Several years ago, I did the original vehicle seat protector article exploring whether there were safe vehicle seat protector mats to use under carseats. I concluded that some are definitely better than others; probably the same thing can be said for just about every...
The lowly vehicle seat cover. Often put on the seat to hide a rip or stain, or to protect upholstery for resale value, it can mean the difference between walking away from a crash or riding away in an ambulance. A bit melodramatic? Sure, Ive been accused before, but...
My family and I went out to dinner about a month ago to a restaurant we normally order take-out from and I spotted this cool covering for an infant seat. I almost grabbed the fathers arm to ask him where he got it, but Im sure it would have caused him to dump his...
Im so glad you wrote a post about tethers today! They have been on my mind lately. Three questions:
1. What is the difference between Swedish and Aussie style tethering in terms of their effect on the car seat in a crash? Is one better at keeping children from getting injured?
2. We are looking to get a crossover, but there are very few options that have enough tethers for my liking. Is it okay to make a tether point using a top tether connector strap looped around something bolted to the frame in the back (if there is something)? Obviously if the seats can be removed, I wouldnt want to do it where they attach to the car, but if they dont, somewhere like a seat track, for example? I have two Diono Radian RXTs (post 2017 redesign) and a Britax Pavilion if it is a car seat specific answer.
3. Not tether-related. I was doing research on car seats, usage, and regulations for relatives in Europe and ran across the idea of buckle crunch a few times. The articles claimed that the buckle should not touch the seat at all because even if properly tightened, in a crash the force of the seat could cause the plastic of the buckle to explode or break. I havent been able to find any information on it on any of the American sites I know of. Is it a problem? On all of my seats, including the higher-sitting Britax the plastic of the buckle makes some kind of contact with the car seat (though doesnt interfere with proper tightening).
Sorry for such lengthy questions! I appreciate being able to ask professionals questions to get a correct answer. I love your blog and am so grateful for the time and effort that goes into it! You are one of the best references for car seat information in my opinion!
Hi Nanika. Thanks for being one of our awesome readers! You’re why we continue to write our articles!
1. I think this article will answer most of your questions about tethering: https://carseatblog.com/12749/how-to-use-a-rear-facing-tether/. The goals of Swedish- and Aussie-style tethering are different in terms of energy management. Because of passenger side advanced airbags, we’ve really gotten away from using Swedish-style tethering because of the possibility of interfering with the wiring for them. Some Volvos actually have a dedicated tether anchor under the front passenger seat for tethering, but not everyone is willing to go buy a Volvo, lol.
2. Crash forces are so great that a tether connector strap would fail if you use it forward-facing. It’s only designed to be used rear-facing because those forces are 1/3 of frontal crash forces. I’m all for using a top tether in all FF installations, but it must only be to a factory-installed tether anchor (or other manufacturer-approved tether anchor).
3. I think buckle crunch is a “thing” in Europe for some reason. The plastic casing surrounding a buckle is for looks and general ease of handling. The metal inside of the plastic is what holds the webbing in a crash; I’ve installed carseats in vehicles where the plastic surrounding the buckle was missing. You don’t really want the red (sometimes black) release button to be up against the carseat or positioned so it can be depressed in a crash by the carseat. Maybe that’s what they’re so concerned about? IDK. It’s not really an issue.
Hi Heather.
Had you tried sweden-style RF tethering in Model 3?
I’ve read your article comparing australian vs swedish, but for seats without anti-rebound bar – Swedish style seems to make much more sense.
Hi Gleb. No, I haven’t tried Swedish-style RF tethering in the M3 because it’s fallen out of practice now. Because of the Easy Entry setting on the driver’s seat, the only place it could be tried is on the passenger side. I’m not sure there’s space under the railingI haven’t looked yet.
Awesome. How does this compare with the multi-directional tether that UppaBaby has planned for their Knox seat?
This is very similar to the tether on the Knox. Uppa has decided that their tether only needs to wrap around one side of the carseat.