FF Radian without tether?

A

awesomelife

New member

• Dec 31, 2012

• #1

Hi ladies,

I've learned a TON on this forum and really appreciate all this, but I'm having trouble finding some information and would love if some of you could give me some advice.

I have an Odyssey and baby #3 on the way. I want to keep all 3 kids in the middle row so that would mean using the Plus-One seat. I found a discussion that had tons of success so I'm excited about that. However, I only found RF answers. Right now, both kids (age 4 (40#) and age 2) are RF. The older child is in an XTSL. The younger in a Marathon. #3 will be in a KeyFit 30. My plan was originally to put the 4 year old in the Plus-One and both RF babes in the captain's seat. I realized there's no tether point in the Plus-One. In the discussion I found though, someone pointed out there's a tether point under the Plus-One seat (http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=88571&page=4), but it was recommended not to be used for FF.

So my questions are:
1) Is it safe to FF him in the middle without the tether? OR
2) Am I better off keeping him RF in the middle also without a tether?

He's been asking to FF because he wants to be able to help me with the babies and I would like him to be able to help out, but I need him safe first. Both options make me a little nervous and I'm really not sure what the best choice is.

Thanks in advance and Happy New Year to everyone!!

 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician

• Dec 31, 2012

• #2

Well, rear-facing is always safest--tether or no. However, it's not at all unreasonable to forward-face a 4-year-old. I would want him to have a tether, though, which the Plus-One seat doesn't have. (At least in pre-2011 models. I'm not sure about post-)

Regardless, I think it would be tough to have a forward-facing kid between two rear-facers just from a practical standpoint. How will he get in his seat? Climb under the convertible? Climb over the infant seat base? (That would mean always having to take the infant carrier out.)

I would put the KeyFit in the middle (if it works there). It should be easy to drop the carrier in over a forward-facing Radian. You can step in a little or even "sit" in the Radian a bit if you need to.

 

A

awesomelife

New member

• Dec 31, 2012

• #3

Thanks!

I have considered putting the Chicco in the middle, but for me (I'm very short), putting either baby or carseat in/out over either of the other 2 car seats would be difficult. That and the 4 (nearly 4.5) year old really wants to be able to help both his brothers. If he were FF, he'd either climb in through the front seats (which he loves) or I could take out the baby seat first and have him go over the base. He has also crawled into his seat by going under the Marathon and it's tethering strap, just because he's wanted to. He's really good about getting in and buckling the top straps. He does need help getting the crotch buckle done.

So that's why I posted.. I THINK I'm ready for him to FF, but without a tether, I'm really unsure. Just his big carseat being in the middle, RF or FF without a tether makes me nervous.

 

Christie

New member

• Dec 31, 2012

• #4

We're slightly in this situation. I would RF the marathon in whichever captains chair you want with the KF30 in the Plus One seat and then have the 4 yr old in the 2nd captains chair. From a practicality standpoint, it's ridiculously hard to get the 4 yr old into the middle surrounded by 2 RF'ing seats.

In the post-2011 Plus One seat, there is IS a tether anchor in the back of the seat. I just checked our '12.

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Christie

New member

• Dec 31, 2012

• #5

Christie said:

We're slightly in this situation. I would RF the marathon in whichever captains chair you want with the KF30 in the Plus One seat and then have the 4 yr old in the 2nd captains chair. From a practicality standpoint, it's ridiculously hard to get the 4 yr old into the middle surrounded by 2 RF'ing seats.

In the post-2011 Plus One seat, there is IS a tether anchor in the back of the seat. I just checked our '12.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

Click to expand...

Just read what you posted as I typed.

What year is your Oddy?

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LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician

• Dec 31, 2012

• #6

Ok, having him go through the front would work. We always have the console in use, so I forgot that was an option.

The Radian CAN be used forward-facing without the top tether, but it's always better to use one. I won't say it's a deal-breaker not to use one, but it's pretty close, especially when there are options that allow it to be used.

If it matters, I'm also short, and I had no problem getting an infant seat into the center of my DH's huge truck with other seats on the side. I'd climb onto the running board, sit in my DS's booster, and plop the infant seat in next to me. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. Just throwing it out there as something to try.

