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Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
Sorry for crashing your board,  will be arriving in three weeks and I wanted to make sure I have everything prepared for her. I just finished installing our infant car seat and base and had a few questions if anyone can help me with:
Can you use the LATCH system in addition to the shoulder/lap belt installation? My directions showed either/or and I wasn't sure if you could only use one or both. If you could only use one, which is better? The LATCH system or the shoulder/lap belt?
Also, I know the middle is the safest for the car seat, however, we have a Ford Edge and while there is a shoulder belt for the middle seat, I couldn't find the LATCH system. I put the car seat on the passenger side, using both the LATCH system and the shoulder belt and I'm not sure if it's correct. I plan on getting the car seat inspected but I was just curious if anyone had any suggestions.
Thank you in advance for all your help!
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Posted 4/30/09 5:39 PM  |
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Long Island Weddings
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Lucky09
2017!
Member since 1/06 7535 total posts
Name:
DW
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
What carseat do you have? I literally got into a huge fight with DH over the installation of our Chicco carseat. He thought Latch + Seat Belt = Safer! I explained that it should be one or the other... To this day he still doesn't agree with me. Mind you, he STILL hasn't looked at the directions.
I have a CR-V and installed it behind the Passenger seat as well. There wasn't a latch hookup for the middle seat.
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| Posted 4/30/09 5:47 PM |
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MrsRbk
<3 <3 <3 <3
Member since 1/06 19197 total posts
Name:
Michelle
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
No, you cannot use both the belt and the Latch. At least that's what I was told.
I would check your cars' owners manual. In my husbands car we had to install the base on the passenger side of the back seat, as his car does not have the latch system in the middle and his owners manual instructs to place infant seat on the passenger side.
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| Posted 4/30/09 5:47 PM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
No you cannot use LATCH and the seat belt. It isn't safe to use both.
Middle cannot be used in all cars - so you need to read the car manuel and see where they recommend that you place your car seat. In many cars the passenger side is where is recommended.
There are many places on LI that do car seat installation checks. They are free and cost nothing - and it is worth getting it checked b.c I think something like 90% of car seats are not installed correctly.
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| Posted 4/30/09 5:48 PM |
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MrsRbk
<3 <3 <3 <3
Member since 1/06 19197 total posts
Name:
Michelle
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
Posted by Lucky09
What carseat do you have? I literally got into a huge fight with DH over the installation of our Chicco carseat. He thought Latch + Seat Belt = Safer! I explained that it should be one or the other... To this day he still doesn't agree with me. Mind you, he STILL hasn't looked at the directions.
I have a CR-V and installed it behind the Passenger seat as well. There wasn't a latch hookup for the middle seat.
What year CR-V do you have? I have a CR-V and the carseat is installed in the middle using the LATCH system - there are hooks there.
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| Posted 4/30/09 5:49 PM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
Posted by Lucky09
What carseat do you have? I literally got into a huge fight with DH over the installation of our Chicco carseat. He thought Latch + Seat Belt = Safer! I explained that it should be one or the other... To this day he still doesn't agree with me. Mind you, he STILL hasn't looked at the directions.
I have a CR-V and installed it behind the Passenger seat as well. There wasn't a latch hookup for the middle seat.
In the CR-V the seat does have to go behind the passenger seat - I have two CR-V's and the installer and the honda manual both say that is where it needs to go - and not in the middle.
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| Posted 4/30/09 5:49 PM |
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
We have the Graco SnugRide32.
If you can't use both, is it better to have the shoulder belt with the seat in the middle, or have the LATCH system or shoulder belt on the passenger side?
Thanks for your responses!
ETA:: The owner's manual from the Edge showed the diagram, which looked like either the passenger side or the driver side, and not the middle, so I put the car seat on the passenger side. Even though the middle has a shoulder belt, it can flip down into an arm-rest, so I don't think I can put it in the middle very safely anyway. I dunno, I think I'm confusing myself now. 
Message edited 4/30/2009 5:52:48 PM.
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| Posted 4/30/09 5:50 PM |
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MrsRbk
<3 <3 <3 <3
Member since 1/06 19197 total posts
Name:
Michelle
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
Posted by Lillykat
Posted by Lucky09
What carseat do you have? I literally got into a huge fight with DH over the installation of our Chicco carseat. He thought Latch + Seat Belt = Safer! I explained that it should be one or the other... To this day he still doesn't agree with me. Mind you, he STILL hasn't looked at the directions.
I have a CR-V and installed it behind the Passenger seat as well. There wasn't a latch hookup for the middle seat.
In the CR-V the seat does have to go behind the passenger seat - I have two CR-V's and the installer and the honda manual both say that is where it needs to go - and not in the middle.
 my manual does not say that's where it needs to go.
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| Posted 4/30/09 5:50 PM |
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
Posted by Lillykat
No you cannot use LATCH and the seat belt. It isn't safe to use both.
Middle cannot be used in all cars - so you need to read the car manuel and see where they recommend that you place your car seat. In many cars the passenger side is where is recommended.
There are many places on LI that do car seat installation checks. They are free and cost nothing - and it is worth getting it checked b.c I think something like 90% of car seats are not installed correctly.
Thanks! I do plan on getting it checked out, I just wanted to see which system is better/safer to use.
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| Posted 4/30/09 5:54 PM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
I think they recommend LATCH.
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| Posted 4/30/09 5:57 PM |
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Diana1215
Living on a prayer!!!
Member since 10/05 29450 total posts
Name:
Diana
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
Posted by AcquiredTheBGene
Posted by Lillykat
No you cannot use LATCH and the seat belt. It isn't safe to use both.
Middle cannot be used in all cars - so you need to read the car manuel and see where they recommend that you place your car seat. In many cars the passenger side is where is recommended.
There are many places on LI that do car seat installation checks. They are free and cost nothing - and it is worth getting it checked b.c I think something like 90% of car seats are not installed correctly.
Thanks! I do plan on getting it checked out, I just wanted to see which system is better/safer to use.
They will install it for you and show you what to do - you don't have to have it installed when you go.
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| Posted 4/30/09 5:57 PM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
Name:
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
I forget where in the manual it said it about car seats but it was somewhere in ours. We also had ours installed by Safety Chris who also said it had to go on the side in our car.
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| Posted 4/30/09 5:58 PM |
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
Have it inspected! We took ours to a local police station and I went back again when I switched from the infant seat to the convertible car seat.
I was told Latch is safer by the officer that inspected mine.
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| Posted 4/30/09 9:54 PM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
Posted by SeptemberBride03
Have it inspected! We took ours to a local police station and I went back again when I switched from the infant seat to the convertible car seat.
I was told Latch is safer by the officer that inspected mine.
LATCH isn't "safer". It's just that more people can use the LATCH properly than the seatbelt. When done properly, they are both equally as safe. Actually, I would argue that if done properly, the seatbelt is safer. LATCH only goes up to about 40 lbs, where the seatbelt has no real limit (within reason). I'm sure there are many DC who are still in seats using the LATCH mechanism who are over the weight limit. That's not safe.
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| Posted 5/1/09 2:15 PM |
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josie919
Here we go!
Member since 2/08 1108 total posts
Name:
Josie
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Re: Just installed the infant car seat and base, not sure if I did it correctly
I would think either would be equally safe. Ask CARSEATSAFETY on here. Maybe they can give a def answer. I use the latch system in my car, but when I was visiting my family in NY and using my moms car, I used the seatbelt. I felt just as safe with the seatbelt as I do with the latch.
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| Posted 5/1/09 2:27 PM |
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