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so i've always wondered why there is no latch system with most booster seats. obviously you are not strapped into the carseat, but into the car. it's bothered me that the whole system moves when you stop. of course, the big seat belt holds you in.
recently became aware that CLEK and Britax have a latched booster system. that seems really appealing to me, but wanted to get some advice-as it's more expensive. was able to google some articles about not using the latch system for boosters when connected with convertible car seat.
Any advice? dhardawa are you still out there?
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I went through CPS training quite a few years ago (I let my certification expire a couple years ago) so hopefully I can explain this correctly. Basically it is due to crash forces and the distribution of those forces.
In the event of a crash, as the child and the booster seat slide forward, the seat belt will react (most likely quicker than if it was only the child moving forward) and the seat and the child will be pulled back with the booster absorbing some of the crash forces. If the booster is not moving and only your child is, they will be the only thing absorbing the crash force. With a regular carseat with a five point harness, the five points of contact help distribute the crash forces. Which is why it is important to have the harness on correctly with the shoulder straps over the shoulder, not over the biceps, the chest clip at armpit level and the leg portion over the hip bones and no layers of coats, blankets, etc between the child and the straps so that the child is sercure in the seat.
Booster seats were origionally only intended to 'boost' the child so that the seat belt fit them correctly. Now a good highback booster also provides a significant amount of crash protection as well.
In a quick search, the only selling point I am seeing of boosters with LATCH is that if they are secured they won't become a projectile in crash if there is not a child secured in it. That can be accomplished by buckling the booster in with the regular seat belt and locking it.
I am curious now to do some research and read more about the companies that are marketing this. I am a huge Britax fan and they are typically ahead of the pack safety wise (in my opinion) so I want to see exactly what they have to say about this.
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LATCH in booster mode is for safety of the passengers when the booster seat is not in use, so the seat doesn't become a projectile in the event of a crash.
I am not a Britax fan at all, especially with all the other seats out on the market right now that will rear face a child way longer than any over-priced Britax seat will (Britax upped the RF weight limit on their convertibles to 40 lbs, but stuck with the same, short shells that kids will outgrow by height way before they outgrow something like a radian or a complete air).
That being said, I do like the parkway booster (second only to my fave- the sunshine kids monterey)
The only ppl I know who like the clek boosters like them for the cool designs.
You can get real advice from CPSTs over on car-seat.org. They know their stuff. I just know what I know from reading on there :-)
I wonder if by a booster seat with LATCH you mean the extended 5 point harness. I tend to think of S. as in a "booster seat with LATCH" but really it is a convertible car seat that uses a 5-point harness till 65 lbs. and then switches to a booster seat. When you take the harness out and switch it to a booster seat you don't use the LATCH system.