Installing Two Car Seats

Sharing anchors or top tethers is NOT allowed/safe. If your middle seat does not have it's own set of lower anchors and top tether you must use the seat belt not LATCH. You can move your eldest child outboard to behind the passenger and use the lower anchors and top tether provided for her seat. You can test out the seats placed where you want them but make certain that each of them is correctly installed and not using either for support. It is perfectly safe to use either a seat belt or LATCH for install as neither is safer if installed correctly. Please do not place two seats onto the same anchor or tether as that could prove quite dangerous. The middle seat is the safest as it is furthest away from impact however the safest place for any child in the car is in a seat that is properly installed.

First and foremost...it is NOT safe to use outside anchors if the seat is in the middle. The anchors are installed and tested to be used ONLY in the seat that they are in. I would immediately fix the Marathon to have a safe, legal install!!! If you are determined to use the middle seat for it and the middle seat does not have it's own dedicated set of anchors then you will need to install the car seat with the seatbelt and use the lock-offs. Your manual can show you how to do this.

Second...never put more than one seat on an anchor point. They are not built to withstand the weight forces of two seats in a crash.

I would put your oldest child outboard...behind the passenger seat and install her seat using the anchor points. Then I would try to puzzle in the infant seat in the middle using the belt install with locking clips. It could be very likely that you won't get a good tight install with these seats side-by-side...there just might not be enough room. In that case I would put the infant behind the drivers seat to maximize legroom for all involed.

Not a perfect solution...but one that is probably the easiest all around.

I would also make the appointment and find a way to swing it. I know it's a pain but they may have a better solution for you that will help to ease your mind! (but before you go make sure you install the Marathon correctly...you'll get yelled at for that one!!! ;-) )

We have one behind the passenger and one behind the driver.

If your child is over 40lbs please check your vehicle manual, because most LATCH in vehicles is only ok to use to 40lbs, after that you MUST use the seatbelt for installation. The vehicle manual will have the weight limit for the LATCH, and you must abide by it, and once your child is over that weight you must use the seatbelt for installation.

You want the least protected child in the most protected position in the car. SInce your 4yr old is forward facing, you want her in the middle if possible, the most protected position. Rear facing is SAFEST, so your infant will be the most protected child in the car. If you insist on a child in the middle position, make it your 4yr old.

HOWEVER if it were me (and I've been there!) I would install both children outboard in the car, one behind the passenger, one behind the driver. Make sure your vehicle can accomidate a center LATCH install if you choose to put a child there. You cannot share top tether or lower LATCH, only one car seat per LATCH, and only one car seat per top tether.

www.safekids.org to find a CPST in your area, or www.seat-check.org.

Well, I have twins, so we had to put the babies in the seat behind the driver and passenger since that's the only way they would fit. It would be safer if they each had their own tether, so put someone behind you. I would recommend putting your daughter behind you and the baby on the passenger side so you can reach him/her better.

I hear you...I had the same worries when our second came b/c they both had to be so close to doors. But, truly, it's much safer than trying to share an anchor. Don't do it. The seats themselves are safe and will protect them in the case of accident, you don't want the one anchor to be strained and dislodge both seats in a high impact. It's a little scary, but it'll be okay!

I put my baby behind the driver side and my son on the other side. I didn't want my son poking at her and trying to feed her things while driving. I thought that was more of a hazard (although he was 2 when she was born) I don't remember my infant seat having a tether. You could use the tether for the britax and just make sure the base of the infant seat is secure with the seat belt or a mighty-tight if the middle belt doesnt lock? are you refering to the anchors and not the tether? If so I would seat belt lock one and anchor the other. I may not be fully understanding your question for that I apologize.

according to http://www.edmunds.com/advice/womenfamilies/articles/1045...:
"Don't attach more than one car seat tether to the same anchor point unless your vehicle manual says it's OK."

My kids a just over a year apart so just as my son was being turned around into a "big boy" carseat (which was just the convertable carseat) my daughter was born and was in an infant carrier. I put my son (older child) behind passenger seat and my daughter (youngest) behind the driver seat. Sounds silly but I figured he was facing forward so I could check on him easier if he was behind the passenger seat. I am due with baby # 3 and baby is going in the middle.

Sorry, not sure about the anchors, but this is what we did with seating arrangements. Call your local fire department for installations of car seats. I am pretty sure in Ohio all fire departments are trained to install car seats. Also, Babies R Us does too...

And Congratulations on your soon to be...

you need to be using the seatbelt for the middle seat - not the outside anchors. take your seat(s) to the hospital and have them check it and show you the proper way to install the seats. your hospital should have a car seat check available for free with an appmnt. our hospital did and they help you install it correctly and certify it before you leave. do it before the baby comes. swap the seats now. my suv has the anchors, but only on the outside seats. no anchors for the middle...so we use the seatbelt. your seat(s) should have come with the locking clips and you will need to use it for the center with seatbelts to get a tight fit. our seat is in there so tight that there is no way that thing is going anywhere. i feel better knowing that the hospital certified the installation. i wont let anyone remove it.