What are HUGS™?
HUGS stands for “Harness Ultra-Guard System” which are chest pads made of a rubber-like material with treads on the back side.
Where are HUGS located on the car seat?
HUGS are located on the chest area of the harness straps for our higher weight capacity seats such as our 65 pound convertible car seats, our 80 pound Frontier combination Harness-2-Booster seat, and our 80 pound Regent forward-facing only seat.
Why does the seat need HUGS?
The job of a car seat is to prevent injury; a car seat is used to prevent injury by:
- Making contact with the strongest parts of the body.
- Minimizing movement of the body both front to back and side to side.
- Providing protection to the brain and spinal cord.
HUGS helps to minimize the forward movement of your child during a crash
How does HUGS work?
The Harness Ultra-Guard System assists in reducing forward movement of your child in the event of a crash by adding friction to the harness against your child’s chest as they move forward, similar to break pads on a car.
HUGS can be found on seats that accommodate larger children because a larger child’s weight will interact differently with the seat than a lighter child. A smaller or lighter child has a lower center of gravity and is closer to the anchorage points of the child seat; they do not require the extra assistance to keep them from moving forward as with a larger/taller child. As your child grows their center of gravity changes and moves further away from the anchorage points of the seat; they require more assistance in reducing movement during a crash. Remember, minimizing movement minimizes the risk of injury.
Although the HUGS chest pads are required for all size children in the forward-facing installation mode, they are optional in the rear-facing installation mode where your child is instead cradled by the child seat back in a frontal impact.
How long has Britax incorporated HUGS in their seats?
We have been incorporating HUGS in our products since the introduction of the Marathon in 2000.
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