Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Three booster seats, small car, in the back. Can it be done and how did you manage it.

52 replies

DobbyHasASock · 04/09/2022 18:50

Ideally, I need to get three car seats in the back of my relatively small car.
I already have one, but am looking to purchase the others based on how narrow they are etc. Ideally I'd like to keep the current seat but would be open to other ideas if not possible.

Thanks, hope someone out there has managed it!

OP posts:
Original poster
DobbyHasASock · 04/09/2022 18:53

My existing one is a Joie every stage.

OP posts:
Anytimeiseeit · 04/09/2022 19:04

I doubt it will work. I’ve not tried but my friend who had 3 kids and therefore needed 3 car seats, was very specific about what car she could buy when she was getting a new one, small cars were no good at all

Narcheska · 04/09/2022 19:06

Sorry we had to buy a bigger car to manage it. We ended up with an smax to accommodate an infant carrier, joie 360 and a booster. Even now if least is old enough to be out the booster we wouldn’t have enough space without having 3 proper seats in the back

Mummysgonetobed · 04/09/2022 19:49

I’ve got a Mondeo and can only just fit a Joie stages and two high back boosters. I very much doubt a small car will fit them in.

Original poster
DobbyHasASock · 04/09/2022 19:57

Oh dear, very disappointing as no way can I afford a new car.

OP posts:
onetwothreeadventure · 04/09/2022 20:01

You could try 3 of the Be Safe iZi Flex Fix. The store we bought from tried them out in our car first so we knew they fit.

Cluckycluck · 04/09/2022 20:01

What car do you have and what is the current booster seat you have?

Cats23 · 04/09/2022 20:04

Ive just had to sell my A3- 2x high backs and my teenage DS couldnt fit in back when DH in front! I could just squeeze 2xhigh backs and a booster in though- difficult.
My SIL has an A1, can get a booster and 2x highbbaks in back.
We just bought a Zafira (Needed as Dc 4 due) seats are individual so fit everyone.

Original poster
DobbyHasASock · 04/09/2022 20:06

Cluckycluck · 04/09/2022 20:01

What car do you have and what is the current booster seat you have?

Nissan note and Joie all stages. Thanks

OP posts:
K1ran · 04/09/2022 20:06

Take a look at the Hi Fold. I have 2 of them plus a maxi cozy in the back of mine. If that doesn't work, I found an advisor at John Lewis super helpful. She measure the length of the back seat and sat with me for 3 hours look at which would fit. Thats how we found the hi fold.

Sprogonthetyne · 04/09/2022 20:07

When you say booster, do you mean the ones that are just to lift the kid up or high back boosters? Often it's the head rest that's the widest part, so if it's just the booster cushion, even just for the middle seat, it might be doable.

What are the age and hight of the children?

User354354 · 04/09/2022 20:07

Do you need three booster seats. Ie the backless ones?

How old are the DC and what car do you have.

Amazon do slim line boosters. I can get three easily in my car, I'll try and find the link for you.

steakzilla · 04/09/2022 20:08

We had to buy a bigger car too.

All I would say is check the rules and see if the oldest child is maybe the right size for a backless booster that could go in the middle seat? Less room than a high back booster or 123/infant seat

Didiplanthis · 04/09/2022 20:08

I too couldn't get 3 seats in a small car.. sorry... I think there are companies that do bespoke 'bench car seats' but they are £££.... I ended up with a kia sorrento (which was still tight) as I also needed 4wd due to where I live and even most SUVs didn't fit 3 in !

Original poster
DobbyHasASock · 04/09/2022 20:09

All below four.

OP posts:
User354354 · 04/09/2022 20:12

DobbyHasASock · 04/09/2022 20:09

All below four.

In that case they will still be in 'proper car seats' not booster seats. Honestly you have no chance of getting them all in the back seat. There is not very many cars on the market that will fit three in the back.

User354354 · 04/09/2022 20:14

Didiplanthis · 04/09/2022 20:08

I too couldn't get 3 seats in a small car.. sorry... I think there are companies that do bespoke 'bench car seats' but they are £££.... I ended up with a kia sorrento (which was still tight) as I also needed 4wd due to where I live and even most SUVs didn't fit 3 in !

Yup. The multi max. They are expensive, but cheaper than a new car.

www.multimac.com/home

Tigerstigers · 04/09/2022 20:16

Look at Multimac seats. It's like a long car seat that fits in via isofix or seatbelts, with individual harnesses for each child. They're pricey but with 3 under 4 you should get alot of use out of it.

YellowTreeHouse · 04/09/2022 20:22

If they’re all under 4 they should be rear facing for quite some time yet.

lookslikeabombhitit · 04/09/2022 20:23

I have a Mazda 5 which has 2.5 seats across the back. I can fit a high back booster (maxi Cosi rodifix for 8 year old) in the middle with a britax twe rear facing (6 year old goes in that) and a axkid minikid (3 year old in that) on either side. Under 4 is pretty young to go in a hbb and you might be more successful trying a configuration of extended rear facing seats mixed in with a booster in the middle for the eldest of the three if they can sit safely in one.

For under 4s to go forward facing "safely" you would probably want to look at hbb with crotch straps so that in the case of a collision they don't submarine under the lap belt (their pelvis's aren't fully formed/hardened until about 6 which means they can slide under belts in accidents)- those seats (britax kidfix etc) tend to be pretty wide. You'd also want to make sure they can sit safely in the seat- i.e. in the middle of it, not dangling out and making sure they have the belt on correctly at all times. Another option is an isofix extension bar that moves out the isofix points more towards the doors which allows you to use more of the back seat without the isofix points being an issue. You can't use the extension bars to rear face on but you can use them with isofix hbb. The in car safety centre sells them.

You might have to get a different seat to the one you currently have to fit them all in. The Joie stages are pretty bulky. From memory britax have a pretty narrow belted hbb that they sell in argos. I think it's called the discovery or adventure or something like that... Is using the front seat for one of the children an option with the airbags off and then if you need an adult passenger sandwiching them in the back? Car seats are a bloody nightmare. I have no idea why car manufacturers make back seats so badly.

lookslikeabombhitit · 04/09/2022 20:35

Forgot to say as well- check the manual of your car as well. Sometimes they'll recommend certain car seats or they'll flat out tell you it isn't possible. A brief look at a Nissan note manual online seems to show that there's only three seats in the car approved for car seats to go in- the outer rear passenger seats and the front passenger seat with air bag deactivated.

ShoesEverywhere · 04/09/2022 20:43

I have a Honda Jazz and have two rear facing (infant carrier, 25kg rf seat) and one ff Britax adventure in the middle. No way would I put anyone under four in a booster seat though - my eldest is eight and only just forward facing!

Littlepaws18 · 04/09/2022 20:50

You can buy custom made set of seats for the back of your car, can't remember the make- they are expensive but it's the only way you will get 3 seats in the back.

Tash6000 · 04/09/2022 20:55

Look up a multimac. We have one of these in our car for our three kids. Saved us buying a new car! We then got a few extra fitting kits so it can be transferred to grandparents cars 😊

LondonQueen · 04/09/2022 20:57

You struggle with 3 even in some larger cars. No chance you will get them in a small one.