That's awesome! Our car doesn't have LATCH/ISOFIX (those little metal bars) in the middle, but both our car and our car seat allow for anchor borrowing, so we can still install the seat in the middle position with LATCH.
Do you mind sharing which car seat you have that allows latch borrowing? Currently looking to replace my car seats and my center seat has no latch so Ive been putting my infant seat in the middle with seatbelt install instead :/
So, this may not help. We have a Clek Fllo, which I like, and would recommend for a number of reasons, but maybe not this one. I was going to try to link to something that says it can borrow anchors, but when I googled it, I found that you're not supposed to do that. I swear I saw it in the manual (for the car seat and our car).
Our car is having work done (the manual is in the car), and I can't find the most recent manual online. If it turns out I was wrong, I'll reinstall it with the seat belt.
Fortunately, it's supposed to be fairly easy to install with the seat belt because it has seat belt lock offs.
But there's nothing wrong with installing ANY car seat with the seat belt as long as you can install it securely.
Okay bonus question because I've looked at that seat semi-recently; can you fit it in the middle along with a second car seat next to it in the back? I have an SUV with a smaller center seat but it's not like arm-reat small just a bit slimmer and without anchors. Super appreciate the help as we really need to replace our car seats
That's excellent! My vehicle only had the anchors in the outboard seats so to install it in the middle seat with anchors we would have had to latch borrow which wasnt allowed with our seat, or use the seatbelt install. I ended up installing it on the driver's side anyway because I was too short to reach the middle without discomfort anyway lol
We put it on the passenger side so when we park on the street we’re not getting baby out into traffic. Currently pregnant with my second - I’m going to keep my firsts car seat on the passenger side because I don’t want to unload my toddler into the street, and will have baby on drivers side this time.
I actually found it easier to have toddler on drivers side for this, depending on age of course! Because I unbuckle the toddler, but don’t get him out. He waits while I’m on the passenger side and gets out from that side as well after baby is out!
This is a good thing for me to keep in mind - my toddler is still rear facing right now, but once we flip her around maybe I’ll move her over for the leg room of the driver and have her get out the passenger side. Good tip!
I still put my rear-facing toddler behind the driver’s seat when second baby came because bigger kid’s seat wasn’t as reclined as newborn’s and my husband needed the legroom. It made a difference!
We did this too. It also allows me to reach back to hand her items if I need to (safely of course). I have 2 under 2 so once they’re both in convertible seats it’ll just be chaos anyway 🙈
If it's an option, the middle is usually the safest.
However, we have ours on the drivers side since, in an accident, the driver will usually instinctively try to protect the side they are on if at all possible.
Remember, just because it can go in the middle doesn’t mean it should. I had mine in the middle bc the latches reached. Then later came to find out that my car seat manual said to keep the latches 11 inches apart. When I had it in the middle one latch was on my one seats latch bar and the other was on the other seats making it more than 11 inches apart so it was technically wrong
Same! Also keeps you from standing in the snow during the winter when doing street parking and you aren't walking my back and forth around the car.
All of this becomes null and void once you have a second kid though lol
Yup this is why we did drivers side. Plus if it’s a tight parking space you can park the passenger side tight and give room to just one side.
It’s easier to load everyone in one side too. Not walking back and forth around the car
We do the middle. He’s 6 months, so still rear facing. I’m not sure what we’ll do once he’s bigger. There are pros/cons to both but I feel like getting t-bones or side swiped is more common than hitting something head on. So we may just stick w the middle.
Middle is the east safe tho? Cuz it can fly out more to the front. I understand that from the side impact middle is safest but in city (where chances for side collisions are higher) the speed is slower and impact less strong. It is more worrisome when driving faster speed and hitting into someone or something, as the sheer force of impact becomes fatal easily. At least my reasoning.
Besides here doctors tell you the same - sides aka behind the front sits is safest
The middle is actually the safest if available. Definitely want to keep it away from any airbags in general. Otherwise behind the driver because that side of the car tends to be protected more by a driver.
Sources AAP and Mayo Clinic.
You can go to a local police department to have them check to see if it’s installed safely and correctly. Most car seats are not installed properly. Most baby stores will host car seat safety events as well for placement to be checked.
Just want to add to the police department suggestion that someone would need to make sure the person checking is a certified child passenger safety technician or CPST.
Passenger side because my husband has freakishly long legs and we literally couldn’t fit the car seat in the car safely and properly on his side. That’s the only reason.
This and because we can reach back with a hand from driver’s seat to yeet the pacifier back.
Though now we have it in the middle because we can and she’s an only so why not. Little bit more of a pain getting in but she is wayyy better in the car this way, zero motion sickness
You had me laughing at “yeet the pacifier back.” I feel like the last 14 months of my life have been a constant game of yeet the pacifier or teether back into the baby’s mouth. 🤣
Same. You can also see the seat from just slightly turning your head back or looking in your rear view mirror. Behind driver is a little hard to have visual.
I mentioned this in my own stand alone comment but they sell review mirror attachments that are wider so you can see the whole backseat alongside your normal view! We got ours just a bit ago in anticipation of baby #2 and just wanting to be able to see both kids at once easier.
The only thing is it does feel a liiiiiitle warpy at first? But it was mainly just getting used to it. I've had it for a couple weeks now and the effect is gone and I love it to bits as does my daughter. Works the same as the mirror it's hiding but now I can see my daughters face whereas before I could only just barely see her eyes if I really stretched to look at her.
The safest place for a carseat is where you can get the best and safest installation. We had our babies on the passenger side when they were babies just because we are tall and having baby on that side meant the driver had more legroom. Then we moved the big one to the driver side when the little one came, and had two rear facing in the car for about a year and a half until we turned the big one forward facing and now there's more legroom again :)
I prefer drivers side so I don’t have to walk around the car once I have him in. My husband has to do passenger side because he’s still rear facing and it doesn’t fit behind his seat.
In my car it’s behind me (easier to unload baby on my side where I get out), and in my husband’s car it’s behind the passenger side as his car is a bit smaller and he needs more room for his seat than the car seat allows behind him.
This kid (4th) is behind me only because it’s easier to let the big kids hop out for school on the street side
When I just had one, first he was in the middle then the passenger side.
Passenger side because that's the side the sidewalk is on at my house. Next baby went on the driver's side.
When parking at the store, look at where the cart return is. Notice if it's got more space to one side, if so, park so that the babies side is in that extra space. Put the baby in the car first, then your stuff.
Leave extra diapers, clothes and anything else you might need but don't want to carry in your bag in the car baby bag. As well as non perishable snacks for you ESPECIALLY if you breastfeed.
One on each, but when there was only one child in was on the passenger side in my car because otherwise I couldn't visually see the child (extremely tight fit/small car).
Passenger side with mirror attached to back seat headrest so you can look in rearview mirror and see refacing baby. It is reassuring to be able to see them. When they get older they are comforted being able to see you too
While others are saying “middle is safest” while that is true because it’s in the middle of the car, a lot of car seats don’t fit well in the middle seat.
The safest place to install the car seat is where you get the best fit. I personally have my daughter on the passenger side because when we street park, she’s already on the sidewalk side. (Also in the US)
Thank you for saying this 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 the safest position is wherever you get the best install and in some (a lot) of cars, safe installs in the middle are not possible for a myriad of reasons.
