Baby in middle rear car seat - manufacturer says no

[dustyphoenix]

DS is 9 weeks old and has been using his sisters infant car seat since birth. Motoring organisations seem to say that rear middle seat is better for baby than rear sides,sot hats what we've done so far. Currently his seat is rear facing next to DDs which is a forward facing high back booster.

However, I've just re-read the handbook and the manufacturer seems to advise against putting the baby in the rear middle seat. I can't figure out why, and haven't been able to contact them yet to ask. All the seat belts are the same, and none of the manufacturers car seats (Joie) seem to be recommended for rear middle.

Can anyone comment on why this might be, or what you've done in a similar situation?

Thanks

has it got a support leg?

No, it's the Joie Changes seat

Isofix or belt?

Many cars don't have a full seatbelt or Isofix points in the middle seat so you wouldn't be able to fix the seat or base as securely.

Sorry, should have specified. Its belt, not Isofix,and the middle seat belt is exactly the same as the others, which is why I'm confused.

If it’s a full seatbelt then there’s no problem. I suspect the manufacturers don’t suggest this because many cars still have a lap belt only in the rear middle.

Thanks, I suspect that alot of them recommend not using the rear middle seat but alot of people do! Think we'll probably move him to the side anyway, till he's a bit older at least.

You don’t need to move him. The middle rear is the safest place in the car for a baby as it gives greater protection from side impact, IF the middle rear seat has a full three-point harness. Manufacturers will give the simplest possible advice so they advise not to use the middle seat because so many cars only have a lap belt there.

Can’t find a Joie Changes car seat online. Can you upload a pic of the page that doesn’t recommend the rear centre position or a link to the manual? This would normally be the optimum position, as it is the furthest place from any impact.

I've found car seat manufacturers including Joie very responsive on Facebook - you could try contacting Joie to see what they say?

Thanks all for the replies

Argh sorry I got the name wrong - it's the Joie Every Stage .

I managed to speak to their customer service and she looked it up and agreed that the middle rear wasn't recommended, though she did stress they were guidelines rather than a legal requirement. She seemed to say the sides were just as safe because the seats are built with a steel frame to withstand a side impact? It makes sense to me though to have him in the middle and not have to take the risk. Do you think its got anything to do with the middle not having a seat in front of it? Though if it's rear facing and securely strapped in I wouldn't have thought that that made any difference?

I can't find the link right now (am on my phone and will lose my place of I look for it!) but it seemed to me that none of their car seats were recommended for the rear middle. The customer service lady looked it up also with my car and confirmed that it wasn't recommended.

My middle seat isn't a true seat belt, it doesn't fix the same as the others though it looks the same design. Perhaps they are erring on the side of caution as some peoples may be unsuitable like mine?

Tweet joie?

I've the same car seat and mine is currently in the middle forward facing with a 3 point seat belt securing it. I'm sure when we bought it it had label on indicating where it was safe for it to be positioned, thought it also said same in instruction manual, will have to check in the morning!

user, are you able to explain how the belt is different? I can check mine out against it, in case mine is too (though I can't see any difference)

Thanks Glm. The Joie lady seemed to say that very few manufacturers recommend their seats for rear middle use, so maybe it's just that the industry takes a blanket approach and it's to do with covering themselves?

That's interesting. I have absolutely no knowledge of this, but would have assumed that the middle seat was less safe as there's not a seat in front to 'wedge' it in place. Although I suppose in large cars, that probably doesn't happen anyway.

Hi dustyphoenix the middle seat belt fixture is on the side of the car if that makes sense? Similar to this

www.google.com/search?q=middle+seat+belt&client=ms-android-h3g-gb&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiN_ue8iLvqAhXVuHEKHUttCaQQ_AUoAnoECAwQAg&biw=360&bih=560#imgrc=7LsYSuUIdS9l1M

Contact your car manufacturer and ask their advice.

But generally if the manual says no, don't install a seat there. There will be a reason. Is this the car manual you're referring to, or Joie's fit list?

Fit lists are a guide, not a rule, and if you are able to achieve a secure fit with no buckle crunch etc then there is no problem putting a seat there. I would fit it and send pictures/video to Joie - they may approve it for you.

If it's the car's manual which states no child seats on rear middle seat, then you shouldn't install it there.

Joie is half right about the side impact protection - the advice to put children in the middle is quite old now and will not take modern seats with SIP into account - this is quite standard now. But the Joie Every Stage only gets average scores for side impact safety anyway, so it makes sense to preferably use the middle for this seat if you have the option.

BTW, are you aware this seat is recommended to keep in rear facing mode for the full 18kg, and only turn around to forward face when you are ready to use the booster mode - the performance when forward facing with harness is unfortunately quite poor.

WRT to "wedging", car seats should never be wedged on the front seat unless it is part of their design to brace (and then it's bracing as in resting on, not wedging as such). They can touch or have a gap but they should not be wedged against the front seat with one putting force on the other. That's unsafe in an accident.

Bertie this is really helpful, thanks. I didn't know that about the middle seat advice being outdated now. I've been going by the seat manufacturer fit list rather than the car, as the car seems to say it can be fitted in the middle.

Thanks user, that pic is really helpful!

Bertie, thanks also for the specific eevry stage advice, I'd not realised that