Right handed? Left handed? Affect your choice of seat placement?

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
I'm trying to help out the secretary at my son's school, she's a grandma with an RF 1 year old in a classic Decathlon (MA with button instead of adjuster flap, not expired yet) behind the passenger, and a 4 yo in a My Ride 65 behind the driver. She said it's a royal pain to get that baby buckled in every time, so I'm trying to talk her down from FFing (even though we have the same pediatrician, who says 1 is fine for FF, I really need to chat with her next time I take the kids in...). Ok, so long story short, I've always had my RF'er behind the driver, and FF'ers behind the passenger... I'm right handed, and honestly I'm wondering if that's why I've always done it....? It's a lot more natural angle to fuss with a harness that way, now that I think about it.
Has anyone else ever thought of that?

(Oh, and I think I'll tell the secy that she should put the big kid back in the upright Britax and RF the MR for the baby--for more leg room--, I'm just not sure why she wants the seats the way she has them, but jokes that the big kid doesn't mind his MR'bucket', even though it was his Britax all along before now).
 
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aeormsby

New member
We had the kids on different sides at different times (and both RF, one on each side for a year) and I never thought one side was easier than the other.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
I don't choose based on hand. I choose based on practicality. Due to my kids ages, each time I have one rear facing, I have an older one that needs to get out for school and I don't want them getting out into the street. So baby goes driver's side so the booster can go passenger side.
 

thekatie

New member
I've had the RF seats behind both passenger (standard, most of the time) and driver (infrequently), and don't really notice a true difficulty difference. It is different, but not harder or easier either way.

The few times J2 has been forward facing it's been behind the passenger seat and I just CAN'T do it. Not easily. Actually getting him in the car is what's the worst, but buckling is a massive PITA. I keep saying I need to stick the seat behind the driver and see if that makes a difference (for the same rationale, does side of vehicle and parental handedness make a difference?).

I'm right handed too.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Hmm. I am right handed, with RF seats on both the driver & passenger sides. The one behind the driver IS easier to do, but probably has more to do with the fact that I am buckling in a compliant 1yo instead of a slapping, kicking, tantruming almost-4yo :p

Seriously, I've never paid attention to if one side was easier for buckling. I'll have to pay attention next time I load the kids.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
And something to note, I find getting them in FF way harder than RF. The door only opens so wide, ya know? So your kind of working backwards. Especially in parking lots where you can't open your door all of the way. RF much easier!

Yup this would likely be a non issue for van folks but the problem doesn't exist long enough for me to need to buy a van to solve it.
 

tiggercat

New member
I'm a lefty and I liked my RFer behind the driver. Now I have him FF on the passenger side and it is fine. I doubt handedness makes a huge difference, unless the person is very weak on the non-dominant side.
 

Meg

Well-known member
I'm a righty, so I've always put RFing seats behind the drivers seats and my FF seats behind the passengers seats. It makes most sense that way since it allows me to face the seat straight on with my right side/hand to the car seat.
 

Keeyamah

Active member
I'm right handed and have had RFer and FFers on both sides. I prefer FFers on the passenger or middle so they can't kick me in the back. Never noticed any difference in getting them buckled on either side.
 

Lenae

Active member
In DH's pickup, I've always put Colton on the drivers side and Sassy on my side, because Colton is heavier and both kids have to be lifted in. In my car, I had Sassy behind me (RF) so I could move the passenger seat all the way forward and upright so Colton would have more room in an accident (to avoid his head smashing into the seat in front of him). I recently switched them, because I park on a curb for her dance classes and I would rather get her out sidewalk side than roadside. Also, I'm short, so the difference between the passenger seat all the way forward and the where my seat is normally set is negligible.

I have never once considered where I put carseats based on right handed or left handed-ness.
 

