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

[DobbyHasASock]

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!

I did think I might have to put one in the front but I wanted to have them all in the safest place.

If you want them to be safe then again, they need to be rear facing until age 4 minimum but ideally 6 or 7.

Someone I know has this custom built seat. It has the baby seats built in if you know what I mean. So it is like the actual seat of the car js the baby seat. 3 in 1. Has harnesses and back rests etc.

But it does mean no one else can sit in the back seat then

You can get things which reposition the isofix further out to essentially give the middle seat more room. They can only be used with forward facing isofix seats so might be a solution depending on the size of the children. I ended up buying a new car and didn’t research into these fully so aren’t sure how safe they are.

www.rivekids.uk/rivemove/

We have a 4 seater multi mac.

This.

My suggestion would be a belted in infant carrier for the youngest, until they are 2 or so. Then 2 britax two way elites - one in the extended leg room position so they sort of tesselate.

Can you turn the air bag off? If so the youngest in an infant carrier in the front is safest. The front passenger seat is as safe as the back.

Surely most would think about shit like this before having more children

Don't buy a multimac as they make children sit too close to the door and have no side protection. Children have died in them.

Definitely try and rear face them all. One in the front rear facing and two in the back is better then 3 forward facing in the back.

Maybe the OP is having twins which she likely didn't plan for?

Why can’t you sell you car and buy one of the equivalent value that is suitable for what you need?

Haven’t read the whole thread but I have a Nissan note and have an isofix base and joie iGemm, joie Every stage and a normal booster seat wedged in between. It’s tight but the children all do fit in, baby, toddler and 8 year old.

I meant to add this is absolutely zero way we could get another big car seat in the back alongside the two joie seats.

You will never get three decent height and weight appropriate car seats in that car in the back
the rivemove won’t change that and their safety is debatable
You would be best placed turning the air bag off and putting the baby rear facing in the stages in the front then getting two extended rear facing belted fit car seats in the back up to 25kg such as axkidd . this doesn’t help if you need to accommodate another adult

booster cushions for a child under 4 - no way. Their iliac crest is too underdeveloped

🙄 yes we heard you the first time. Not everyone chooses to rear face forever - it’s not compulsory and people who rear face get ridiculously judgy with those who choose not to.

@Hiphopopotamus

Well most people judge those who don't treat their childrens safety as important yes

I mean this very kindly - kids under 4 should not be in booster seats. If you have an accident the boosters will not provide sufficient protection. There is a good Facebook group called Car Seat Advice UK - that may help you find a solution which is safe for the children.

6 or 7 is not “rear facing forever”, however if car infrastructure allowed it would be safer for everyone—adult and child—to rearface.

There is no need to be so defensive unless you feel insecure and uncertain in your choice to forward face.

The fact of the matter is that rear facing is the safest option, and if you choose to forward face you are not putting your children’s safety first.

As a parent, that is your risk to take, but it’s one with a hefty price.

I had three in the back of a vw polo but just slim line booster seats from Amazon no backs.

For children under 4????

It would be far safer to have them all rear facing and have one in the front (as long as the airbag canbe turned off) than have them all forward facing Inthe front.
Under 4s are too young for boosters anyway. If you can put one in the front I would do that, the every stage can rear face to 18kg, and get 2 rear facing 25kg seats for the others

Where has OP said these are her children?

Rear facing in the front, with air bags off is actually quite safe, in fact better then forward facing in the back at those ages. Depending on the spread of ages you can probably keep the youngest rf in the front until the oldest is big enough for a buster (around 7/8), which could squeeze in the middle.

I don't have that car but I do have car with 2.5 seats in the back. We have 2 britax max ways and a Joie tilt, all rear facing. The every stage is a very large seat. You will probably be best replacing that with a slimmer erf seat like the max way. The tilt is a 0-18kg seat and very compact, it fits perfectly in between the other seats. It is a matter of trying out lots of different seat combinations though I'm afraid.

We had a Joie stages and had to give it to mil for use in her car as it was impossible to fit three across with that as one of the seats. My three children are all 4 and under so I understand the struggle of fitting them all in safely

Just be aware that the tilt is outgrown when the top of the head reaches the shell of the car seat, many people are finding it now doesn't last very long. It was a newish thing joie have said about.