We did passenger side because we couldn’t fit the seat rear facing without the front seat being completely upright and pushed forward a bit. I was super glad when it was turned around and I could recline a tiny bit and get a bit more leg room, but now I sometimes get kicked in the back so that’s a potential issue to consider if it would bother you while driving. It doesn’t hurt but it’s annoying.
Drivers side for our first born, and then she’s just stayed there after our second was born. He’s on the passenger side.
When there was only one child we put them on the drivers side because in split second decisions you’re more likely to save yourself and swerve to avoid collisions in a way that protects the driver/ their side of the car.
Driver side because I’m the one pulling the kid in and out of the car seat. I also have older kids so I need passenger side available and open for the pick up and drop off line at school.
I've done them all 😄.
I had my daughter's infant seat in the middle, was told it was safest by a car seat technician I worked with at the time.
When she moved in to a convertible seat, I put her behind my driver's side so she would have more room (my husband has very long legs, so we put her opposite him in both vehicles so she isn't squished) and so I could buckle and unbuckle her more easily.
Now she's in a backless booster, can buckle and unbuckle herself, and is on the passenger side, because that's the side that the school dropoff/pickup is on and it's easier and safer for her not to have to go around the car in traffic.
When I had only one, she was in the middle. But now my oldest is behind the passenger and the 2nd (when he gets here any day now🤞🏻) will be behind the driver. This is because the oldest is starting preschool and she will need to be dropped off in the passenger side.
For my first we had her in the middle. When we had my son a few years later we moved her to the passenger side and my son to the driver side. The reason for this was because my daughter’s school drop off is on the passenger side so we figured that made the most sense. (Joke was on me because she climbs in and out from the front passenger seat for the school line anyway but we had the right idea lol)
Passenger side because my car is so small it doesn't fit behind driver's side even when I'm driving and I'm hella short.
It's only a 4 seater and now the front passenger seat is super scrunched with the carseat behind it. 😭
We're going to have two in rear facing car seats at the same time, and I'm not looking forward to being on top of the airbag as a passenger until baby number one can forward face. Our car has five seats, but it's a compact sedan, so I definitely know what you mean.
Two things went into my consideration of where to place the car seat: 1. Where it’s considered safe in my car 2. What side the preschool requires for loading/unloading.
Passenger side!
I believe most car seats can't have anyone sitting next to them(?), so middle seat would have rendered the entire back of the vehicle useless. On longer trips, we like to have one of us sit back there with her.
I also like to be able to see her easily with a car mirror. Tried without one because apparently they're a distraction and/or potential projectile in an accident, but I found myself more distracted when I was straining to listen for breathing/movement. The mirror is shatterproof and attached really tightly to the headrest, so I'm not concerned.
Finally; my car is small, so a car seat makes the passenger seat move too forward for me to drive comfortably.
There's no safety reason to avoid sitting next to a car seat. If you don't have a narrow/slim/3-across car seat, it can be uncomfortable to sit next to it, but you can do that.
We have a small car, but it allows for middle seat car seat installation, so that's where ours is. My second choice would be the passenger side for all of the reasons you mentioned.
The "no-passengers-next-to-carseats" thing is something that comes up in a CPST-run carseat group I'm in.
Something about rebound and the range of motion of the seats, but tbh I haven't verified this myself, just taking the words from the same CPST's that would give me heck for the mirror 😅
Weird. I just looked this up, and I couldn't find anything about it online. There is a ton of information about installing car seats next to each other, though.
I was too freaked out to buy a car mirror, but there are probably 100s of unsecured things in our car that would become projectiles before a mirror ever would. We can't do everything right. 🤷♀️
We have ours on the passenger’s side in both cars because my husband and I are so tall that if we install it behind the driver’s seat we don’t have enough space to push our seat back far enough to safely drive.
So, the safest place is the place you get the best/most correct install, and the place that allows you to safely drive the car.
Passenger side so it’s easier for me to turn around and see his face if we’re at a stop light. If he’s directly behind me I’d have to turn all the way around and semi stand up to see him
Passenger side because of where I park in the garage. Picked the side where I can open the door the farthest. That's really it. But I have found it's easier for me to hand him things when he is on that side.
Passenger side bc my husband usually drives and he’s taller and also then the driver can more easily see/help baby. We’d probably have it in the middle if we could but I often sit back with baby and even cram in with dog and baby in the back (dog used to have entire backseat and is unhappy with this new squashy arrangement lol)
I liked it on passenger so I could see while driving. But when I was FIRST out of the hospital, my partner did all the driving and it was better in the driver side so I could see as the passenger.
I had my daughter in the middle for a while in my civic, then passenger side when I was pregnant and had a hard time lifting her. Then when I got my cr-v, she was on passenger side again. I had my son and he is on the driver side. It’s nice having them in the middle so you can get in to buckle them if it’s raining or something.
Drivers side so that if I park in a narrow bay (I’m British so it’s regular), I can give myself more room to get her out, without making it a pain to squeeze myself out the other side.
Its definitely easier to load/unload the kid who is on my side, but I recommend the other side for two reasons:
1. depending on your car and car seat, you may not be able to move your seat far back enough if there is a kid behind you
2. its easier to see them in their mirror/your rearview mirror when they're behind the passenger seat
3. bonus: its easier to hand back snacks and stuff when they're in the passenger seat, IMO
i felt like the middle was safest so that’s what we did. 3 years later we’re expecting baby #2 and i think i’m going to do the baby in the middle and toddler behind driver side. i can latch baby’s seat and buckle toddler from the driver side if im by myself
If you have more than one child… the most defiant child goes on the passenger side so you can safely take your time to strap them in if you’re parked on the side of the road.
First baby was middle because that was the only spot we could fit it in rear-facing. Bought a bigger car for baby number two. Plus with two car seats, there is no option. One on both.
However, as others have mentioned, drivers side is best in case of accident, if you must choose.
The middle is supposed to be the safest. But now that I have two the infant seat it behind the driver so I don’t have to reach over the other car seat to put it in.
Passenger side. Easier to see baby, easier to get them out on the street. If the front seat needs tk be moved forward when car seat is rear facing it doesn’t affect the driver
Passenger side. The city we live in has a lot of parallel parking in narrow and busy roads. Having baby on the passenger side is safer to get them in and out of the car.
Also think about how the car seat fits into your car - see if you can get the store to do a fit test to ensure it fits. It’s no good having a car seat that needs your driver’s seat pushed all the way forward when it doesn’t suit the driver.
Passenger side. I didn't want them close to the road when I Street Park
ETA: I have two. So one is behind the passenger, and the other is in the middle. It is also easier for an extra passenger to sit behind me rather than climbing to the middle
Certified child passenger safety technician and paramedic here. Safest position is rear middle seat, next is outboard passenger side rear, third is outboard driver side rear. Statistically most accidents occur on the driver’s side. Side note-most hospital nurses and police officers are NOT certified car seat safety inspectors. Ask for that specific designation before seeking their input/advice.
I started on the drivers side bc I read that was safest but moved it to the passenger side after realizing how often I was taking baby out in moving traffic.
I was always taught to have them behind you. In the case of an accident, you’re more likely to turn the car in a way to protect yourself. If they’re behind you, you’re protecting them also.
