To ask whether I need 3 x Isofix for 3 children

[TheRedFox]

Posting here for traffic.

We're shortly going to have 3 under 2 yo and need to change car.

In light of their ages do we need 3 x isofix or is it ok to have one of the seats secured by seatbelt?

Would also love to have your car recommendations if you've got 3 of a similar age.

Thank you!

I think you'll struggle to find a car you can comfortably fit 3 large (as they are for under 2s) car seats in the back at all, let alone all with isofix. Unless you were planning on getting a 7 seater I think you'll end up with one car seat in the front passenger seat. Which I don't think will be isofix?

We've only ever used seats that can be fixed with seatbelts. Maxi cosi do some excellent ones.

Isofix isn't better, just easier and less likely to be wrongly installed.

I have the diono extended rear facing seats for my two.

Can't advise on fitting three though.

@Hahaha88 they are available (Peugeot 5008, Ford S-Max, Tesla, Q7) but not many options hence why seeing whether 3 x isofix is a must and what other's views are.

A properly installed seat using the seat belt is just as safe. The reason that isofix is safer is because it's less likely to be installed wrongly.

Speak to somewhere like the InCar Safety centre for advice. They were able to help me find a combo of three seats that fitted together on the backseat of my car.

There is very little point people recommending car seats - what fits in one person's car properly won't necessarily fit in yours. And properly fitted seats is the key (it's thought around one in three, if not more, children in the UK are in car seats that are fitted wrongly or that they are wrongly fitted into).

We have two cars, BMW 118D 5 dr and SEAT Ateca. The SA has two isofix in back, BMW has two in back and one in front.

When DC was in infant carrier I used both cars interchangeably and had infant carrier in front in both. I didn’t feel that it was any less safe when using in SA with no isofix in front.

It’s less faff because you just plonk it on the base and go, belt takes half a minute ish and if it’s raining it’s pretty rank.

But no, it’s not necessary. We have another on the way and I’ll probably not buy anymore isofix bases and just keep infant carrier on seatbelt and use isofix for older DCs seat.

You can get isofix installed, I cant remember much about it but I have definitely looked into it.
We used a mix of both as we had both seats. I prefer isofix as its convenient but once the seats are in its grand

I would look for one of those big multi-seats like multimac, which goes across the whole back seat. They're designed for use of triplets/twins or childminders but also work for multiple little ones.

Thanks all. V helpful.

Sorry if I wasn't clear - at the end I was asking for car recommendations, not car seat recommendations.

As others have said - isofix was invented to reduce the risk of installing a seat incorrectly. A belt fit seat is just as safe, however it must be installed properly and fit the vehicle.

I had a 2016 VW Touran that never failed to fit 3 across the back. It had isofix on all 5 rear seats (all 3 middle row and in the two boot seats). Loved that car, so versatile!

I have a blog on 3 across that may help you with looking for cars, I actually advise considering belt fit over isofix as you can play around with the fit a bit more if needed.

It is primarily written for someone trying to get 3 into their existing car, but it’ll give you a good idea of what to be looking for when car shopping - babygeargeek.weebly.com/blog/fitting-three-seats-in-the-back-is-it-possible

Citroen c4 Picasso (or grand 7 seats) have 3 full seats in the back, mine have 3 isofix too. I have one car seat fitted with isofix and one with a 25kg extended rear facing seatbelt fitted.

I understood it that isofix wasn’t necessarily safer but just easier; as long as a seat is correctly put in rhen one with a seat belt is just as safe

I had a similar -ish issue.

Don't be fooled by some middle seat isofix points.

My current and last car has/had middle seat isofix points but you can't use them because the floor has a mound so the arm of the isofix can't fix to the floor, rendering the middle seat isofix practically pointless.

Make sure the 5008 doesn't have this issue because the 3008 and SW308 do...

I have an smax, I love it. If I’m being honest, I would buy an smax or a vw touran. I would stay away from Renault or Citroen! By the way, from, I think it’s 2010 onwards that there is 3 isofix in the back of an smax, the 2008 ones only have 2 isofix and none in the middle seat!

I had my children before isofix was much of a thing and everyone with 3 managed just fine. Is it that cars have changed over the years and there's a reason that normal car seats won't now fit in?

@Ch3rish

I had my children before isofix was much of a thing and everyone with 3 managed just fine. Is it that cars have changed over the years and there's a reason that normal car seats won't now fit in?

To be fair, there was a time before cars when people managed just fine.

And if I had three kids under the age of 2, I sure as hell would want to make my life as easy as possible and want isofix in my life

@Ch3rish

I had my children before isofix was much of a thing and everyone with 3 managed just fine. Is it that cars have changed over the years and there's a reason that normal car seats won't now fit in?

It's more that it's understood now just how many car seats are wrongly/badly fitted

Sorry to derail your thread but we need to buy a car soon too and we ideally want something you can fit two car seats in the back and a third adult (in the middle I guess?) comfortably. Does such a car exist? I guess something fairly wide? (Clueless, we will be first time car owners.)

I wouldn't want 1 in the front and the only adult space in the middle of the back seat of you go out as a family because that particular cozy seat is not comfortable at all! Slightly better if both rear seats are RF as you have some space for shoulders.

Access to strap in the middle seat is a pain as well - especially with belt fitted infant carriers.

@meadowhay

Depending on size/build of middle passenger something like a Mondeo might be wide enough. Need narrow hips though, and a willingness to scramble into the seat via the gap between the front seats. Gets less comfortable once one or both car seat occupants are forward facing as shoulder room is tighter than hip room.

The only car likely to have a comfortable middle seat is an MPV or a 7 seater.

Access to strap in the middle seat is a pain as well - especially with belt fitted infant carriers.

A way round that is to have a belted base (or isofix if it's available, but less commonly so in a middle seat) that you click the infant carrier into in the middle. You can double check it's fitted properly from the front seat as well. Much easier than faffing with a harness or seat belt in the middle seat.

I’d be more concerned with keeping them rear facing than Isofix. Isofix is the same as a correctly fitted seat belted, it just limits the opportunity for incorrect fitting.

Look at joie they do a good slim erf seat

@Ch3rish

I had my children before isofix was much of a thing and everyone with 3 managed just fine. Is it that cars have changed over the years and there's a reason that normal car seats won't now fit in?

How old are your children? I think car seats have got bigger and children are in them longer. I remember my mum insisting on us having boosters til we were about 7 or 8 which was unusual back then 1990s but now most 7/8 year olds are legally required to be in them unless they’re particularly tall. And I think they have to be high backed not just a polystyrene cushion like they used to be.

My husband was sure he’d be able to fit in the middle of our daughters RF toddler seat and his 5 year olds nieces car seat. I thought it unlikely and I was right, not even close. Big BMW. No hope of getting a third seat in that’s for sure.

VW Sharan. 3 isofix across middle row plus 2 additional rear isofix seats. I had 3 under 2 in a row in isofix carseats.

[quote TheRedFox]@Hahaha88 they are available (Peugeot 5008, Ford S-Max, Tesla, Q7) but not many options hence why seeing whether 3 x isofix is a must and what other's views are.

[/quote]
They may have the supposed width, but really struggle and potentially knock one another.

Also, many seats will not be able to be used In all positions of the backseat, even if appear full width seat.