diono users

[abseptember]

Diono users that FF, how tall is your LO and what shoulder slot level from the top is your kid's seat set at? My H and I can't agree what slot L should be at. It seems like this should be a no brainer but the third slot down seems too low and the second slot down seems too high (close to her ears and I'm afraid she could slide out). She's 36" tall. thanks!

[heatherbee]

I'll have to check because our LOs seem to be about the same height. DH said the manual says it should be a little anove their shoulders when they are forward facing, instead of below like when RFing.

[abseptember]

Feb 3, 2015 7:34:18 GMT -5 heatherbee said:

I'll have to check because our LOs seem to be about the same height. DH said the manual says it should be a little anove their shoulders when they are forward facing, instead of below like when RFing.

Let me know when u have time. The 2nd one down is definitely more than just a little above her shoulders. The third one seems like it is right at (maybe even below) her shoulders. She squirms whenever I try to check so it's hard to tell

[summergirl1211]

Feb 3, 2015 7:41:41 GMT -5 abseptember said:

Feb 3, 2015 7:34:18 GMT -5 heatherbee said:

I'll have to check because our LOs seem to be about the same height. DH said the manual says it should be a little anove their shoulders when they are forward facing, instead of below like when RFing.

Let me know when u have time. The 2nd one down is definitely more than just a little above her shoulders. The third one seems like it is right at (maybe even below) her shoulders. She squirms whenever I try to check so it's hard to tell

Riley's still RF in ours but I'm 99% sure I read that the straps should be above her shoulders. So if the 3rd one is at or below, I'd do the 2nd. Hope this helps!

[heatherbee]

Ours is on the second from the top. My son has a long torso though and it hits him just a little bit above his shoulders.

[paddyb]

I read the manual like 5 times. it says above the shoulders.

[trixi282]

if you can't tell, try using a butter knife to see where the strap lands. At or above for FF in all car seats. If it looks below, then definitely go to the one above, even if it looks really high.

[pegleg715]

Does anyone else have a hard time tightening the straps on theirs? Evie's seat is a PITA to tighten, Caz's is fine. But for some reason I have a hard time getting Evie's tight enough. I love the seat so I don't want it to be a problem but AHHH ITS DRIVING MY CRAZY!

Also, i have no idea what strap height she's at, but I do know it's supposed to be above the shoulder for FF and below the shoulder for RF... hope that helps!

[summergirl1211]

Feb 3, 2015 11:36:09 GMT -5 pegleg715 said:

Does anyone else have a hard time tightening the straps on theirs? Evie's seat is a PITA to tighten, Caz's is fine. But for some reason I have a hard time getting Evie's tight enough. I love the seat so I don't want it to be a problem but AHHH ITS DRIVING MY CRAZY!

Also, i have no idea what strap height she's at, but I do know it's supposed to be above the shoulder for FF and below the shoulder for RF... hope that helps!

pegleg715: I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but I hate how hard the Diono is to tighten in general. Yanking on the strap over and over again as it clicks a little tighter drives me nuts. I wish you could just do one or two pulls, check to make sure it's tight, and that's it. As much as I love this seat it's definitely a downfall to me.

[pegleg715]

Feb 3, 2015 11:38:47 GMT -5 summergirl1211 said:

Feb 3, 2015 11:36:09 GMT -5 pegleg715 said:

Does anyone else have a hard time tightening the straps on theirs? Evie's seat is a PITA to tighten, Caz's is fine. But for some reason I have a hard time getting Evie's tight enough. I love the seat so I don't want it to be a problem but AHHH ITS DRIVING MY CRAZY!

Also, i have no idea what strap height she's at, but I do know it's supposed to be above the shoulder for FF and below the shoulder for RF... hope that helps!

pegleg715: I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but I hate how hard the Diono is to tighten in general. Yanking on the strap over and over again as it clicks a little tighter drives me nuts. I wish you could just do one or two pulls, check to make sure it's tight, and that's it. As much as I love this seat it's definitely a downfall to me.

Yes exactly. It feels like it's destroying the strap too, it's starting to fray. I'm wondering if I should just get a different seat.

[summergirl1211]

Feb 3, 2015 11:42:04 GMT -5 pegleg715 said:

Feb 3, 2015 11:38:47 GMT -5 summergirl1211 said:

pegleg715: I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but I hate how hard the Diono is to tighten in general. Yanking on the strap over and over again as it clicks a little tighter drives me nuts. I wish you could just do one or two pulls, check to make sure it's tight, and that's it. As much as I love this seat it's definitely a downfall to me.

Yes exactly. It feels like it's destroying the strap too, it's starting to fray. I'm wondering if I should just get a different seat.

Agreed. Is this how it's supposed to be? Did you say Caz has the same seat and you don't have those issues with it? Or does he have a different seat? 

[pegleg715]

summergirl1211 he has the same seat, and it's not a problem. But it's a different material. Evie's is the purple with the soft nonsense that I hate. And Caz has blue which is almost a vinyl? I'm wondering if that's the issue. But Caz is also still RF so I'm not sure if when we turn him around he'll have the same issue.

