Three high backed boosters - help!

[troublegum]

Looking for advice on putting three high-backed booster seats in my car. Kids are ages 6, 6 and 9 and smallest is now moving up to a HBB. So far, three seats have fitted across the back seats, but I’ve just come back from halfords and we couldn’t get the HBB I’d ordered to fit in there with the other two HBBs.

What shall I do? I can think of three options:

• Try and find a narrow HBB which will fit (guy at halfords said car seats should not touch each other – although they have been all this time so far!)

• 9 year old on a booster cushion seat in the middle – not sure how safe this is for her (I believe it is legal though)

• 9 year old in HBB in front passenger seat – but then DH would have to sit between two car seats in middle of back (uncomfy for him, but safe for all kids… although not sure of safety level of 9 year old in front)

Car is a Citroen Xsara Picasso so it does have 3 full seats across back and in theory they should fit. I don’t want to have to buy a new car! Any ideas on what the best (safest) thing to do is?

Thanks in advance

I would go for the first option. Should DH even go in the middle? If he touches the two other seats wouldn't it be the same as putting a HBB in that touches?

Probably a bit too pricey, but could be an option:
multimac.co.uk/home

Just collected kids from school and measured heights so I know where we are with it all - eldest DD is 133.5cm tall, very annoyingly close to the 135cm for not using a car seat at all.

I've seen the multimac option in the past Slightlyperturbed, but as we are so close to the end for DD1 we wouldn't need it for long.

I would prefer option 1 as well Maverick, and was about to order a narrow HBB (Britax Adventure) but now I've measured DD1's height I am wondering if it's worth getting a new HBB just for that last 1.5cm!

Legally I don't think we need to put third child in a car seat but I do want to do the safest thing... just not sure what that is!

I know what you mean- I’ve kept my 9 yr old in a high back booster as he’s quite skinny so I worry he would easily fall sideways out of his seatbelt on booster cushion in severe impact, and he hates it. In fact he moaned about it so much a few months back that I showed him the video of the child crash test dummy on you tube. He hasn’t moaned since.

I think your 9yo would be quite safe in the middle with a regular booster. You could use an HBB in the front when DH is not with you.

That's true Apple, I forget it is easy enough to swap booster seats around. Perhaps that is the best solution - HBB in front for DD1, then booster seat in back when DH is in the car too.

I don't think DD1 is bothered about still being in a HBB - we're not really aware of what her friends/peers are doing, and she's never mentioned it. I had imagined she would be in a HBB until age 12 but having three in car seats complicates matters.