In a few weeks we’ll have 1x newborn, 1x 3yo (14kg), and 1x 6yo (19kg). My car is a 2015 Renault Megane estate and UK law states we’ll need to fit 1x car seat, 1x high-back booster with harness, and 1x high-back booster with seat belt. Space is a bit tight and not all families are driving round in MPVs, so I’m wondering what others in this situation do? What are the narrowest high-back boosters on the market?
17 comments
Quite honestly, you don’t.
When we had our 3rd we had no choice but to change our car to one with 3 full seats in the back as even with the narrowest boosters money can buy plugging 3 kids in along the back row is at best difficult and more often impossible.
According to the government website: –
“No room for a third child car seat
Children under 3 must be in a child car seat. If there’s no room for a third child car seat in the back of the vehicle, the child must travel in the front seat with the correct child car seat.
Children aged 3 or older can sit in the back using an adult belt.”
[Gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules/when-a-child-can-travel-without-a-car-seat)
I think families with more than 2 kids are pretty rare now. Only myself and one other family I know have three kids.
We bought a Grand Picasso when our Focus finally gave up. The boys were so tight in the back, especially with a baby seat and a kids seat that any decent trip just became arguments
Although, in a desperate moment we were able to go on holiday in a DS3, pushchair and all
One booster in the front and one adult in the back. Newborn carrier on the front with the airbag toggled off could be an option too parent in back seat could see baby that way too.
Doesn’t work if the adult is fat however.
Dismember them and put ’em in a bucket in the boot?
We have 3 children, you either put one in the front and one of you squeezes in the back when all 5 of you go out. Alternatively you buy a new (to you) car.
C4 Picassos (space tourers as they are called now) have 3 full seats, Peugeot 5008s have 3 full seats they’re the cars we’ve had.
Why isn’t the 6 year old at work? Bloody freeloaders…
But it is a bit of a nightmare. One in the front and the other adult in the back assuming you all need to go somewhere at the same time.
If/when you do change car, get a 7 seater. At some point you will (despite all efforts to avoid it) have to start having one of the kids friends to go and do things with too…
This is one of the reasons people end up buying SUVs which then means there’s less cars to buy so people buy SUVs.
Biggest baby seat in the front, adult in the back.
https://www.multimac.com/p/multimac_1000_3_seater
This company makes 3 seater car seats that fit in the back of a normal car. Probably cheaper than a new car!
My sister in law had 3 kids within 13 months (single then twins). She did a lot of research about narrower car seats- there were certain brands that were better for fitting in, though kids are teens now, so can’t remember exact brands. I seem to remember French car makes like Citroen/ Renault are better for having three proper seat spaces in the back.
Boiled and mashed.
Take off their hats….oops, no, no that’s popes in a Volkswagen
Got three and when we had third decided to get a 2nd hand people carrier (Ford Galaxy at the time, now a Seat Alhambra). It was just not viable to get 3 car seats in the back, safely. And we are too wide to fit in the tiny space in rear middle with third child in the front in child seat.
It was just about possible, with no isofix, to squeeze three into the back of a Mondeo but didn’t feel safe.
Loved the Galaxy and the Alhambra is even better (sliding doors!!). Two extra seats in the boot area means being able to drive kids friends or in laws too and we use them a fair bit – or the boot for mega space for all the kids crap!
I think you cut them up first.
It’s what you’ve got a boot for…
This does show how times have changed.
I’m 55. Growing up, our family car was a Ford Anglia. I’m the youngest of six boys.
When we went out, I’d sit in the front with my mum and one of the dogs, and my 5 brothers would sit in the back with the other dog.
Before we had the Anglia, my dad managed to lay his hands on an old London cab, and we had a huge iron-framed caravan. When we went camping, two of my brothers went in the caravan, and the rest of us were in the cab with the two dogs.
Car seats? Not an issue!