[summergirl1211]

Feb 3, 2015 11:52:32 GMT -5 pegleg715 said:

summergirl1211 he has the same seat, and it's not a problem. But it's a different material. Evie's is the purple with the soft nonsense that I hate. And Caz has blue which is almost a vinyl? I'm wondering if that's the issue. But Caz is also still RF so I'm not sure if when we turn him around he'll have the same issue.

Interesting. Riley's sounds to be more like Caz's in that it's vinyl. But it's always been this way so I figured it was just how the seat was supposed to be. I'm used to it and it wasn't a cheap seat so I won't be replacing it (unless the strap starts to fray more) but I hope it changes once we change her to FF!

[abseptember]

Feb 3, 2015 11:25:00 GMT -5 trixi282 said:

if you can't tell, try using a butter knife to see where the strap lands. At or above for FF in all car seats. If it looks below, then definitely go to the one above, even if it looks really high.

Good idea! I will do this next we head out. It just seems ridiculous that the best slot is at practically ear height! Oh... and she complains that it rubs her. But if that's the right spot, then that's where it will stay

[vtkatydid12]

We have an RXT and I recently moved M up to the top slot. She's big--at least 39" tall with a long torso. I had a hard time moving up because the straps do seem really high, but the next slot down is decidedly below her shoulders. Sounds like it might be time for L to move up.

Feb 3, 2015 11:42:04 GMT -5 pegleg715 said:

Feb 3, 2015 11:38:47 GMT -5 summergirl1211 said:

pegleg715: I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but I hate how hard the Diono is to tighten in general. Yanking on the strap over and over again as it clicks a little tighter drives me nuts. I wish you could just do one or two pulls, check to make sure it's tight, and that's it. As much as I love this seat it's definitely a downfall to me.

Yes exactly. It feels like it's destroying the strap too, it's starting to fray. I'm wondering if I should just get a different seat.

I've had some good luck tightening the shoulder straps (when using FF) by pulling down hard on the main strap and then using the smaller tugs for the final tightening.  Pulling down (not up or straight out) is key.  It's not as frustrating as the little pulls, but it hasn't prevented the strap from fraying either.  The mechanism for tightening the straps on the Diono is definitely a downfall to me too!

[cookiesandwine]

Feb 3, 2015 11:25:00 GMT -5 trixi282 said:

if you can't tell, try using a butter knife to see where the strap lands. At or above for FF in all car seats. If it looks below, then definitely go to the one above, even if it looks really high.

I second this. 

[summergirl1211]

Feb 3, 2015 14:45:51 GMT -5 vtkatydid12 said:

We have an RXT and I recently moved M up to the top slot. She's big--at least 39" tall with a long torso. I had a hard time moving up because the straps do seem really high, but the next slot down is decidedly below her shoulders. Sounds like it might be time for L to move up.

Feb 3, 2015 11:42:04 GMT -5 pegleg715 said:

Yes exactly. It feels like it's destroying the strap too, it's starting to fray. I'm wondering if I should just get a different seat.

I've had some good luck tightening the shoulder straps (when using FF) by pulling down hard on the main strap and then using the smaller tugs for the final tightening.  Pulling down (not up or straight out) is key.  It's not as frustrating as the little pulls, but it hasn't prevented the strap from fraying either.  The mechanism for tightening the straps on the Diono is definitely a downfall to me too!

vtkatydid12, I also read that in the manual- that you're supposed to pull down on the main strap. But for RF it's impossible to do that. It's almost like a design flaw. Oh well, at least it gives me something to look forward to once we FF!

[trixi282]

summergirl1211, if you're still RF with the diono, then try pulling the shoulder straps down in the back (behind the seat) and then pulling to tighten. I'll admit, that I don't really loosen ours very often, so I rarely have to tighten, unless she's grown and then I loosen and re-tighten to fit her, so I don't do that very often. My strap hasn't frayed yet at all and we've been using the seat quite awhile.

[paddyb]

Feb 3, 2015 17:03:40 GMT -5 trixi282 said:

summergirl1211, if you're still RF with the diono, then try pulling the shoulder straps down in the back (behind the seat) and then pulling to tighten. I'll admit, that I don't really loosen ours very often, so I rarely have to tighten, unless she's grown and then I loosen and re-tighten to fit her, so I don't do that very often. My strap hasn't frayed yet at all and we've been using the seat quite awhile.

this is us. Although We recently switched Henry ff.

[vtkatydid12]

Feb 3, 2015 15:29:15 GMT -5 summergirl1211 said:

vtkatydid12, I also read that in the manual- that you're supposed to pull down on the main strap. But for RF it's impossible to do that. It's almost like a design flaw. Oh well, at least it gives me something to look forward to once we FF!

I completely agree--there's no way to pull down on that strap when RF!  They missed the boat on that one.  It does get easier when FF, but it's still a pain.

[abseptember]

Feb 3, 2015 14:48:45 GMT -5 cookiesandwine said:

Feb 3, 2015 11:25:00 GMT -5 trixi282 said:

if you can't tell, try using a butter knife to see where the strap lands. At or above for FF in all car seats. If it looks below, then definitely go to the one above, even if it looks really high.

I second this. 

This worked great! I think I need to adjust the between the legs strap so she can't slide forward. She is still below the 30# limit For adjusting it.