Question seats touching question

[MommaTo3inNH]

So I went to BRU today to try out a 35 snugride and it fit in the car, middle position, but was touching dd's seat. She is in a fp safe voyage deluxe, which I believe has a marathon shell... Anyway, the base installed nice and tight and there was a speck of space between dd's seat and the base ( like a piece of paper's space lol) When I put the seat into the base I had to maneuver it under dd's seat to get it to click in. Once the seat was in, it was under eath dd's seat a bit and there was no space. Hard to describe, i have pics i can post... the base was still rock solid at the belt path, as was dd's seat.

Is this ok? I can probably move dd's seat towards the door a bit, but to do that I'd have to use the seatbelt and I don't want to have to do that, I much prefer the latch. Obviously if this isn't safe I will move the seat and use the belt lol.

 

[jjordan]

First, be aware that if you're installing both seats with LATCH, then some cars don't allow you to do side-by-side LATCH installations. So double-check your car's manual to see if that's okay for you.

Second, it's okay for car seats to touch as long as each seat is independently tight. So what that means is, you start out with the convertible in tightly, and then you install the infant seat nice and tight. Then take the convertible out and see if the infant seat is still tight. Sometimes the only reason the second seat wasn't moving is because the other seat was kind of holding it still, if that makes sense. You want the installation to be what's giving you the tightness, not the other seat.

Another thing, if your dd's seat is forward facing, then I'd try to put that one in the center, since forward facing is less protective than rear facing (the infant seat), and you ideally want the least-protected child in the most-protected spot in the car (center). However if the seats don't work like that, then the second best would be infant in the center and dd outboard. (And if you can't get that to work, both outboard is really fine too.)

 

[MommaTo3inNH]

Thank you!!! You SO made my night!! Let me make sure I get it. Dd's seat (FF) is tight, and the base going in doesn't affect it. Since the base alone w/out the bucket in and dd's seat don't touch at all, and the base is also rock solid (there is a definite wisp of space between them) then I'm good to go?

Middle is seatbelt only. Because the infant base has lockoffs and the fpsvd doesn't, I'd rather fpsvd outboard. I *may* swap out seats and put dd's BLVD into this car, in which case I would definitely put her middle and baby outboard. But it depends on how my swap for a radian works out, whether ds can sit comfortably next to the BLVD, along with a few other details lol!

Eta - dh just asked me to ask if we go with this set up, over time will one or the other (or both) seats start to come loose?

 

[lovemybabies924]

Neither should come loose! But u should check periodically anyways!

Sent from my iPod touch, sorry for any auto-correct typos!

 

[mylittlet]

Which vehicle do you have? What does your oldest weigh? LATCH has limits which are determined by the carseat and vehicle, so you might get to a point you have to use seatbelt.

 

[MommaTo3inNH]

I've got a 2011 Hyundai sonata. I have read the manual and Hyundai defers to the carseat manufacturer's latch limits - woot!! I ended up ordering a radian last night for my car and will put dd's blvd into dh's car (07 corolla)... My seatbelt only don weighs about 75-80lbs, dd is just 40 and baby is not here yet :0) my kids last forever in their baby buckets so I'm going to keep baby in the bucket til 1-1.5 ish years old (at some point the bucket will just stay in the car lol) and then when I move her out I will put dd into a booster.

Thanks for all of the advice everyone :0)

 

[Pixels]

Britax says to assume that the vehicle's LATCH limit is 40 pounds unless specified otherwise. You need to switch to a seatbelt install.

 

[MommaTo3inNH]

Omg pixels!! I ASSumed it was 45lbs! Good god, I feel awful. Trying to do the best thing keeping dd harnessed as long as possible and here I am toting her around unsafely latched in!! Guess I have a change of plans today. Thank YOU!!!!

 

[MommaTo3inNH]

I just weighed dd and fully clothed and with breakfast in her belly she is 40.5. *phew* thanks again for the heads up!