seat position

[lovin2shop]

Please help me decide on seat positioning. I have a Britax Roundabout and a Volvo V-70 wagon. When I had the seat installed, I was very dismayed when the tech said that it needed to be installed on the outboard position rather than center because of an armrest pullout. My ds will be one in a days and is over 20 lbs, if I turn him forward facing, can the seat go in the center position? Is it safer to be rf and outboard or ff and center? So confused.....

TIA,
Amy

[Momof3Labs]

What does your Volvo manual say? Does it say that you can install a car seat in the middle? If so, then you can move your Britax there. Evenflo (I think) says that you can't install in front of a pull-out armrest, but Britax doesn't have that same restriction.

It is much safer to have him rear-facing than forward-facing!

[lovin2shop]

Thanks for mentioning that because, the manual does allow for center installation, but not with LATCH. Arghhh, I really like using the latch system. So that is another variable to consider. RF, LATCH installed, outboard, or FF, non-LATCH, center? I just get so nervous having him next to the door/window.

[Joolsplus2]

RF, in any postition, as long as possible, trumps FF. Britaxes are really easy to install with seatbelts and get a rock solid fit, and I would try it in the center, but the side is safe, too. http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx

That tech was really wrong to tell you that the center was not recommended (thus going against both the seat manual and the car manual). It is only evenflo (and *maybe* one or 2 car models) that can't be put rf in front of a flip down armrest, and they have NOT provided any data that armrests cause injury to children :(