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Originally Posted by YuicyYumboYack
Somewhat related - just a reminder that the LATCH system is not supposed to be used when the baby seat is in the center in the x5. I know it seems stupid, but I see no reason to take any chances when it comes to the baby.
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Absolutely correct.
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Originally Posted by Russ103
We just welcomed a newborn, so this is my first experience with putting a car seat in any vehicle. We bought my wife's M50i after knowing that a baby was coming. With that said, I would have NEVER thought that a baby seat behind the drivers seat would mean that I (at 6' 1")wouldn't be able to to sit in my normal driving position. So we put the seat in the middle, while stretching the straps to the max to reach the latches, which seems just as secure as on either side.
Which begs the question, the X5 isn't considered to be a small vehicle by most people, yet a baby seat doesn't fit without the driver or front passenger comprising their position. So what do people with smaller cars (many cars on the road are smaller then the X5) and babies do??
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Congrats. You'll learn to take car seats with you when shopping for cars in the future to see their fit and placement for yourself. However its pretty common in all but the largest cars that a rear facing car seat behind any seat compromises the position.
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Originally Posted by YuicyYumboYack
Yeah unfortunately rear leg room in the x5 isn't that great, but we took the seat with us to the dealer before buying the car and felt comfortable enough with it. As VTENGR mentioned, though, I'm looking forward to when I can turn the baby seat around.
Also, I really hope this doesn't come across the wrong way. I swear I'm not trying to be condescending or anything like that - In regards to the latch system, after reading about it a bunch, I found that in order for you to be able to use it from the middle seat, both the baby seat manual AND the car manual have to say it's okay to do.
In all likelihood it's probably safe, but my understanding is that unless it's specifically mentioned, it means that the seat was not tested for that situation. I was also concerned about the difference in safety when using the latch system vs. the seatbelt to hold the base down, but everything I've read indicates that there is effectively no difference, it's simply a matter of convenience.
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Smart for taking the seat along. I've done this with every car purchase. More people need to read the manual and understand proper fit and installation of a car seat. Seat belt is just as safe as latch, but it really comes down to installation. The most expensive care seat becomes unsafe if it isn't installed correctly and the cheap will work just a well when installed correctly.
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Originally Posted by Watboy
If you are using the middle seat, you should NOT be using the latches on the outboard seats. They are not designed to take a load at those angles. You should instead use the seatbelt to secure the car seat or base. Latches were designed to be easier to use not stronger; they are actually substantially weaker than seatbelts.
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Absolutely correct. Preach on!!
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Originally Posted by boba_balla
Does his middle seat of latches? There are some makes/models that do have latches in the middle seat, so maybe that's why he's prefers to use them. However if it doesn't, then it is NOT recommended to use them as Watboy said.
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Ditto!!
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Originally Posted by YuicyYumboYack
Confirming the x5 does not have latches for the center, nor are the outside latches able to be borrowed for the center. The manual specifically states they are only for the outside seats.
I absolutely don't want to be that person telling another parent how to do anything, it's already hard enough raising children, but I do hope that anyone who was considering using the latches in the center reconsiders. No matter how small of a chance something bad happens, it just doesn't seem worth it.
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Kudos for reading the manual, absolutely correct.
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Originally Posted by Watboy
What latches were designed for were people who had to frequently move car seats between two cars. While using seatbelt to anchor the chair/base is better, it takes deliberate effort to do so correctly. Many parents who have to move their child between cars frequently may start getting a little lax during re-installation of the seat, or worst, get lazy and don't use the car seat at all for that short trip. So latch was designed to make it easy to install and remove a car seat/base. Since it is mandatory in North America and the similar ISOFix in Europe, car makers made sure that the minimum load capacity was set low enough that they didn't have to do any excessive engineering / reinforcement for it. Seatbelts on the other hand, have been heavily regulated and a key part of safety for decades and cars are designed from the ground up with seatbelts in mind. Its why seatbelts can handle a 300lb adult passenger, but Latch can only handle 70lbs.
So even if you have a latch you can use, if you will not being moving your seat between cars, it is best to use a seatbelt to anchor it than the latch. Absolute safest thing to do is middle seat, seatbelt anchor. Though not the most convenient.
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Even if you are moving your seat between cars, seat belt install may be easier. Several models now have easy almost fool-proof seat belt installations that some find easier to secure than latch. Even with latch getting the car seat snug without significant movement can be difficult.
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Originally Posted by YuicyYumboYack
It's the Munchkin Brica Elite Seat Guardian Car Seat Protector.
Probably overkill, but I asked a rep at Uppababy if they had any seat covers they recommend with their products, and the responded with - Munchkin Brica Elite Seat Guardian Car Seat Protector
- Diono Super Mat
- Diono Ultra Mat
According to the rep I spoke with, these are the mats that were tested to be used with the Mesa. Again, maybe overkill, but I'd rather be overly cautious when it comes to the baby. |
The key statement is "these are the mats that were tested to be used with the Mesa". Most car seat makers are not testing seat protector mats with their seats, so unless the manual specifically says you can use it, assume it hasn't been tested and should not be used because the performance of the car seat in a car cannot be verified.
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Originally Posted by dream54ing
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The first photo is the outboard seat latch those can be use to secure car seats rear of front facing. Check your manual for weight limitations using latch. The second photo is the front facing tether point, these should be used with most front facing seat, again read the manuals, and prevent excessive head excursion in rear impacts and limits rebound.