Using a Rear-Facing Tether
If you’re looking for information on using a rear-facing tether, you probably have a Clek convertible with a Q-Tether or an UPPAbaby Knox. Please click on their respective links for more information on those seats and how to use them.
OUTDATED INFORMATION!
The only carseats in the U.S. and Canada with the capacity to use the tether rear-facing are the Clek Fllo and Foonf, and the UPPAbaby Knox. —June 2023
Updated 01-28-17
In the What Is A Tether? blog article, we learned all about forward-facing tether use. But what if you have a convertible carseat that can be tethered in the rear-facing position? How do you do it? And why?
Which Seats Can Be Tethered Rear-Facing?
Let’s start with which current carseats can be tethered rear-facing. There are four manufacturers which allow their convertibles to be tethered in the rear-facing position: Diono (formerly known as Sunshine Kids), *Clek, Combi, and Peg Perego. If your carseat isn’t listed, it can’t be tethered when rear-facing and the tether should be stowed safely away until you need to use it for forward-facing.
| Models That Currently Allow Rear-Facing Tethering | |
| Britax | Advocate (manufactured before 06/03/15) |
| Advocate ClickTight (manufactured before 01/28/15) | |
| Boulevard (manufactured before 06/03/15) | |
| Boulevard ClickTight (manufactured before 01/28/15) | |
| Decathlon (Discontinued) | |
| Highway (Discontinued) | |
| Marathon (manufactured before 06/03/15) | |
| Marathon ClickTight (manufactured before 01/28/15) | |
| Marathon “Classic” (Discontinued) | |
| Pavilion (Discontinued) | |
| Roundabout 50 “Classic” (Discontinued) | |
| Roundabout (manufactured before 06/03/15) | |
| *Clek | Foonf |
| Fllo | |
| Combi | Coccoro |
| Diono/Sunshine Kids | Radian 65, Radian 80 & Radian XT (Discontinued) |
| Radian R100 | |
| Radian R120 | |
| Radian RXT | |
| Olympia (Discontinued) | |
| Pacifica | |
| Rainier | |
| Peg Perego | Primo Viaggio SIP 5-70 |
*Clek only allows rear-facing tethering when the vehicle has a dedicated, factory-installed rear-facing tether anchor available, such as in Volvos and Saabs. See the picture gallery at the end of the article for two pictures of factory-installed rear-facing tether anchors on a Volvo front seat track.
Britax, originally the only manufacturer allowing rear-facing tethering, offers anti-rebound bars for their G4.1 series convertibles and their ClickTight convertibles which serves to function like Swedish style rear-facing tethering (see below). Anti-rebound bars (ARBs) are available for convertibles manufactured after June 2010, excluding the Classic models. If in doubt, follow the instructions written in your carseat manual.
The reasons for a movement toward anti-rebound bars are two-fold: vehicle manufacturers are concerned with the advanced airbag wiring that may be housed around the front seat legs and ARBs perform the same Swedish style rear-facing style tether function with less force being transferred to the child. Even though there’s minimal force applied to the tether and carseat on rebound, that force is transferred to the child as a sudden stop when it’s tethered rear-facing. The ARB absorbs the force and allows a bounce-back so the child isn’t absorbing that sudden stop. To date, we don’t know of any injuries to children in carseats tethered rear-facing vs. using ARBs. These are energy management features on higher-end carseats that are like icing on a cake. Any rear-facing child is going to be *very* safe.
Styles of Rear-Facing Tethering
There are two styles of rear-facing tethering: Swedish and Australian method. Swedish is the more popular of the two in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and has the tether attached to a point under the front seat. Australian is more common in, you guessed it, Australia. In the Australian method, the tether comes back over the carseat and is anchored to the vehicle’s tether anchor. Britax was the only manufacturer that allowed Australian tethering because of the shape of its tether. There are pros and cons to each method.
| Pros | Cons | |
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Australian RF Tethering Toward the rear of the car |
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Swedish RF Tethering Toward the front of the car |
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A note about Australian seats and why they tether to the vehicle’s tether anchor: Australian convertible carseats have an ARB/foot that prevents the seat from rebounding into the vehicle seat. That anti-rebound bar, combined with the tether that doesn’t allow downward rotation, means that there is little movement of the carseat in an impact.
