat is not safe for the car.

These down jackets are perfect for under the car seat as they are VERY thin and compressible (from the picture you can't tell how thin they really are).  Stock up now for next winter (they're on sale now!)...
- Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket
- REI Down Jacket

Car Seat Ponchos: A great ALTERNATIVE to coats

1-year-old wearing Car Seat Poncho

There are also several varieties of thick fleece ponchos that the child can wear in the car seat - all of these become like a warm, hooded blanket that the child can't kick off.  They are typically for kids from 6 months to 3 years of age.  They are also nice in that when you take the child out of the car seat you can snuggle them in the poncho blanket so they aren't cold when going through the supermarket parking lot or to your front door,  or wherever you may be running errands.  Note: there are other ponchos being sold that have drawstrings at the hood/neck area - we do NOT recommend these as drawstrings pose a risk of strangulation.

• Car Seat Poncho 
• Flip Over Me Poncho

The Car Seat Lady on Good Morning America Health!!!!

Click here to watch the video: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/car-seat-lady-safety-tips-baby-child-children-travel-12610814

The Bundle Me - everyone uses it in the car seat - but did you know it's NOT SAFE for car seats (and using it VIOLATES the car seat's instructions)!

Fleece sleeping bag in infant car seat

Products like the Bundle Me (a fleece sleeping bag that goes in the car seat) are what's known as "aftermarket" products - because they are sold separately from the car seat.  You've probably seen tons of aftermarket products - the infant head inserts, the fleece buntings, the shoulder strap covers - they line several aisles in most baby stores.

Did you know that unlike your child's car seat which must pass rigorous crash testing, these "aftermarket products" have no crash testing or other crash safety standards they must meet? Most parents buy these products thinking they will make the car seat safer and more comfortable for their baby - not realizing that these products usually turn a safe car seat into an unsafe one.  In fact, using products that go behind or under the child's body or the straps violates the car seat manufacturers' instructions and will invalidate the warranty (see below for what the manufacturers say). 

The part of the Bundle Me (and similar products) that is unsafe is the part that goes BEHIND and UNDER the child's body and the straps.  

Why is it unsafe, you ask...
The whole idea of the car seat is to act as your child's parachute in a crash.  30mph feels the same thing to the body as if you jumped from a 3rd story window and landed on the pavement.  You would be absolutely crazy to jump - but if you had to, you would rather land with a parachute as you would land as slowly and gently as possible.  If your child's car seat is secured tightly to the vehicle, and the straps are snug to the child's body the child will come to the slowest, gentlest stop possible in a crash.  If however the car seat is loose to the vehicle or the straps are loose to the child's body, the child still needs to come to a stop - but it becomes a much more jolting stop, like landing on your feet, and that is what hurts and causes the injuries.  

Getting back to the Bundle Me and other fluffy products - if you were about to jump out of a plane, you wouldn't wear anything fluffy between you and your parachute harness as you would be afraid that the harness wouldn't hold you tight.  The same thing goes for your baby - you don't want to put anything bulky like coats, snowsuits, buntings, Bundle Mes, body supports, strap covers, etc between the back of the car seat and the harness straps as the straps won't be snug to the child's actual body.  Most of these products create so much extra room between the child's body and the straps that you can fit a fist in between - much more than the 1 finger that is allowed.

WITH Bundle Me - the straps "seem" snug as just 1 finger fits under the child's collar bone

WITHOUT Bundle Me (the straps were not loosened or tightened - just the Bundle Me was removed) - the straps are very loose - a whole fist fits under the straps

Do you have a Bundle Me or other sleeping bag product that you want to use this winter?  The video below shows a quick way to make the Bundle Me safe to use in the car seat.  

NOTE: If your Bundle Me has a filler material (stuffing) you will need to sew the new edges so that the baby does not try to eat the filler - this would be a choking hazard.

