Converting a 5 point harness to a 3 point harness

[J. Galt]

I have a Graco Baby Classics stroller with a 5 point harness that I really don't like (I have a BIG baby that needs encouragement to move as much as possible. That 5 point harness really straps her in too much!). Any idea if I can convert a 5 point harness to a 3 point harness (either with some sort of attachment I can purchase, or some sort of fancy rigging on my part)?

I'm thinking of taking this stroller to Disney, because I think she could sleep in it (she is really outgrowing her umbrella stroller - as I mentioned, she is a really BIG baby (13 months @ 30 lbs +!)).

I've e-mailed Graco, but I haven't heard back from them yet. I thought that maybe someone on these boards might know the answer.

If there isn't a way to do this, can anyone suggest an umbrella stroller for a chunky monkey baby. I need a storage basket, sunshade, drink holder, recline abilities and big enough for her to take a comfortable nap.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[NotUrsula]

Personally, I can't imagine preferring a 3-pt to a 5-pt; I retrofitted all mine in the opposite direction.

The simplest way to handle it would be to just let out the slack on the shoulder harness so that the straps can dangle down at her sides. If you are concerned about her choking in them, you could sew them down to the upholstery and the waist harness at a few points (no gap larger than 2") just using needle and thread.

If your harness removes for washing, pull the shoulder straps out of the top anchors (you do this by slacking them, then turning the stop-buckles sideways to maneuver them forward through the holes) and then re-insert them next to the waist-strap anchor points. That will give you a slightly bulky double-strapped waist-only harness.

You could also simply use a razor to cut the shoulder straps off, but that will adversely affect the re-sale value of the stroller. If you do decide to do this, go to a fabric store and buy a little bottle of FrayChek; it will seal the cut edges of the webbing so that they will not unravel. (Clear nail polish will do the same thing, but it won't stand up to being washed.)

 

[J. Galt]

Thanks for the advice NotUrsula.

I was really hoping that there was a nice clean attachment to make the change, but I suppose I could just reconfigure the straps to create a 3 point harness. I don't want to cut the straps because, who knows, maybe the 5 point will come in handy with the next kid.

Maybe Graco will come through with some more promising info.