how to fit 3 car seats in car

[marley2580]

My OH has a Passat and once the new baby arrives we need to travel down south to visit his family. On short trips I'm happy to squeeze between the baby's car seat (which is a convertible one that faces both backwards and forwards) and Blythe's seat (which is an Iso-fix seat) and put Kaya in the front in her high backed booster. But this is not a method I would be happy with for a 400 mile trip. So I'm looking for ideas of what I can safely do to get all three kids in the back seat.

 

[tina_h75]

do you have the 3x3 seatbelts in the back ?

 

[baby.love]

A child over 3 can go in the middle seat without a booster seat if it is not safe to fit 3 in the back, its not ideal i know... but if its the only option you have x

Check bit where it says over 3 years
https://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm

 

[pinkycat]

^ that is what we have had to do. im not really happy about it but we don't use the car much at all. my eldest is 4ft 4 and nearly 7

 

[marley2580]

See Kaya's only 4, so I'm not too keen on her being in the car without a seat, especially on the really busy roads south of Manchester. We're going to borrow an infant carrier and see if that would free up enough space to fit all 3 kids in the back. The only other option I can see is to get the train and hire a car and car seat when we're down there. Worked out to hire a bigger car wold likely cost about £600 including petrol!

 

[babydevil1989]

if you put the eldest in the middle on her seat (if you have a normal seatbelt not a lapbelt) then one, one side and you the other with baby in the front would that free up much room? x

 

[marley2580]

Problem is the air bag in the front

 

[suzib76]

i always had Leah upfront and dh sat in the back

we were able to switch the airbag off (although it isnt necessary with a ff seat)

 

[babydevil1989]

Im sure you can turn it off on most cars xx

 

[marley2580]

I don't think you can in OHs. tbh I'm not too keen on any of the kids sitting in the front for that length of journey, it just doesn't feel as safe iykwim

 

[babydevil1989]

Toby has always sat in the front, i feel id be able to get to him quicker if we had an accident x

 

[Wildfire81]

I do not know how things work where you live, but can you rent a larger car that accommodates 3 car seats? That is what I would do, for my piece of mind.

 

[MommaAlexis]

Yeah, if you don't want all three in the back, and you don't want one in the front.. Train is your best bet.

 

[marley2580]

I do not know how things work where you live, but can you rent a larger car that accommodates 3 car seats? That is what I would do, for my piece of mind.

Costs too much money I'm afraid - looking at almost £600 including petrol!

 

[Wildfire81]

I do not know how things work where you live, but can you rent a larger car that accommodates 3 car seats? That is what I would do, for my piece of mind.

Costs too much money I'm afraid - looking at almost £600 including petrol!

Wow! That is 3x what it would cost here. I can think of train, or possibly bus? Then again I do not know about your traveling systems, I'm afraid.

 

[MommaAlexis]

Train is much better to travel with small kids then bus is lol

 

[marley2580]

Oh god I don't think I could cope with the bus! They don't run direct to Northampton so would have to go overnight down to London then back up to Birmingham! Think that's about 12 hours on the bus in total- i'd rather pay the £600! Lol. The train isn't that cheap either but would only have to pay for me and oh. If the infant carrier idea doesn't work out I think we'll need to look at the train.

 

[pinkycat]

We found the infant carrier no better. i found a website selling slim inflatable booster seats designed to go in the middle. mite be worth googling x

 

[Tasha]

Is it three full seats? Could a basic booster fit in the middle, cos they dont take as much space as a high back? We have a seven seater so all three of mine have car seats, but if we need to collapse the back two seats for what ever reason we put a booster seat in the middle of the girls for Morgan to sit on

 

[netty]

have you looked at the bubblebum? It is on kiddicare website and would be a car seat great for sliding between the 2 back child seats and is safety kite marked for over 3 year olds.

Not great but better than no seat at all.