Why Should You Tether Rear-Facing
Many parents and caregivers are concerned about a rear-facing carseat rebounding into the back seat. Rebound is the secondary movement a rear-facing carseat will make during a frontal crash. The initial movement is a downward rotation as the carseat is pulled towards the point of impact in a frontal crash. After the carseat reaches its peak rotation down, it will start to rebound towards the back of the vehicle seat. This is similar to how a driver moves forward into his airbag and then rebounds back into his seat in the late stages of the crash sequence. This rebound motion isn’t necessarily a terrible thing since rebound is generally considered to be a “low energy event.” If there are injuries to the child that occur as a result of rebound, they should be relatively minor because the main forces of the crash have already been absorbed by that point. The most common rebound-related injuries occur when children rebound into something that has been placed on the backseat facing them (such as hard mirrors or toys dangling from the infant carseat handle). Contrary to what some people believe, rebound isn’t something that was designed or engineered into a rear-facing carseat as a way to manage energy in a crash; it’s just the result of the top of the carseat not being connected to the vehicle.
By tethering a rear-facing carseat Swedish style, rebound is greatly reduced. The installation may also be more secure and there may be benefits in side impact or rollover crashes simply because the CR is firmly attached to the vehicle in more than one place which improves overall stability. There’s a definite benefit in rear impacts since tethering a seat Swedish style reduces head excursion, much the same way a tether works for a forward-facing carseat.
But let’s be clear: rear-facing tethering is optional. No carseat requires its use; think of it as an added feature.
How to Set Up A Rear-Facing Tether Using the Swedish Method
Since the Swedish method uses an anchor point under the front seat, you’ll have to move the front seats forward. Look for a solid point that’s anchored to the vehicle floor, like a front seat leg or seat track. If the point you want to use isn’t solidly bolted to the vehicle frame, there’s a possibility the tether might fail in a crash. A seat that is able to be tethered rear-facing will come with a tether connector strap, otherwise known as a D-ring (though lately, they don’t look like “D” rings). The current tether connector strap being shipped with Britax convertibles is a piece of webbing with a loop on each end; there is no metal ring on one end anymore. This D-ring is threaded around the solid point you’ve found and the carseat’s tether is attached to it. If the D-ring doesn’t fit around the leg, see if the plastic covering will pop off. These cosmetic pieces usually are removable and can be put back on either after you’ve attached the D-ring or after you’re done with rear-facing.
If you are installing the rf seat in a 3rd row or have one of the rare vehicles that has a tether anchor on the back of the front seat or front seat track (some Ford minivans do, as do some Volvo and Saab models), you can attach the tether of Britax seats directly to the tether anchor on the vehicle seat in front of the carseat, as long as that tether anchor isn’t already being used by a ff seat (Diono/Sunshine Kids doesn’t allow their tether to be used in this manner). It’s much more important for a ff carseat to be tethered than a rf one if you have to choose between which seats get tethered. Plus, you can always use the d-ring for the rf seat. And it’s never preferable to turn a carseat ff because you can’t tether rf.
For positioning, try to use an anchor point closest to the carseat; for example, if you’re installing the carseat on the passenger side, use the passenger side front seat leg, not the driver’s seat leg. This will help keep the carseat from leaning excessively. Carseat manufacturers also test the rf tether when it’s 20° off-center or less. Twenty percent is about the distance to the vehicle seat front legs directly in line with the rf carseat. Attach the tether to the rf tether point you’ve created with the d-ring or to the tether anchor and pull the slack out of the tether. Do not use the tether to change the angle of the carseat; simply pull it snug.
