Stopping DS escaping car seat straps :(

I'm sure there has been a thread about this before but I can't find it anywhere. DS has just turned 2 and weighs about 15kg. He is in the Safe & Sound Meridian AHR carseat which is supposed to last him till 18 kg.

The problem is that he has worked out how to get his arms out of the straps. This is terrifying - especially if I'm on my own with him. I just don't feel safe driving anywhere unless I have my husband with me which is totally impractical!

Tightening the straps further only makes the problem worse, because the slots that the straps come through are slightly below his shoulders, so tightening them actually encourages the straps to come down the sides of his arms. I've looked at a bunch of other carseats online this morning but they all seem to have the same design (unless we were to go to a booster type seat which he is too young for).

I seem to remember reading on these forums about someone with a similar problem and I think someone suggested a clip or something, like a carabiner or similar?? Not sure how that would work - any tips or advice would be much appreciated!

Yes!!! Wow, thanks :)

What a fantastic invention. Came across this thread just by chance, but we have the same problem! Will be going out and getting one tomorrow :)

This was great for about a week until DS figured out how to undo it. Houdini indeed. Thankfully he's stopped 'escaping' for now!!

The Houdini stop was a lifesaver when my DS went through this stage!!  Loved it!

The instruction manual says that the straps should be anywhere from 2.5cm below his shoulders and up. So I think I will go with that - they are currently just below his shoulders but well within 2.5cm.

I got a reply from Britax today, which said:


"Thanks for your email and we understand your concerns however the ‘Houdini’ clip isn’t a requirement under the AUS/NZ standards and we don’t recommend you use one as in the event of an accident you may need a stranger to release your child from their restraint if urgently required – the ‘big red button’ on the buckle helps foreigners, siblings and the like to identify where the release buckle is and easily release the harness to save a child - any additional clip may cause hefty delays with serious ramifications.

If your child’s harness is threaded through slots that are below their shoulder you may need to adjust the harness to the next slot up, this could help with tightening the harness - please refer to your instruction manual for further details,

Attached is some information that may assist you. Teaching your child the importance of wearing their seat belt is the best solution."

I thought the point about strangers needing to get the child out of a carseat in a hurry was a good one - but still wonder whether driving while DS is at risk of getting out is more dangerous? The suggestion re changing seatbelt slots is no good to me - he's in the top set already.

At first I thought the final point re teaching the child about the importance of seatbelts was a bit silly given DS has only just turned 2 and the whole concept is simply beyond him, but actually the attached material was pretty good. Nothing earth shattering but worth looking at - does anyone know if I can upload a PDF to a post on here so others can see it???

A friends daughter takes her arms out. I had no idea until I was driving her one day turned around and her arms were out. stopped the car put them back in and she didn't do it again. Talked to her mum and apparently she does it all the time.

I think thats interesting what britax wrote about the houdini stop and strangers pulling kids out, because my carseat actually comes with a similar sort of clip! Its a chest clip which I guess helps in an accident that it is another point that takes the impact. It certainly isn't coloured differently its black like the rest of the belt.