Arranging Two Carseats in Back Seat

I put my twins behind each seat and kept the middle free as it was easier to reach and strap them in like that.They also could not get at each other and fight! Also the seat belt in the middle was only a lap belt not an over the shoulder type and I thought they would also be shielded better in an accident. Using the middle seat in the event of a rear collision the baby could get bumped between the front seats and out the windshield..
This arrangement worked for me and now they are 8 and in boosters they still sit either side

It may have to depend on how much room in your backseat. I have a Commander and the forward facing seat has to be in the middle seat because my husband and I drive with our front seats all the way back (long legs on our part). The rear facing seat can be fine in any position as long as you can get the seat to be correctly placed. Good luck.

My 3 year old sits in the middle (front facing) and my 1 year is still rear facing (I figure keep her that way as long as possible) on the passenger side. They like to sit next to each other. I probably should move the baby to the middle, but our problem is the drivers seat. My husband likes to have it further back, when I'm driving it isn't a problem. I agree with one of the other responses and say do what works best for you. Hope the next three weeks goes quickly for you! How exciting!! Merry Christmas!

I am due next summer, and will have a 26 month old and an 8 year old stepson. He still wants his booster seat. Even now, I keep the younget in the middle, and the older on the side.

I will say next year when i have the next one, the baby will be in the middle, as that I feel is safest for them. They have so much less control of anything, and will be farthest from the doors on impact. I will probably put the 26 month old behind the drivers door, and the oldest by the passenger. Currently the oldest is behind the drivers so he can buckle easier, but i would rather not have to keep running aroudn the car to buckle all the kids in.

I would even suggest going to the police department or fire department with the seats, and have them help you install them. They can tell you from what they have seen, what might be safer, PLUS, they will make sure the seats are installed correctly

I had both a chicco infant and a britax. I wouldn't put them right next to each other because the 18 month old may bother the baby. Also if they are on each side it will be easier to put the kids in their seats. Good luck!

When I had my carseats checked by Children's Hospital before my son was born, they advised against having the seats right next to each other. It is harder to get them both fastened down correctly and they can rub against each other in the car and cause problems. They recommended the older one behind the driver's seat and the rear-facing infant behind the passenger seat. It has worked for us. I would get them both in the car from the same side (my daughter was 2 and could climb into her seat while I snapped the infant carrier into the base).

Good luck with your new little one!
L.

Really its safer to have EVERYone sit in the middle... But then they'd have to redesign all vehicles. lol Safer depends on what happens. If your hit on the drivers side/ passengers side/head on/ read ended/ flipped/ spun/what speed/ side airbags/what YOU hit after being hit, etc... Then only hindsight will allow you to say what side was safer. What ever side you put either baby on, Make sure that the seats are installed correctly and babys are all ways in the straps. And drive carefully!

I look at it as more of a logistical thing.

When taking baby in and out how far do you want to have to swing the baby? (how are your arm muscles?) When putting them in do you want to do it from one side or use both sides? (as in Baby in the middle and older by a door) If older is in the middle then you will have to reach over baby to buckle him in/out all the time. If dropping older off somewhere and not baby then older may have to climb over baby... Do you want seating room for anyone else back there? Seats by doors =one really SKINNY person can sit in the middle... If you have a seatbelt there.
Do you want to beable to put groceries in the back?(leave a seat by the door open)
How will the car seats and bases actually fit? (In our first car infant HAD to be in the middle... Or the seats would not go back far enough for us to sit in the front and not have our legs IN the dash...)

The only time we have put a carseat in a car and not moved it was for our first. After that its really a see what works for YOUR style of car and for the needs YOU use it for.

If one way doesn't quite work for you then you can always move the seats around.

I have a Malibu and a 23 month old in a Britax Marathon and an 8 week old in a Graco carrier. There is no way I could have either seat in the middle. It would be too tight and also, my daughter would annoy the baby. I am not sure what kind of car you have but I don't think it would even work.

While it is always safest to have the baby in the middle, it is not always feasible. There are some factors that should be considered. When my husband and I were expecting number two, baby number one was 18 months. We took both of our cars to a car seat inspection. His station wagon safely accomodated the infant carrier in the middle with the forward facing car seat beside it (on either side). My sedan, on the other hand, would fit the infant carrier in the middle with the forward facing on one side - it was not considered a safe install. The infant carrier was slightly off center, with the buckle under part of the base. The "toddlers" seat was squished up against a door, and both seats were touching. In the event of an accident, on that side of the car, the toddler would have been crushed, with the car seat pushing into the infant carrier, the seat belt on the infant carrier would have likely snapped. Needless to say, after that was all explained to us - the inspectors moved the infant carrier to behind the drivers seat in my car.

When in doubt - talk to a police officer, or find an inspection site.

I keep my 3 year old behind the drivers seat and my 4.5 month old behind the passenger seat. I like having the baby on the passenger's side becaus I can reach back to give him his pacifier when I'm at a stoplight if need be. It's much easier to just look at my 3 year old by moving the rear view mirror if I need to see her but I like being able to actually turn around and see my baby.