StaceyinLA Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 If you are using your Radian as a booster (or plan to), are you at all concerned about the weight of the seat if you're using the seat belt only to secure the child? Obviously using it with the harness where the seat is buckled into the car is one thing, but what about if child AND seat and being held with seat belt? Does that allow the seat the ability to compress the child between the seat and seat belt? This may be a super dumb question and I may just be thinking way off, but the seats are really heavy, and I have really been wondering about this for down the road with my grandkids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjand6more Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I am planning to use it as a booster when ds 3 is ready for it. He is still 5 point harnessed and will be for a long time. It is a heavy seat, but it has been crash tested for older (heavier/taller) kids who are expected to be using it. I am not concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 Well I certainly wouldn't be concerned while still in the 5-pt because the seat would be buckled separately, or using latch. I was just wondering about down the road when you use it with just the belt so the belt is technically holding the child AND seat together. I just wanted to clarify - you may have understood that and your answer may be exactly the same, but I did want to be sure I made myself clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Wouldn't a child and the seat combined still weigh less than the average adult or even a large adult? If seat belts can handle that kind of weight, then they should have no trouble with the child/booster combo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 My concern isn't the seat belt. My concern or question is that if the child is being held in to the seat with only the seat belt (versus the harness), then in an accident the child is basically sandwiched between the seat (which is not separately held in place by the seat belt or anchors), and the seat belt. I am wondering if there would be force from the seat pushing the child into the belt when it locks in an accident, and if, due to the weight if the radian versus other boosters, it could be an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilma Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Hm, we use Radian seats as boosters and the issue has never even crossed my mind. Nor will I lose any sleep over it now that it has. I assume that the people who designed the seat for use as a booster would've thought through those types of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjand6more Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Well I certainly wouldn't be concerned while still in the 5-pt because the seat would be buckled separately, or using latch. I was just wondering about down the road when you use it with just the belt so the belt is technically holding the child AND seat together. I just wanted to clarify - you may have understood that and your answer may be exactly the same, but I did want to be sure I made myself clear. Yep! I understood your concern. You were clear. Sorry I wasn't. :) I will not have issues putting ds in the booster when it is time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHASRADA Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 I'm wondering why the seat would be unhooked when used as a booster anyway? My dd's seat is tethered with the car's latch. She still uses the 5 point harness, but when she doesn't need it anymore, switching her to the seatbelt as her restraint is the only thing that would change. I can't imagine why I would choose to also untether the booster. It is a huge seat that could become a projectile if she wasn't sitting in it and it therefore wasn't secured at all. I would just leave the seat tethered, and then you won't have to worry about it :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 I'm wondering why the seat would be unhooked when used as a booster anyway? My dd's seat is tethered with the car's latch. She still uses the 5 point harness, but when she doesn't need it anymore, switching her to the seatbelt as her restraint is the only thing that would change. I can't imagine why I would choose to also untether the booster. It is a huge seat that could become a projectile if she wasn't sitting in it and it therefore wasn't secured at all. I would just leave the seat tethered, and then you won't have to worry about it :) Can you do that with it? A lot of seats don't have that option, and I know LATCH is only usable up to a certain weight and you have to factor in the weight of the seat. That certainly makes sense, if it's able to be used that way. I know you are never supposed to use LATCH AND a seatbelt to secure a car seat normally, so I didn't know if you'd be able to in this situation. And precisely, the seat is basically a projectile, except that your child is buckled with it in a seat belt. That is why I'm curious about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Can you do that with it? A lot of seats don't have that option, and I know LATCH is only usable up to a certain weight and you have to factor in the weight of the seat. That certainly makes sense, if it's able to be used that way. I know you are never supposed to use LATCH AND a seatbelt to secure a car seat normally, so I didn't know if you'd be able to in this situation. And precisely, the seat is basically a projectile, except that your child is buckled with it in a seat belt. That is why I'm curious about this. We have a booster that uses LATCH. The point of the LATCH in an instance such as these is so the seat isn't a projectile if it's empty in an accident. We do have radians but we use them as harness seats. I wouldn't have any issue using them as a booster, however. The seatbelts are made to restrain a much heavier person than ~100lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyroo Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 From the Using the Seat as a Booster section of the Radian manual: "Unsecured objects can become flying hazards and can cause serious injury in a accident. While not required, it is strongly recommended to use LATCH and/or tether anchors in vehicles equipped with such anchorages." "Do NOT use LATCH if installation interferes with vehicle seat belt." To the best of my knowledge, almost all booster seat equipped with LATCH encourage you to use it to secure the seat (not the child, who is secured by the seat belt) to prevent the seat from becoming a projectile. Because the LATCH is only securing the seat, that is well within the weight limit. The normal progression is: 1 - Use seat in harness mode secured with LATCH until child plus seat hit LATCH weight limit. Be sure to check weight limits in both car seat manual and car manual and abide by lower of the two. 2 - Use seat in harness mode secured with seat belt until child is ready for booster (at least 4 years and 40 lb, preferably 5+ years). 3 - Reattach LATCH to secure seat. If LATCH cannot be used for whatever reason, then get in the habit of always buckling the seat belt over the empty seat for trips when the child is not in attendance. Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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