What is the Safest Spot for Car Seat?

Choosing the right car seat for your child is no small feat. It takes time to find a car seat that suits your child, budget, and lifestyle! However, picking the perfect seat is only half the battle. (If you need help choosing one, take our car seat finder quiz.) The harder part of the process is definitely installing the car seat!
Of course, there are a lot of common mistakes and challenges that come with installing a car seat. But before you even get to tightening up that seatbelt or adjusting the recline, you need to pick the right spot for your car seat. You want something practical . . . but more than that you want something safe, right? An essential part of the installation process is picking the right seat!
So, today, we’re going to walk you through how to choose the safest place to install your child’s car seat. We’ll discuss the factors to consider and provide a clear answer regarding the most optimal installation placement. If at any point, you want a personalized answer to this question (or any other car seat questions), feel free to book a consultation with one of our Child Passenger Safety Technicians! They’d be happy to help with their expert advice!
Until then, here’s what you need to know:
What is the Safest Spot for Car Seat?
The seat position is extremely important when installing a car seat! There are a few key things you need to consider in terms of safety, so before we tell you the ideal place to put your car seat, let’s get into some factors that may influence your decision!
They must be in the back seats.
First of all, you shouldn't install car seats in front seats. Yes, they have seat belts and seemingly the same seat mechanics, so why does it matter? The car seat is in too close of proximity to the airbags and your child will be too close to crash forces in the event of a collision. To put it simply, it’s just not safe! Plus, most passenger side seats won’t have tether anchors for front-facing seats. Always choose a back seat.
Make sure you have the correct car seat for your child’s age and proportions.
More than having the right car seat placement, you need the right car seat! No matter where you put the seat, it won’t provide optimal safety if it’s not the correct car seat. Research the different types of car seats, confirm your seat fits properly, and ensure you are confident you have the correct seat!
Put your child anywhere you can get a safe installation.
One of our most frequently asked questions is, "Is it safe to put a car seat in the third row?" The most important safety component outside of having the right car seat is having a correctly installed car seat! Your child’s car seat (whether a rear-facing car seat, booster seat, or something in between), has been crash tested using correct installation. So, you can only know for certain your child is as safe as can be if you’ve installed the seat properly.
To get the right installation, follow the manual verbatim! If you are still struggling, remember we can help with digital consultations with our CPST. Remember, it’s a myth that fire stations, police stations, and hospitals all install car seats! Make sure you have a true expert helping you, or you’ve confirmed in every way your car seat is installed correctly. Here’s how you can be certain your car seat is installed safely.
So . . . what does this have to do with seat placement? If you didn’t already know, car seats can only be properly installed in certain seats. Non-adjustable headrests may make getting the right fit on a high-back booster difficult. Additionally, the lack of a tether anchor will make getting the right installation on any forward-facing car seat or booster difficult. Consider what your car seat (or car seats) need and use the vehicle manual to determine what car seats can go where.
The middle seat in the back row is the safest seat.
To recap, as long as your child is in a safely installed and properly fitting car seat in the back seat of your vehicle, your kiddo is safe whether in a side seat or middle seat! However, if you want an answer to the question: “What’s the safest spot for a car seat?” There actually is a clear answer.
The back row center seat will keep your child as far away as possible from crash forces in the event of a collision. A child’s car seat in the center of the back row actually makes a child 43% safer than any other spot. That’s pretty impressive! So, if the seat is available and you can get the correct install, we recommend the back center row!
Think through the placement of all your car seats.
If you have multiple seats to install, plan out exactly where each seat will go beforehand. Like we mentioned, not every car seat will work in every vehicle seat. A rear-facing car seat can generally go anywhere with a seat belt! However, a front-facing car seat needs a seat with an available top tether anchor. So, choose your placement strategically!
Also watch for the width of each seat. Each car seat has to be independently installed they can’t brace each other! If your car seats don’t all fit, don’t worry, there are options! Here are our favorite 3-across car seat options! As far as the configuration goes, we think you have enough info to place all the kids safely in their seats!

The safest place for your car seat is the back row, center seat.
A correctly fitted car seat can keep your child up to 71% safer in a crash according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is why this piece of baby gear is one of the most important things you’ll ever buy for your baby! However, to get the most out of your investment and further reduce your child’s risk of injury or death in a crash, install that seat properly and in the most optimal space.
For more car seat safety tips, check out the Safe in the Seat blog! We do everything we can to give you easy-to-access car seats and vehicle safety information to keep all of your family safe in their seats.