If you are a parent, this scene may be familiar: you’re riding in the car with the kids. The vehicle is moving down the road smoothly at 45 or 50 miles per hour. The CD is softly playing “I Want to be a Puppy Dog” and one of your youngsters is barking along with the chorus. Then, loud as a Fourth or July rocket you hear the “CLICK” as your other little precious unlatches her seat belt and stands behind your driver’s seat to dance along. It’s a situation that would be debilitating to most parents, and cast off as a minor problem by very few.
Oh, if only there was something to keep your angel from prematurely unlocking their safety belt.
Presenting the Angel Guard, a plastic buckle cover that claims to easily slip over the locking end of most 1996 and newer seat belt buckles. Though it isn’t a lock, it is sold as an effective deterrent, and in most situations will prevent your precious little one from coming unlocked before you can get to them. It’s also billed as a wonderfully protective tool if you have special needs children or loved ones with cognitive and boundary challenges.
The Angel Guard comes as a set of two, and can be purchased from several websites including but not limited to www.mypreciouskid.com, www.safetyed.org and www.mom4life.com. On these sites, prices range between $19.99 and $22.99 for the set, and the Angel Guard is made from a high-tech plastic which claims to be both lightweight and 30 times stronger than acrylic.
We ordered Angel Guards for our two youngest and when they arrived, we used them immediately. Their feel and look is much heavier than we had envisioned and it took us a little less than a minute to figure out how they slide over the latching end of the seat belt. Twisting the durable plastic to access the red button takes some getting used to and can be frustrating if you have a fretful child. The plastic is not easy to twist, and when considering the alternative, that’s actually a huge benefit.
Once the care giver figures out the best way to maneuver the cover, it is a simple, safe and effective restraint and most children won’t have the finger strength or logical thinking to pry it open. But if your child does happen to figure out the system, you would want to do away with it completely. And remember, it will add a mere five seconds for you. Thankfully, it’s been tested and endorsed by Fire and Rescue departments for ease of removal in an emergency. Keep in mind, too, that the Angel Guard is only available to vehicles with a red-button release on the end of the latch. It does not work on vehicles with the latch button in the middle of the buckle, to include many vans and busses.
The cost is minimal when you contemplate the options, which gives this little gem points for value. Especially when you take into account the durability and ease-of-use, The Angel Guard pays for itself the first time you use it when traveling to the store. And as for child resistance: when talking about your most precious cargo, few products instill as much confidence.
Even though Angel Guard expressly states that it is not a life-saving device, we can honestly say it has been a lifesaver for us. We strongly recommend the Angel Guard, especially if you have neuro-diverse or special needs loved ones.
