Minnesota Babies
MrsGo4Hockeychick
member
it's that time of year: Annual bundle me PSA
MrsGo4Hockeychick
member
LOL. I know you ladies have listened to me explain why the bundle me is bad. I just wanted to share this article, complete with pictures that talks only about how it affects the actual car seat as far as bulk and harness interference. https://tinyurl.com/bundlemepsa of course there is the additional warranty issue. But it is perfectly safe for stroller use. There is a reason that all JJ Cole advertising shows the bundle me in use in strollers and car seats that are NOT in a car. There are plenty of options for safe covers. Anything that goes on like a shower cap is ok 
Walmart carries the cozy cover every year, eddie bauer makes one, JJ Cole finally came out with a safe version (it's just a car seat cover), babypolargear, kiddopotamus and babba co are also options. If you have a kiddo in a convertible seat, we loved our travel trench. There's also the car seat coat. Fleece is usually thin enough to be safe, and regular coats can be worn backwards after the child is fastened in the harness. The jacket test is simple: 1. put your LO into the desired outerwear2. buckle your LO into their seat, and adjust the harness to a proper fit. (not being able to pinch the straps vertically)3. without adjusting the harness, take your LO out. 4. take off the outerwear. 5. buckle your LO back into the seat. If you have to adjust the straps at all, the coat is too bulky.
Walmart carries the cozy cover every year, eddie bauer makes one, JJ Cole finally came out with a safe version (it's just a car seat cover), babypolargear, kiddopotamus and babba co are also options. If you have a kiddo in a convertible seat, we loved our travel trench. There's also the car seat coat. Fleece is usually thin enough to be safe, and regular coats can be worn backwards after the child is fastened in the harness. The jacket test is simple: 1. put your LO into the desired outerwear2. buckle your LO into their seat, and adjust the harness to a proper fit. (not being able to pinch the straps vertically)3. without adjusting the harness, take your LO out. 4. take off the outerwear. 5. buckle your LO back into the seat. If you have to adjust the straps at all, the coat is too bulky.
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Re: it's that time of year: Annual bundle me PSA
I fight that urge every time I see someone with the scanning gun at BRU, adding it to their registry.
And I had to bite my tongue when a parent at K's preschool went on and on about how her husband is "car seat crazy", so he insisted they get the orbit because it's "safest". While her daughter sat in said car seat with the huge, bulky arctic bundle me. (not to mention there is no safest car seat...and the orbit isn't on the top of anyone's list..)
Playing Devil's advocate here...
Have there been any official recalls or "actual" articles on how the Bundle Me is unsafe? This article does not really show anything since the BM is securely attached to the carseat and would not go anywhere in case of collision, so it would remain tight. It's not like putting them in a bulky snowsuit, not attached to the carseat. Plus, I did the "test" and as long as you make sure the harness is in the proper spot it didn't make a difference.
It's not like I'm obsessed with our BM or anything, I just think sometimes people (especially us moms : ) can overeact without having real evidence of safety issues.
https://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=12156
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actually, it's just like putting them in a snowsuit. It's bulkier than clothes, and it does affect how the harness lies. Any pinch or twist (no matter how minimal) affects the efficiency of the harness.
Sure, the bundle me will stay in place. Your LO however, may not. Snowsuits have been left behind in crashes as well, while the body is found yards away in a snowbank.
It will void your car seat warranty as well. Meaning if you do get in an accident, and your LO is hurt, you will be on the hook for all medical bills. Your insurance can (and in most cases will) state that the injuries are due to your own negligence and misuse and they can refuse to pay. (And they're right as far as blame goes.)
No, there have been no recalls, because even JJ Cole advertisements show them only in strollers and in car seats that are not being used in a car. This product is perfectly safe when not used in car seat that's being used in a car. Liability is the main reason for this, as they will say that they do not promote it's use in a motor vehicle.
There is no data because there are no crash tests. There is no test for after market products and no way for them to pass federally mandated tests. (and I have no idea how advertising them as passing isn't false advertising).
There are better, safer and cheaper products available. I don't understand why you would want to take the risk. Seeing the body of one child ejected from their seat because of products like this is too many. I don't want to see another, and I sure as hell wouldn't want to see my own child that way.
I was saying it becomes a part of the carseat, the straps are still around the child not like in a snow suit where the child is totally enclosed in the suit. The spot that is actually behind the child on the Bundle Me is not very bulky either.
Was there a case where a child was ejected from a bundle me? I can't find anywhere that says they are not to be used in a motor vehicle, can you point me to that on their site or wherever it's located.
I'm not trying to tick anybody off or anything and I can drop it too, Just wondering if there is actually something to it.
I do see what you're saying about voiding the warrenty of the carseat but it does say it has been crash tested...
I also totally get better safe than sorry
The point that Gopher was trying to make is that regardless of how thick the BM is behind the baby it is a poorly designed device because the slats on the BM that the car seat straps come through are vertical or l l whereas the harness for the car seat straps are threaded like - - so if you try to put them through the BM the slats on the BM pinch off the car seat straps and cause it to be essentially ineffective because it clearly states in your owners manual for the car seat that the straps should lay flat against babies chest. So *if* something were to happen and they found out there was a comprimised restraint they'd deny your claim.
And I do actually believe that there is something on the BM now that states it shouldn't be used in the car, or hasn't been tested in the car, because as Gopher also said there is no crash testing on after market parts.
"Tests performed on car seats with the products installed found that the car seats complied with the Restraint System Integrity and Occupant Excursion portions of the FMVSS-213 requirements."
I'll drop it now though, like I said better safe than sorry especially with carseats : )
I think you're missing the point. JJ Cole may have crash tested it. Maybe. Maybe their crash test involved every single seat on the market in every single configuration. Maybe their testing involved a test sled and crash test dummies. Maybe it involved Steve from marketing throwing the seat against the wall. Maybe they tested 2 seats, maybe they tested them all, maybe it was somewhere in between.
There is no way of knowing how/if/when they tested it for certain. JJ Cole has never released that information.
There is no crash test for after market products. Seeing as there is no standard to meet, they can not be deemed safe.
And read your car seat manual. That will explicitly tell you that any after market product voids your warranty.
Question on this.. I'm expecting my first & I've heard about no snow suits in car seats, etc so I was going to be looking at getting one of these covers I saw at Walmart. Are these covers not also considered "aftermarket?" Should we also be concerned that, God forbid, something did happen on the slippery roads in MN that the Car Seat manufacturer could also deny claim because of the cover being an "aftermarket" piece on the car seat? Or are they considered ok because they do not come between the LO & the car seat? Just want to be sure I am understanding the guidelines.
My 2 December boys
yes, because they do not interfere with any aspect of the seat, they are considered safe. They don't touch any part of the harness and are not considered dangerous like toys that can become projectiles in an accident.
Thanks for the info!
My 2 December boys
unless they came with your seat, yes.
Gopher! Just the gal I wanted to talk to!
I have a question for you. So you know last year we had the girls in the infant seats with the shower cap covers, and that was plenty warm last year. This year, now that we are in convertibles, I am wondering if those car seat ponchos are ok. If we take their coats off in the car and just put those on once they are buckled in, is that a problem? Or are we better off just using a regular blanket?
Maybe you already addressed this above, I probably could have read through a bit better. Ultimately, we will likely just warm up the van first, but you know there are occasions where that isn't always possible. We have put them in their seats in regular coats with no problem, but the thick coats obviously won't work. Thoughts?