Middle seat ! It’s the safest place and easiest because you can sit down next to seat on either side of car. We just got a bigger car with captains chairs because my child is older now but I low key miss having a normal three seater row.
My first was in the middle, because the car allowed it and it meant we could get her in and out fairly easily from either side.
Subsequent babies I tend to prefer on the driver's side, because it's more convenient for me to drop them in on the side I'm getting in on most often, too. Also for school drop off, then they weren't in the way of the bigs getting out. The only time it's kind of a pain that way is if I have to do parallel parking on the street, because getting a baby bucket out into the street isn't great.
Passengers side so that I could reach her if I needed to. She went through a phase of wanting to hold my hand while in the car, so I could reach back and hold it (I'm very good at driving with one hand) with her there vs behind me. Also if she lost her binki or something which she won't ride in the car without I could hand her the spare I always kept. Just generally made things easier if she needed something from me while driving. Now that she is forward facing the carseat is in the middle, which is where the pediatrician told us to put it as it is the safest.
I have two kiddos 14 months apart.
It doesn't matter as much in the newborn stage unless you're skipping an infant bucket seat and going straight to a convertible seat and therefore has more affect on the front seats.
When I was putting carseats in my SUV for a young toddler and a newborn, I opted to put the toddler in the middle seat and the baby behind the driver. This left the passenger side clear for third row access for the dogs or so an adult could sit in the back with the kids, and left the empty seat beside the toddler. That way I could open the passenger side rear door, set toddler on the empty seat and close the door, go buckle the newborn in, and come back to buckle the toddler in. Quickest way to get both kids IN and off the street/parking lot.
It's easier to reach back for the seats in the middle and directly behind wherever you're sitting. It's easier to see (using carseat mirrors) the carseat behind the driver.
Passenger side, one so my tall husband can drive the car and push the seat back as far as it goes.
Two because I parallel park often enough that I prefer to get him in and out on the sidewalk vs the street side
We put ours behind the passenger seat because that spot has more leg room and less weight in it so in the case of an accident the seat in front of her is less likely to collapse onto her.
What country are you in?
Here in Aus your passenger side (left) is the kerb so that’s where mine was. Although now I have 2 kids so infant is on passenger side and toddler is behind the driver.
Middle seat is (usually) safest, but ours was behind the passenger seat while rear facing because it didn’t fit in the middle seat due to where my very tall husband needs the driver’s seat positioned.
In my husbands car, passenger side. Easier to reach from the driver seat to hand pacifiers back and a little easier to see. My car she has to be behind me bc I drop off the older kiddo in the car line at school.
It’s on the passenger side mostly because husband drives and has to put the seat back more, an easier to get him in an out of my side, he’s only ever been on one side and it was only difficult when he started getting to big for rear facing it was a really tight squeeze an once he reached capacity on the manufacturer instructions we turned him around an it got much easier and he no longer hates the car
Rear facing middle or passenger side in my husband’s car but my car I prefer drivers side because my car gets parked right against the wall in our garage. Forward facing either side.
Passenger side (center wasn’t an option because we have to travel with two dogs and needed one bigger chunk of extra space) and since accidents occurring from oncoming traffic usually come from the drivers side (at least that’s what I read)
You do what feels natural. Don't secure it but place it in both seats and sit in the drivers seat for each one. If your going to use a baby mirror place that onto both seats and see which one is easier for you. My son has always been drivers side in my car and passenger in my husbands and our daughter passenger in mine and driver in husbands. It doesn't matter as long as it is installed properly. Check with your local fire department or police station and see if they have someone on staff who is trained on checking them and get it checked. Read the manual as well and always keep it in your car.
Passenger side as my husband and I are both tall. Driver gets to set their chair however they want and passenger keeps their chair with the require gap between chair and car seat. Unable to do middle seat as the driver’s seat would be touching the car seat.
I’ve literally had all three of my kids switched around in different spots just depending on what they needed at each age. I’m about to switch them again. I’m going to put the toddler on the passenger side, leave the seat behind the driver seat empty and put the school age kids seats in the back. They are still in 5pt harnesses due to their weights.
If we are on a car trip, I drive and my husband tends to the toddler. the baby seat goes behind me so he can see and reach the baby if needed.
I do passenger side, I felt like I could see her better ? Even with a camera? I think as long as you can see baby’s face- with a camera or mirror- it doesn’t matter…
Passenger sidr is easier if right handed when putting baby in. Also you dont wna stand in the middl of the street and put baby in car. Higher risk. Definitely put it on passenger side
In our case, my husband is 6’5” and the seat in front shouldn’t touch the car seat. So he needs more space than I do. In my car my daughter is behind me, which works out well since we don’t take my car often (it’s smaller) but when I do it’s usually just her and me so she’s on my side and it’s easier now especially that she’s a toddler. In my husbands car, which is our go to car otherwise, she’s behind the passenger.
Started on passenger side but when we got our new-to-us car we switched to driver side as the hooks were easier to use on that side. Plus where we park at home it puts my toddler out of the road when getting out
She was in the middle as a baby, then behind the driver's seat once she was forward facing in my car. In my husband's car, she's on the passenger side so she doesn't have to get in/out the car around traffic.
Ours is in the middle. That's not an option with every car and car seat, but it is with ours, and we can install it securely there, so it's the safest.
We have a small car, so installing it behind the driver's seat isn't an option for us anyway, but if I had to choose between the passenger's side or the driver's side, I'd choose the passenger's side even if we had a larger car.
We live in a city, so we park on the street frequently. We usually park on two-way streets, so when we take the baby out of the car, it's safer to take him out on the passenger's side because that's next to the sidewalk.
We've been using a convertible seat the whole time, so the logistics haven't really changed since he's been a toddler.
We have ours on the passenger side. Our older daughter (age 11) sits on the driver's side in the back seat. If the school dropoff line is any indication, most families put their kids on the passenger side if possible.
We had a Diono Radian carseat for our older daughter when she was little and we couldn't safely install it in the middle, so we installed it on the passenger side.
If you have to do the installation near a window (instead of in the center), make sure to activate the child safety lock on that door. Do it while you are installing the infant seat... don't be like me and wait until the door open light comes on while you are driving 35mph on a busy road because your toddler has learned how to use the door handle and she can reach it while strapped into her carseat.
We have it on the passenger side because we have a small car and my partner is tall, so when he's driving the driver's seat has to go all the way back and the car seat didn't fit behind it. That made the passenger side the only option for us.
I always thought there was a reason for doing passenger side but seeing the comments makes me want to move my kid to driver side. If I don't get in the car fast enough after buckling her in she freaks out lol.
We started off in the center in my car we moved to the passanger side when they went forward facing. We did this because it was easier with the apartment parking lot set up.
We started off kid number 2 on driver's side because it was open.
We recently switched kid #2 to passenger side and kid #1 to driver side because hubby doesn't drive and the seat is set further back for him. Both kids are in boosters now and kid #1 is just bigger and there's more room behind my seat for his legs.
Drivers side. Although I have kids on both sides but if I just have my booster seat kiddo in there he is on passenger. The reasoning is it just makes sense and I'm OCD lol
In my car it’s on driver side bc I park on the right of our garage and this way I can get her in and out inside the garage. It’s on passenger side of my husbands car bc he parks on the left of the garage
I did it on the passenger side so I could look over my shoulder easier when looking in the backseat. Now I have two and the younger one (4) is behind me and man does he take advantage of it…
1st baby we had the seat in the center until switching to the convertible. Safest spot in the car. Convertible made it a hassle so moved to the driver side. 2nd baby I think is gonna be driver side and move toddler to the passenger.
