Rear-facing: Center or side install?

My son is due to come out of his infant carrier. He is 8 months and about 20lbs. I am planning on installing his carseats, in our ML350 Truck and VW Jetta. I have 2 carseats, should I up them in the center or behind the passenger side? I keep thinking the center is safer but also will be harder to get him into it.

Any suggestions?

Also I am new to this forum and have been reading - what is a tether?

Thanks!
1st time mom of 1

Any rear facing seat is super safe. The center is a bit safer, and I obsessed about getting my daughter into the center spot of a very difficult install. Then, I realized that in two months when her sibling was due, they'd both need to be outboard anyways, so I let it go and put her outboard. But, she was center up to that point. Its not that difficult once you get used to it.

A tether is a strap that goes from the top of the seat to an attachment point in the car. It helps keep the seat in place and reduce head movement. All front facing seats should use the tether for best performance (you can probably see the three attachment points in the back shelf of your car), but only Britax and the Regent can be tethered in rear facing mode. Rear facing w/o a tether is still extremely safe, and best practice is to keep a baby rear facing for as long as his seat allows (well past the minimum 20 lbs and 1 year).

Unregistered said:

...but only Britax and the Regent can be tethered in rear facing mode.

Click to expand...

I think you meant to say the Sunshine Kids Radian carseat. The Regent is a Britax carseat.

Further clarification, the Britax Regent is a forward facing only seat. The Britax Roundabout, Marathon, Boulevard, Decathlon are all convertible seats and can be used, and tethered, both rear-facing and forward facing.

Best seat fits the vehicle, fits the child, fits the budget & will be used correctly!

Do you already have seats? If not, what is your budget???

• The Britax Roundabout, Marathon/Decathalon/Boulevard & the Sunshine Kids Radian are the only convertible carseats that can be top tethered while Rear Facing (RF) & Forward Facing (FF) -- the Radian has troubling reviews on installation in various vehicles, though & the Roundabout does not fit children as long FF as the MA/Decath/BLVDs do....

The middle is generally the safest location, but always read the manuals -- ex: 1999 Chevy Blazer does not allow rear center carseat installs at all & some vehicles only allow for outboard LATCH installs while a few allow for center LATCH installs -- just always check both the vehicle & carseat manuals to find out the specifics for your situation! Feel free to call either manufacturer (vehicle and/or carseat) for help & also remember to have your local CPST check it for free > www.seatcheck.org

When the carseat is installed there must be less than 1" side-to-side movement at the base, no movement from the vehicle seat back & at least 80% of the carseat base in contact with the vehicle seat.... If you need to install the seat outboard please know that RF 5-point harness seats are very safe These links are pretty helpful:

• Recline Angle
• Tethering Britax RF
• Carseat Compatibility Database
• & this recent post of mine about RF

Yes, sorry, I meant Radian not Regent! Just trying to address that the OP can't tether yet UNLESS she has a seat that allows it.

I have the Cosco Eddie Bauer 3 in 1 which I plan to install in or Mercedes Truck and then I have the Evenflo Triumph which I plan to install in our smaller car (VW Jetta) which both have latch hooks.

I am really nervous now to install this. There seems to be so much to know. I was just reading from one of the links you supplied (papooses) that if the seat isn't angled correctly you should put a rolled up towel underneath.

My son's head always "falls" when he falls asleep in the car, so does that mean the infant carrier base was not installed properly?

Had a friend install the base to the infant carrier in both cars so I am really clueness.

The towel is only a "tool" for helping get the necessary 45-degree for infants but your baby can be more upright now

Visiting your local Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician is always a good idea, even if you're experienced ... it's free & fun for kids to see the Fire Station & around here we get free stickers for the carseats that we write our emergency info on

WWW.SEATCHECK.ORG

Thanks for all of you help.

I found I can get the car seat checked at our local childrens hospital and I will actually be there next week so will schedule to have it checked - considering we get them installed this weekend.

If I have any problems installing - I'll be back!

Thanks again!

Good to hear ... they should help teach you how to install yourself, too

HAVE FUN

Well I installed 1 of the car seats. I installed the Eddie Bauer 3 in 1.

It was not very difficult. I installed it rear-facing using the Latch system. I did exactly what the instructions say but it seems so loose. I put my son in it and tried moving the seat and it moves soo much! Is that normal? I don't see anything I can do prevent from moving. I also installed it in the center and am now wondering if I would have put it on the side if the back of the front seat would make it more secure.