Concerns
- Finding a suitable location to wrap the d-ring (aka tether connector strap) around. Many newer vehicles have potential locations that are covered by large plastic trim pieces that can’t be easily removed. In some vehicles rear-facing tethering just isn’t possible because there is no suitable location.
- Airbag sensor wiring: As you wrap the d-ring around the front seat leg, take care not to disrupt any wiring that may be attached or near the leg. This wiring may be for the front seat airbag and you definitely don’t want to mess with it. If you notice any airbag warning lights coming on or going off after you’ve attached the rear-facing tether, discontinue use of the tether immediately.
- Older vehicles: Some older vehicles in the rust belt may have problems with undercarriage rust. This could be a problem because if something is rusted, it’s a weaker point in the vehicle and the whole purpose of using the vehicle seat leg is to provide a solid tethering point. We don’t have any statistics on rusted vehicles, but it is something to keep in the back of your mind.
- Vehicle manufacturer resistance: Because rear-facing tethering isn’t commonplace, most vehicle manufacturers don’t address it in their manuals (even Volvo omits it from their North American manuals). Some vehicle manufacturers are not on board with Swedish style rf tethering at all, though it may be because of user error in setting up the d-ring.
- Chrysler brands, specifically, do not allow Swedish style rear-facing tethering in their vehicles. Current manuals address the subject and if you call and ask (if it’s not in your vehicle manual), you will be told it’s not allowed. Brands include: Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Plymouth, and Ram. Other vehicle manufacturers may be following their example in the near future.
Now for the pictures . . .
Swedish Gallery
If you have a 2005-2012 Honda Odyssey, you’ll be interested in reading this thread from our car-seat.org forums. It’s a step-by-step guide on using a rear-facing tether in those vans. If you have a 2013-14 Honda Odyssey, you can see video on how to tether rear-facing in this blog post.
Thanks to CDNTech for providing her ’03-’08 Grand Caravan pictures in this thread: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=28939; and thanks to Emily for providing the pictures of her ’12 Volvo S60 front seat track tether anchors!
Australian Gallery
I have a 2008 Jeep Compass with two Diono rXTs (one RF, one FF) and a Combi Coccoro (RF) three across. I called Jeep and the customer service rep. I spoke with could not confirm that RF top tethering is not allowed in my vehicle. It does not state it in my manual, and he could not find any amendments that restricted it (he was admittedly not the most knowledgeable when it came to child restraints though). I’d like to tether the two RF seats, particularly the Combi (its for a newborn and the recline angle does not seem to stay in place—I think the top tether would help). Can you point me to your source saying I should not top tether in my Jeep?
Current Compass models have that warning in their manuals; my source is a manual that is available to all CPS technicians called the LATCH Manual. It’s possible that for your model year, your airbags are of a different generation where the tethering may not make a difference in their deployment. Also, if you’re tethering to the driver’s side, that’s different as well. I would call customer service back and ask to speak to a manager or engineer since this is a safety issue and the person you spoke with was uncertain. You could make a parental decision to tether, but I’d hate for it to affect the airbag safety for the passenger in front.
Have you tried noodles or a tightly rolled towel under the Coccoro?
Hello,
I have 2 RF car seats in my 2015 Ford Expedition with middle row captains chairs. One is a Diono Rainer with angle adjuster (child is 2yo) and the other is a Britax Boulevard Clicktight (child is 5 mo) with rebound bar. Does Diono still allow RF tethering? I notice on the middle row seat that the Rainer sit on, there is what looks like a place to hook a RF tether. Could this be possible? Can you tether to the seat that the car seat is sitting in? Thank you for your feedback.
Diono is the only manufacturer that allows RF tethering to the vehicle seat upon which the carseat is installed, so yes. Just be careful not to damage the tether hook or use the tether connector strap.
Hi, we have a chevy Cruze 2011 and have just installed the diono rxt. I can’t find a rear facing top tether point though as the seat tracks in front are flush to the floor. Do you have another suggestion for a top tether anchor? I can see the tether points for when it is forward facing but not rear.
