Fitting 3 car seats in the back

[HopingCatPlusThree]

I think I am probably getting unecessarily stressed, but pregnancy hormones do that to me. We're expecting our 3rd and need to find a way of fitting 3 car seats in the back of our Ford Mondeo. It's a big car, but the seats are sculptured, and when we tried out the seats we've got they did not all fit. So I got all worked up about it and started stressing that we'd have to change cars and that's too expensive.

We've got the Creatis for the baby which I don't want to change as it fits on the Loola frame we've got. So we need to replace either the Maxi Cosi Priori XP for our 18 month old or the Graco highback booster for our 4 year old. Or we could replace both if necessary.

Has anyone found a slim Group 1 car seat, or a slim Group 2,3 car seat?

[Easywriter]

Mmmm!
Seems weird. My friend has Ford Mondeo estate and that fits 3 fine. (I know nowt about cars but I suppose logically it does).

I would go as you were for baby and toddler and booster with no back for 4 year old.

It should fit.
Your 4 year old is probably "eligable" for the no back booster or will be in a few months.
ALso, you could go with high back booster in front seat, I think it's rear facing only where it's actually a danger.

My real advice is to ring Maxi Cosi (or I suppose Creatis) and discuss.

I had queries in the past with seating my 3 and at least you know that if it's come from Maxi cosi that it's up to date, correct information.

It was suprisingly easy to talk to someone too.
In fact don't take a chance, call seat maufacturers and get the right info!

Good luck.

[Easywriter]

Logically it does matter

Omission!

[AppleAndBlackberry]

Britax Prince is very slim (Group 1)

[louloubelle]

I have 3 across the back of my Golf (01 reg, a V% with sculpted seats) I also stressed very badly whilst pregnant about it so you have my sympathy! Forward facing Maxi coxi for 2 yo in the middle, cheapy but narrow high back Graco booster for 4 yo behind driver, and I bought a maxi cosi pebble and family fix/isofix base for the baby behind passenger. I have to do up seat belt for 4 yo, and it is a pain getting toddler into middle, but she can do it herself now. My daughter (6yo) in front in m/c priori xp high back booster in front with airbag off....

[theoldmiff]

We have this problem too and the Mothercare adviser said this is really common. We don't exactly have a small car (a Volvo) and we've bought the narrowest baby car seat Mothercare stock and still we can't fit in two booster seats (kids aged 9 and 5).

Any recommendations for solutions or 'narrower' booster seats?

Thank you ladies

[castleonthehill]

I used to get three in the back of a Mondeo no problem. I had 2 supercrusers (no longer available but wider than your seat and a romer lap belt seat (no longer available)which was also wide. it does depend in which order you strap them in.
solution one.

stage one seat in the middle and baby seat one side and the booster with the back the other side put the baby seat the side which has the buckle for the stage one seat.

solution two.

High back in the middle baby on side which has the high back buckle and the stage two the other side

other things to think about high back may need to go in the middle as it may be up to high now to go on the edge. You already have a really narrow booster with back although some people find the britax adventure fits in easier when there are three in the back. putting him just on a booster means he loses side impact protection and wont really gain you much.

britax prince ins narrow or the nina group one seat

Hope this helps

[nicm]

i have a KISS for 2 yo(although this could be used for a nb) in rear passenger, britax two way elite in middle with lap only for 2 yo and a maxi cosi rodi sps in rear driver for 4 yo. these are all in the back of a golf! i went to the in car safety centre and spents hours trying to find a combination! either one in belfast or milton keynes. there is also a car safety centre in essex which is recommended here a lot. i have spoken to them on the phone/emailed and they are very helpful too!

[Lougle]

We have 3 under 5, and the eldest has SN so will need a 5-point harness for a while (years) yet.

We have a 1996 Ford Mondeo, and could (just) squeeze 3 x Britax Prince car seats in.

We bought a Ford Galaxy yesterday so our problem is solved. It cost us £850 but shouldn't need another car now.

[TruthSweet]

We've got a Britax Two Way Elite, a Britax First Class, and a Britax Nordic Secura in a Mazda Premacy. All were originally rear facing but my 4 y/o now forward faces in her TWE. The seats are fairly flat but it's not a bench back seat.

[HopingCatPlusThree]

Thanks. I am glad that other people have solved this problem. That suggests that we just need to find a helpful assistant in a store with lots of car seats, and keep trying until something works. The Britax Prince looks like a good option, as it certainly looks smaller than the Group 1 seats we've tried. Maybe we will get away with just changing that one seat, but if we have to change them all it is still better than buying a new car.

[sazm]

the only thing with the britax prince is that you cant recline it when its fitted in the car,i bought the eclipse because it's slim but can be reclined when fitted, and it was only £10 dearer.

i have vectra and i have an eclipse(maxi-cosi cabrio before he was 1yo) in the middle and a britax hi-liner on either side.they also fit in a focus/mgzr/corsa like this

try swapping your seats around,mine only fit in if i put the eclipse in the middle,

i would try the eclipse at one side and the baby at the side with 2 buckles,and the hi-backed booster in the middle.

[flaime]

For very narrow booster cushions try the voyager ones that Tescos sell. They are normally under £10 and are by far the smallest ones we have found and they are plastic rather than polystyrene.

[onepieceoflollipop]

Just marking my place really, we "only" have a Focus and 2 dcs but occasionally need to transport a friend/dn in the rear. (airbag doesn't have an off switch and I really don't want to put a child, even front facing, in the front)

Anyway, we noticed that our "backless" booster (no idea what brand it is) was significantly wider than the Britax high back that we have. (that surprised me)

The smallest dd is in an eclipse, as someone else said this works if the eclipse is in the middle. I always assumed that seats would be of a fairly standard width but some are really wide and chunky. In our other car we have a britax renaissance. Fab seat but no good if trying to squeeze others in as well!

[thisisyesterday]

we have a besafe izi combi x2 in rear passenger
britax 2 way elite in the middle
britax adventure behind driver

volvo v70, middle seat is flat, but other 2 are sculpoted

[Seilerei99]

Thought it worth posting this as I have done a lot of research and couldn’t find any up to date info when I was researching this. Obviously this worked for us and might not for other makes of cars. Mothercare allow you to drive up and test the car seats before driving.

We have a BMW Touring (5 series) and didn’t want to change the car.

You can do

Pebble (belted no base) behind driver seat
Britax Eclipse (belted) in middle seat
Britax Advansafix IV R (isofixed in)

Followed by

Britax Eclipse
Maxi Cosi Rodifix AP (belted) in middle
Britax Advansafix IV R