carseat: middle or side?

glenrapids

i always assumed carseats go in the middle.  we installed our graco snugride 30 into our camry and thought the latch things on the side seats were much more secure than just using the seatbelt in the middle.  our car only has latch things on the sides.  it also seems like it would be easier to take the baby out if she's on the side.  what did you guys do?

LDQAM516

side

Julia_JJ

Ours is in the middle - more protection from impact and side airbags. There's a hook for the LATCH system on either side.

wintersnight20

Side is best...We had our SD in the middle because our Kia Rio is so small that she had to have her legs bent up to be comfortable when she went forward facing. Both kids are in the sides now and we're hoping to get a new car in the next year! Poor things are so cramped back there...

katyragsdale

Our car is the same way... latches on both sides but not in the middle.  We met with a police officer who helped us install it, and she said that the middle was still better even though it didn't have the latch things.  She just used the seatbelt instead.

beezja

katyragsdale:

Our car is the same way... latches on both sides but not in the middle.  We met with a police officer who helped us install it, and she said that the middle was still better even though it didn't have the latch things.  She just used the seatbelt instead.

 

This is exactly what we did. And she was able to get the seat in there (and show us how to too) really good, so I have no reservations about it being a seatbelt rather than the LATCH system. 

KatieMcClure86

I have mine in the middle but I have an SUV so space isn't an issue with me.  Can you call whoever does inspections in your area and talk to a car seat installation specialist or even meet with someone to decide what is safest?

lageorgiapaperie

I have an SUV and we put our SnugRide in the middle. I pretty much hate it, and Harry has only taken 3 car rides! I'm 5'5'' and it's so hard to get it in and out. I really want to switch it to the side.

sweetie41305

Middle, we just installed our car seat and the directions said to install it in the middle.  I was curious why so I did a ton of research and found that car seats installed in the middle of the back seat are over 40% less likely to result in injury to a child during an accident.  Good enough for me!!

DiademChi

There are currently no U.S. government regulations on testing side impacts with children/baby car seats.  As a result, you really should place the seat in the middle for safety reasons.  Most cars that have the Latch system don't have the latches in place for the middle -- there are exact dimensions needed between latch points to be secure.  Securing the base safely via the seatbelt is very safe and something you should try.  (We got 2 bases so that we don't have to redo the seat security between vehicles)

I highly recommend going to a professional, certified car seat safety specialist at your local fire department or hospital for an inspection.

After having my official inspection, I returned my original seat as it could't be safely installed in the middle, only the sides.  Side impacts are serious business, why risk it? The Maxi-cosi Mico and the Graco Snugride couldn't be safely approved by our specialist for the middle in our Nissan Leaf, but the Chicco Keyfit 30 passed.

My local Babies R Us had a certified technician employee who took the time to help us try out and properly install several models to verify -- not to mention I had impartial inspections done before that at my hospital.

I found it hardly made any different in ease or convenience to unlatch the infant seat from it's base in the middle as from the side and carry it in/out of the car. I'm not quite 5 ft 2 in and have skinny, weak arms.

chrlyr

I have an SUV and put mine on the passenger side. I can't fold either of the seats down if it is in the middle, and I am sure we will need to transport things that require that after LO comes. I was also concerned about being able to reach the seat without climbing into the car since I am short.

love22

Middle - it is the safest spot and recommended by virtually all safety organizations.  Now that we'll have two my DS will be on the side and DD will be in the middle.

ETA - I have a civic and my DH has a camry.  We have the graco snugride 32 and it easily fit in both of our cars in the middle even with another carseat right next to it.  We had if professionally installed.

uncharch7

ours will go in the middle. look in your vehicle's manual, some vehicles specifically say where to put it. ours did not ('11 sonata). we felt more comfortable with the middle due to the fact that we have side curtain airbags and don't want the car seat near those.

MrsT2008

Unless the seat would be unstable in the middle (due to the actual bench of the car), then middle is safest since it is away from the doors and side airbags.  LATCH vs seatbelt actually should be no difference safety-wise

I installed the base in my car (Ford Escape) in the middle using the seatbelt and that thing is not budging.  Just for kicks, I also tried it on the side with the LATCH and I actually felt I couldn't get it as secure as I could with the seatbelt in the middle.

We haven't installed the base in DH's car yet, but it will go in the middle, with the seatbelt, in that car as well (Jetta)

emd2887

We also have a Camry and have ours in the middle. We have the Britax Roundabout 55, so the car seat will be staying in the car. I'll just sit on one of the side seats to get LO in and out. Even though the car manual says it's okay to put it on the side, I'm more comfortable with it in the middle in the event of a side-impact crash. 

DaisyKD

middle.  We had the police department help install it and this is what they recommended.  It seems like it'd be much easier to get in and out on the side but if it's safer in the middle that's what we'll do!

iluvmylab

We did the middle in my Maxima, but DH's 4-runner doesn't have latch in the middle.  We both thought the seat felt more secure with latch than the seat belt, but I understand why the middle is safer.  We haven't decided yet what we will do in his car.  I'm getting mine inspected next Thursday, so I'll just ask at the police station what they think about DH's car.

rachbenn2007

I've always been told the middle. I just re-read my manual for my carseat (Graco Sungride 32) and it said middle is the best. My car (05' Chevy Tahoe) has the latch on the passenger side and in the middle. So I will be putting the baby in the middle with my older kids on each side of her. I will have to get her out through the front seat but she'll be safest in the middle. 

browneyedgoil

at our infant care class, they said the middle is the safest for the carseat if you are able to put it there. 

emilyerin13

We have a 2009 Honda CR-V and we put our little one in the middle.  She stayed in the middle until a few months ago when we moved her to the passenger side so she could get used to it before her new sibling arrives.  It would have been easier to have her on the side the whole time but we felt the middle was safer when she was our only child.  Still trying to decide if we'll put new baby in the middle, snugged right up to big sis, or on the other side.  Guess it will come down to how the seats fit side by side.

2gr8pits

From what I understand, you should read your owners manual for best placement. My husbands cars manual says his goes on the side and my car says middle is best. It depends on the size of the middle seat and the amenities in the car. His has a flip down cupholder thing in the center and the seats are more "bucket" like in the back instead of a bench, so the carseat doesn't snugly fit there (if that makes sense).

Muffin0

With DD the LATCH didn't fit in the center (the hooks were too far apart according to both the car and the carseat books. So we put her on the passenger side.

With this kid I'm pretty sure she will go on the passenger side and DD1 will be going on the driver side.

Right now DD is in the middle (different car and obviously car seat)

beka0404

In our truck (my primary vehicle), the latch things are in the middle, so the infant base went in the middle. I don't think there are any latch things in my husband's car and we have yet to buy another base or a convertible seat for his car, so I'm not sure what we'll do - it's a 3-series BMW and has a very compact back seat, so I'm hoping middle will still work. Like many PPs, everything I've read about car seat safety says that the middle is the safest, followed by the driver's side (b/c the driver's first instinct is to protect themselves).