Thank you.
Hi Jenna- The Cruze is a difficult vehicle for a rear-facing tether. This feature is optional, and is not proven to provide a significant safety benefit. It is acceptable to leave it attached to your carseat and unused while rear-facing. When your child is forward-facing in the future, the top tether will then be a required feature, of course.
There is one way to attach a rear-facing tether, but it is not ideal. If I recall correctly, the issue is that the tether will become tighter or looser if the front passenger moves their seat. So, it may not be any better than leaving the top tether unused when rear-facing. Manufacturer policies on acceptable rear-facing tethering methods change from time to time, so you would want to contact Diono prior to doing this. This video is over 5 years old so the information may no longer apply to Diono. Newer Britax carseats no longer allow rear-facing tethering at all, for example. I also note that this video was made before Diono changed their name from Sunshine Kids-
https://carseatblog.com/9777/
I have two diono rxt rear facing in a 2010 Toyota Camry. The first was installed by a tech with rear tether. Now I’m seeing that some vehicles don’t recommend rear tether. Any info on that? Also if not can I tether both car seats to passenger seat? Different tethers and different sides. Thanks
Hi Kendra. All manufacturers are starting to re-evaluate their rear-facing tethering policies because of advanced airbag wiring issues. Diono still allows it and Toyota hasn’t put any policy in place *in writing* so far. If you call Toyota, they will tell you they don’t allow RF tethering, but it’s not listed in their manuals as Chrysler has done, for instance. In this case, we feel it’s up to the parent to make that decision for themselves since there’s no possible way for them to know that they shouldn’t be RF tethering. As I list above, I wouldn’t tether around a seat leg that has wiring in it.
As for tethering 2 carseats to 1 vehicle seat, that’s not something I’ve ever been comfortable with, even before the advanced airbags came along. Tethers should never be more than 20° off center behind the carseat and if one of the carseats is behind the driver’s side, it would be more than that angle. Plus, depending on the type of crash, there may be too many forces applied either to the carseats or to the passenger seat. HTH!
I have a britax 2 way elite, which I want to use rear facing in a 2015 ford Smax but I can’t find the lower teathering points under the front passenger seat. Can you suggest what I can do please
Louise
Hi Louise. Tethering points are usually created by using tether connector straps/d-rings to the front seat legs. I’m not familiar with the 2-way Elite so I can’t help you with that seat. You may want to check with Ford as well to see if they allow you to tether in this manner since there may be airbag wiring routed through the legs.
One place you can try for help is our International Forum: http://www.car-seat.org/forumdisplay.php?17-Canadian-and-International-Transportation-Safety-Issues .
Any information on RF-tethering (Radian GTX) on a 2012 Cadillac SRX, passenger side? I cannot find anything on the manual regarding not putting anything under the seat. If I don’t see any wiring, can I assume it is ok unless I hear different from car manufacturer? Thank you.
Yes, Mami. Another option you have with the Radian is that you can tether to the vehicle seat it’s installed on, so if there’s an exposed leg, you can run the tether straight down to that and attach the d-ring to it.
Thank you! That is something I have not heard of!! I have been going back and forth with the manufacturer but they still don’t understand my question. 🙁
You list brand that are designed for rear tether. Do you suggest rear tethering a seat from a brand not designed to do so? It seems like doing so would provide the same benefits of reducing rebound and rotation.
April, no never. Seats designed for RF tethering are specially designed and reinforced for that kind of tethering. With the exception of the Combi Coccoro, these seats have V-shaped tethers. The amount of energy a child faces on rebound really isn’t that great.
Hi there we just bought a 2016 GMC Sierra crew cab. Where does the rear facing tether go? I can’t figure it out. Thanks!
