Any carseat experts on here? ? re. 5-pt harness.

C.squared

DD is still RF in a Recaro Como, but is nearing the RF weight limit (she's 32'ish lbs).  I'm debating buying a Radian RXT with the angle adjuster so I can keep her RF a little longer - she has no complaints about it and I just feel safer having her that way.  I drive a huge SUV and her seat fits easily in the middle of the back seat and there's a LOT of traffic around here.  I figure the Radian can be her "forever" seat since it has a 10 year shelf life and can be used as a booster to 120 lbs.  I thought I read somewhere that at a certain size, the 5 pt harness was actually worse on their pelvis, etc. than a seatbelt, though.  If I don't get the Radian, I'll probably end up turning her FF in the Como and using that until it expires in December 2013 (she'll be a little over 5), then getting a Recaro Pro-Sport harness / booster.  I certainly won't move her to a booster with a seatbelt until she's mature enough.  Sorry so long, but is there research on when the 5 point harness is no longer safer than the seatbelt?  

UsedToBeGoldie

i don't recall reading that about the harness.... i'm sure a google search would bring up the info you want... but I plan on keeping my boys in a 5-pt harness as long as they fit in the Radian 80 we have for each of them (up to 80lbs). 

Griffin is 5yo and 50lbs now... so we've got plenty of time in the Radian.

penguingrrl

I'll give the warning now that the radian makes a limited booster seat. The headrest does not move up, so the booster portion is outgrown at the same time the harness is outgrown for height (generally a very long time before outgrowing for weight). My daughter outgrew the radian for height (shoulders above the top harness slots) at 4y and 39 lbs, although she's exceptionally tall and long torsoed. My 6 year old niece still fits in it, but just barely and she's petite (my daughter is taller than she is). It also has a minimum of 50 lbs to use it in booster  mode, so my daughter was too tall for the booster before hitting the minimum weight to use it as a booster.

As far as when to harness versus booster, there is a lot of disagreement on the matter. Many people are concerned that a forward facing harness transfers all the forces of a crash onto the neck and head while holding the body rigidly still. Racecar drivers are harnessed, but use a hans device in the helmet (which essentially tethers their head to the seat) because a famous driver did die when  his body couldn't move with his head and his neck snapped. My husband has a graduate level understanding of physics and is not in love with forward facing harness seats. We're hoping our 2.5 year old will be able to remain RF in her radian until she's mature enough for a booster so we avoid the issue.

As far as safety, there is absolutely no evidence that a properly used booster (i.e. fits the child correctly, which can vary by vehicle, and the child sits 100% correctly 100% of the time) is safer than a 5 point harness. There's much evidence that a child who is sitting in a booster before they're ready is at risk, but once a child has the maturity to sit correctly, not lean for toys, not slump over while sleeping there is no benefit to harnessing instead of boostering.

When my daughter outgrew her radian we had no choice except a booster because the frontier is too large for our car and the nautilus and maestro would only have given her a few more months in a harness. She has never once given me cause to question that decision. We went over the rules and she's a compliant child and has needed very few reminders about how she needs to sit. Her sister will not be ready at 4 without question. If she outgrows the radian RF then we'll forward harness until she's ready to booster, but we tend to booster as soon as they're ready because of concerns of neck loads with a forward harness.

C.squared

Thanks for the info!  Good to know about the height issues with the Radian.  DD is tall, but in the Como the straps are still second from the bottom RF'ing - on the third (out of 5) slot, the straps are above her shoulders.  I kind of want to keep her RF'ing until she can be in a booster too, but I don't think the 35lb weight limit on the Como will get us there.  Decisions, decisions.  Guess I should take her to a store where I can try her out in a Radian and see how much room she has left to go height wise.  

penguingrrl

The radian is the second tallest combination seat on the market, and the only one taller (the true fit) has a 35 lb RF weight limit. So for those who desire to RF to booster age in the US (or Canada) the radian is the best, and really only, option on the market. There is another seat coming out that I know techs are really excited about, the clek foonf, but I'm not sure on its shell height yet (which is what makes or breaks a seat generally) and it's not available yet. Good luck!