Car seats question | Page 5 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Car seats question

I am in the same predicament with our new explorer. We have one 10 month old and currently have a Recaro performance coupe and it very tight in the back, I been researching the heck our of car seats to get one that takes up as little room as possible (rear facing) and my search has lead me to the "clek Foonf", We are going to test fit one on Monday as our goal is to place it behind the driver or passenger seat but not be cramped. I have been told that you can fit 3 of these seats across as the base is only 13" and overall width (at its largest point) is 17". We will see as it is a very expensive seat.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





I was not referring to "stats", I was speaking about a real life experience where a child was killed for no reason other than the parent did not want to be bothered with a high back booster seat.

Also, you can't use a latch with a booster, and the shoulder harness. They will work against each other in a collision. The latch system is rated to only 40 pounds, or less depending on the manufacture. Any child in a booster should already be well over the weight limit.

I am just trying to let you know what is safest given your situation. If your state police or highway patrol has a child safety seat program, you should make an appointment. I kept the no back booster seat out of the fatality so I could show it to people who came in for appointments, when I used to run the program in east San Diego county.
 






Ellocovg the seven year old would definitely like climbing to the back and she would probably also love having that row to herself. She is becoming quite an independent little bugger these days.

Sxepride I have heard of those seats, but never found any around here so that I could look at them. They are pretty cost prohibitive though! Thanks for all of the input guys. Our baby is due in about 5 weeks so we have got to make a decision here pretty soon.
 






I have a 9 month old, a 2 year old, and a 5 year old, and we decided to go with the buckets in the second row with no console. 5 year old sits in the back, and 9 month old and 2 year old sit in the buckets. Works out really nice, and we don't have to fold seats for the 5 year old to get in the back.
 






I was not referring to "stats", I was speaking about a real life experience where a child was killed for no reason other than the parent did not want to be bothered with a high back booster seat.

Also, you can't use a latch with a booster, and the shoulder harness. They will work against each other in a collision. The latch system is rated to only 40 pounds, or less depending on the manufacture. Any child in a booster should already be well over the weight limit.

I am just trying to let you know what is safest given your situation. If your state police or highway patrol has a child safety seat program, you should make an appointment. I kept the no back booster seat out of the fatality so I could show it to people who came in for appointments, when I used to run the program in east San Diego county.

BKennedy, your second paragraph is incorrect. There are in fact both backless boosters as well as high back boosters that allow the booster seat to be held in place with the lower LATCH anchors, and the child then wears the seatbelt, routed correctly according to the manual. The LATCH weight limit does not apply for boosters because the LATCH is not being used as the method of restraint, the seatbelt is. Now if the high back booster is a 5point harness restraint, then you are correct, LATCH limits come into play because the harness is being used as the method of restraint.

Also, the use of a backless booster isn't an example of a parent not caring to be bothered with a high back booster. Weight limits are lower for a high back booster than they are for a no back booster. The purpose of a booster seat is not restraint, but is rather to ensure proper seat belt positioning on the child's developing skeleton. now if the case you are referring to was a parent of a young child who was removed from a 5 point harness restraint and placed into a backless booster before the child was mature enough to handle being out of a 5 point restraint, than I would agree, but that was unfortunately not the point you made. Many parents do not use booster seats correctly as it is, and I would hate to see incorrect information here lead to more incorrect usage, or worse yet, no usage at all.
 






My statements are based upon my 25 years of experience working for a state highway patrol agency which is responsible for defining all of the laws relating to traffic in California. I was heavily involved in the school bus and child safety seat industry the last eight years of my career. The last six, were exclusively those two subjects. I have taught, and assisted with instruction in roughly 100 safety seat classes and events. I have helped install 100's of child safety seats. The office I worked in was known for being the best around, and we had a two month waiting list for an appointment. I helped get the state assembly to change some of the school bus related safety laws. I was a certified member for eight years of Safe Kids, the nationwide non-profit dedicated to child safety while on the highways. I have also investigated thousands of traffic collisions in my career, and have seen the effects of improperly installed safety seats.

You are right, there are some booster seats that use the latch system to hold the seat in place. The Highway Patrol in California, does not recommend using the latch system that come with booster seats. I have also never heard of, nor seen a weight limit being higher for a no-back booster vs a high back seat. We had high back booster seats that we gave away that were rated up to 100 pounds.

When I made the statement that the parent could not be bothered with a high back booster seat, its because that is what she said when I asked her. She used to have a high back seat, but it was inconvenient, so she got a no back seat that she could throw in the back when her child was not riding in the Expedition.

There is no booster seat that has seat belt harnesses. If it has a harness, its a child safety seat. I also stand by my statement that no-back boosters are worthless. The booster back keeps the seat from sliding out from under a child in a severe collision. It was also the general consensus of the child safety seat industry that no-back boosters were only "better than nothing seats". If one child's life is saved by me saying that no-back boosters are worthless, then it will be worth it to me.
 






Here is the 2010 and 2011 Explorer latch locations from the 2011 LATCH manual.
LATCH2.jpg
 






You guys thing the second row don't work well with two or more rear facing car seats. Wait until you have three people sitting in the middle row. The seat belts criss crosses. WTF@$!
 






child seat with inflatable seat belt?

