Clek is recalling some models of their Olli and Ozzi backless booster seats because of a missing label. This is a compliance recall, so as long as you are following the directions for use in your owner's manual by placing the lap portion of the seat belt under both...
The Rear-Facing Tether Is BackAussie Style Clek recently introduced a new old safety concept: the Australian-style rear-facing tether. Its been a few years since rear-facing tethering has been in vogue, but back then, it was the Swedish-style of tethering with...
Why Seat Belt Extenders Should Not Be Used with Carseats and Boosters Have you seen the recent story in the news about Ethan, the 6 year old who was severely and permanently injured in a crash? Because his seat belt buckle was flush with the vehicle seat, his father...
I’d like to see how mats that go with the seat do, so a graco mat with a graco seat, britax with a britax seat, and diono with a diono seat. (Not sure if other seat makers make them.)
Not all manufacturers make mats. I’m guessing they know that adding anything to the seat prior to installing a car seat is a bad idea and lends itself to a poor installation.
Thank you for this article.
Thanks for doing such an in depth report. On the seat mats that were ok installs, how do you think they would do with how the average parent installs a seat? What I mean is an install with the mat, then locking clip to mark, remove the mat and reinstall. Do you think you’d get the same results?
I wonder how they would be with a half inch of movement before adding the clip, particularly the ones that were difficult to reinstall. The ones that slipped loose were due to the recline angle changing; a pool noodle pyramid or a differently-shaped child restraint would have prevented that. I agree with Dillipop that the real test is to install with the mat first, then go back and check. But then again, the REAL test is how they perform in a crash. The manufacturers that have approved a mat have presumably tested the mat with their restraint and the restraint still performed well.
The mats take up space under the seat, just like the vehicle cushions do . If you took the vehicle cushions out, the seat would be loose. But that doesn’t matter, because the cushion is there and it stays there throughout the crash. Same with a mat. The only way I see the mats being bad is if it gives a false sense of tightness the way shelf liner can.
@dillipop, that’s the thing: I don’t think parents who use these mats are diligent enough to get tight enough installs in the first place. Maybe dads who have the weight/strength behind them can get a tight enough install, but the main issue I found, aside from the hard as a rock mats, was the material was generally slippery.
@pixels, the angle didn’t slip down until after the seat started to slide. It was the material of the mats that caused the slipping. I’ve installed that Scenera dozens of times on leather and cloth seats and not had the angle slip down. The Brica protector with toy organizer was a slippery fabric, but it was also thin compared to the others so the install was better too.
Another one – the Brica Car Seat Grabber. I’ve been buying these for years, and cutting them in half to put under the seat for RF installs. They are fairly thick rubber, but I can still get rock-solid installs with Britax seats with LATCH.
My problem is that I cannot figure out what to do to protect the seat backs from ERFers’ muddy shoes. It seems that the 2-piece seat protectors do not have anything to prevent the part that goes on the back of the seat from flopping over onto the kids. I am thinking of buying thin kick mats (the kind that go on the back of the front seat for forward facing kids)since they can attach to the head rest. Any other ideas?
How about shoe covers for the kiddos? Can buy disposable or make your own
@wagonlover, that’s exactly what I’d suggest–a plastic kick mat that ties to the headrest. Or even a thick towel with notches cut for the head rest posts to go through. That way when it gets really dirty, you can just throw it in the washer.
I have had the same 2 Eddie Bauer seat protectors with clip on toy bags for almost 7 years now. I used them RF and FF with at least 5 different seats I think and 3 different vehicles. I always get my installations checked and never has the mat been a problem. The design and materials of the mat are just like the ones in the videos. I actually get complimented at checks for my tight install. But I also insist on installing them to the point of no little movement at the belt path.
Thanks for the in depth reviews. I’m a little confused on the Brica Seat Guardian. You seem to have gotten it tight, to the point that you cannot move the seat by hand. Is there such a thing as too tight? Or do you feel it was a false indicator of proper tightness?
@Nate, I think what happened with that installation is that the bottom rails of the Scenera got caught in the criss-cross rubber grooves of the seat protector which accounted for the install that doesn’t move. So yes, I think it was probably a false tight installation. It really was like installing a seat on wood and my shoulder aches just thinking about it. Of course my shoulder is aching anyway just sitting here, lol, but seriously, I remember *hurting* after that install so I can’t imagine what the Average Joe Parent would feel like trying to get a carseat tight.
I was thinking about buying a car seat protector and was watching your videos. I’m still confused as to which one to purchase. Do you use one in your car ? If so which one do you think is safe. I just bought a car seat for my new highlander with leather seats and thought I would buy a protector but of course I want my granddaughter to be safe. Thanks for your advise. I look forward to hearing from you. Debbie
@Debbie, my kids are past the carseat stage–my dd is using the Safety 1st Incognito Kid Positioner for older kids–so I don’t use a protector and never really found the need for one either. Carseats will leave use marks, just like you will on your driver’s seat, and they generally come out over time. If I had to choose one mat over another, I’d choose the Britax Vehicle Seat Protector because it’s thin and pliable. However, it’s only approved for use with Britax seats, so it’s up to you if you want to use it with a carseat manufactured by another company.
