Picking the Best Spot to Install a Car Seat in Our Vehicle

Get an Arrangement That Works For the Whole Family

With the start of school and two of our three kids now in middle school, our routine has changed. And one thing that hasn’t changed: the placement of the booster seats in our vehicles. 

Two of our kids, ages nine and eleven, still ride in booster seats for safety. That means they can’t easily switch seat locations within the car. So I’m struggling to find the best arrangement to minimize fussing and make our mornings and afternoons smoother for everyone.

We have two vehicles. Both have three rows of seating. Our standard arrangement from the past year places two kids in the middle row, and one child in the third row. Because one car doesn’t have LATCH anchors in the rear row, the exact assignment varies between the two cars. And because I hate installing the car seat in that third row, I want to avoid taking it in and out as much as possible.

My oldest child can sit anywhere in the car. In a few short weeks, he’s even eligible to ride in the front seat, opening up a lot of possibilities for us. So here’s a few things that go into the decision about where to place our car seats.

LATCH Anchors: My two kids no longer need five point harnesses. While that works great for getting us places quicker with fewer buckles, it also means that the seats either have to use LATCH anchors, or the kids need to buckle the empty seats into the car to avoid making them into projectiles in case of an accident. I have no desire to buckle an empty seat after dropping kids off, nor do I want to risk getting hit by one of these large bulky items should I get into an accident.

Leg Room: With a teenager in tow, the third row doesn’t offer as much space as it used to. He prefers more leg room and less contorting to get into and out of tight spaces. While he used to fit easily in the twenty percent split folded down between the two middle seats, now that’s a tight squeeze at best.

Pick Up and Drop Off Order: The kids hate squeezing past each other, especially once they get buckled into their booster seats. We used to leave one seat in the middle row open on the passenger side of the car to facilitate all three kids loading and unloading in any order. But with the rear row getting tight for one kid and not offering LATCH anchors for the other two, it’s getting tricker to keep that space open.

Ease of Use: Much like convertible car seats, not all locations in the same row offer equal access. While the middle remains the safest spot for car seats, when you have more than one, it can make it tricky for kids to buckle themselves, or parents to reach over one car seat to buckle younger siblings. In addition, every car seat won’t fit equally well in each space even within the same vehicle, thanks to the location of seat belts, buckles, and more.

Taking all of these (sometimes competing) factors into consideration, we’re still working on our booster seat arrangement for this school year. Until then, the kids will keep clamoring over each other until we can’t take the bickering and settle on something better.

Going: car seats, booster car seats, vehicle safety, car seat installation, infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school aged kids