7AM Enfant Pookie Poncho on Combi Coccoro

Are you looking for a safe alternative to the Bundle Me?  One that you don't have to cut?  These products below simply fit OVER the top of the car seat - so there is nothing to interfere with the straps.  A few will work on convertible car seats too!

• BabbaCo Babba Cover 
• Baby Footmuff Infant Carrier Cover
  
• Baby Polar Gear Nuzzler & Nuzzler II (for infant & convertible car seats)
• Cruise Time Cruise Cover 
• JJ Cole Car Seat Cover (please note this is NOT the Bundle Me)
• Popover
• Tivoli Couture Car Seat Cover
• 7am Enfant Pookie Poncho (for convertible car seats - too big for infant seats)

Car Seat Poncho

There are also several varieties of thick fleece ponchos that the child can wear in the car seat - all of these become like a warm, hooded blanket that the child can't kick off.  They are typically for kids from 6 months to 3 years of age.  They are also nice in that when you take the child out of the car seat you can snuggle them in the poncho blanket so they aren't cold when going through the supermarket parking lot or to your front door,  or wherever you may be running errands.

• Car Seat Poncho 
• Flip Over Me Poncho

But don't take our word for it, here is what the car seat manufacturers have to say about aftermarket products. These excerpts were taken directly from the child safety seat instruction manuals.

* Baby Trend

o Do Not dress your child in bulky clothing or other garments that will hinder the harness from being snug around your baby and properly latched between your child's legs.

o Accessory products for use with the Safety Seat are acceptable for use provided that they do not interfere with the harness assembly, or the proper adjustment of the harness such that it remains tight on the child's shoulders at all times. Thick, soft, or other compressible material in excess of 1/4 inch thick should not be placed behind or under the child or between the child and harness straps. Examples of accessory products are head support pillows or rolled blankets to add additional head support.

* Britax

o The use of non-Britax Child Safety, Inc. covers, inserts, toys, accessories, or tightening devices is not approved by Britax. Their use could cause this restraint to fail Federal Safety Standards or perform worse in a crash. Their use automatically voids the Britax warranty.

* Chicco

o NEVER use clothing or blankets that interfere with fastening or tightening the harness. An unsecured child could be ejected in a sudden stop or crash! To keep child warm, place a blanket over child and restraint AFTER you have properly secured child in harness.

o DO NOT use any accessories, pads or products supplied by other manufacturers with this Child Restraint.  Items not tested with this restraint could injure your child.

* Dorel (Maxi Cosi, Cosco, Eddie Bauer, Safety 1st):

o Dorel Juvenile Group does not recommend the use of any child restraint accessories except those recommended by DJG.

* Evenflo

o In cold weather, DO NOT dress the child in bulky clothing like snowsuits if the child is riding in a child restraint. Bulky coats/ snowsuits make it difficult to properly tighten the harness to the child, which may allow the child to be ejected from the restraint during a crash.

* Graco

o DO NOT use accessories or parts other than those provided by Graco. Their use could alter the performance of the car seat.

* Orbit 

o Do not modify your Infant Car Seat or Base. Only use products and accessories approved by Orbit Baby to ensure the safety of your child. This limited warranty does not apply to: defects resulting from use with covers, inserts, accessories, tightening devices, or other components not supplied by or expressly approved in writing by Orbit Baby.

* Peg Perego

o Use only approved parts. Use of unapproved parts can affect the safety of the car seat and cause serious injuries in an accident.

* Sunshine Kids

o Using any non-Sunshine Kids product with this restraint; or any product not specifically approved by Sunshine Kids for use with this restraint is not allowed. Use of such products voids manufacturer's warranty and may seriously impact the products ability to perform properly in an accident.

Tips & Tricks - How to Prevent Someone from "accidentally" unbuckling your child's car seat

You know the sound - the double "click" - the first click is the "oops", and the second click is the person unbuckling their own seat belt.  Oops - I accidentally unbuckled Ella's car seat...

