Harmony Merydian baby carseat UNSAFE for most UK cars
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- Опубліковано 8 бер 2019
- This car seat is, no doubt, perfectly safe and a very good product when used with the appropriate car seatbelt system. The problem is that it is being sold in the UK (via ASDA), and most UK cars do not have the appropriate seatbelt system. This carseat is fitted using your car seatbelt - it does not work any other way, such as via an isofix system.
The Harmony Merydian requires that your seatbelt system is in the 'automatic locking mode.' This requires you to gently pull the seatbelt out as far as it will go. In cars with this option, this will activate the 'automatic locking mode.' You can tell it is in this mode because when you then start to release the seatbelt back from its most extended point, it will begin to click and ratchet tighter and tighter with each click.
However, my 2014 Ford Focus and my wife's 2011 Citreon C3 don't do this. When you pull the seatbelt all the way out then begin to release it back, it simply feeds back in as normal. I went to the Ford dealership to see if there was something wrong with my car's seatbelt system, but the staff there didn't know what I was talking about. I tried the new (2019) cars on the showroom floor and they, too, don't have this 'automatic locking mode.' I tried a few second hand cars on the forecourt too...again, they don't have this mode.
So why are ASDA selling this carseat here in the UK when it is designed for use with a North American seatbelt system? I called their customer service line today. The first guy cut me off after about 30 minutes of discussion and holding. The second guy told me to watch the instruction video (this one: • Merydian Car Seat - Re... ) which, of course, I had done many times. It's a great video...if your car has the 'automatic locking' carseat mode.
My worry is that some people in the UK will have bought this carseat, fitted it the way I have, and got a little confused when they couldn't activate the 'automatic locking mode.' Some, like me, will have realised something wasn't right. Others might have assumed it was okay, and may now be carrying their child this way.
According to the Harmony Merydian instruction booklet, this carseat should "NEVER" be used with "a non-locking vehicle seatbelt." As the vast majority of UK cars have non-locking seatbelt systems, why is this being sold here at all?
ASDA is a massive and well-loved supermarket brand and people who shop there trust that they will be buying something suitable for use in their UK car. For many of us, that is not the case.
See video for, hopefully, a clear and practical demonstration of the problem. Any specific questions, feel free to ask in comments. - Авто та транспорт
In our instruction book it says to lock the seat belt by tugging it til it locks. This has worked for us and the car seat is very secure.
Thank goodness I watched this! I was literally just about to head out to pick one up from Asda as it's on sale right now but no way. Gonna spend the extra and get a Maxi-cosi. Thanks for this video
Iv bought this seat and failed to get it secure. Thank you so much for this video. It’s so dangerous for Asda to be selling these! Fuming as a child’s safety is so important
Just bought this! Thank you so much for your video! This is going straight back today 🤬
Oh my goodness! I was going to buy this
I bought this car seat with the intention of saving money but ended up throwing it away and buying one double the price with an i-safe rating which has been amazing.
It feels so unsafe I can't believe they are allowed to sell this in the UK!!
All seat belts are automatic locking. That's how they work.
You are absolutely right, and what I don't understand is that they can easily solve this by including a locking clip with the car seat, rather than releasing alarming statements claiming it's totally fine, when it clearly is not.
Locking in an accident would be too late - the child's head would have impacted the back of the seat in front. It baffles me how it even passed legal testing.
As an aside I would not recommend buying any car seat sold in a supermarket. If you need a budget car seat, stick to Britax or Joie. They have low cost options in most age groups which perform well and safely.
It does come with the locking clip.
The claim that being made here that Harmony Carseats are not safe for use in the UK because “This carseat can only be fitted using your car’s seatbelt system, which has to have the so-called ‘automatic locking mechanism’ is NOT correct, and is based on an incorrect interpretation stemming from a page in an old instruction book where you refer to “NEVER use a non-locking vehicle seat belt”. A ‘non-locking seatbelt’ was never intended to mean an ‘Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)’ seatbelt.
All Harmony carseats, including the Merydian being demonstrated here, are fully compatible with UK seatbelts. Further, all of our carseats have been extensively tested and fully comply with the ECE R44/04 standards. Harmony takes the position to advise on the absolute best installation of our carseats and wanted to advise never to use a seatbelt that does not lock which can be found on some older models vehicles, some classic vehicles and the middle seat in some more modern vehicles. Further, we were warning against using ‘broken’ seatbelts - ones that would not lock in the event of a crash.
Instructions books have been updated last year and now clarify that point: “NEVER use a seatbelt that does not lock in the event of a sharp turn, sudden stop or crash”. All instruction books can be downloaded at www.harmonyjuvenile.com/uk/instruction_manuals.
Of course, some vehicles in the UK do have switchable ELR/ALR retractors - and, we do always recommend locking the seatbelt for all carseat installations whenever possible. A great installation can always be attained without locking the seatbelt.
Harmony Customer Care
Thanks for that reply. I wish you'd just answer your phone so that you could have explained this to me, but it just rings out constantly.
Anyway, would you care to produce a video showing me how to safely install this, rearward facing, in my UK car that does not have ALR retractor? Your reply here is quite 'jargony' and leaves me no clearer on how to fit this safely in my car.
Can you confirm that the way I have it installed, as in the video above, is perfectly safe, even with that amount of movement? Is that your position?
Also, you say the instruction books were updated last year. I bought mine last week, and it has the 'old' book.
Also, that link you included in your reply is dead. The page on your website it directs to says this:
WHOOPS, OUR BAD...
The page you requested was not found, and we have a fine guess why.
If you typed the URL directly, please make sure the spelling is correct.
If you clicked on a link to get here, the link is outdated.
So yeah, I'm still very much in the dark...
To be honest, I don't think they are suitable and should not be sold in the UK. I tried fitting the car seat in 2 vehicles, both failed to hold the seat firmly in place . The free movement when fitted was ridiculous to be honest. I think ASDA will be getting many many returns for this item.
I am sorry this is not a satisfying statement. Actually, updating an instruction manual does not help, just muddied the water. Its not safe, I tried it !
I didn’t get an instruction manual with mine, gonna upgrade to a seat with an instruction manual atleast.
Mine has gone back to ASDA today. No way of getting the slack out when fitted. Very dangerous and not worth risking your child's safety. I will buy a good old trusted Joie car seat, easy to fit, a lot more expensive, but I know my child is safe.
If anyone has brought this, cut the straps and bin it ASAP😭
They’re VERY poorly performing car seats that have the very poor, bare legal minimum requirements to be sold!! You get what you pay for. Trash. Please don’t use this!!!!!!
Only useless rear facing on uk cars but front facing is very secure