I have an Envoy and just had my 3rd baby. Much to my surprise, we cant fit all 3 car seats in the back seat. The Envoy is not a small SUV so i am very disappointed about this and im not sure what to do. I dont want to get another car. Are there any slim car seats that allow for 3 across??? I have good car seats and hate to spend more on new ones, but its cheaper than a new car. Any suggestions?? My kids are 5, 3 and 1 month. We have a graco nautilus, britax and the baby seat is an evenflo. All too big i guess! We've tried the britax in the middle and on the side, nautilus on side, baby in middle, it just wont fit. They are all lopsided and cant sit flat and secure.
You should never put a child under 13 in the front seat, it is just too dangerous.
Here is a website that has great advice on car seats and she will answer any questions you have carseatnanny.blogspot.com
ditto what everyone said about Sunshine Kids Radians - they're the narrowest convertible seat on the market and the high harness height and weight limits mean that they'll last you a good long time (they have an 8 year expiration date while most other convertibles have only a 6 year expiration). Probably if you put the older two kids in Radians, you'll be able to fit your 1MO's infant seat next to or between them. And when you have 3 harnessed car seats in a row, it's actually *easier* than having 2 harnessed seats and one booster because once you have all the seats installed, you just buckle them in their harnesses up front - with a booster you have to scrunch your hand in between booster and adjacent harnessed seat every.single.time you buckle or unbuckle your kid. Then when your 1MO outgrows the infant seat, you can pass the 5YO's Radian down to the 1MO and then revisit whether to move 5YO to a booster or to a forward facing "Combination" seat (harnessed seat that converts to booster when harness is outgrown)
Also, are you using LATCH or seat belt to install the seats? Often times when you use the outboard LATCH anchors, the seats are installed closer to the center of the vehicle seat than if you use the seatbelts - fine if you only have two car seats installed in your vehicle, not fine if you're trying to install another seat between them! :-)
and please check the forums at http://www.car-seat.org for more info - there are many super-knowledgeable, super-helpful certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians there, plus there's an entire thread of "3 across" car seat setups that members have posted to: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=33226
PS
What seats are you currently using? Many people find that if one seat sits up on a base (like the Britax Marathon), it "puzzles" nicely next to a seat like the Radian, which sits much lower to the vehicle seat. (this is something I learned from the folks at Car-seat.org :-))
Yes there are! My kids are 5, 6 and 2 and we can all fit in an accord! We also have a CRV but it is basically the same size as our accord. Yes it is squished but it works! Just measure what you have now and then look at the specs of ones online. You will find 3 that fit.
Hi there. I too have an envoy. My 6 y/o is in a backless booster, my 2.75 sits in a booster, and infant seat is in the middle.
I believe Sunshine Kids makes a narrow car seat that's supposed to fit 3 across in a mid-size car. Google it. Plus, I think they're 5 pt harness to 65 lbs.
What kind of car seats do you have? If the older one is in something huge like a Britax Marathon or Decathlon you can definitely save some space by switching to a high-back booster from Cosco, Graco, etc. That's assuming that your 5-year-old is big enough for a booster (mine isn't) - once they get to the booster, the belt positioning is the biggest concern and your seat belt does all the work, so you don't have to go as high end or large as a Britax.
If you have a Babies R Us or other baby store near you, they should allow you to try different models in your car in the parking lot so that you can see what fits. We were able to fit a Graco Snugride, an Evenflo Triumph and a high-back booster in the back seat of a sedan so it definitely can be done.
Good luck...and make sure you're next car is a minivan - they're such lame mom-mobiles but you'll never regret having the space and they really are the perfect design for families!
I've heard the same thing about the Radian.
Also, some are suggesting that you move your 5 year old to a backless booster. Personally, I'd keep him/her in a 5 point harness until 65 lbs. With the Radian, you can do that. My 5 year old is only 40 lbs, so he'll be in his (Graco Nautalus) until 65.
Have you put the Marathon in the middle, with the Nautilus and the infant seat each outboard? The Marathon sits up on a base so its often higher, and if you put it in the middle its going to sit on a firmer part of the seat, and then the Nautilus put outboard with the baby seat on the ohter side. Also use the Seatbelt to install instead of LATCH because LATCH install often puts the seats more towards the middle of the seat and with a seatbelt install you can move them to the outboard more.
Otherwise the Radian seats are very narrow and perfect for three across. If your 5yr old is over 40lbs and is mature enough to sit an entire car ride then he's ok to move to a HIGH BACK BOOSTER seat like the Turbobooster.
If you can't fit them with the Marathon in the middle, maybe replace that with a Radian and then try that center install with the other two outboard.
Sunshine Kids Radian XTSL. Known for narrowness and many moms use to fit 3 across. albeebaby.com often runs 20% off w free ship. Seat is like 30 pounds, but safe as a rock!
yep sinshine radian xtsl, they r not cheap, but you would only need 2, since you can fit a third one that is not radian with no problem.
britex swears you can fit 3 of one of theirs but not sure on the baby seat.
How big is the 5 year old. Mine is in a back less booster and those take up way less space.
It may not be ideal but why not put the 5 year old in the front seat? Of course when your husband rides along he'd have to go in the back, but that's cheaper than purchasing a third seat or a new car. AND having an adult in the back could save headaches with the children losing pacifiers, toys, etc.
