Are adult booster seats available?

[nhamps]

Hi all,

We’ve been out today for the first time since picking up our first camper van a few weeks ago. My wife has discovered that the seatbelt digs into her neck and squashes her “womanly shape” on the right side. She is vertically challenged at just 5ft, but as they say, the best things come in small packages. We have a ducato based van with captains chairs, so the belt is fixed at the top of the backrest and can’t be altered there.
I wondered if anyone else has this issue and if they have found a safe solution. A booster seat seems a reasonable way to go, but are there any adult versions that anyone has tried and tested that they would recommend?
There are some items that modify where the belt crosses the body, however I don’t want to use these, as they look like they would compromise the effectiveness of the belt system in a collision.

Any useful advice would be much appreciated.

See you out there.

 

[Figaro]

The captains chairs can be raised up quite a bit if you play around with them, are they ISRI chairs ?
Failing that I think one of the retailers that sell items for elderly / accessibility aids may be able to help.

 

[Jev88]

I built a step from an old duck board that fits under my partner's feet as her little legs dangled in the air and that helped her sit properly in the chair. Her 12v plug in heated seat also helps a bit.

 

[Stealaway]

Here

Adult Car Seat Booster for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for Adult Car Seat Booster. Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Lenny HB]

We have Aguti seats and wife is 4'10" no problem with the belt but she does have a big beanie bag to put her feet on.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Janine]

I have a similar problem and use one of these cliips from eBay.
<Broken link removed>

 

[nhamps]

Thanks all.

What is an ISRI chair? The van is a 3 week old IH 630 FL if that’s of any use?

The problem isn’t the seat adjustment. Her feet can reach the floor, or the seat can be wound up/down at the front or rear, moved forwards/backwards etc. It is the seat belt anchoring points are in fixed positions on the seat. As these points aren’t adjustable relative to the seat then I was calling on your experiences (as I don’t have any) on moving my wife relative to the seatbelt anchoring points to relieve the belt from digging into her neck, and squashing her anatomy.

Thanks for the eBay link Stealaway. I had wondered about a square slab of a cushion but wanted something a bit more aesthetically pleasing, however it might come down to that. The other items on eBay state they are adult booster seats, however have a max rating of 36kg. Even if she was built like a racing snake she’d weigh more than that.

Janine, thanks for the link. I had wondered about something to modify the layout of the seatbelt, but was concerned about how that would behave in a collision, and would it compromise the effectiveness of the pretensioner. I’ll look into this in a bit more detail.

Thank you all for taking time to respond.

 

[dulvil]

James Bond has a few used booster seats for sale

 

[nhamps]

That would solve the problem.

 

[PhilMary]

Give your wife a big Christmas dinner then she will "grow into it"
Phil

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Minxy]

You need a thick piece of memory foam of the height required to use as a pad to 'lift' her into the right position on the seat then you need to secure the pad so that it can't shoot out from under her in an accident so either make a cover that has straps which can be tied at the back of the seat (make sure they are strongly attached!), or put a seat cover over the whole lot. In our MH we have captains chairs with built in seat belts so I have a small seat pad, the type you use on a dining char, to raise me up a little bit with a full seat cover. Once you've sorted out the pad you'll then need something for under her feet as they'll be dangling! I have a garden kneeler like the below which works perfectly, can be easily moved, used elsewhere and washable.

 

[Just smiffy]

I’m not keen on the belt by my neck too so I use one of these in the van and car... it does make the seatbelt “slacker” therefore not rubbing around the neck and tummy but it will affect the operation of the belt slightly but it’s a compromised risk I take...
I do adjust it sparingly to make it just comfortable for me so hopefully the belt will work properly in the advent of an accident..

<Broken link removed>

 

[BwB]

A strong peg. Put the seatbelt on, pull a bit more out to relieve the pressure on the "lady shape" and peg the strap to stop it retracting. Maybe worth a try? Used all the time in this household.

 

[SpeedyDux]

You need a thick piece of memory foam of the height required to use as a pad to 'lift' her into the right position on the seat then you need to secure the pad so that it can't shoot out from under her in an accident so either make a cover that has straps which can be tied at the back of the seat (make sure they are strongly attached!), or put a seat cover over the whole lot. In our MH we have captains chairs with built in seat belts so I have a small seat pad, the type you use on a dining char, to raise me up a little bit with a full seat cover. Once you've sorted out the pad you'll then need something for under her feet as they'll be dangling! I have a garden kneeler like the below which works perfectly, can be easily moved, used elsewhere and washable.

View attachment 450301

Minxy's warning about the booster sliding forwards in the event of a crash seems more risky than using some kind of clip to relieve the pressure. The latter should be compensated for by the pre-tensioner pyrotechnics, I guess.

By modern safety standards, Ducatos are woefully lacking in airbags. Even the passenger airbag is an optional extra. By comparison, our car has 10 airbags to protect the front passenger and driver.

AFAIK the Ducato doesn't have a NCAP rating at all. Would be lucky to get one star IMO.

 

[Nanniemate]

NRS Healthcare MEDesign Backfriend Back Support, Double Padded , Folds to Carry: Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care

try some of the ergonomic business suppliers Posturite, HWS, they may have something suitable then do a google search for the best prices

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[DumfriesDik]

This is a lazy post, sorry. Have a look (google) for car adaptations, you may have a local company. Don't be put off by all the disability stuff but its them you need to look at. They are experts in this field. There are so many companies to choose from, and one of them may sell something safe and suitable for your wife. Best of luck.

 

[frogijock]

Why not contact IS as they may be able to help, also they are not to far from you

 

[nhamps]

Thanks. Who are IS?

 

[Wellington]

I sit on a sheepskin, both in my car and the van. I’m also only five foot, and seat belts are uncomfortable (and I wonder how safe, when the dig into your neck?)