What about for high back booster seats? I have 2 and they not only cut into the bottom of my seats but the back/top as well.
@Deanna, perhaps hanging a thin towel behind the boosters would be best. What seats do you have? Does your vehicle have headrests?
Heather, my daughter rec’d the Brica Car Seat Guardian Plus this month (01/15). Your article is a few yrs old so not sure if this is the same as reviewed. She rec’d it from a ‘well intentioned family member’ who has young kids. It sounds like protectors aren’t necessary if you keep everything cleaned up. However to keep the peace, will this protector be okay & if not will a safety tech tell them? Thank you!
@MH220, yes, this is the same Brica protector that I reviewed in 2013. If she really wants a seat protector, Britax makes a nice, thin, rubber one that’s sold at Babies R Us and Amazon. Technically it can only be used with Britax seats, but if she’s willing to use a Brica seat protector, she might be willing to look beyond that technicality–most carseat manuals say something about using aftermarket/non-regulated products at the beginning of the manual. Really, they aren’t needed.
The best way to keep seats protected is to not allow kids to eat dirty or greasy foods or to drink sticky drinks. Crackers and water clean up really nicely ;).
Thanks for sharing those videos. I am just wondering if the results will be the same with a forward facing car seat. Do you have any recommendation that will protect the back and bottom of the seat from dents. Is there any concerns that the backing gets stuck onto the leather seats in the summer?
Hi Sharon. Yes, the results will be the same for a forward-facing seat. There’s really nothing you can do to keep a properly installed carseat from leaving dents in a vehicle seat–even your bum will leave dents over time, lol. My experience is that the leather pops back out after some time, especially if it’s warm out. I live in a hot climate and have never experienced seat protectors getting stuck to vehicle seats, but I live in the desert where our humidity averages in the single digits. I have heard of shelf liner getting stuck, but I think humidity may play a role, especially if a child spills a sticky drink.
Have you tried the Catchie yet? That one has been our best bet out of all three kids…Its really thin and made with slip resistant material…kind of reminds me of a britax seat protector but new modern twist. I just didn’t see a review on it in this list didn’t know if you heard of it. I would like to hear your input.
Hi Ashley. No, I haven’t seen the Catchie before. Interesting concept!
Surely I can’t be the only person on the planet with a child who constantly has (copious) potty accidents in the car. Yes, I have an in-seat waterproof liner. It *limits* the damage, but does not prevent my cloth seats from smelling like a baby potty (Ewww!). Food? Ha! Yes, we get food and Carolina red clay ground into the seats. As you say, kids ruin your stuff. But I draw the line when I can SMELL the car from outside it on a hot summer day. Please recommend a solution if the seat pads aren’t it. I’m just beginning my research. FYI, said child is a 2-1/2 yo in a RF Britax Marathon (which I utterly despise, but that’s another subject. It IS safe, and it’s the seat I have).
M, Britax has their own seat protector and I really like it. It’s thin and rubber and has a tray-like appearance, which may help keep some spill inside if you center your carseat on it.
Any experience with Diono products? They have several protectors that I’m debating as Diono carseat owner.
Jillian, I haven’t seen them in person, but if they’re the same as what they have on their website, they’re just rebranded Brica Guardian Plus and Summer DuoMats.
We have the Brica Guardian Plus and really like it. Protective and I believe it is crash tested.
Your comment about not mixing “hard with car seats” Doesn’t make any sense as the base of the car seat is hard plastic itself. Plus all seats have varying foams/densities so one may be hard and another soft.
Just my .02
It may be crash tested, but how did they crash test it? There is no federal motor vehicle safety standard that lays forth how products like this must perform with carseats in a crash test, so they can claim it’s crash tested but we don’t have any idea whatsoever what that means. Clek and Britax make their own vehicle seat protectors to be used with their own carseats and they do crash test with their carseats so they can predict how they will react in a crash.
About the carseat’s hard plastic bottom, think about how the carseat installs on a vehicle seat. It is supposed to compress into the vehicle seat cushion. If you put something firm between the carseat and the cushion, it impedes the carseat’s ability to compress the cushion enough. The seat protector may also add extra slippage where none existed before. Many of the seat protectors are made of nylon or a similar material, which is a much more slippery material than regular vehicle upholstery. I’ve been installing carseats now for over 16 years on leather seats and have had only a very small number of times where the leather has caused slippage.
One type of vehicle seat that does cause a problem is in the back seat of an extended cab truck where the seat bottom folds out. It’s little more than a carpet-covered board and because there’s no cushion, there’s no way to get a good installation.
All good points but we’ve had them for over a year and no real slippage. Having said that I am a big guy so I could easily compress the seat protector.
The best part of this seat vs others is the high sides/lips that help hold in any spills. But I do see your point.