Where does the carseat go in the car??

I keep hearing mixed.

I thought we were going to put the seat in the middle. We have an SUV.

But I keep reading ppl putting there's behind the passenger and driver side?

Any thoughts?

Re: Where does the carseat go in the car??

I was first told to look at the owners manual to see what they suggest there.

otherwise, I was told it goes behind the passenger seat

Re: Where does the carseat go in the car??

It depends on the car. I think SUVs are different, but don't quote me on that as I'm not an SUV owner . I know for regular cars, most models recommend putting the seat in the middle.

Re: Where does the carseat go in the car??

mine is behind the passenger seat. I was told in my Childbirth Class that it should be either behind passenger or in the middle.

Re: Where does the carseat go in the car??

We have a SUV and we'll be putting it behind the passenger seat for a few reasons:

1. Recommended
2. If by chance, I'm in a car accident, the car seat will not fly through the middle up to the windshield.
3. The seats in our back fold down for more cargo space, but via 1/4 to 3/4, so we'll be placing it on the 1/4 side incase we ever have to fold down the 3/4 side for additional space.

Re: Where does the carseat go in the car??

i think it depends on the vehicle. some cant go in the middle due to the hump of the seat. some cars have those tethers only on the sides so then i think its safer to put them there.
i forget the exact site but babybargains has a site called carseatdata.org i think...you can enter your car and it tells you which seat is good for your car and i think where to put it

Re: Where does the carseat go in the car??

We had a crossover when DS was born. He was behind the passenger seat.

This time we are having twins and have a mini van. So the twins will go in the middle row, 1 behind driver, 1 behind passenger and DS will be in the third row - probably behind passenger so it's easier for me to see him.

Re: Where does the carseat go in the car??

we have both an SUV and a sedan- and both went to the side. One in back of the driver and the other behind the passenger- this is what the car manual said

Re: Where does the carseat go in the car??

This is an interesting question. It is really car dependent. Most SUV's have problems with center installation. Some things that would prevent the center:

- the seat split may not allow the seat to sit correctly

- many SUV's have hinges where the seat goes and do not allow for the seat to be pulled down properly

- Humps, bumps, bolsters that push the seat out

- Sometimes the center is not true center. In some cases the LATCH, if present, causes the seat to fall off a contour of the seat of be twisted around a bump. Sometimes the seatbelt system is off center and puts the seat in front of a hinge

- No LATCH - not necessarily a bad thing, but it is if the seatbelt does not work. The seat belt path needs to be wider than the base of the seat. If not the seat will not fit.

In many of the cases the center is not the best choice, so we would place on the passenger side.

Just remember that a properly installed seat on the side is better than an improper on in the center.

Re: Where does the carseat go in the car??

i would say def NOT behind the driver's seat- a woman trying to check on her child in the car seat behind the driver's seat crashed into my car once on the service road of the LIE. Not a good idea.

Re: Where does the carseat go in the car??

I have heard the middle because of the side air bags. If the baby is in the middle the seatbelt will help with not going forward and the airbags will not hit the baby on the sides.

Re: Where does the carseat go in the car??

I highly recommend getting it installed at a check station. The infant seats are trickier than they seem.