When two seat belts buckle right next to each other, it is very easy to accidentally unbuckle the wrong one first.  Here are a few easy solutions to try and prevent the "oops".

If your vehicle has the lower anchors (LATCH) in the seating position where your child is riding (remember, the center of MOST vehicles does NOT have the lower anchors) AND your child is not too heavy for the lower anchors (most have weight limits - which vary by vehicle & child restraint - but typically 40-48 pounds) - THEN install the car seat using LATCH and no one can accidentally unbuckle the child's car seat.

If you are using the vehicle's seat belt:

If your seat belt and buckle will allow for this (some won't), rotate the buckle (the female end) half a turn before buckling the seat belt.  This way the red release button will be facing in towards the child's car seat instead of tantalizingly sticking out near the other seat belt buckles.

Can't flip the buckle around?  Don't despair.  Here are a few other tricks:

If your child's infant or toddler car seat came with shoulder strap covers that velcro on/off, you may have already noticed that the shoulder strap covers were too long to allow you to keep the chest clip in the proper place - and most annoyingly of all, the shoulder strap covers tend to make the harness straps twist.  Here is a great way to REPURPOSE a seemingly useless item (as having them on actually makes things more UNcomfortable for the child as now there is more sticking into the side of their neck).  Once you are done installing the car seat, slip one shoulder strap cover behind the vehicle's seat buckle, and the other in front of the seat belt buckle - velcro them together and now you have "hidden" the red release button.

The RED button showing is the seat belt buckle for the person sitting NEXT TO the child's car seat.

Perhaps the person sitting next to the child's car seat is a 6 year old in a booster who just has really sticky fingers and the shoulder strap cover trick just isn't enough of a deterrent.  The solution is a disposable plastic or paper cup - or even a plastic yogurt container (6-8oz size).  Make a vertical slit in the cup going all the way from the top to the bottom.  Next, cut out the bottom of the cup.  Now your cup is like a tube with a slit - place the cup around the vehicle's seat belt buckle and secure the cup closed with a piece of tape.  Do NOT put tape on the vehicle's seat belt or the buckle itself.  Now Mr. Sticky Fingers can't push the wrong button (well, at least not the seat belt release button - I'm sure he's good at pushing other buttons...)

Bubble Bum - the most innovative backless booster you've ever seen

The Bubble Bum is an incredibly innovative new booster seat that will arrive in the US April 2011 - it is already wildly popular in Europe.  The Car Seat Lady is super excited about it as I think it will eliminate many of the barriers to booster seat use - in a way that no other booster seat does.

What makes it so GREAT?

• LIGHTWEIGHT
• Weighs just 1 pound!
• Great for playdates, travel, taxis & rental cars - anytime you need to take a booster
• COMPACT 
• INFLATES in seconds to its regular size, but quickly deflates to fit in a child's tiny backpack
• Unlike other boosters which are bulky pieces of plastic (even if they weigh only 5 pounds), this one is compact enough that you have no excuse to not bring the booster with your child for EVERY trip (even just a short taxi ride from the airport...)
• NARROW
• Until now, the Nania High Ride was the narrowest booster on the US market at 14.5 inches - but the Bubble Bum is just 12.5 inches wide!
• With smaller, more fuel efficient cars becoming the primary family vehicle, the need for a narrow booster has never been greater.
• LOW PROFILE
• Without "arm rests" like other booster seats, it will fit in smaller spaces where other boosters won't (think trying to fit 3 kids across the back seat)
• Many kids find it hard to buckle themselves into traditional boosters as the arm rests block their view of the seat belt buckle - this booster will give them more independence
• Note: the "arm rests" on other boosters are to prevent the lap belt from sliding up into the child's abdomen - the Bubble Bum uses innovative belt guides on the side of the booster to accomplish this same goal, but without bulky arm rests
• FUN
• A large focus group of school kids picked the fun purple color scheme
• Since it doesn't look like other boosters, your child may not fight as much about riding in it
• COMFORTABLE
• AFFORDABLE
• At $30, you can afford to have one for playdates, one for grandma's car, another for the babysitter's car...