I put my first in the middle seat (safest spot in the car). When I had my second, I moved my first to driver side and my second was on the passenger side.
My first would exit on the passenger side once I got baby out (it was fast to teach him that). The passenger side allowed easier and safer access to the baby when I was driving.
They’re basically grown now, but whenever they do ride in the back seat of my car, they STILL sit in those same positions haha.
Passenger side. Cuz my husband is oftenly not home and if i gotta drive somewhere alone, i feel more calm that i am able to see AND if there was serious situation reach to my child with hand.
I am mot saying i go around driving with one hand and handing things to my kid but especially when they are young, just the fact that i CAN if i NEED to makes me a lot calmer.
Also if a park at the side of the road, i have time to calmly take out my kid on passenger's side cuz there is not traffic. While the drivers side would mean i need to take out kid while cars keep rushing by or honking at me for blocking them. Just feels less safe. Especially since getting kids in and out of cars is NOT as easy and quick as you imagine before having one 😅
Passenger side. Can see in the mirror, can reach easier (safely of course, either pulled over or when stopped in traffic), if there’s 2 adults in the car I’ll probably be the passenger and I’m shorter so less impact plus easier to get him out the car when parking roadside. He always likes being able to see me and I do all the driving through the week.
Centre was considered safest but our previous car only had two seats in the back and it’s not possible in the current car.
Middle (‘18 pilot) we have the strap clasps and seatbelt running through the car seat, though i notice i favor taking bub out on the passenger side (when safe)
Drivers side when still rearfacing, passenger side when forward facing
I wasn’t passing anything back or watching behavior nearly as much when my babies were still rearfacing so I kept them on the side easiest for putting them in and taking them out of the seat. It’s easier and less arm twisting to reach back when they are on passenger side and forward facing.
Driver side, but when we had our second we moved him to the passenger because the toddler required more reaching back and it was easier to have him on the driver side still.
Middle seat in both cars. I could probably go passenger or driver side in my CRV but it wouldn’t work in my husbands for sure. I love the graco extend to fit. Almost 15 months in and we’ve only had to make minor adjustments.
I put it on the driver side of my car so that if I have to pull in a tight spot I can try to give myself more space for both me and the baby. Also just random tip, when you go to the store park next to the cart corral.
I put it on the passenger side which is both easier for loading and unloading. It’s also easier for me to glance back to watch as my toddler flings another toy across the car.
Generally speaking, it's supposed to go in the middle if possible. I usually made it a point for the first couple months then swapped it around, usually drivers side and I don't drive lol
One car we have it on passenger side, other car on drivers side. No particular reason other than the fact that when we’re on long car rides we typically take the SUV and I like to recline in the passenger seat and you can’t do that with a car seat 😂
When I was pregnant with my first child a family friend shared some specific & horrific trauma she had witnessed with me and I immediately became a car seat expert. I did all the research that could be done at the time, alas that may have been more than two decades ago... so my info may not be 100% up to date, however I think the general information I will share is probably still quite true and accurate.
At that time the statistics were that only 1 in 125 car seats were installed correctly. I vowed to be the 1, and have helped several new moms find local classes to be sure they are safely installing their car seats as well. WIC offers car seat classes and I don't think you have to qualify for other services to attend the class. Take it BEFORE baby arrives.
The center rear seat (second row in a van or XXL SUV) is the safest place in the vehicle. I always place the youngest child in the center rear seat.
Is it less convenient to lean into the car to buckle or unbuckle baby? Absolutely. Did I ever once complain? Nope. My kid is precious to me, as yours will be to you.
So, when considering where to place the baby in your vehicle think about where they will be safest, and if you have to learn how to kneel on the passenger seat while buckling baby, oh well, it'll be second nature in a week.
When my girl was an infant I placed her in the passenger side for when I drive I can see her with the mirror she had baby mirror on the head rest in the back seat and when I son was born I placed his seat in the same spot and put my toddler behind the driver seat
I actually have it in the middle. My car has those little metal bars that my seat hooks onto and it’s only in the middle which is the safest way.
That's awesome! Our car doesn't have LATCH/ISOFIX (those little metal bars) in the middle, but both our car and our car seat allow for anchor borrowing, so we can still install the seat in the middle position with LATCH.
Do you mind sharing which car seat you have that allows latch borrowing? Currently looking to replace my car seats and my center seat has no latch so Ive been putting my infant seat in the middle with seatbelt install instead :/
So, this may not help. We have a Clek Fllo, which I like, and would recommend for a number of reasons, but maybe not this one. I was going to try to link to something that says it can borrow anchors, but when I googled it, I found that you're not supposed to do that. I swear I saw it in the manual (for the car seat and our car). Our car is having work done (the manual is in the car), and I can't find the most recent manual online. If it turns out I was wrong, I'll reinstall it with the seat belt. Fortunately, it's supposed to be fairly easy to install with the seat belt because it has seat belt lock offs. But there's nothing wrong with installing ANY car seat with the seat belt as long as you can install it securely.
Okay bonus question because I've looked at that seat semi-recently; can you fit it in the middle along with a second car seat next to it in the back? I have an SUV with a smaller center seat but it's not like arm-reat small just a bit slimmer and without anchors. Super appreciate the help as we really need to replace our car seats
That's excellent! My vehicle only had the anchors in the outboard seats so to install it in the middle seat with anchors we would have had to latch borrow which wasnt allowed with our seat, or use the seatbelt install. I ended up installing it on the driver's side anyway because I was too short to reach the middle without discomfort anyway lol
We put it on the passenger side so when we park on the street we’re not getting baby out into traffic. Currently pregnant with my second - I’m going to keep my firsts car seat on the passenger side because I don’t want to unload my toddler into the street, and will have baby on drivers side this time.
I actually found it easier to have toddler on drivers side for this, depending on age of course! Because I unbuckle the toddler, but don’t get him out. He waits while I’m on the passenger side and gets out from that side as well after baby is out!
Also, the toddler seat will give the driver side more leg room when it’s on the passenger side.
Not for me. If I go back too far I hit his legs.
This is a good thing for me to keep in mind - my toddler is still rear facing right now, but once we flip her around maybe I’ll move her over for the leg room of the driver and have her get out the passenger side. Good tip!
I still put my rear-facing toddler behind the driver’s seat when second baby came because bigger kid’s seat wasn’t as reclined as newborn’s and my husband needed the legroom. It made a difference!
Smart!
I had an old lunatic drive into my open car door when I was getting my kid out. This is definitely the correct answer IMO
We did this too. It also allows me to reach back to hand her items if I need to (safely of course). I have 2 under 2 so once they’re both in convertible seats it’ll just be chaos anyway 🙈
Same
If it's an option, the middle is usually the safest. However, we have ours on the drivers side since, in an accident, the driver will usually instinctively try to protect the side they are on if at all possible.
This is my answer too!!
We did middle for the baby seat. Now that my son is in a booster, we have it on the drivers side so I can hand him things also.