MommyShannon

New member
I'm right handed and had 2 RF until this month. I never noticed a difference. The "hard" part is getting a toddler into a rf seat when they are fighting it. That takes certain techniques! DH is left handed and has never commented. I place the youngest behind the driver since that's who was normally in the Britax and I needed the slimmest seat there. I also prefer her there since she can't climb out by herself. My older 3 can climb out the other side together when we get home and I don't have to walk around to get anyone.
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
I'm left-handed, and I have a definite opinion about this. ;) For strictly ease of unbuckling (all other factors - who needs to be dropped off from what side, which seat fits where, etc. - being equal) I prefer to have the FF kid behind the driver and the RF kid behind the passenger. That allows me to reach in with my left hand and easily manipulate the buckle as needed. It's definitely harder when they are on opposite sides.

I assume that for a right-handed person, it would be easier to unbuckle a RF seat from the driver side and a FF seat from the passenger side.
 

Mommyto3Gs

New member
I'm left-handed, and I have a definite opinion about this. For strictly ease of unbuckling (all other factors - who needs to be dropped off from what side, which seat fits where, etc. - being equal) I prefer to have the FF kid behind the driver and the RF kid behind the passenger. That allows me to reach in with my left hand and easily manipulate the buckle as needed. It's definitely harder when they are on opposite sides. I assume that for a right-handed person, it would be easier to unbuckle a RF seat from the driver side and a FF seat from the passenger side.

I 2nd this whole thing. Thank you BookMama for saving me typing ;)
 

thekatie

New member
That allows me to reach in with my left hand and easily manipulate the buckle as needed. It's definitely harder when they are on opposite sides.

I assume that for a right-handed person, it would be easier to unbuckle a RF seat from the driver side and a FF seat from the passenger side.
I think my issue with sides is more getting the child into the seat, and the way I swing J2 in it's just easier rear facing behind the passenger. I can manipulate the buckles equally easy with both hands, and don't have trouble using my right hand when he's RF behind the passenger. It's just hard getting him IN when he's FF.

Which I totally use as one of my many reasons as to why he's still rear facing, actually. "It's easier for ME!" Sadly, that appeals to some of my friends as logical more than "it's safer for him."
 

YinzerMama

New member
I tend to prefer the kid who needs buckled, ff or rf, to be behind the driver or in the middle, and then I will buckle from the driver side, but that has more to do with not wanting to walk around to the other side of the car than it does with handedness. (I am righty fwiw)

We had a rf seat in my husband's car behind the passenger for a while and I didn't have an issue buckling it.

I can't remember why it was on that side though.
 

Pixels

New member
I'm a lefty and I have my RFing kid behind the driver, FFing in the middle. I was holding Kid2's hand in the parking lot yesterday while trying to unbuckle the baby. Kid2 was holding my right hand, so unbuckling with my dominant left. I had the hardest time. Actually I think I had to switch hands.
 

SynEpona

New member
Our RFng seats have always been Radians, and they've never fit behind the driver, so I've never considered this from a lefty/righty perspective -- but we're both right handed and never had any issue or complaint with having the RFng seat on the passenger side and the FFng seat driver side or center.
In the spring we'll have 3 RFng seats, so we'll get to compare passenger vs. driver side fairly often, I may have a stronger opinion then!
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
I would bet this is more of a Decathlon problem than a handesness problem. You have to push the DC button squarely in the middle and that is harder to do rfing.
 

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Okay, I am right-handed and here's what I have:

For infant seats (already harnessed inside the house -- just clicking in or taking out), I prefer behind the passenger because then I can use my right hand to work the release. This is the only way I've ever done it regularly, but I know that the one time I had my infant seat on the driver's side, I hated it.

For a RF convertible, I would prefer behind the driver -- at least in terms of ease of loading/unloading.

For a FF seat, I'm not sure because I have never used one, but I am guessing that behind the passenger would be better in terms of ease.

I think, overall, you get used to whatever works for you. So I'm guessing that carpool lines and whatnot will eventually trump my handedness issues.
 

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