3 car seats in an LR4?

[danrhiggins]

Not for me. Our kids are grown. But we have friends with 3 kids we like to take up in the mountains to go camping this Summer. I'm just wondering how we would do seating for 7 including 3 car seats.

 

[umbertob]

It'd be a monumental pain in the a** because you'd have to remove an outboard car seat every single time you need to access the third row. It's a tight squeeze, but you can fit 3 side-by-side car seats in the second row. How old are the children? If one of them was old enough to get away with a booster instead a full blown and latched seat, it sure would make things a lot easier.

 

[mbw]

Ya, you'd have to get the right 3 seats. Narrow ones. The Graco ones I have are pretty big.

I feel bad for families with 3+ kids. That's minivan territory.

 

[NASdiesel]

I'm facing this myself. twin 3yr olds and a baby on the way. I don't really care about the 3rd row use right now. Just trying to find the right seat combination that would work. One of the twins will need to accept they are sitting in the middle. The britax side by side seem to bulky in booster form.

 

[umbertob]

These are the ones I have, 3 of them will fit side by side on the 2nd row bench ( the one in the center position is secured with lap-and-shoulder belt, the outer ones with LATCH): http://us.diono.com/convertible-to-booster/radianrxt

 

[danrhiggins]

Thanks, Everyone! Great info.

 

[NASdiesel]

Thanks Umber. Really appreciate it.

 

[Quijote]

I have a 6yo and a 4 yo. The 6yo sits on a Recaro Vivo booster (I like them and I have two more of those for my 997). That seat fits well within the width of the LR4 seat. My 4yo sits in a Britax Frontier 85 (latched in). and that barely encroaches on the middle seats if at all. I can still fold the middle seat flat whenever I want with both kids in the car.

If we have a 3rd kid, the infant will go in the middle seat, the (by then at least) 5yo will stay in the Frontier 85 for another year or so, and my oldest can pick and choose the last middle seat or either 3rd row seat (booster is easy to move round). If that is a nuisance I can always promote my 5yo to a booster sooner.

 

[goinsurfin]

Hope my perspective helps here with my kid placement in the LR3...

we now have 3: 6, 4, and 1.5yrs. The 6 yr sits on driver side 3rd row with a sideimpact type graco booster (works great!), the 1.5yr is on pass side facing rear (safest way to face for kids almost under 2 yrs and X lbs..), middle seat is folded down for pass through and 4 yr sits behind me. when #3 was born, all 3 kids sat next to each other in Britax seats of various models. they were tight but once the oldest was 5.5 yrs, he went to row 3 for more space and now in a booster. Note: adding the youngest in the middle works but over time if you have to lift them over another seat, that gets old very quick....

Now if i need more cargo space for all their bikes, trailer and stroller and/or beach gear, all 3 sits in row 2, otherwise, i keep the middle seat folded all of the time. Its a nice flow and keeps everyone separated too. all 3 like the challenge of climbing in the back and walking through to their respected seat...If the 2 extra cousins go for a ride,, yea, each seat is taken and if an 8th person shows up, they get strapped to the roof.... haha

 

[AceRider]

I don't know why LR doesn't put the LATCH system in the middle seat as well? Then at least you could put two car seats in and still have one of the outer seats able to fold for third row access.

With current design, you use seatbelt alone or have to remove a car seat each time you need third row access.

Lame.