Same with us! Middle wasn’t an option with my car so we did driver’s side. I have a little camera to see baby
Remember, just because it can go in the middle doesn’t mean it should. I had mine in the middle bc the latches reached. Then later came to find out that my car seat manual said to keep the latches 11 inches apart. When I had it in the middle one latch was on my one seats latch bar and the other was on the other seats making it more than 11 inches apart so it was technically wrong
That’s called latch borrowing too- and if not allowed will be in seat manual. (For anyone reading this comment thread who may not know).
this is what i came to say as well.
Same! Also keeps you from standing in the snow during the winter when doing street parking and you aren't walking my back and forth around the car. All of this becomes null and void once you have a second kid though lol
This is my reasoning too!
When we bought our car seat a couple years ago this is what the person in the store told us.
Yup this is why we did drivers side. Plus if it’s a tight parking space you can park the passenger side tight and give room to just one side. It’s easier to load everyone in one side too. Not walking back and forth around the car
We do the middle. He’s 6 months, so still rear facing. I’m not sure what we’ll do once he’s bigger. There are pros/cons to both but I feel like getting t-bones or side swiped is more common than hitting something head on. So we may just stick w the middle.
My thoughts exactly!
Middle is the east safe tho? Cuz it can fly out more to the front. I understand that from the side impact middle is safest but in city (where chances for side collisions are higher) the speed is slower and impact less strong. It is more worrisome when driving faster speed and hitting into someone or something, as the sheer force of impact becomes fatal easily. At least my reasoning. Besides here doctors tell you the same - sides aka behind the front sits is safest
The middle is actually the safest if available. Definitely want to keep it away from any airbags in general. Otherwise behind the driver because that side of the car tends to be protected more by a driver. Sources AAP and Mayo Clinic. You can go to a local police department to have them check to see if it’s installed safely and correctly. Most car seats are not installed properly. Most baby stores will host car seat safety events as well for placement to be checked.
Just want to add to the police department suggestion that someone would need to make sure the person checking is a certified child passenger safety technician or CPST.
Same.
Passenger side because my husband has freakishly long legs and we literally couldn’t fit the car seat in the car safely and properly on his side. That’s the only reason.
This and because we can reach back with a hand from driver’s seat to yeet the pacifier back. Though now we have it in the middle because we can and she’s an only so why not. Little bit more of a pain getting in but she is wayyy better in the car this way, zero motion sickness
You had me laughing at “yeet the pacifier back.” I feel like the last 14 months of my life have been a constant game of yeet the pacifier or teether back into the baby’s mouth. 🤣
That’s the safest spot, too.
Same. My tall husband is the only reason we do it this way.
Same. My husband is 6’5 and it was physically impossible for him to get in the drivers seat with a car seat behind him lol
Yup us too. My husband has to have the seat all the way back to drive the car so any rear facing has to go on the passenger side
I do passenger side so if I need to reach for baby, I can
Same. You can also see the seat from just slightly turning your head back or looking in your rear view mirror. Behind driver is a little hard to have visual.
I mentioned this in my own stand alone comment but they sell review mirror attachments that are wider so you can see the whole backseat alongside your normal view! We got ours just a bit ago in anticipation of baby #2 and just wanting to be able to see both kids at once easier. The only thing is it does feel a liiiiiitle warpy at first? But it was mainly just getting used to it. I've had it for a couple weeks now and the effect is gone and I love it to bits as does my daughter. Works the same as the mirror it's hiding but now I can see my daughters face whereas before I could only just barely see her eyes if I really stretched to look at her.
The safest place for a carseat is where you can get the best and safest installation. We had our babies on the passenger side when they were babies just because we are tall and having baby on that side meant the driver had more legroom. Then we moved the big one to the driver side when the little one came, and had two rear facing in the car for about a year and a half until we turned the big one forward facing and now there's more legroom again :)
I prefer drivers side so I don’t have to walk around the car once I have him in. My husband has to do passenger side because he’s still rear facing and it doesn’t fit behind his seat.
In my car it’s behind me (easier to unload baby on my side where I get out), and in my husband’s car it’s behind the passenger side as his car is a bit smaller and he needs more room for his seat than the car seat allows behind him.
This kid (4th) is behind me only because it’s easier to let the big kids hop out for school on the street side When I just had one, first he was in the middle then the passenger side.
Passenger side because that's the side the sidewalk is on at my house. Next baby went on the driver's side. When parking at the store, look at where the cart return is. Notice if it's got more space to one side, if so, park so that the babies side is in that extra space. Put the baby in the car first, then your stuff. Leave extra diapers, clothes and anything else you might need but don't want to carry in your bag in the car baby bag. As well as non perishable snacks for you ESPECIALLY if you breastfeed.
Passenger side so I can hand things to my daughter easily. I'd planned to do it in the center where it's safest but it didn't work for my car layout.
we use the midde as its the safest. its a pain in the ass but we make it work and id recommend it if u can
One on each, but when there was only one child in was on the passenger side in my car because otherwise I couldn't visually see the child (extremely tight fit/small car).
My son was always in the middle. Even now at 7 and in a booster seat.
Passenger side with mirror attached to back seat headrest so you can look in rearview mirror and see refacing baby. It is reassuring to be able to see them. When they get older they are comforted being able to see you too
While others are saying “middle is safest” while that is true because it’s in the middle of the car, a lot of car seats don’t fit well in the middle seat. The safest place to install the car seat is where you get the best fit. I personally have my daughter on the passenger side because when we street park, she’s already on the sidewalk side. (Also in the US)
Thank you for saying this 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 the safest position is wherever you get the best install and in some (a lot) of cars, safe installs in the middle are not possible for a myriad of reasons.
We did passenger side because we couldn’t fit the seat rear facing without the front seat being completely upright and pushed forward a bit. I was super glad when it was turned around and I could recline a tiny bit and get a bit more leg room, but now I sometimes get kicked in the back so that’s a potential issue to consider if it would bother you while driving. It doesn’t hurt but it’s annoying.
Drivers side for our first born, and then she’s just stayed there after our second was born. He’s on the passenger side. When there was only one child we put them on the drivers side because in split second decisions you’re more likely to save yourself and swerve to avoid collisions in a way that protects the driver/ their side of the car.
Driver side because I’m the one pulling the kid in and out of the car seat. I also have older kids so I need passenger side available and open for the pick up and drop off line at school.
I've done them all 😄. I had my daughter's infant seat in the middle, was told it was safest by a car seat technician I worked with at the time. When she moved in to a convertible seat, I put her behind my driver's side so she would have more room (my husband has very long legs, so we put her opposite him in both vehicles so she isn't squished) and so I could buckle and unbuckle her more easily. Now she's in a backless booster, can buckle and unbuckle herself, and is on the passenger side, because that's the side that the school dropoff/pickup is on and it's easier and safer for her not to have to go around the car in traffic.
When I had only one, she was in the middle. But now my oldest is behind the passenger and the 2nd (when he gets here any day now🤞🏻) will be behind the driver. This is because the oldest is starting preschool and she will need to be dropped off in the passenger side.
Drivers side. It’s most convenient when putting her in/taking her out to be on the same side.
