Rear-facing Tether (Britax, Diono/Sunshine Kids Radian, Peg Perego 5-70, Combi Coccoro)
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The Car Seat Lady 
If my car has the anchor for the Australian method behind the headrest but I find the Swedish method more convenient, can I use that? Or should I be using the anchor provided?
You can use the Swedish method – it is much more convenient than the Australian method.
Can you use the Swedish method to tether a rear facing Recaro convertible?
No – the only seats that allow rear-facing tethering are the ones mentioned in this post. Recaro does not allow rear-facing tethering on their seats.
Can you wrap the shoulder belt around the back of any convertible seat when rear-facing, or just these 3? It seems like it would help with tilt somewhat, too.
The only convertible seat in the US that allows the shoulder belt to wrap around the back is the Combi Coccoro. There are not 3… just this one seat that allows this.
Thanks for this – it is very timely for us and so much more helpful than trying to figure it out from written instructions. Just wondering, are there any sharp edges of the seat rail that could cut into the tether?
I typically don’t encounter any sharp edges – but if you did, you would not want to place the strap near/around them as they could cut the strap.
I have an Evenflo Triumph, purchased new in 2008. Can it be tethered in the rear facing position? I assume not, as it wasn’t listed, but just want to be sure!
Thanks!
Cortney – the ONLY seats that may be tethered rear-facing are those listed above: 1. ALL Sunshine Kids Radian seats (65, 80, XT, 65SL, 80SL, XTSL), 2. ALL Combi Coccoros (retroactive change by Combi to allow for this – it is not yet in their manuals, but is approved for ALL Coccoros), and 3. ALL Britax convertible seats (i.e. those that go rear-facing & forward facing)
I’m curious as to why it is only the Sunshine Kids Radian, the Combi and the Britax seats? Why can’t other rear facing car seats be tethered?
Other car seats were not designed to use the tether and have not been crash tested with the tether either. Using a rear-facing tether on a seat that does not approve of this could cause significant harm to the child as the seat may break since it was not designed to withstand the forces the rear-facing tether exerts on the seat.
What are the Pros/Cons of installing a rear facing car seat European style with the belt wrapped around the back of the seat as compared to the belt path with both lap and shoulder??
Kristen – There are ZERO cons. The pros are: 1. it gives a more secure installation in a wider variety of vehicles than the standard “american” routing path (where the shoulder belt simply rests against the back of the vehicle seat, 2. It prevents the car seat from reclining any further – and the more upright the rear-facing car seat stays, the better, as the back of the car seat can do the most to absorb the impact the more upright it is (the more reclined the back gets, the more the forces get loaded on the child’s neck and shoulders). The shoulder belt behind the back works like an Australian style tether and 3. By virtue of using up most of the seat belt webbing just to get the car seat buckled in, you have less to do to get the car seat tight.
Nearly EVERY infant carrier in Europe routes the belt this way (and they typically do not use bases – so this is how they transport their infants and young toddlers) – and it works very well.
Doesn’t Combi only allow the older Britax D-Rings to be used? Not the new ones.
CPSreview – The following is from Vera Fullaway (a CPS Instructor and Combi’s CPS advocate & outreach program coordinator): “We have the IMMI connector straps on order. We did not test with the AMSAFE or Sunshine Kids versions, but are confident that they, too would work.”
Britax now uses AMSAFE connector straps – the older Britax connector straps were made by IMMI.
Thanks!!