 

A

awesomelife

New member

• Dec 31, 2012

• #7

Thanks! Since my husband is off tomorrow, I think we'll try putting the Chicco in the middle. I've been back and forth on the idea, but really wanted to put the 4 year old in the middle. I just haven't found a way to truly feel comfortable with it. I'm only comfortable with the little seat in the middle because it doesn't need a tether. Once he outgrows that, then I'll have to see what we do. I did read that a tether is not necessary, but it doesn't feel right to me to not tether him even though I know he's technically ok to forward face. Thank you again!

 

tam_shops

New member

• Dec 31, 2012

• #8

Did I miss something, if the kids are in the middle row, there is a row behind, can't she do a temporary tether using the seat directly behind the RN?

tam

 

A

awesomelife

New member

• Dec 31, 2012

• #9

tam_shops said:

Did I miss something, if the kids are in the middle row, there is a row behind, can't she do a temporary tether using the seat directly behind the RN?

tam

Click to expand...

What tether do you mean? The only I have found was the one linked and someone said that point wouldn't work? I'd LOVE to hear ideas. Currently, our 3rd row is folded down so we can put groceries/strollers, etc, but if I could use some tether there, I'd gladly put them up, but I'm also not sure if there are tether points there?

 

B

babyherder

Well-known member

• Jan 1, 2013

• #10

I picked up a 4 year old from school a few days a week last year. Her seat was ff in the middle between 2 rear facing seats. The first day I had that set up she took one look at it, crawled under a rear facing myride65, informed me with a grin that it was like a "tunnel" and climbed into her seat. I wasn't really sure how it was going to work but she didn't even give me a chance to figure anything out.

 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician

• Jan 1, 2013

• #11

tam_shops said:

Did I miss something, if the kids are in the middle row, there is a row behind, can't she do a temporary tether using the seat directly behind the RN?

tam

Click to expand...

awesomelife said:

What tether do you mean? The only I have found was the one linked and someone said that point wouldn't work? I'd LOVE to hear ideas. Currently, our 3rd row is folded down so we can put groceries/strollers, etc, but if I could use some tether there, I'd gladly put them up, but I'm also not sure if there are tether points there?

Click to expand...

She's talking about using a seatbelt from the third row to create an anchor point. I believe that Honda does not allow it, though.

 

A

awesomelife

New member

• Jan 1, 2013

• #12

So I installed the seats with the Chicco in the middle, but as I was installing, I just realized that since the third row is folded away, couldn't I use the hook (the one that the third row would lock into if I folded it back up), as a tether point. It's gotta be strong enough if it's supposed to hold the third row in place. I can't use it now because my parents are coming to visit so I need the third row, but later on, would it be a possibility?

And yes! My 4 year old would LOVE a tunnel because he crawls in/out everywhere. I actually never considered that as an issue mainly because I know how he is. My concern was not being able to tether at all. Thanks!

 

J

Jessica61624

New member

• Jan 1, 2013

• #13

Did you actually put the keyfit in? I made the mistake of only trying the base and weeks before baby was due I realized it didn't fit. My older two fight constantly so it was my goal to have the baby in the center.

 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician

• Jan 1, 2013

• #14

For a forward-facing seat, you can only use approved tether anchors. Even though something else seems just as strong (or stronger), it just isn't allowed.

 

A

awesomelife

New member

• Jan 1, 2013

• #15

Darn! I was hoping the tether point would work. O well. We'll all get used to it anyway.

Yes! I did get the Chicco to fit, surprisingly quickly too! The base is solid. To click the seat in though, I had to push the Marathon over a hair because its top sticks out, but the Chicco fits right under it. There were no issues on the Radian side.

 

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awesomelife

New member

• Jan 1, 2013

• #16

Thank you all again!

 

J

Jessica61624

New member

• Jan 1, 2013

• #17

awesomelife said:

Darn! I was hoping the tether point would work. O well. We'll all get used to it anyway.

Yes! I did get the Chicco to fit, surprisingly quickly too! The base is solid. To click the seat in though, I had to push the Marathon over a hair because its top sticks out, but the Chicco fits right under it. There were no issues on the Radian side.

Click to expand...

Did you use seat belt to install the marathon? If so did you slide it all the way towards to edge of the seat? That's the same issue I had and I found a few times the keyfit didn't click all the way.

 

A

awesomelife

New member

• Jan 1, 2013

• #18

No, the Marathon is latched in. If we have issues with it clicking in, I'll def look into putting the Marathon in with the seatbelt and seeing if it makes a difference. Thanks for the suggestion!