Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
We’re off celebrating too! Keep it safe and buckle up!
Of all the things I’ve lost….
Am I the only scatterbrained imbecile who leaves things in vehicles when checking seats? Seriously, sometimes I wonder about my brain capacity. Why is it that I can memorize nitty-gritty, minute technical details relating to all facets of child passenger safety but I can’t remember where I put my camera? Or my sunglasses? Or my LATCH Manual?
Just this past weekend I had my camera at a check event and it was [seemingly] there one moment and gone the next. I thought maybe I put it down on the table and someone walked off with it. However, after a few phone calls that evening to parents whose vehicles I had been in - we found it. Duh!
In the past I’ve managed to leave my sunglasses behind twice, my LATCH Manual at least twice and once I even left my entire purse in someone’s backseat! Luckily they hadn’t gone too far by the time I realized my mistake and called them on their cell to come back. Even the other times, I’ve always been able to retrieve the misplaced items but sheesh! Enough already! What’s wrong with me?
For the record, I’ve always been like this - even as a child. I was the kid who lost her lunchbox practically every week. Gloves, hats and umbrellas never stood a chance around me and after a while my mom just gave up on replacing those items. Even a single shoe would frequently disappear in my house and I’d spend 30 minutes or more trying to locate one shoe when the other one was right by the door where it should be.
So, am I the only one in this boat? More importantly, is there any hope for me?
The Sun, It Burns Us.
Normally, I blog away in my dungeon office lair, pale skin, oblivious to all things living other than my pet fish, pet cat, a random child who comes in to play on the kids’ computer and perhaps a stray spider or centipede. I mean really, I have a comfy chair, climate control, music and a number of computers. Besides maybe the lack of a mini fridge or bathroom, why would I want to leave?
Tonight, I was lured out of my crypt with the promise of ice cream at our neighborhood pool. I was a bit concerned that I might spontaneously combust when the first ray of sunlight touched my skin. There was also some worry about melting if splashed with water. So far, I appear to be suffering no ill effects, other than some odd stares. I’m not sure if that’s because I have on a t-shirt and shorts instead of a swimsuit, because I’m the only geek at the pool with a laptop computer or just because I’m funny looking in general. I mean, even the moms who are clearly not here to swim and instead idly chat on their cellphones are looking down upon me with superior looks. As if.
Anyway, it’s time to wrap this up. The whistles just sounded for a safety break and adult swim. No, I’m not going near the water. On the other hand, with the kids out of the water, that means my wife will be giving us money to go buy some ice cream treats! mmmmm.
The First Years True Fit Premier C670 Review: Very Nice!
Learning Curve’s The First Years True Fit C630 convertible seat has been on the market since the beginning of 2008 and they’ve just introduced the Premier line. The Premier models have an anti-rebound bar for rear-facing use, which rotates forward from under the car seat and rests against the vehicle seat back. This anti-rebound bar, which Learning Curve calls a “rear-facing rebound management bar,” keeps the car seat from rebounding or hitting the vehicle seat back after a crash. It also translates into more energy absorption during the crash. The Premier models also have a ball angle indicator just above the harness adjuster strap and a 2 position recline handle.
This is a convertible (rear-facing and forward-facing) child restraint for kids 5-65 lbs. who are less than 50″ tall. Rear-facing the seat is rated from 5-35 lbs. Forward-facing, it can be used for children over 1 year old who weigh between 23-65 lbs.
The True Fit Premier comes with an infant body support cushion, buckle cover, a head bolster, harness strap covers, and a cupholder.
What’s the Buzz? Safety 1st Complete Air
It goes to 40 pounds rear-facing. It goes to 50 pounds forward-facing. It also has Air Protect, “the most innovative and groundbreaking safety feature ever offered in a car seat. Developed in conjunction with Kettering University’s renowned Crash Safety Center, Air Protect™ is designed to protect children in side impact collisions, putting a state-of-the-art layer of air protection where it’s needed most, around the child’s head.”
Not only that, but it’s created a lot of buzz at the Car-Seat.Org forums. This thread is less than a week old and it’s already one of the most viewed on the forums and has almost 250 posts in it so far. We hope to have a full review of the Safety 1st Complete Air with Air Protect at CarseatBlog.com later this summer!
You can find the official press release here: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/safety1st/38800/ . Read More…
CarseatBlog’s First Charity Auction!
A few months ago, we praised SafetyBeltSafe USA and their tech special membership package. For those who aren’t yet aware of it, the 2009 Child Restraint Manufacturers’ Instructions with Summary Sheets with the April Revision is now available on CD. The summaries are the result of a ton of hard work. “Summaries for each seat include revised recommendations from manufacturers, minimum and maximum weights, first and last dates made, harness threading and belt path diagrams, and identification photos.” This information is invaluable to review before an appointment or just to brush up on newer models.
In fact, along with Monika Toney, our very own Heather Watson was responsible for much of the effort involved in creating the summaries! Thank you Heather and Monika and everyone who helped SafetyBeltSafe USA put this together!