Hi Katelyn. Be sure to check the owner’s manual of the Sierra first to make sure there aren’t any prohibitions against putting anything on the front seat legs or front seat tracks. Then make sure your carseat allows it; Britax disallowed RF tethering starting with their mid-2015 G4.1 models and late January 2015 with their ClickTight models.
The pics above should help you find a spot around a seat leg or track. You just need to wrap the d-ring around so you can attach the tether to it. If there’s a wire bundle there, it’s a bad spot since the wires may be for the airbag system.
Thank you so much for that information, Heather! I feel so much better. I’m going to order a new D ring today. I looked everywhere and can’t find it. Do you know if stores like BuyBuy Baby sell the britax brand? Otherwise I will just buy from Britax – they are pretty inexpensive. Also I am assuming then the make of my cars are irrelevant as long as I stay away from wiring (which I am)?
I honestly don’t know if BBB would sell the d-rings. I know my local baby store used to sell them before they went out of business several years ago. Chrysler is the only make of vehicle that expressly forbids RF tethering in their manuals so far.
Thank you for the information Heather! I ordered the d ring today from Britax. I really appreciate your help. I thought the information I was hearing elsewhere seemed a bit off, and am so glad I found your page. I really appreciate all of your help!
Hi, Andi
Would you mind sharing the process in which you ordered your D-ring? Most online retailers that used to carry the D-ring connector strap are out of stock.
Regards,
K. Kwan
Hi I am interested in knowing if tethering my rear facing britax boulevard 70-G3 to the track of the front passenger seat is still recommended. I have heard about the airbag sensor issues and was told by one person that I should no longer tether this wat. Britax says on the website I should contact the car manufacturer? the track does not have any wiring near it but I was told by one car seat tech that it doesn’t matter, it can still affect the front passenger airbag.
Hi Andi. Yes, this article is up-to-date regarding RF tethering for Britax. What make/model/year vehicle are you driving?
As far as the RF tether interfering with the passenger airbag if there’s no wiring near the vehicle seat leg, how does that work? I think that falls into the category of someone online hearing something then making an assumption that because it doesn’t work in one situation, it must not work in *all* situations.
If you do feel uneasy about the tethering, you can always purchase an anti-rebound bar, but for the G3 models, RF tethering isn’t disallowed. That’s why it would be helpful to know what you’re driving.
Thank you heather! I was told this on the Facebook group car seats for the littles. They said it can interfere with the sensors for the airbags somehow. They are certified car seat techs but it still seemed like if this was the case the seat would have been recalled. I drive a 2009 Honda CR-V and a 2015 Chevy traverse. Right now it is anchored to the track on the passenger side of the traverse but I can’t find my
Other d ring so it is anchored to the ceiling of the crv until I get a new one. I had thought about the anti rebound bar but didn’t want to buy if tethering to the floor was ok to do. That is what I did for a year with my daughter with this exact seat!
And thank you so much for your help! I know you, too, are a certified technician and I was so relieved to see your blog post! Any insight is truly appreciated 🙂
🙂
The thing about carseats is that they’re ever-changing, even the ones we’ve had for a while. Carseat “rules” are not set in stone and what we’re finding about airbags is that they’re testy, lol. But if there’s no wiring in the leg, then you’re fine wrapping the d-ring around that leg. The wiring will be attached to the passenger seat some other way–either through the middle of the seat coming up from the floor or coming up a different leg.
As long as the d-ring isn’t touching the wiring pre-crash, there’s no interference with the functioning of the airbag. The function of a rear-facing tether is to prevent rebound, which occurs post-crash (and we’re talking just after the initial milliseconds of the crash). The airbag will have already deployed by that time the RF tether puts force on the seat track/leg, so it’s not going to be interfering with the airbag.
The airbag sensors are accelerometers on the EXTERIOR of the vehicle, and the CDR they are likely referring to is under the DRIVERS seat, therefore I am confused as to how a rf tether on the passengers side of a vehicle could interfere with Airbag deployment.