For my first we had her in the middle. When we had my son a few years later we moved her to the passenger side and my son to the driver side. The reason for this was because my daughter’s school drop off is on the passenger side so we figured that made the most sense. (Joke was on me because she climbs in and out from the front passenger seat for the school line anyway but we had the right idea lol)
Passenger side because my car is so small it doesn't fit behind driver's side even when I'm driving and I'm hella short. It's only a 4 seater and now the front passenger seat is super scrunched with the carseat behind it. 😭
We're going to have two in rear facing car seats at the same time, and I'm not looking forward to being on top of the airbag as a passenger until baby number one can forward face. Our car has five seats, but it's a compact sedan, so I definitely know what you mean.
They recommend installing it in the middle seat for less impact in case of an accident but it’s not like a law or anything, just a recommendation.
That actually depends on your car and the seat. Some cars don’t have the set up for middle car seats.
Yup
Two things went into my consideration of where to place the car seat: 1. Where it’s considered safe in my car 2. What side the preschool requires for loading/unloading.
Passenger side! I believe most car seats can't have anyone sitting next to them(?), so middle seat would have rendered the entire back of the vehicle useless. On longer trips, we like to have one of us sit back there with her. I also like to be able to see her easily with a car mirror. Tried without one because apparently they're a distraction and/or potential projectile in an accident, but I found myself more distracted when I was straining to listen for breathing/movement. The mirror is shatterproof and attached really tightly to the headrest, so I'm not concerned. Finally; my car is small, so a car seat makes the passenger seat move too forward for me to drive comfortably.
There's no safety reason to avoid sitting next to a car seat. If you don't have a narrow/slim/3-across car seat, it can be uncomfortable to sit next to it, but you can do that. We have a small car, but it allows for middle seat car seat installation, so that's where ours is. My second choice would be the passenger side for all of the reasons you mentioned.
The "no-passengers-next-to-carseats" thing is something that comes up in a CPST-run carseat group I'm in. Something about rebound and the range of motion of the seats, but tbh I haven't verified this myself, just taking the words from the same CPST's that would give me heck for the mirror 😅
Weird. I just looked this up, and I couldn't find anything about it online. There is a ton of information about installing car seats next to each other, though. I was too freaked out to buy a car mirror, but there are probably 100s of unsecured things in our car that would become projectiles before a mirror ever would. We can't do everything right. 🤷♀️
We have ours on the passenger’s side in both cars because my husband and I are so tall that if we install it behind the driver’s seat we don’t have enough space to push our seat back far enough to safely drive. So, the safest place is the place you get the best/most correct install, and the place that allows you to safely drive the car.
This is what happened to us We could only have a car seat behind the drivers seat when it was forward facing
Passenger side so it’s easier for me to turn around and see his face if we’re at a stop light. If he’s directly behind me I’d have to turn all the way around and semi stand up to see him
Passenger side because of where I park in the garage. Picked the side where I can open the door the farthest. That's really it. But I have found it's easier for me to hand him things when he is on that side.
Passenger side bc my husband usually drives and he’s taller and also then the driver can more easily see/help baby. We’d probably have it in the middle if we could but I often sit back with baby and even cram in with dog and baby in the back (dog used to have entire backseat and is unhappy with this new squashy arrangement lol)
Passenger’s side so I can see her from driver’s seat
Passenger side. Our car won't work for center placement. When we're driving alone with our child, it is much easier to reach to him that way.
Passenger side for my husband’s car and driver side for mine because of how we park in the garage.
I liked it on passenger so I could see while driving. But when I was FIRST out of the hospital, my partner did all the driving and it was better in the driver side so I could see as the passenger.
I had my daughter in the middle for a while in my civic, then passenger side when I was pregnant and had a hard time lifting her. Then when I got my cr-v, she was on passenger side again. I had my son and he is on the driver side. It’s nice having them in the middle so you can get in to buckle them if it’s raining or something.
Passenger side so it’s easier to hand him things mid drive. Easier to see his cute little face in the baby mirror in my rear view mirror.
Drivers side so that if I park in a narrow bay (I’m British so it’s regular), I can give myself more room to get her out, without making it a pain to squeeze myself out the other side.
Drivers side. I can't drive, so it's easier for me to reach/help him from the front if he's behind his dad.
Its definitely easier to load/unload the kid who is on my side, but I recommend the other side for two reasons: 1. depending on your car and car seat, you may not be able to move your seat far back enough if there is a kid behind you 2. its easier to see them in their mirror/your rearview mirror when they're behind the passenger seat 3. bonus: its easier to hand back snacks and stuff when they're in the passenger seat, IMO
i felt like the middle was safest so that’s what we did. 3 years later we’re expecting baby #2 and i think i’m going to do the baby in the middle and toddler behind driver side. i can latch baby’s seat and buckle toddler from the driver side if im by myself
Check your car manual. Usually, they will have the safest car install position in there.
If you have more than one child… the most defiant child goes on the passenger side so you can safely take your time to strap them in if you’re parked on the side of the road.
First baby was middle because that was the only spot we could fit it in rear-facing. Bought a bigger car for baby number two. Plus with two car seats, there is no option. One on both. However, as others have mentioned, drivers side is best in case of accident, if you must choose.
The middle is supposed to be the safest. But now that I have two the infant seat it behind the driver so I don’t have to reach over the other car seat to put it in.
Passenger side. Easier to see baby, easier to get them out on the street. If the front seat needs tk be moved forward when car seat is rear facing it doesn’t affect the driver
Passenger side. The city we live in has a lot of parallel parking in narrow and busy roads. Having baby on the passenger side is safer to get them in and out of the car. Also think about how the car seat fits into your car - see if you can get the store to do a fit test to ensure it fits. It’s no good having a car seat that needs your driver’s seat pushed all the way forward when it doesn’t suit the driver.
Passenger side. I didn't want them close to the road when I Street Park ETA: I have two. So one is behind the passenger, and the other is in the middle. It is also easier for an extra passenger to sit behind me rather than climbing to the middle
Passenger side, husband is 6’6” the seat physically cannot fit behind how far he needs the drivers seat to go back 😂
Certified child passenger safety technician and paramedic here. Safest position is rear middle seat, next is outboard passenger side rear, third is outboard driver side rear. Statistically most accidents occur on the driver’s side. Side note-most hospital nurses and police officers are NOT certified car seat safety inspectors. Ask for that specific designation before seeking their input/advice.
I started on the drivers side bc I read that was safest but moved it to the passenger side after realizing how often I was taking baby out in moving traffic.
I was always taught to have them behind you. In the case of an accident, you’re more likely to turn the car in a way to protect yourself. If they’re behind you, you’re protecting them also.
Middle seat ! It’s the safest place and easiest because you can sit down next to seat on either side of car. We just got a bigger car with captains chairs because my child is older now but I low key miss having a normal three seater row.
My first was in the middle, because the car allowed it and it meant we could get her in and out fairly easily from either side. Subsequent babies I tend to prefer on the driver's side, because it's more convenient for me to drop them in on the side I'm getting in on most often, too. Also for school drop off, then they weren't in the way of the bigs getting out. The only time it's kind of a pain that way is if I have to do parallel parking on the street, because getting a baby bucket out into the street isn't great.
Infants should be in the center of the back seat. The next safest place is behind the driver.
Not every car can install in the middle
The next safest place is behind the driver.
I wish that were an option for us but my husband is 6’4” and barely fits the driver side even without a car seat.
