Behind the driver, behind the passenger, or in the middle?
I've heard middle is safest?? But - is it a pain to reach across to the middle to take it in and out?
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Behind driver here.. Baby 2 will be behind passenger
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Behind passenger. In our car the base wouldn't get level/secure in the middle so that wasn't an option for us. And I can see baby better with my car mirror when te seat is behind the passenger than when it's behind the driver.
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Ours is in the middle. We have an SUV, it's kinda annoying to get in and out but the safest place for it in our car.
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I don't think middle is necessarily the safest - from what I've read, it totally depends on your specific car. In our Outback, the owner's manual recommends the driver's side or passenger side over the middle.
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Ours is in the middle!
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We couldn't get ours level or sturdy in the middle either, so we are behind passenger.
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In my car, we have placed the base behind the passenger seat because it wouldn't fit in the middle with the LATCH tether. In my husband's car, it's in the middle.
I was concerned about not having the seat in the middle in my car, but when we had it inspected by the police, they felt that the side was preferable to the middle where we would have had to belt the base in with the seatbelt, not the LATCH.
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We have our convertible seats installed rear facing on the passenger side.
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In my car, it's installed in the middle with a seatbelt. In DH's car, behind the passenger care with LATCH. It is a little hard on the back to get her in and out in my car though, especially now that she is getting bigger!
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Middle. We were told it was safest (farthest from impact no matter where you get hit) and it worked with our vehicle/car seat combination and could use latch.
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Middle, because it is the safest, but it is a pain.
When DD2 comes, she will be behind the passenger and DD1 will be behind the driver.
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Middle b/c it's the safest. We have an SUV so it is a bit of a pain to take in and out.
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Middle, as was recommended by our car manual. Our car doesn't have a LATCH system thing like newer cars have (our car is a 1999). It is a little bit more of a pain to get the car seat out, but we can still do it without waking him up, so it's not a huge issue.
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Middle but it's a total PITA now that he's getting bigger. We'll probably get a convertible car seat by the first of the year so I won't have to heave-ho the car seat into the back seat. (We both have SUV's, apparently we hate the environment?) lol
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In her infant seat she was behind the passenger because it didn't fit anywhere else without me having to adjust my seat as the driver. The convertible fits in the middle and it's been working well for us.
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Middle with the LATCH system. I live it because two adults can ride with me in the back if messes art and not have the squeeze in the middle (they'll get window seats).
Plus- I can park on any side of the garage of parking space and not have to worry about leaving room on one side to get baby out. I can choose which side to grab him from if I park too close to another car or the wall of the garage. -
The safest is where you can get the best install! We are behind passenger and behind driver.
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Passenger, because our middle seat doesn't have LATCH and the car seat clinic recommended LATCH over seatbelt installation, and said that passenger is safer for getting kids in and out (since driver's side opens into the road when you park on the street).
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Passenger side is easiest for me to see and reach while I'm driving. When he was tiny we had him in the middle and it was truly a pain. I talked to a car seat installation expert with the highway department and he said the backseat of my car is so small that the placement really didn't make a difference safety-wise. (I was driving a Civic then and now I have a Corolla, which isn't much bigger)
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With my first he was and still is behind the passenger seat. With my second he is behind the driver seat. I would love to put him in the middle but, 1) there's no latch, and 2) he's getting SO heavy that I don't think I can get him out easily from the middle seat. Although, I would have more room to sit on long road trips to my SIL's house...
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Like pps, ours is behind passenger because LATCH was only available on the sides, not middle. I don't know why we picked passenger side--I think because it is easier to see/check on LO!
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Middle!
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We put it behind the passenger because we needed to push the seat up so that way it was easiest. For Baby boy 2 we're going to put his seat behind the driver.
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Behind me because my seat is more forward than DH's--so usually behind the driver's seat.
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We have ours behind the passenger seat.
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It's behind the passenger because it wouldn't pass inspection in the middle. We have a highlander. Now I'm glad that's where it is, because I can barely heave her into the base as it is! And she's only around 10 lbs!
We drive a highlander.
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@Meggo5: ok so LATCH is preferable to seatbelt?
- nevermind - seems that it is! Thanks ladies!
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@glimmersnaps: What year is your Corolla? I have a 2009 and have been wondering where we should put the infant car seat...the goal is to go to a baby store and try installing it sometime soon.
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We have our baby seat in the middle and my son's seat behind the passenger. When I went to go get my car seats inspected by the California Highway Patrol, they recommended moving the baby seat to he middle (to avoid side impact injuries) and to move the toddler seat behind the passenger seat (to avoid having the door open on the street side...safer to load kids on the sidewalk side). Having the baby in the middle is kind of a pain to load, but it sure makes it easier for someone to sit in the back!
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I originally wanted to have the car seat in the middle but my husband put it behind the passenger seat and now I am used to having it there and wouldnt have it any other way
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Passenger side. I wanted her behind me (driver), but I couldn't find the latch system on the driver side in my 4Runner (maybe there isn't one?....maybe I'm just a dummy?). Either way, she's on the passenger side now with the latch system.
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Passenger side. Our carseat doesnt fit right in the middle.
I read this when doing reasearch:
"But there’s a major caveat to this recommendation: the middle car seat is only safest if a full seat belt (rather than just a lap belt) is used. So if you’re driving an older car without a full, 3-point seat belt, your children are better off sitting in a back window seat."
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We don't have the LATCH system for the center seat (2012 Prius)and the car manual doesn't suggest tethering it between the two side LATCHes. I felt that since the manual says to use behind the driver or behind the passenger, for safety, that's probably my best bet. DS sits behind the passenger seat.
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I heard the middle is the safest, but the latch system is on either side, so she goes behind the drivers side, its much easier to get her in and out.
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@tororojo (I just lol'ed at your name and avatar) My Corolla is a 2009 but I've gotten it recently so I never had the infant seat in it.
In my experience with workers in most baby stores, their knowledge about stuff like that is hit-or-miss. If you put in your state and zip code here, you'll get a list of certified car seat inspection technicians in your area. (http://www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm)
Before you buy, you might also find some reviews/advice here: http://www.car-seat.org/
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Our carseat is installed on the passenger side of the car. When we came home from the hospital it was installed in the middle seat. I didn't like the way it sat in the middle seat and I believe that it is more secure on the passenger side. Plus it is much easier for me to get it in and out myself.
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I was told by the inspector at the fire house to not put the infant seat in the middle. If you get hit from behind there is no front seat to protect the seat more. Plus on my car I can't use the latch system, since the belts are for the sides seats. He ended up installing it on the passenger side for me. But now I wonder if that is good, cause I worried about side air bags.
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ours is behind the passenger. I drive a highlander, and even there i have to use both hands to heave her up and in (she's a heavy little thing). I'll also be putting her convertible there i think, i heard passenger is safer than driver because when parked on a street you're out of traffic.
ETA - LMAO! didn't realize this was an old thread and I already responded. back to bed.
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@sorrycharlie: Yeah I did a search cause now I am paranoid that we have it installed on the wrong side.
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42 comments