To celebrate their hard work, CarseatBlog is going to auction the very first CD taken out of the shipping box by SafetyBeltSafe USA’s Executive Director, Stephanie Tombrello. But that really wasn’t enough to make it auction-worthy. So, I went one step farther and had it autographed by Heather, Monika, Stephanie and the crew who contributed to this great effort!
Single copies start at $10 each including shipping, if you order from SafetyBeltSafe USA. So, our auction will also start at $10. If you would like to bid, simply reply with your bid, in even increments of $1.00 or more. The auction will run a minimum of 2 weeks from today. The highest bidder will be expected to pay with Paypal or a money order from the United States Postal Service or a major USA bank. No cash or personal checks, please. You may also arrange to make a donation for the winning bid amount directly to SafetyBeltSafe USA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This may allow you to obtain a tax deduction as well. The CD will be shipped once payment has cleared. If the winning bidder does not complete payment within 5 business days of the close of the auction, the option will be given to the next highest bidder and so on. 100% of proceeds will go to SafetyBeltSafe USA. Shipping costs will be covered by CarseatBlog.
Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire this unique treasure that is sure to appreciate in value for many years to come! This autographed disc is absolutely unique and would also make a fine piece of wall or desk decor, once you’ve loaded the summaries onto your computer! Or, use it as a coaster at your after-event parties to impress your CPS friends!
Britax Parkway SG Review: Secure Guard and You.
The Britax Parkway SG should be on retail shelves in July. No, it’s not the old Parkway booster with new fashions; it’s an entirely new product. The Parkway Secure Guard (formerly known as Slide Guard) is rated for kids 40 to 120 pounds and a standing height of 38 to 63 inches. The top seated shoulder height with the backrest is listed as 21.5 inches. The Parkway SG converts from an adjustable high back to a backless booster. It features the unique Slide Guard clip that helps prevent the child from sliding under the lap belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt, reducing the risk of abdominal injury.
I’m going to try to make this review somewhat shorter than normal, so as not to bore everyone with my typical review novel. After all, a booster is a glorified phone book, right? (Wrong!) Read More…
Where on Earth is Paw Paw, Michigan?
If you’re a computer geek, you stay up late running raids in an online game, hanging out in chat rooms or seeking out the latest reviews on the hot gadgets. What about carseat geeks? Well, okay, we hang out in carseat chat rooms and read all the reviews on kids gear, too. We also drive hours to meet up at nice restaurants where we discuss the merits of the latest products.
Yesterday, we had just such a mini-conference. A half dozen moderators and long time members at the Car-Seat.Org forums got together in Paw Paw, Michigan. While I’m sure the area golfing was great, as the Golf Michigan commercials claim, we chose Paw Paw for another reason. It’s more or less midway between the western suburbs of Detroit and Chicago. Oh, and there was a Play Place!
Despite temperatures in the high 90s in the asphalt parking lot plus sweltering humidity, we managed to oogle some recently released products and try a few in vehicles, too. My wife will be most pleased that I returned with a few less carseats than I brought! I bet the next get together is near Vegas.
Pardon Our Dust
Many viewers reported being redirected to another website, apparently one hosted by our service provider on the same server as CarseatBlog. I was notified yesterday that the blog and forums at Car-Seat.Org are in the process of being moved to a new server, as the old one was apparently having some issues. Though the process should have been invisible, there have been some issues. I am told the main issue has now been resolved. Hopefully by tomorrow, June 25th, everything will be back to normal. Sorry for the inconvenience. I hope you enjoyed the other website whose lines got crossed with ours. Whatever it was, perhaps it was more exciting than CarseatBlog;-)
Combi Coccoro Review: Small Cars and Three Across
Combi designed the Coccoro especially to fit in rear-facing and/or with multiple seats in smaller vehicles. It seems they did a good job. I was able to compare the Coccoro with the narrow Radian and the Britax Roundabout which has similar height and weight requirements and a comparable price.
Fit to child
The Coccoro is designed to fit babies 5-33 lbs rear-facing and 20-40 lbs forward-facing. It fit my 19.5” 8 lb 
infant very well with the infant padding (required until 15 lbs, allowed until 20). The infant padding is very substantial and changes the whole inside shape of the seat making it fit small babies very well–It actually fit better than some infant seats I have tried and the harness slots are plenty low. The Coccoro also fit my 30 lb toddler very well rear- and forward-facing. My 5 yr old, 45# and 44”, was only less than ½ in over the top slots even though she exceeds the height and weight requirements. It has more height for rear-facing than the Roundabout due to the deep seat, but takes up much less room when used reclined to 45°. I think it would get the average child to at least 30#s rear-facing and to the full 40#s forward-facing. The straps are very smooth and not twisty. The harness pads work even on a newborn, and the padding under the buckle is very nice and looks quite comfy. The seat has deep sides that would seem to provide great SIP without head wings. It has slightly less rear-facing leg room than a Roundabout because of the deep sides, but my toddler didn’t seem to care.
