[kanga1622]

Okay, baby is "due" in just over 3 weeks so I'm getting ready to install our Graco Sungride 32 and have a question for the CPSTs on the board.

I was planning to put this in the center of the backseat but am concerned about one thing: the "backseat" portion of the center seat can fold down and becomes an armrest and cupholders for the two outboard seats.

Should I really install a carseat in front of this? I'm a little nervous that the armrest might come down in the force of a crash or even just with the force of the carseat base against the bottom where the armrest folds into the back.

I don't see anything in my owner's manual about this being a safety hazard but thought I'd get some perspective from trained professionals before I start trying to install this seat myself. I will be having a local car seat professional check my install after I think I've gotten it installed.

 

[leighi123]

When you install the seat there, can the armrest thing still fold down any? If it does then I'd just install the seat outboard.

 

[snoopy5386]

we have one of these too and had a carseat installed in front of it. It is fine. Once you get the seat in there, the armrest is not budging at all.

 

[Twinklefae]

Check your vehicle manual. It will tell you where safe and appropriate places to put an infant seat are. If you aren't allowed to use the middle seat, your child will be fine on the side. (And with a big bucket it is often easier to deal with.)

Just saw that you did check it. If the manual doesn't say anything about it, then it's fine.

 

[kanga1622]

Thanks for the help. We installed it and the armrest doesn't move at all. The manual does say it's fine to put a car seat there and even has latch anchors there.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[Mommybree]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kanga1622 Thanks for the help. We installed it and the armrest doesn't move at all. The manual does say it's fine to put a car seat there and even has latch anchors there. Thanks for the responses.

I just want to double check what vehicle you have. When my daughter was born, we installed her Snugride in the center of our Volvo S80 (in front of a fold-down armrest) thinking that we had LATCH in the center, but we were really "borrowing" the LATCH anchors from the outboard seat, which wasn't allowed in our car. Using a seatbelt would have been fine, but using LATCH wasn't.

For what it's worth, the seatbelt lockoff on the Snugride 32 is super easy to use. I had the earlier version (the Safeseat 1) with my son, and I always used the seatbelt lockoff, even when I installed in a LATCH-equipped spot, because the seatbelt lockoff is such a breeze to use.

 

[Ninetales]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mommybree I just want to double check what vehicle you have. When my daughter was born, we installed her Snugride in the center of our Volvo S80 (in front of a fold-down armrest) thinking that we had LATCH in the center, but we were really "borrowing" the LATCH anchors from the outboard seat, which wasn't allowed in our car. Using a seatbelt would have been fine, but using LATCH wasn't. For what it's worth, the seatbelt lockoff on the Snugride 32 is super easy to use. I had the earlier version (the Safeseat 1) with my son, and I always used the seatbelt lockoff, even when I installed in a LATCH-equipped spot, because the seatbelt lockoff is such a breeze to use.

Yes, I did this too.

 

[kanga1622]

We have an 02 Bonneville. I was super excited when I saw that across the entire back seat there are 6 separate LATCH anchors so there really were 2 per seat.

I swear that the LATCH anchors and 4 doors is why we purchased this car several years ago. I just couldn't beat the deal for exactly what we wanted!

 

[Mommybree]

Great!

 

[triscuitsmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kanga1622 We have an 02 Bonneville. I was super excited when I saw that across the entire back seat there are 6 separate LATCH anchors so there really were 2 per seat. I swear that the LATCH anchors and 4 doors is why we purchased this car several years ago. I just couldn't beat the deal for exactly what we wanted!

I just wanted to touch on this in case anyone else reads it... Sometimes cars have three sets of anchors but you can't use all of them at once. You still must always check your manual and see, because sometimes it means you can install center with LATCH or both outboard, but all three cannot be used at once.

Not that it matters here because you only have one seat... and I checked a post on c-s.org listing the cars that actually allow all three to be used at once and the 02 Bonneville is one of them so you'll be good to go in the future too