A narrow car seat to fit 3 across

6 replies

Cookit · 15/08/2019 08:39

Current situation is baby in a Pebble and 3 year old in a 2way Pearl.

When baby needs to graduate to the Pearl 3 year old will be turning 4 so old enough for a HBB however he’s quite small so I don’t think will meet the weight requirements.

I want to have the possibility for 3 children across so if I need to buy him a new car seat (I guess if he doesn’t fit a HBB it will need to be a Size 1,2,3?) I want something as narrow as possible.

Does anyone have any ideas of what 3 car seats they can manage to fit in the back? I have googled and people are able to fit 3 across a q5 but in most examples one is in a HBB.

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teaandbiscuitsforme · 15/08/2019 16:16

Unfortunately the Q5 has quite a narrow middle seat for a bigger car so 3 across is really tricky. Especially without using a HBB which really wouldn't be safe option for a small almost 4 year old.

How often will you need 3 car seats in? And what type of seat is the third car seat?

If it's just for occasional use (giving a lift to a friend of something) I'd get the Joie Stages for your youngest to use rear facing. Then if you have a third car seat to fit, fit the Stages on the front passenger seat and fit the spare car seat in the back. The front seat is a safe position for a rear facing car seat providing the air bag is switched off.

Original poster

Cookit · 15/08/2019 17:13

It was in case we have a 3rd child, which is on the cards but not a pressing issue. Ideally the next car seat would last a long time (I guess until 12 in a perfect world) and we don’t do the swapping cars every 2/3 years thing so this will be our main car for a while to come. So then we’d have the pebble (with or without isopod, without I guess as it saves a bit of space), the Pearl and then the new car seat which by then will be set up as a HBB but for a year or two before will need to be used with a proper harness.

The easy solution would definitely be to get a proper seat either for him at 4 and give the Pearl to the baby or to keep him in the Pearl and move the baby into a new seat that we buy. Then if/when we have another baby to buy him a HBB as he’ll be big enough by then. Downside of this is just the waste of a car seat really and I’m wondering if I could avoid that somehow.

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Original poster

Cookit · 15/08/2019 17:14

*isofix

And by Pearl I mean the 2way one which is what we have.

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teaandbiscuitsforme · 15/08/2019 17:28

Ok so if you're future planning, I'd look at what does fit 3 across in a Q5.

As a small almost 4 year old, a HBB any time soon isn't a particularly safe option so I'd get him a narrow, 25kg rear facing seat like the Axkid Minikid.

Then if you have a third child sooner rather than later, you could have eldest in the minikid, middle child in the Two Way pearl and baby in the pebble but this would probably only work on the front passenger seat.

If baby arrives when your eldest is closer to 5, you should then be able to fit eldest in a narrow HBB, middle in the Minikid and baby in the pebble without the base across the back.

If you have baby sooner, I'd try to fit 2 Minikids with a Pebble without the base across the back.

Unfortunately the Maxi Cosi seats are huge so if you are adamant about 3 across, new car seats would certainly be cheaper than a new car! You'd be best to take your car to an independent car seat retailer like the in car safety centre to try to puzzle three seats together. Don't go to Halfords, Mothercare etc!

spinn · 15/08/2019 17:32

Diono radian is narrow and designed fit 3 seats across - extended rear facing or forward facing.

Only negative is it isn't isofix

ems137 · 15/08/2019 17:35

To be honest I'd probably use one of the seats in the front

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