Also, this seat has the top tether on the back of the seat but the instructions say to "only" use that for foward facing install.

Any suggestions?

Frances

Neither of your vehicles allows for seats to be installed in the middle with Latch. If you want to use Latch, you must use either the side behind the passenger or drivers seat. If you want to install it in the middle, you must use the seat belt.

I know you are getting your seats checked soon, but please don't use it this way in the interim.

The tether on all cosco/dorel seats (EB 3in1 is a dorel seat) can ONLY be used for forward facing.

Not sure of install questions but only Britax seats and the Radian can be tethered rf. I didn't realize how much I liked that rf tethering until I installed our Scenera (our spare seat) rf. I was SO tempted to tethe it but know that would NOT be safe!
C.

Right, the EB3-in-1 can't be tethered RF ... only Britax & the Sunshine Kids Radian There isn't any comparison data available that I know of to show that with or without is safer than the other (or at least to what degree).

& yep, LATCH or seatbelt outboard, only seatbelt in the middle (Unless you call the vehicle manufacturer & they say the outboard LATCH can be used in the center? Maybe Griffinmom has more information than I to know the answer to that already....)

Try puting all your weight into the carseat when installing (I'm only 100# so I have to take my shoes right off & climb totally into the seat, LOL, but my 275# dad just needs to put a knee into the seat) & you might need a 2nd person to help tighten the belt -- with the seatbelt, you'll need to follw the vehicle manual as to which way to lock the belts (at the buckle plate or at the retractor) or if that doesn't work then use the locking clip that comes with the carseat....

& get it checked

GOOD LUCK

Hey Tiffany-

I just looked it up in my handy LATCH manual!

Wasn't sure if it was the LATCH manul or personal experience or what (Ford has OK'd this type of situation for me, that's why I threw it out there)

Believe me, I have to look it up every time! I'd never feel confident about it until I checked!!

I had my infant seat carrier base installed in both of my cars in the center and the latch hooks are there, one on the left and one on the right - there is no mistaken.

I think I will read my owners manual for my cars and see what it says about the latch hooks.

I am quite nervous now.... Will keep you posted.

Thanks

Generally, there are two sets of LATCH hooks - on each outboard position. You (generally) aren't allowed to use the middle hooks (one from left and one from right) to use LATCH on the center. Basically, I've seen it described where the hook-pair are actually a part that is one piece, so your backseat looks like this.

[_______] [_______]
outboard center outboard

Check your manuals for sure, but it sounds like you used LATCH in a non-LATCH position.

Ford has ok'd the center position in certain situations, but I don't think any other car manufacturer's have followed suit.

mommyof1

What type infant seat did you have and what kind of car do you have?

Most carseat manufacturers and most vehicle manufacturers will NOT allow you to use the two outboard anchors to form a latch position in the center. Even if the seat manufacturer allowed you to use the seat in this way, you must have the vehicle manufacturer agree. This means, basically, that latch can be RARELY used correctly in the center seating position.

I have a copy of the most current LATCH manual (put out by Safe Ride News, a very well respected resource in the CPS world) that summarizes (among other things) what each vehicle and car seat manufacturer say about using latch in the middle seating position.

LATCH comes from federal legislation. It is far from perfect. The federal law requires two latch positions in most cars. They are typically, but not always, behind the driver and passenger seats and not in the middle. LATCH works by having the LATCH anchors a specific distance apart. Most LATCH anchors (if you are incorrectly using the outboard anchors to form a middle position) in the middle are NOT this very specific distance apart. That's why it doesn't work.

The middle rear seating position is a great location to install a carseat. It is the farthest point from any impact in a crash. However, LATCH does not exist in most middle seating positions. Remember, LATCH is designed to make installation EASIER. It is not any SAFER than using a seatbelt. So if you want to install a car seat in the middle position, you generally have to use the seat belt to do it.

Good luck.


ETA TO ADD: I'm sorry I forgot you already mentioned you have a Mercedes and VW. Neither VW nor Mercedes allow you to form a middle LATCH position from the inside anchors of the two outboard positions. I'm not just guessing here. I have looked both up in the LATCH which is pretty much the gold standard for techs and instructors to use in the field! Even if your vehicle owner's manual does not say you can't use LATCH in middle, that doesn't mean you can. You must find an affirmative statement in the manual stating that you may use Latch there.