whats the deal with the BUNDLE ME things?

I use one for ds and love it he stays to warm and cozy in it..what is the problem with them, some kind of safety hazard??

Re: whats the deal with the BUNDLE ME things?

Never had a problem and used it with Ds all winter last year.

Re: whats the deal with the BUNDLE ME things?

yes, there isn't supposed to be anything in the carseat that can affect the straps. carseatsafety chris does not recommend using them. i'm still debating it.

Re: whats the deal with the BUNDLE ME things?

I believe the issue- and the reason why they are not recommended in carseats- is that they add extra bulk behind the harness.
Supposedly in an accident that bulk would compress and the harness would be too loose to properly hold the child.
Same would go for bulky clothes, etc.
I have read that nothing should be between the child and the seat.

How true any of this is, I don't know.


Everyone does what they are comfy with- for me, I just got the cover that goes OVER the seat (kiddopattmus I think).

Message edited 11/1/2010 11:55:00 AM.

Re: whats the deal with the BUNDLE ME things?

One issue is compression which a prior poster mentioned. The addition of padding behind baby can lead to a false belief that the harness is tightened enough when it infact is not. The other is that it reroutes and can twist the harness. Rerouting the harness can lead to serious injury.

Here is a thread from babycenter showing how it interferes with the harness and how it introduces slack

http://community.babycenter.com/post/a5724415/my_bundle_me_experiment_with_photos?cpg=1&csi=2083230758&pd=-5

The other place they reroute the harness is at the hip portion, causing them to possibly rest against the abdomen rather than along the hip/upper thigh area. The belt resting against the abdomen can lead to internal injuries.

The claim by JJ Cole that they have "crash tested" the Bundle Me is misleading. They tested on ONE seat with ONE harness position. No one knows what dummy they used either, if any. The FMVSS 213 they refer to applies SOLELY to the actual seat, not to any additional aftermarket accessories.

No car seat tech will ever recommend a Bundle Me because they simply have too many strikes against them in terms of safety. Similarly, not one manufacturer of car seats has approved the Bundle Me for use with their seats (including the maker of the seat JJ Cole claims to have tested).

There has to be something to it if NO tech or manufacturer wants these used in both the US and Canada. That, along with the fact that my kids are not crash test dummies, is enough for me.