safe to put a baby seat in the 2nd row, middle seat?

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1996_Valencia_Owen

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Is there a safe way to put a child or infant car seat in the middle of the 2nd row?

Searched a lot, and got barely any youtube vids, and a lot of random related but not quite the same questions.

Thanks!
 
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Usually the 2nd row middle is the preferred place for a child seat, offers best crash protection . Use the seat belts and shoulder harness following the guide for the child seat.

With the kid in the middle, when they drop/throw stuff, it may stay on the seat instead of falling out when you open a door.
 
I have mine installed in the middle seat on the 2nd row. It's definitely harder to get it installed securely compared to using the latches. Make sure your infant carrier\seat allows for the option to be installed using just the seat belt. I was told to make it as tight as possible, and if you were to grab the seat, or base and tried to move it left to right, it shouldn't move more than an inch
 
My daughters seat is in the middle now. It much bigger pain this way because of the way of the anchors are for the base. They didn’t provide anchors for the middle seat direct so you have to use the inside anchors for the from the side positions. So it makes it pain to actually buckle the seat in with the seat belt. I don’t love it there but all the family always wants to be near the baby when they visit so my wife can be on one side and some one else on the other. It is was way easier if you have it directly behind the seat. I don’t know if anyone else has found a easier solution for the middle seat and car seat. If anyone has please chime in. I am interested.
 
My kids are teenagers now so o don't have to worry about it but don't be afraid to get in there and make sure it's super secure. I used to climb in and kneel in the seat while I was cinching it down. Not going anywhere with 170lb man in it = not going anywhere with a 30lb kid in it.
 
I have mine in the middle and I use the two inside anchor points to secure it. It doesn't seem any more difficult than putting the seat on either side, you just have to extend the belt a little more. There is also the hook for the top strap of the car seat in the middle position also so obviously they made that option available from the factory.
 
MossJenks said:
My kids are teenagers now so o don't have to worry about it but don't be afraid to get in there and make sure it's super secure. I used to climb in and kneel in the seat while I was cinching it down. Not going anywhere with 170lb man in it = not going anywhere with a 30lb kid in it.
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^^Agreed^^

When my kids were little, I'd put a knee straight in that sucker and pull the latch straps at the same time. Wouldn't be satisfied until it barely had any play from side to side!

Fyi, the safest spot in a vehicle is in the back and middle, facing towards the rear!
 
Yep, before we had our second son, we put the infant carrier in the middle using the seat belt. As others have said, it was plenty secure once properly cinched down. Latch in the 4Runner is only designed for the outside seats, so don't use those.
 
Car seats that are intended for use with seatbelts come with a seat belt clip for coupling the shoulder and lap belts. Use that clip, and when you pull on the shoulder belt to snug the carseat down, do it with your knee in the carseat so you get it nice and snug.

Your kid's carseat should also have a strap that goes over the top of the 4Runner's seat. The middle of the back row might not have the LATCH system in the seat bottom, but it does have a latch on the back for the carseat's top strap. Tighten that one down, too. There's no reason that middle spot should be any less safe than the window seats for your kids.
 
If you want your seat in the middle you MUST use the seatbelt! Using the inside latch from each side will leave way to much play in the car seat. If you have done it this way you have put your child at serious risk in the event of an accident. Your seat should have no more than an inch of side to side movement while secured. I find it very hard to believe you can get that with latch points that are probably 20" apart. There is a reason the patches are I think 13" apart on each side
 
2012sr5 said:
Your kid's car seat should also have a strap that goes over the top of the 4Runner's seat. The middle of the back row might not have the LATCH system in the seat bottom, but it does have a latch on the back for the car seat's top strap. Tighten that one down, too.
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I forgot the top strap one time and the seat belts may not have been tight enough. After a turn, I heard a small voice saying "Oh Oh" and could not see him in the mirror. The car seat had tipped to one side. All was OK after I stopped and set it up correctly. He was too young to tell anyone.
 
BobsTrail said:
I forgot the top strap one time and the seat belts may not have been tight enough. After a turn, I heard a small voice saying "Oh Oh" and could not see him in the mirror. The car seat had tipped to one side. All was OK after I stopped and set it up correctly. He was too young to tell anyone.
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HAHA. This had me LOL. I've only driven with the little guy in the 4runner once and he was in the middle using the two clips.. super secure IMO. Guess I'll add the seat belt next time to make sure though..
 
jk24runner said:
If you want your seat in the middle you MUST use the seatbelt! Using the inside latch from each side will leave way to much play in the car seat. If you have done it this way you have put your child at serious risk in the event of an accident. Your seat should have no more than an inch of side to side movement while secured. I find it very hard to believe you can get that with latch points that are probably 20" apart. There is a reason the patches are I think 13" apart on each side
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If the latch ratchets tight/down, doesn't that solve the "wiggle" problem? Not that I've ever tried, all of my seats seem to have the opposite issue--latch systems with so little strap I have trouble fitting some seats.
 
Toffees said:
If the latch ratchets tight/down, doesn't that solve the "wiggle" problem? Not that I've ever tried, all of my seats seem to have the opposite issue--latch systems with so little strap I have trouble fitting some seats.
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The latch system is specifically designed to be a certain distance apart so that the car seats can be tightened down properly. I’m definitely no expert, BUT I researched the hell out of it and also took the car seat class at the hospital. First thing the guy said was to NOT use one latch from each side for middle placement. He did say that the middle seat was fine but it had to be installed with the seatbelt method. Very few vehicles have a middle latch.
 
Toffees said:
If the latch ratchets tight/down, doesn't that solve the "wiggle" problem? Not that I've ever tried, all of my seats seem to have the opposite issue--latch systems with so little strap I have trouble fitting some seats.
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I think a lot of it is basically a liability game. LATCH is made to be 11" apart, period. Unless the vehicle manufacturer or seat manufacturer has tested LATCH configurations outside of the 11" standard, it's not officially supported.

Here's a list of car seat manufacturers that allow LATCH widths outside the norm: The Car Seat Lady - Car seats that allow center LATCH

However, since Toyota hasn't said you can use the side seat LATCH for a car seat in the middle for the 4Runner - it supersedes what the car seat manufacture says.

Is your kid gonna die if you get into an accident? Probably not, but it isn't an officially supported configuration.
 
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Friend of mine did the baby safety first aid and seat installation course. He basically said that its not secure enough till you've had a knee with all your weight into that sucker..then crawl out sweating.
 
Yes, sure, it is possible. Your child's car seat can be installed in the middle of the 2nd row. Indeed, the principle of insulation is the same as when you install it near the window. Honestly, the main thing is to choose good construction characteristics of a baby car seat. It must be durable and safe for all possible situations, have comfortable armrests and a neck holder so in case of an accident or if your child falls asleep he wouldn't break his cervical vertebrae. You can compare some possible models here Best Baby Gear of 2020: Top 75 Products - Mommyhood101 and you will understand that there are such seats that you can put in the middle and there are such that better not to buy at all.
 
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Old OP post but I wouldn't put baby seat in the middle for one reason only: you will hurt your back pulling it up that far away from the door.
 
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