Alpha omega car seat5/16/2023 ![]() Now I’m going to show some typical misuse with this particular seat in booster mode. Isn’t the whole point of a booster to position the adult seat belt on a child in the same way it was designed to restrain and protect an adult? If this was a child at a check that I was participating in – he’d be going home in a different, better booster if I had anything to say about it. This increases the possibility of internal injuries in a crash. The shoulder belt fits fine but the lap belt is positioned directly over the soft abdomen and is no where near touching the tops of his thighs where it should be ideally. I know this isn’t a big shock to anyone who has been in the field for a while. Honestly, I’d say the fit in booster mode is horrid. In these pictures, the base has been removed as per the instruction manual and the adjustable headrest is in the very top position. I have no idea if that model has been modified in any way that would improve belt fit in booster mode. There is a new version of this seat that goes to 50 lbs with the harness. This is the older and most popular model with the 40 lb limit for the harness. ![]() ![]() This week we’ll be looking at the Alpha Omega Elite (aka Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1) as a booster. I’ve decided to focus exclusively on combination seats because of their popularity with parents of children in the 2-5 age group. I thought it would be even better to show belt fit on a child who was just over the 40 lb weight limit for the 5-pt harness. The IIHS booster study compared the fit of various boosters using the 6-year-old Hybrid lll dummy who weighs 51.6 lbs (23.41 kg) and has a standing height of almost 45″. In each case I’ll use the same seating position in my van – driver’s side captain’s chair in a 2005 Ford Freestar. He’s at the size where most parents would be switching from the 5-pt harness to the vehicle’s lap/shoulder belt in booster mode if they had a combination seat with a 40 lb limit on the harness. And adding insult to injury, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says this seat in booster mode is “not recommended.I’ve decided to document how various combination (harness/booster) seats fit my 4-year-old, 41 lb, 43″ tall son in booster mode. ![]() (This was in a previous report that is no longer online). Why is this a problem? That low slot means some parents will be forced to convert this seat to booster mode too soon for larger children.Īs for safety, Consumer Reports pegged this seat as “poor” for rear facing fit to vehicle, although overall crash protection was very good. The straps in the seat are a nightmare to tighten, the tether is also doesn’t tighten properly, the recline doesn’t work and the quality of the fabric is poor. Yet another problem: the highest harness slot in this seat (14.5”) is a full inch lower than other seats like the Britax Roundabout. Parents tell us it’s difficult to impossible to get the Alpha Omega installed correctly in their cars. The problem: it isn’t the miracle solution after all. and then as a belt-positioning booster up to a whopping 100 lbs. And much more!Ĭomments: The Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite is pitched as an extended use seat for infants as small as five pounds up to school age children. Rear facing, it is rated for infants up to 40 lbs., as a convertible with five-point harness up to 65 lbs. Pros: It’s an infant seat! It’s a convertible! It’s a booster!Ĭons: Very difficult to install and tighten. ![]() IIHS rating for booster mode: Not Available. ![]()
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