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September 2013 Moms
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STM: Car seat Advice

caseynicole317caseynicole317 member
in September 2013 Moms

So I'm beginning to start thinking about where and when to install the base for LOs infant seat.  As of now I have DS2's seat behind my passenger seat and DS1 sits either in the middle or behind the driver (whichever he prefers as he has a booster but it secures with the adult belt).   I have looked at my cars manual and it's a bit confusing about where I can and can't put car seats with the LATCH system.  So I guess my questions for you ladies are 1)which do you prefer using the cars safety belt or the LATCH system  and 2)As long as manuals say its ok I was thinking of putting LO behind passenger seat and DS2 behind driver seat...that way the oldest can sit in the middle.  (I know we need a bigger car...lol)  

Also I fully plan on taking them by the fire dept. after I install to make sure they meet safety requirements for the state.... even though the state is kinda slack. 


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Re: STM: Car seat Advice

  • revlaurawittmanrevlaurawittman member

    PP is right, technically, about the safety part and keeping baby in the middle.  HOWEVER, depending on the size of your car and the way the latch system is set up, you would probably need to have the booster seat in the middle since it doesn't require latch.  You cannot hook two car seats to one latch so if you had two carseats installed with latch they couldn't be next to each other in the car.  My husband and I both have Honda's and even though the latch system is spaced so you can put the seat anywhere, technically you can't have more than two car seats installed at a time.  (I realize that sounds confusing, but what I mean is there are only four latch hooks in our car and you need two per carseat.)

     

    Therefore, all of that is to say that if you are using latch, which is more secure in my opinion, you would have to put baby on one side, the oldest with the booster seat in the middle, and your second child on the other side. 



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  • RunningGal900RunningGal900 member
    The least protected kid should go in the middle. So a boostered kid would be preferred in the middle over a harnessed kid and a ff harnessed kid would be preferred over a rear facing kid in the middle spot. Therefore, I would put the least protected kid in the middle. I know it may seem counterintuitive to put the baby by the side and a bigger kid in the middle, but just by virtue of the baby being in the rf seat he or she will be more protected. I have to have DS and the baby outboard bc I rf seat does not fit well in our center and I have no guilt about that...they will both be rear facing and that's safest anyway. Once we have a third, DS will be forward facing and can go in the middle.

    I have no strong preference for latch vs the seatbelt. Keep in mind there are latch limits which is for the seat and the kid so depending upon how old your second son is, he could be approaching. The most important thing is getting a secure install. Neither is safer than the other. In my car I can get a safe install with either, but in DHs I really can't get the seat belt install right.

    From the car seat lady:

    What if two or more people need to ride in my backseat?
    Since the center is the safest place in the vehicle, try to put the person who is the least protected in that position. For example, a rearfacing child even a 4 pound preemie is 5 times safer than a forwardfacing child or adult, simply because the rearfacing child is rearfacing! So put the forwardfacing person in the center seat to "even things out."

    Of course, there are times when this might not work. If you have a laponly belt in the middle seat, things get complicated. A child in a booster seat or an adult should NOT ride with just a laponly belt. If you have a laponly belt, it will be safer for the child in a booster seat or the adult to sit on the side and use a lapandshoulder belt.

    https://www.thecarseatlady.com/car_seats/rearfacing_seats_7.html

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  • Brooke81Brooke81 member
    I would put baby on the outside if for no ther reason that I think it would be nearly impossible to the baby's seat in and out of the middle seat if there are 2 other car seats in there.
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