Who can use it: It is appropriate for kids age 4 and up who weigh between 40 and 80 pounds.

The fine print:
The Car Seat Lady received this Bubble Bum booster for free - but is in no way affiliated with Bubble Bum and is not paid in anyway for this blog post. 
Why the glowing review?  We simply think this may be the best thing since sliced bread (well, for boosters at least).  There are many barriers to booster seat use - convenience, cost, portability, lack of space in the vehicle to name a few - and this booster addresses them all in a way no other seat does.  Therefore, we think this booster has the chance to keep many kids safer as we think kids will be more likely to have this booster with them when they need it (the ride to the airport, the taxi in NYC, the last minute playdate, etc). 

Introducing the new.... Graco Smart Seat

Graco Smart Seat

I had the privilege and pleasure to spend the past 2 days in Atlanta at the Graco headquarters for the Smart Seat Launch conference for car seat advocates.  I feel honored to be amongst the 13 car seat advocates invited - with "just" 13 years experience in the field I was the baby of the bunch and was humbled to be in the company of greatness - as the other 12 advocates have devoted many years of their lives helping to keep children across this country safe when riding in cars. 

In an effort to be as transparent as possible, Graco invited us to preview their new seat - but it was more than just a preview.  This was an opportunity for those of us with the highest level of expertise in the field to share our thoughts and feedback on this and other products with the engineers and product design teams so that we can work together to create the best seats possible - ones that not only offer the best crash protection, but also facilitate proper use and fit the widest range of children possible. 

So, without further adieu, let me introduce the Smart Seat (images provided by Graco)

 

The Basics:
- Rear-facing: 5-40 pounds
- Forward-facing with 5-point harness: up to 65 pounds (top shoulder strap slot 17.2 inches)

- High back booster seat: to 100 pounds

Smart Seat - Rear-facing recline

Smart Seat - Forward-facing

Graco Smart Seat - High Back Booster mode

Why is this seat a game changer?

Graco Smart Seat base

You know the old adage, "only infant seats have bases"... well, rules were meant to be broken and the Smart Seat has rewritten the rules.  This seat comes in 2 pieces - there is a "stay in car base" and the shell that the child rides in.  The base is not optional - i.e. unlike most infant seats that can be installed with or without the base, you MUST use the base on this seat.  The base is used when the seat is installed rear-facing & forward-facing - but is NOT used in the booster mode.

PROS:

• You know that fantastic built in lock-off that appears on the Snug Ride 35 base?  You guessed it - the Smart Seat has it too - which makes a tight installation as easy as pie.
• Narrowest belt path of any seat - which works GREAT for the narrow center in many vehicles (some centers are as narrow as 8 or 9 inches "wide") - and while the base itself is much wider than 8 inches, it is possible to access the side seat belt buckles due to the fact that the base is cut out and raised on the sides.  This is not the case with any other forward-facing car seat - none others have this narrow of a "footprint".
• No towels/noodles needed under the seat to make it reclined enough for a young infant - all recline adjustments are made on the shell once the base is installed.  
• 40 pound rear-facing weight limit with dimensions that should really accommodate many kids to this point
• This is the first, and currently only, Graco seat to allow the use of the lower anchors at any spacing so long as the vehicle manufacturer designates that seating position as a LATCH position.  For more info on center LATCH, visit this older post - please note that the table on this post will be updated to include this Graco seat once the seat becomes available on the market. 
• No re-thread harness adjustment - with 6 harness heights (from 8.2 to 17.2 inches)
• This seat would be great for parents who carpool - if you need to take 2 year olds in the morning and 5 year olds in the afternoon, you can change the seat from rear-facing to forward-facing very easily (just remember to use the tether for forward-facing!)
• Wide comfortable seat
• Lowest shoulder strap slot is 8 in (same as on the Graco Snug Ride 22, 32, and 35 infant seats) - but with the requirement to use the shoulder strap covers for rear-facing this will likely not fit infants until closer to 10 pounds as the shoulder strap covers are long and bulky
• You can store the 5 point harness in a handy hideaway when the seat is in booster mode - so you don't have to worry about taking the harness out and/or losing it.
• Color coding to try and reduce confusion/errors - Blue is for rear-facing, Orange is for forward-facing, and Green is for booster mode
• Easy to read "bubble" level indicator on the car seat
• Steel reinforced base and shell - with 4 metal to metal connections between the shell and the base
  