I am a retired police officer, who specialised in high impact collisions, a Collision Analyst trained in Child Seat Installation and Usage, Airbag Deployment and CDR Analysis.
You’re correct, Tracy. And the airbag sensors/wiring we refer to in this article are the ones that directly affect the passenger side airbag. Most passenger seats now have some kind of pad or other sensor in them that measure weight to determine whether or not the airbag should deploy and at what speed. That wiring is often in the seat leg, along the seat track, or runs up from the floor to the seat.
If you Google “passenger seat airbag wiring diagram,” you’ll see some images of what the wiring looks like and what some of the pads look like.
Is this article up to date regarding tethering to the floor passenger side with a d ring with my rear facing britax boulevard? I am hearing different things regarding the airbag sensors. I am so confused already with it all!
Thanks!!!
Hello,
I just purchased a Safety 1st Guide 65 for my mother to keep in her car for occasional use. I have a Diono Rainier in my car and love the rf tether option. I know the Guide’s top anchor is meant to be used ff but was wondering if I could use it rf too? Thanks!
Hi Isabel, unfortunately the answer is a definite “no”. The tether strap on the Guide 66 is for forward-facing use only.
Hi,
Ideas on how to arrange three diono radians in a 2015 sienna for a 5yr old and a set of twins. We’d like to continue to rear face the twins but finding it difficult to arrange for access to the 5yr old in (3rd row).
Thank you for your help! Appreciate it!
Hi Mia. Can you fit them 3-across in the 2nd row? That would be my 1st suggestion. My 2nd suggestion would be to put the 5 yr old in the 2nd row and the twins in the 3rd row and remove a 2nd row captain’s chair for access to the 3rd row. This way your 5 yr old has direct access to the door for school purposes (if s/he is going yet), then you can stand in the “trunk” and adjust the harnesses for your twins.
So I got the Britax Boulevard Click Tight and ordered the anti-rebound bar from Britax – it came today and I installed it. It was really easy to do. But I have a question about the rebound bar if you know, I will try and call Britax too…
It doesn’t click in when you install it. It feels pretty flimsy and could fall out until you lower the seat and it locks it in (which they say it’s not installed completely until seat lowered and clicked and can only be used rear facing.
So I installed it and closed the seat down heard it click and the click tight thing is in the right position showing it is locked. The bar cannot be pulled out but it does move slightly. Wondering if this is ok?
Can’t attach a pic here or video. Looked up videos online but doesn’t really address this in detail.
Otherwise the seat is so secure feeling and doesn’t barely move at all so I am really happy with my choice so far.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Jackie. The ARB wobbles a bit in order to be flexible enough to fit against the vehicle seat. Since it’s secure with the ClickTight panel down, it’s just fine. Glad you’re happy with the seat so far!
Need a convertible car seat for my daughter and narrowed it to:
Dino Radian RXT
Britax Marathon Clicktight
Chico NextFit
Unless you have a better suggestion. I really want to be able to do rear facing tether. Is that possible in a 2014 Hyundai SantaFe? I have the model with a 2nd row bench seat set up so my 3rd row has no anchors on the back of the seats and I see no lower anchors on the middle 2nd row seat. Do you have any pics of ppl installing with tether to floor behind front seats? Or Any other method?
If not I may go with the Britax because they sell an anti-rebound bar.
Chico I believe has no option for rear tethering but I have to look into it further .
Thanks for your help!!!
Hi Jackie. I’m not aware of any restrictions on RF tethering in the Santa Fe. We have more information on tethering (and pics!) in our review of the Santa Fe: https://carseatblog.com/27693/youve-got-a-dream-called-santa-fe-review-of-the-2014-2015-hyundai-santa-fe.
The RF tether does add stability to the install of a carseat, especially in a side impact, but the trend over the past few years has been toward anti-rebound bars. All of the carseats you listed are excellent choices and I frankly would choose one based on how easily it installs in your car and how much you like it. The Radian RXT is the only model that can be tethered RF. The ClickTight models now have the optional anti-rebound bar. The NextFit doesn’t allow RF tethering.