We have our first child on the way and have discovered that not all car seats are compatible with inflatable seat belts. What do you guys have, and why?
 






Use the latch system and you won't have to worry about it.
 






Use the latch system and you won't have to worry about it.

This isn't always an option due to the weight of the child.
I personally opted for not getting the BLIS, and I have a Britax Clicktight. Keep in mind that inflatable belts are not in the middle row center, and the third row, so there is some flexibility.

Britax seats EXCEPT for the Clicktight are approved for use with BLIS. Also, they follow NHTSA standard for accidents. Most seats require replacement of their seats after ANY accident, which includes 5mph bumper car accidents.

Additionally I did look into what it would take to remove the BLIS belts and install standard belts. The short answer is that it can't be done.
 






This isn't always an option due to the weight of the child.
I personally opted for not getting the BLIS, and I have a Britax Clicktight. Keep in mind that inflatable belts are not in the middle row center, and the third row, so there is some flexibility.

Britax seats EXCEPT for the Clicktight are approved for use with BLIS. Also, they follow NHTSA standard for accidents. Most seats require replacement of their seats after ANY accident, which includes 5mph bumper car accidents.

Additionally I did look into what it would take to remove the BLIS belts and install standard belts. The short answer is that it can't be done.

Yes but you are not supposed to put a seat into the middle using the latch system unless the carseat manufacturer specifies it can be attached on a wider latch system then the standard (11" apart) therefore you have the two outside seats in the 2nd row and passenger side on the 3rd.

On newer seats you have up to 65 or 69lbs depending for total weight between child and seat combined. That covers quite a bit of weight on a child before putting them on a booster.


WARNING: The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors
is 11 inches (28 centimeters) center to center. Do not use LATCH lower anchors for the center seating position unless the child seat manufacturer’s instructions permit and specify using anchors spaced at least as far apart as those in this vehicle.


The lower anchors at the center of the second row bench seat are spaced 20.5 inches (52 centimeters) apart. The standardized spacing
for LATCH lower anchors is 11 inches (28 centimeters) center to center. A child seat with rigid LATCH attachments cannot be installed at the center seating position. LATCH compatible child seats (with attachments on belt webbing) can only be used at this seating position provided that the child seat manufacturer’s instructions permit use with the anchor spacing stated.
 






I never suggested using LATCH in the middle seat, the word LATCH didnt appear within my post. Quite the opposite, I suggested using the seatbelt in the rear middle seat as an alternative to using a BLIS inflatable belt. Also, some seats, such as mine, are designed for use with the seatbelt. The LATCH system is included on the carseat only due to federal mandate, and has the basic LATCH connections instead of the premium ones because of it.

The OP specifically asked for seat suggestions, which I supplied, and also provided useful information as the child grows. At some point the kid will outgrow LATCH.

Yes but you are not supposed to put a seat into the middle using the latch system unless the carseat manufacturer specifies it can be attached on a wider latch system then the standard (11" apart) therefore you have the two outside seats in the 2nd row and passenger side on the 3rd.

On newer seats you have up to 65 or 69lbs depending for total weight between child and seat combined. That covers quite a bit of weight on a child before putting them on a booster.


WARNING: The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors
is 11 inches (28 centimeters) center to center. Do not use LATCH lower anchors for the center seating position unless the child seat manufacturer’s instructions permit and specify using anchors spaced at least as far apart as those in this vehicle.


The lower anchors at the center of the second row bench seat are spaced 20.5 inches (52 centimeters) apart. The standardized spacing
for LATCH lower anchors is 11 inches (28 centimeters) center to center. A child seat with rigid LATCH attachments cannot be installed at the center seating position. LATCH compatible child seats (with attachments on belt webbing) can only be used at this seating position provided that the child seat manufacturer’s instructions permit use with the anchor spacing stated.
 












My oldest is 6 years old. She barely weighs 40lbs. With the 65lb LATCH limit, that leaves 25lbs for the carseat, which is on the heavy side. 6 years is also about the time when carseats expire so you'll need to get a new one anyways. In 6 years, who knows what other kinda technology will be out there for child restraints. By then, your kid might be big enough for a high back booster. No need to install those. Just use the seatbelt as usual.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just use LATCH and get what suits your needs with the best safety ratings. If your kid outgrows the LATCH weight limit, then move the seat to the middle or to the third row, which do not have inflatable belts.
 






can't you deactive the BLIS system for a child seat? I thought I had read that somewhere.

maybe I'm dreaming. I purposely didn't get that option because I don't like it in general and it's not proven enough for me to consider it.

however I suspect most newer car seats have provisions for it - as more than Ford uses it as an option.

BTW - I like to research most things I buy - car seat research sucks in general and there is alot of nonsense out there.
 






Hi, we just ordered a 2017 ex limited. Can a person put 2 car seats in the 3rd row? Is there only one latch/tether on one 3rd row seat?
 






you can always use the seat belt though.

I think there is only one latch set on the rear row though. I think part of the thought had to do with driver sight and the idea that if you needed 3 latch seats - you need a bigger device
 






Latch on passenger side only in 3rd row.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Back
Top