  

  6 position no-rethread harness/headrest

CONS:

• This is not a seat for travel.  Why - it weighs 35 pounds.  If that isn't enough, it is likely too wide to fit on most airplane seats - that is if you could haul it down the aisle anyway.
• Currently, when it is installed rear-facing it sits quite reclined, which for older toddlers who are eager to look out the back window might be problematic as they get more of a view of the roof than the back window. HOWEVER - GRACO HEARD THIS FEEDBACK AND WILL LOOK INTO WHETHER THERE IS A WAY TO ALLOW OLDER KIDS TO RIDE MORE UPRIGHT WHILE REAR-FACING.  IRONICALLY, SITTING THIS CAR SEAT MORE UPRIGHT ACTUALLY INCREASES THE CHILD'S LEG ROOM, AND INCREASES THE LEG ROOM FOR THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS.
• This is a wide seat - great if you have a captain's chair in a minivan, but problematic if you are trying to fit 2 car seats in the back seat of a car or SUV while still allowing enough room for a person in the back.
• With the current recline position allowed for rear-facing it takes up a fair amount of room into the front seat - and will likely not fit rear-facing in the center of many vehicles unless the driver and front passenger don't need a lot of leg room.
• Shoulder strap covers are long and bulky (with a firm piece of foam in the layer that goes between the harness strap and the child's body) - this may be uncomfortable not to mention it will likely prevent a snug harness fit for smaller infants.  Many of us find that shoulder strap covers make the harness straps twist - this is the only seat that REQUIRES the strap covers to be used, so removing them is not an option (note however that after 40 pounds the harness strap covers must be removed)
• The crotch buckle distance is only 6.25in (the same as the Graco Nautilus) which by 3-4 years of age is coming from under the child's bottom, rather than in front.
• In the booster mode (as with the Graco Nautilus in the high back mode), the top head rest height is not nearly tall enough to accommodate a child who is approaching 4'9".

Good Morning Las Vegas!

The Car Seat Ladies (Alisa & Emily) along with Lulu, Emily's 10-month old daughter (the car seat baby????), are in Las Vegas for the ABC Kids Expo.  Over the next 3 days we will be meeting with all the major car seat manufacturers to learn what new products and features they'll be launching in the next year - and to share feedback with them on how (in our humble opinions) they can improve their products - because frankly, car seats are just too darn hard to install properly.

Lulu, Emily & Alisa

Lulu sleeping comfortably in her Combi Coccoro on the plane

Having just traveled with a 10 month old in tow, we can share a few travel tips.

1. Buy a seat for the baby on the airplane.  It is not just the safer way to travel, it is the saner way to travel - who wants a squirmy toddler on their lap for 5 hours?
2. Travel with your car seat.  We brought the Combi Coccoro (which we wheeled around the airport connected to the Combi Coccoro Flash stroller).  I am a small person (just 5'2") and found it very easy to carry the car seat with sleeping Lulu in it down the aisle of the plane.  It also fit nicely in the airplane seat and allowed the person in front to recline their seat just about all the way. 
3. Encourage the baby to suck during take off.  Nurse or bottle feed the baby until you hear "flight attendants prepare for take-off" - then strap the baby into the car seat and offer a bottle, pacifier, sippy cup, or food that you have to suck out of the packaging.
4. Fly at night - the baby is most likely to sleep through the majority of the plane ride (Lulu thankfully did).
5. Change your baby into their pajamas before the flight - this will keep them warm as the plane is often chilly.