If you do choose to go with a Britax ClickTight, I’d suggest upgrading to a Boulevard CT. It’s much taller and more in line height-wise with your other 2 selections than the Marathon CT.
I think I may go with the Britax Boulevard CT with the anti-rebound bar and I may get a Cybex Anton Q (like LSP and load leg feature) for my new baby due this year. I was just worried about being able to fit 3 across too (Britax Advocate CT is so wide) Diono seems so narrow and saw another review that fit 3 across of the Diono in my car in a 2nd row bench since we are hoping to add more to our family. Plus I like that Diono is all steel. But I have a Britax B safe for my daughter now and I like Britax. I definitely want an infant seat for the new baby instead of starting with a convertible. So I made sure it will be compatible with stroller I plan to buy.
Thanks for your help and the link to the review. Will check it out.
What is disappointing is the lack of the anchors on the seat backs of the 3rd row.
Hi Heather,
Thank you for this great information. I just installed the Diono Ranier for my youngest son, with the rf tether, no problem. But I was curious why seats that aren’t specifically designed to tether rf cannot use a similar connector as Britax, Peg, Diono, etc?
Hi Amy. Either those seats have been tested that way and have failed or they haven’t been tested and we don’t know if they’ll be safe tethered rear-facing. When I’ve asked engineers at various manufacturers this question, they’ve emphatically said, “No, never,” which leads me to believe something catastrophic could happen in a crash. The design software they use now allows them to simulate lots of things.
Can this seat go in middle of a honda accord 2010? If so … how?
Which seat are you talking about, Kay?
Hi! I’m looking for a place to tether in my 04 Honda Odyssey under the driver’s seat. It all looks a bit different than the pictures here. Would I need to remove the big plastic part?
Hi Lindsey. Usually the plastic piece is removable, so if you can’t slide the d-ring underneath, then I’d try to remove it.
We just bought Diono Rainier for our little. Can we use the rf tethering function in our Honda Accord 2009? Thanks so much for a very comprehensive information about this carseat.
Hi Imelda. Honda hasn’t given any information in writing regarding rear-facing tethering. You could try calling their customer service line and see if they can offer any guidance–I’d ask for an engineer to provide advice. Otherwise I’d consider this to be up to you since it’s an optional safety feature for rear-facing.
Someone mentioned to me that RF tethering is not allowed for most US cars, but I can’t find anything related to this. I can only find information on why tethering is beneficial if your car seat supports it. I have a Diono Ranier in a 2006 Hyundai Tucson. Am I good?
Hi Adrianne. The only information in print that I have is for the Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep vehicles I’ve listed above. You could try calling Hyundai to see if their customer service reps understand rear-facing tethering and can give you a definitive answer.
Hi I just purchased the Rainer and have a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I currently have the seat rf tethered to the passenger seat track. Should I disconnect the tether?
Also, regardless of tether, the seat (installed with LATCH) can be moved slightly from side to side. Is this ok? I feel like it should be more secure but it is tightened all the way and installed just like the manual shows.
Hi Rachel. Since Jeep doesn’t allow RF tethering, I would remove the tether and store it on the back of the carseat. The carseat should move less than 1″ when you tug at the belt path. This seat is tough to tug on because the sides move right there and it’s kind of hard to grab onto. If it moves a bit, OK, but less than 1″. Did you try threading the end of the LATCH strap back through the belt path and pulling it that way? There should be plenty of length to do that.
I am struggling with securing my RF Britax Boulevard CT in the middle seat of my 2010 Subaru Forester. I have – after struggling mightily – gotten the seat secure with the seat belt as Subaru does not allow outboard latching. The top tether strap is too short to reach the roof tether latches when RF. What’s the solution? Do I need an extender? Is there a way to Swedish tether in the center seat of a Subaru? Or give up on tethering all together?
Feeling like I need a Ph.D. to finish installing this thing…