Is it safe the way i have the Marathon in?

Karen Kite

New member
I have a question about the placement of my carseats. I want to have the Fisher price safe embrace and the Marathon in the back seat, with one in the middle position. The way it works best without one of the seats being smashed up against the outboard door, is to have the Safe embrace with the infant outboard and the Marathon with my 2 1/2 yo old in it in the middle position. Is this OK??
Next question: The back seat middle part is raised in a hump higher than the 2 outboard seats. The Marathon kind of hangs over the raised bump in the middle postion of the back seat of the car (Honda Accord Station wagon, 1995) in the forward facing facing position. So if you are in the front seat looking back on the seat, there is nothing under the carseat to the right for about 3 inches. I wondered if it was safe to put a towel under the bottom part to raise it level with the raised part of the seat. Otherwise, both seats will be outboard, or one seat, the Marathon, will be outboard and smashed right up against the backdoor. My understanding is that the car frame and door provide the most protection for the child, not the carseat, so I don't like the idea of having the Marathon up against the back door with NO space at all in btwn. With the Safe Embrace outboard, there is about 3-4 inches in btwn the door and the seat.
All things considered, what will be the safest positioning for these seats???
 
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U

Unregistered

Guest
Karen-I have a ? for you!

Karen, I have 2 FP safe embraces-I love them! I need to get one more convertible seat (long story-not important) anyway, I am so happy with my FP seats. I am unhappy with everything I have seen other than the Britax seats. Does it seem to you that the seats most like the FP seats are the Britax seats? I want the Marathon or Wizard for my 38 inch, 30 lb 2.5 year old.-she likes the Marathon and I like the higher height limits. Thanks!
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
Some answers-

First, you arrangement sounds fine as long as your seats can be installed tightly, and that the owner's manual for your vehicle and carseats don't indicate a problem with installing them in the center seat with a hump.

Normally, we prefer that at least 80% of the base of the carseat be in contact with the seat cushion. For a front facing seat, we do not recommend that anything be placed under the base between it and the vehicle seat.

For side impacts, the vehicle frame, door and carseat shell are all important to prevent injuries. It is safe to put both seats outboard if they fit the best that way. We have always placed both our kids outboard, mostly to keep them from being able to reach each other:)
 

Karen Kite

New member
Thanks, darren. Since it is not recommended by you to out anything under the Marathon in the middle position, I don't think %80 of the bottom of the carseat is touching the seat, so the seats won't work that way. (FPSE outboard with the Marathon in the middle). Plus, with just the lapbelt, I couldn't get the Marathon that tight in the middle, but when i installed it in the outboard position, with the lap/shoulder belt it was super tight. I am thinking that the best positions for the seats will be both outboard. It is so hard to give up putting anyone in the middle seat position, knowing that's the safest position, but the back seat is just too small for the seats to be side by side and fit tightly, and not be squooshed up against the doorframe, too.
 

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