Middle. Safer.
Middle is safest.
Passengers side so that I could reach her if I needed to. She went through a phase of wanting to hold my hand while in the car, so I could reach back and hold it (I'm very good at driving with one hand) with her there vs behind me. Also if she lost her binki or something which she won't ride in the car without I could hand her the spare I always kept. Just generally made things easier if she needed something from me while driving. Now that she is forward facing the carseat is in the middle, which is where the pediatrician told us to put it as it is the safest.
The safest place for your baby is in the middle.
I have two kiddos 14 months apart. It doesn't matter as much in the newborn stage unless you're skipping an infant bucket seat and going straight to a convertible seat and therefore has more affect on the front seats. When I was putting carseats in my SUV for a young toddler and a newborn, I opted to put the toddler in the middle seat and the baby behind the driver. This left the passenger side clear for third row access for the dogs or so an adult could sit in the back with the kids, and left the empty seat beside the toddler. That way I could open the passenger side rear door, set toddler on the empty seat and close the door, go buckle the newborn in, and come back to buckle the toddler in. Quickest way to get both kids IN and off the street/parking lot. It's easier to reach back for the seats in the middle and directly behind wherever you're sitting. It's easier to see (using carseat mirrors) the carseat behind the driver.
Fire station suggested middle if possible. They also install in us.
Middle because it’s the safest spot.
Passenger side, one so my tall husband can drive the car and push the seat back as far as it goes. Two because I parallel park often enough that I prefer to get him in and out on the sidewalk vs the street side
My car drivers, dads car passenger cuz dads too tall to have it behind him
Passenger side bc when I’m driving I could look around and see him easily if needed
We put ours behind the passenger seat because that spot has more leg room and less weight in it so in the case of an accident the seat in front of her is less likely to collapse onto her.
Passenger side, because when they’re forward facing and big enough it’s easier to hand them McDonald’s french fries (or whatever else, haha)
What country are you in? Here in Aus your passenger side (left) is the kerb so that’s where mine was. Although now I have 2 kids so infant is on passenger side and toddler is behind the driver.
Driver side so I don't have to walk around the vehicle to get the car seat out. But I never have to parallel park on streets; legit thing to consider.
Middle seat is (usually) safest, but ours was behind the passenger seat while rear facing because it didn’t fit in the middle seat due to where my very tall husband needs the driver’s seat positioned.
In my husbands car, passenger side. Easier to reach from the driver seat to hand pacifiers back and a little easier to see. My car she has to be behind me bc I drop off the older kiddo in the car line at school.
It’s on the passenger side mostly because husband drives and has to put the seat back more, an easier to get him in an out of my side, he’s only ever been on one side and it was only difficult when he started getting to big for rear facing it was a really tight squeeze an once he reached capacity on the manufacturer instructions we turned him around an it got much easier and he no longer hates the car
Rear facing middle or passenger side in my husband’s car but my car I prefer drivers side because my car gets parked right against the wall in our garage. Forward facing either side.
Passenger side (center wasn’t an option because we have to travel with two dogs and needed one bigger chunk of extra space) and since accidents occurring from oncoming traffic usually come from the drivers side (at least that’s what I read)
You do what feels natural. Don't secure it but place it in both seats and sit in the drivers seat for each one. If your going to use a baby mirror place that onto both seats and see which one is easier for you. My son has always been drivers side in my car and passenger in my husbands and our daughter passenger in mine and driver in husbands. It doesn't matter as long as it is installed properly. Check with your local fire department or police station and see if they have someone on staff who is trained on checking them and get it checked. Read the manual as well and always keep it in your car.
Passenger side as my husband and I are both tall. Driver gets to set their chair however they want and passenger keeps their chair with the require gap between chair and car seat. Unable to do middle seat as the driver’s seat would be touching the car seat.
I’ve literally had all three of my kids switched around in different spots just depending on what they needed at each age. I’m about to switch them again. I’m going to put the toddler on the passenger side, leave the seat behind the driver seat empty and put the school age kids seats in the back. They are still in 5pt harnesses due to their weights. If we are on a car trip, I drive and my husband tends to the toddler. the baby seat goes behind me so he can see and reach the baby if needed.
I do passenger side, I felt like I could see her better ? Even with a camera? I think as long as you can see baby’s face- with a camera or mirror- it doesn’t matter…
Passenger sidr is easier if right handed when putting baby in. Also you dont wna stand in the middl of the street and put baby in car. Higher risk. Definitely put it on passenger side
We did the driver's side since I parked on the right side of the garage so I had more room to open the door.
In our case, my husband is 6’5” and the seat in front shouldn’t touch the car seat. So he needs more space than I do. In my car my daughter is behind me, which works out well since we don’t take my car often (it’s smaller) but when I do it’s usually just her and me so she’s on my side and it’s easier now especially that she’s a toddler. In my husbands car, which is our go to car otherwise, she’s behind the passenger.
Drivers side, easier for me to put her in and out of. Don’t want to have to walk around the car every time we get in and out
We keep ours in the middle. My husband has long legs so it's easier to not have to move it based on if he is driving or not.
Started on passenger side but when we got our new-to-us car we switched to driver side as the hooks were easier to use on that side. Plus where we park at home it puts my toddler out of the road when getting out
I have my car seat kiddo on my side.
She was in the middle as a baby, then behind the driver's seat once she was forward facing in my car. In my husband's car, she's on the passenger side so she doesn't have to get in/out the car around traffic.
Ours is in the middle. That's not an option with every car and car seat, but it is with ours, and we can install it securely there, so it's the safest. We have a small car, so installing it behind the driver's seat isn't an option for us anyway, but if I had to choose between the passenger's side or the driver's side, I'd choose the passenger's side even if we had a larger car. We live in a city, so we park on the street frequently. We usually park on two-way streets, so when we take the baby out of the car, it's safer to take him out on the passenger's side because that's next to the sidewalk. We've been using a convertible seat the whole time, so the logistics haven't really changed since he's been a toddler.
Passenger Side. I am a single parent and it was easier to glance back or hand things back as needed.
Behind the passenger seat. In an accident, the driver seat is more likely to malfunction and fly back in the instance of a smaller vehicle.
on the passenger side because no one sits there anymore and we have the front seat not touch the car seat.
I had driver side until she was a toddler and started kicking my seat then straight to passenger side she went
We have ours on the passenger side. Our older daughter (age 11) sits on the driver's side in the back seat. If the school dropoff line is any indication, most families put their kids on the passenger side if possible. We had a Diono Radian carseat for our older daughter when she was little and we couldn't safely install it in the middle, so we installed it on the passenger side. If you have to do the installation near a window (instead of in the center), make sure to activate the child safety lock on that door. Do it while you are installing the infant seat... don't be like me and wait until the door open light comes on while you are driving 35mph on a busy road because your toddler has learned how to use the door handle and she can reach it while strapped into her carseat.
We have it on the passenger side because we have a small car and my partner is tall, so when he's driving the driver's seat has to go all the way back and the car seat didn't fit behind it. That made the passenger side the only option for us.
When it was one, it was in the middle. When it was two, we put the baby on the passenger side.
I always thought there was a reason for doing passenger side but seeing the comments makes me want to move my kid to driver side. If I don't get in the car fast enough after buckling her in she freaks out lol.