CAR POOL TIPS - What is the NARROWEST BOOSTER available?

Nania High Ride

Are you driving carpool this year and wondering how you are going to fit 3 boosters across the back of your minivan?  Trying to fit multiple car seats & boosters can be a challenge - even in a big vehicle like a minivan.  Wondering which booster is the narrowest?

Harmony Juvenile Cruz

The Nania High Ride (backless booster) is the narrowest booster seat currently available - at just 14.5 inches wide.  The Harmony Juvenile Cruz is the next narrowest - at just 15.5 inches wide.  Both are available for less than $25 each.  The Bubble Bum, which will be out in April 2011, is the narrowest of all at just 12.5 inches - and also has no arm rests (which are the parts that tend to interfere most with placing a booster next to another car seat or booster).

Bubble Bum

Before you rush to buy a booster for carpool...

Kids, especially younger ones, are safer in a 5-point harness.  Don’t rush to “graduate” your child to a booster seat.   Kids who are AT LEAST 40 pounds AND AT LEAST 3-4 years old can start riding on boosters.  Kids should ride on a booster UNTIL they can pass the 5-step-test (usually age 8-10).

If you can check "Yes" to all the statements below, your child is okay to use a booster:

YES       NO
  [ ]          [ ]       There is a shoulder AND lap belt where the child sits (boosters need shoulder belts)
  [ ]          [ ]       The child is at least 40 pounds (kids under 40 pounds are safer in a 5-point harness)
  [ ]          [ ]       The child is at least 3-4 years old
  [ ]          [ ]       The child can sit still the entire trip without leaning forward or sitting on their knees

Do you need something EVEN NARROWER?
The Ride Safer Travel Vest is a great option as it is only as wide as the child's body (see below for more info).


Does a child need to ride in a position with just a lap belt?
One option would be to use a 5-point harness car seat with a high-weight-harness (a harness that accommodates kids who weigh more than 40 pounds).  A list of such car seats can be found here thanks to our fantastic friends at Safety Belt Safe USA.

Ride Safer Travel Vest using tether + lap belt

Ride Safer Travel Vest in center showing tether

Another option is the Ride Safer Travel Vest - which is a vest that functions like a booster by positioning the vehicle's seat belt properly on the child's body.  The Ride Safer Travel Vest can be used with just a lap belt so long as there is a tether anchor available.  For vehicles 2000 and newer, there are tether anchors in at least 3 seating locations in the vehicle - most older vehicles (as old as 1989) can have tether anchors retrofitted for free or at minimal cost.  The vest was redesigned about a year ago; please make sure to get the newer version. You can distinguish the new from the old as the old one was only available in silver and had 2 buckles in front whereas the new one is available in a rainbow variety of colors, but not silver, and the new one has only one buckle in front.

NOTES: 

• The boosters shown above are BACKLESS boosters.  In order to use a backless booster, or the Ride Safer Travel Vest, you need to make sure that the vehicle seat back comes up to at least the top of the child's ears in order to provide adequate head support.  If the vehicle seat back does NOT come up to at least the top of the ears, then you need to use a high back booster.  
• For wiggly, squirmy kids it is often helpful to "lock" the seat belt - click here for tips on how to "lock" the belt. 
• The Bubble Bum will be available in April 2011 - it meets all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and crash testing like all other boosters.
• The Nania High Ride (which meets all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards like all other car seats and boosters sold in the US) is not sold in any retail stores.  It is available individually for $20 from the University of Iowa Children's Hospital Online Safety Store.  Otherwise it is sold in packs of 6-8 boosters (total cost comes to less than $20 per booster) and is available from the following websites:
• AllegroMedical
• Child Source
• OpenTip

For approximate dimensions of other boosters and car seats, click here.