car seats question
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  1. #1
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    Default car seats question

    Does anyone fit 4 children into a 5 seater car - i need to get 3 kids in the back and 1 in the front, but the 3 across the back end up beinga real tight fit...anyone else do this?

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    I hav used 3 car seats across the back , it depends on your car and also the brand of car seat! Some are narrower than others. I just googled narrow car seats and there are loads of sites with examples of seats that fit 3 to a row , but mine are like the tt nania from argos

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    I have been thinking about families and childminders with car seats this week, interesting that you have enquired mumofone.
    I have a Ford mondeo, it could easily, with space in between, accommodate 3kiddicare seats on the back seat. Bought narrowest ones though, didn’t tip back for sleeping, but worked as I only did short journeys really. Served the purpose I needed.
    DH had a small collision last week and our car has gone to the garage...we have been given a Vauxhall Corsa as a courtesy car ( bigger one now on the way as we had like for like on ins).
    It is so small.
    As a friend, I picked up 2 ex LO’s yesterday from playgroup and school. The 2 year olds feet, on his mum’s higher Britax seat ( we have given ours away now) were against the back of the drivers seat. There is no room in the back at all compared to ours.
    Our last three cars have been the mondeo, worked perfectly as a roadie for youngest drums and dog carrier after our original mondeo estate died, so we have stuck with them.
    We were thinking of downsizing the car in our retirement....so when they delivered the corsa as a courtesy car we thought it would be interesting to see how we get on with it. It is brand new, lots of extras, very swish but only just big enough for two car seats in the back and two school bags and a shopping bag filled up the boot. If the 2 year olds legs were longer he would be sitting with bent legs. I think we are going to find it difficult to go smaller.

    So the mondeo easily accommodated 3 bog standard, no frills kiddicare seats. The corsa only just accommodated 2britax all singing dancing child seats.

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    Assuming you are not looking to change your car, then best thing to do is take car to Halfords (or other large retailer), say what you want and let them see what fits. There are about a million combinations it seems, of car and car seats, some fit 3 across, some do not. It will be a tight fit unless you have a particularly wide car.

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    In the back of our old Clio we had two mania highback boosters and a Britax prince on the lap belt. It was some time ago so different seats will be on the market now but this sort of thing 9 Months to 11 Years Car Seats | Kiddicare

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    Quote Originally Posted by blue bear View Post
    In the back of our old Clio we had two mania highback boosters and a Britax prince on the lap belt. It was some time ago so different seats will be on the market now but this sort of thing 9 Months to 11 Years Car Seats | Kiddicare
    Thanks blue bear, i have 2 of these seats already (not in that design haha!) and they are quite slim arent they. My third seat is a wider britax one. So I woner whether a 3rd kiddicare cheapo one i may be able to get three across the back?

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    Quote Originally Posted by moggy View Post
    Assuming you are not looking to change your car, then best thing to do is take car to Halfords (or other large retailer), say what you want and let them see what fits. There are about a million combinations it seems, of car and car seats, some fit 3 across, some do not. It will be a tight fit unless you have a particularly wide car.
    thanks moggy i hadnt considered that

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    Quote Originally Posted by FloraDora View Post
    I have been thinking about families and childminders with car seats this week, interesting that you have enquired mumofone.
    I have a Ford mondeo, it could easily, with space in between, accommodate 3kiddicare seats on the back seat. Bought narrowest ones though, didn’t tip back for sleeping, but worked as I only did short journeys really. Served the purpose I needed.
    DH had a small collision last week and our car has gone to the garage...we have been given a Vauxhall Corsa as a courtesy car ( bigger one now on the way as we had like for like on ins).
    It is so small.
    As a friend, I picked up 2 ex LO’s yesterday from playgroup and school. The 2 year olds feet, on his mum’s higher Britax seat ( we have given ours away now) were against the back of the drivers seat. There is no room in the back at all compared to ours.
    Our last three cars have been the mondeo, worked perfectly as a roadie for youngest drums and dog carrier after our original mondeo estate died, so we have stuck with them.
    We were thinking of downsizing the car in our retirement....so when they delivered the corsa as a courtesy car we thought it would be interesting to see how we get on with it. It is brand new, lots of extras, very swish but only just big enough for two car seats in the back and two school bags and a shopping bag filled up the boot. If the 2 year olds legs were longer he would be sitting with bent legs. I think we are going to find it difficult to go smaller.

    So the mondeo easily accommodated 3 bog standard, no frills kiddicare seats. The corsa only just accommodated 2britax all singing dancing child seats.
    oh thats interesting Flora, my car is probably on a par size wise with a mondeo, i have 2 slim kiddicare seats but my 3rd is a britax which is a bit of a beast. then theres the question of belting up the middle seat - do you just reach over?

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    Quote Originally Posted by mama2three View Post
    I hav used 3 car seats across the back , it depends on your car and also the brand of car seat! Some are narrower than others. I just googled narrow car seats and there are loads of sites with examples of seats that fit 3 to a row , but mine are like the tt nania from argos
    thanks mama2three, yeh i have two that look similar size to the tt nania one. Hmm maybe i haven't investigated this very well!

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    Quote Originally Posted by mumofone View Post
    oh thats interesting Flora, my car is probably on a par size wise with a mondeo, i have 2 slim kiddicare seats but my 3rd is a britax which is a bit of a beast. then theres the question of belting up the middle seat - do you just reach over?
    I had room to get in the back and do middle - then the last LO would get in after, behind the passenger seat ..which gave me more room...generally the oldest that could be trusted to wait was last, if it was raining they sat on passenger seat at front until they could get in their seat.

    It is all about strategic planning...which the averageJoe wouldn’t believe we have to think about!

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    Quote Originally Posted by FloraDora View Post

    I had room to get in the back and do middle - then the last LO would get in after, behind the passenger seat ..which gave me more room...generally the oldest that could be trusted to wait was last, if it was raining they sat on passenger seat at front until they could get in their seat.

    It is all about strategic planning...which the averageJoe wouldn’t believe we have to think about!
    Hahaha!

    I'm always thinking about which children I have and where I need particular car seats and who gets in when!
    I'm always changing my mind about the middle seat ... either oldest child who can get in and almost do seat belt themselves whilst I put others in or youngest who I can 'plop' into seat and do up before others get in!

    I have a touran and have seats in the boot so have 6 places I could seat a child and almost every day needs a different combination of car seats ( IF I am doing a school run and need boosters as well! ) I only use the front for the biggest mindee or (airbag off) for baby seat, as it doesn't fit easily in the back.

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