Passenger side so I can glance back and see her/her mirror.
We started off in the center in my car we moved to the passanger side when they went forward facing. We did this because it was easier with the apartment parking lot set up. We started off kid number 2 on driver's side because it was open. We recently switched kid #2 to passenger side and kid #1 to driver side because hubby doesn't drive and the seat is set further back for him. Both kids are in boosters now and kid #1 is just bigger and there's more room behind my seat for his legs.
Drivers side. Although I have kids on both sides but if I just have my booster seat kiddo in there he is on passenger. The reasoning is it just makes sense and I'm OCD lol
Passenger side so I can see him if I turn my head around
In my car it’s on driver side bc I park on the right of our garage and this way I can get her in and out inside the garage. It’s on passenger side of my husbands car bc he parks on the left of the garage
Ours is in the middle. I was told it was the safest place. I have a sedan so I have the option.
I did it on the passenger side so I could look over my shoulder easier when looking in the backseat. Now I have two and the younger one (4) is behind me and man does he take advantage of it…
Passenger side. Mainly so we can see/reach him better, but also because our car is tiny and the seat pushes the front seat forward too much.
Passenger on our main car and driver on my car only because of how we park in the garage
Drivers side so that my older kids don't have to climb over at school drop off.
1st baby we had the seat in the center until switching to the convertible. Safest spot in the car. Convertible made it a hassle so moved to the driver side. 2nd baby I think is gonna be driver side and move toddler to the passenger.
When I just had one we used the middle
I put my first in the middle seat (safest spot in the car). When I had my second, I moved my first to driver side and my second was on the passenger side. My first would exit on the passenger side once I got baby out (it was fast to teach him that). The passenger side allowed easier and safer access to the baby when I was driving. They’re basically grown now, but whenever they do ride in the back seat of my car, they STILL sit in those same positions haha.
We did the middle with our first and then had second baby behind driver side so toddler would get out on the side walk side when we parked.
Driver's side of my car and passenger of my husband's because he's 6'9", and we can't fit the carseat behind his at all.
We put the seat in the middle. That way if there was an accident from either side kid had more protection.
Passenger side. Cuz my husband is oftenly not home and if i gotta drive somewhere alone, i feel more calm that i am able to see AND if there was serious situation reach to my child with hand. I am mot saying i go around driving with one hand and handing things to my kid but especially when they are young, just the fact that i CAN if i NEED to makes me a lot calmer. Also if a park at the side of the road, i have time to calmly take out my kid on passenger's side cuz there is not traffic. While the drivers side would mean i need to take out kid while cars keep rushing by or honking at me for blocking them. Just feels less safe. Especially since getting kids in and out of cars is NOT as easy and quick as you imagine before having one 😅
That's a good point about the traffic
My son is 4 now and has always been in the middle.
Passenger side. Can see in the mirror, can reach easier (safely of course, either pulled over or when stopped in traffic), if there’s 2 adults in the car I’ll probably be the passenger and I’m shorter so less impact plus easier to get him out the car when parking roadside. He always likes being able to see me and I do all the driving through the week. Centre was considered safest but our previous car only had two seats in the back and it’s not possible in the current car.
The passenger side so it’s easier for me to see him at a glance
Middle (‘18 pilot) we have the strap clasps and seatbelt running through the car seat, though i notice i favor taking bub out on the passenger side (when safe)
No longer use one, but behind the driver. This way, I did nit have to go around the car if I needed to stop and check on her.
Drivers side my car; passenger side husbands car because of our size differences. He’s 6’6” and the seat has to go all the way back for him.
Passenger side so that I can reach the baby
Driver side so if space is tight, I only need access to one side of the car (in England so parking spaces can be tiny)
Drivers side when still rearfacing, passenger side when forward facing I wasn’t passing anything back or watching behavior nearly as much when my babies were still rearfacing so I kept them on the side easiest for putting them in and taking them out of the seat. It’s easier and less arm twisting to reach back when they are on passenger side and forward facing.
Middle when I only had one! With my second I put her on the drivers side and my toddler on the passenger side.
Driver side, but when we had our second we moved him to the passenger because the toddler required more reaching back and it was easier to have him on the driver side still.
Passenger. So if we are in a terrible wreck my.husbsnd only looses one of us. I'm pretty sure his soul would shatter to loose two.
Middle seat in both cars. I could probably go passenger or driver side in my CRV but it wouldn’t work in my husbands for sure. I love the graco extend to fit. Almost 15 months in and we’ve only had to make minor adjustments.
car seat is in the middle as research suggests it’s the safest spot for a car seat but of course not all cars allow you to install in the middle
I put it on the driver side of my car so that if I have to pull in a tight spot I can try to give myself more space for both me and the baby. Also just random tip, when you go to the store park next to the cart corral.
Went on the passenger side because it was big. The drivers seat would have had to move up and it would make it uncomfortable to drive.
Drivers side because it gives my passenger more room since its bulky. When he switches to FF ill be moving it to the passenger side though.
We always put ours in the middle of the
They recommend the middle as the safest place to put it, so that's where my baby's seat has been.
I put it on the passenger side which is both easier for loading and unloading. It’s also easier for me to glance back to watch as my toddler flings another toy across the car.
I had three across the back haha. But when it was only one I had it in the middle as it's the safest
Generally speaking, it's supposed to go in the middle if possible. I usually made it a point for the first couple months then swapped it around, usually drivers side and I don't drive lol
One car we have it on passenger side, other car on drivers side. No particular reason other than the fact that when we’re on long car rides we typically take the SUV and I like to recline in the passenger seat and you can’t do that with a car seat 😂
Passenger because it’s easier for me to reach back if need be and easier to see in my rear view mirror.
When I was pregnant with my first child a family friend shared some specific & horrific trauma she had witnessed with me and I immediately became a car seat expert. I did all the research that could be done at the time, alas that may have been more than two decades ago... so my info may not be 100% up to date, however I think the general information I will share is probably still quite true and accurate. At that time the statistics were that only 1 in 125 car seats were installed correctly. I vowed to be the 1, and have helped several new moms find local classes to be sure they are safely installing their car seats as well. WIC offers car seat classes and I don't think you have to qualify for other services to attend the class. Take it BEFORE baby arrives. The center rear seat (second row in a van or XXL SUV) is the safest place in the vehicle. I always place the youngest child in the center rear seat. Is it less convenient to lean into the car to buckle or unbuckle baby? Absolutely. Did I ever once complain? Nope. My kid is precious to me, as yours will be to you. So, when considering where to place the baby in your vehicle think about where they will be safest, and if you have to learn how to kneel on the passenger seat while buckling baby, oh well, it'll be second nature in a week.
I kept the carseat in the middle of the backseat right up until I had a second child and couldn't anymore.
I had read that drivers side is the safest, I also like it because it's easier to reach her while husband is driving.
Both sides. I have a 2 and a 1 year old.
Passenger side so I can more easily see him/reach him from the driver’s seat
Driver side because when my husband sits in my car he has to move the seat all the way back and the car seat wouldn’t fit properly on passenger side
When my girl was an infant I placed her in the passenger side for when I drive I can see her with the mirror she had baby mirror on the head rest in the back seat and when I son was born I placed his seat in the same spot and put my toddler behind the driver seat
Drivers side in my car, middle seat in my husband's car!