Question Lap belt vs shoulder belt installation?

[carleybar]

Hello,

Is it safer to install a convertible car seat in the center position with a lap belt or on the side with a shoulder belt? I know the center position is generally safer, but I was wondering if a shoulder belt install was more desirable. Unfortunately, LATCH is not available. We are rear-facing a Chicco NextFit.

Thanks in advance
Carley

 

[LISmama810]

In general, center with a lap belt is fine (and preferable to being on the side). Even with lap-shoulder belts, it's the lap portion that holds the seat tight. Often that's easier to accomplish with a lap-only belt because it's more straight-forward. Sometimes (with any kind of belt) a seat might not install well. If that happens, there are some different tricks you can try, or sometimes another seating position is required.

There are also a couple other considerations. Are you installing the seat rear-facing or forward-facing? If forward-facing, do you have a top tether anchor for the center position?

 

[carleybar]

Thanks, Jennie. We are rear-facing a NextFit. We have a few years before we have to worry about the top tether, but I did notice there are anchor points on the backs of the rear seats. (It's an SUV, a 2005 Nissan X-Trail in South Africa. Isofix is not required here, and I suspect it's a model that was sold in Australia.) Will those seat-back anchor points work for a top-tether?

 

[Keeanh]

Lap-only belts are my hands-down favourites for installing car seats! Yes, they're very safe and often the best choice. Of course there are other considerations like tether anchor locations for FF seats, whether or not you can get a proper install with your seat, and what the vehicle manual says about using that location for car seat. But generally speaking, yes, you'll be fine with a rear-facing Nextfit in a middle lap belt

If you find that the buckle is hitting the side of the Nextfit belt path and keeping you from tightening all the way, twist the female buckle stalk down a bit. You're allowed up to 3 full twists.