Car seat setup for three in seats

[Beautitude]

For those with three in car seats, how do you have your seats set up? We have a wagon so they all need to be in one row. We will have a baby in a reversible car seat, ds1 in a booster (sns hi liner) and ds2 in a convertible booster (maxi rider ahr). Initially we thought maxi rider behind driver, booster in the middle and reversible car seat on the passenger side but am wondering how others have found their three car seat set up. Thanks!

[Phteven]

O would put the most mobile child in the middle. Second most mobile on the passenger side so they exit the car onto the footpath and the most mobile child can also exit through that door onto the footpath and the baby on the driver's side.

[Novella]

Same as you wagon, baby reverse behind passenger, hi liner in the middle and convertible behind driver. It gives the driver more leg room and the oldest is the only one who can do their own belt plus. The older one next to bubs means baby is less likely to be poked or puled. We also purchased a seat belt extender on eBay and its great, dd can reach to clip her belt in without the clasp being buried between two seats. We have a commodore wagon

ETA we would have liked the independent ones to be on the passenger side but DH can't drive the car if the baby seat is reversed behind the driver side. I tend to get the baby in the carrier first then let the older two out and hold their hand until on the path.

[~clover~]

I've always had the youngest in the middle. Oldest on the drivers side. I think they're less likely to jump out into traffic & I can tell them to climb over to the passenger/foot path side to get out when too busy. I also don't have to stand on the road side doing up seatbelts, because (for me) she can do that hersellf.

So with 4 I have DD1 in the front (no choice there), DD2 n the drivers side (no seat anymore), DD3 in the middle in a convertable seat & DS in a hipod on the passenger side.

[willow5]

I'm with clover if it's physically doable. The safest place is the centre seat so I would always have the youngest there. In the middle you can't take a direct hit and the youngest will be less likely to withstand a direct hit if in an accident. The second safest position is behind the passenger seat. So I would try to have the second youngest there, and oldest behind driver. That's all for best case scenario in an accident. Obviously due to what seats you have they may not even install properly in that order. So however they install the best is the safest in that case. It's like a big jig saw puzzle some times!

[Beautitude]

It definitely is a jigsaw! Willow and Clover how do you find getting baby in and out of the middle seat? We used to have ds1 in the middle before ds2 came along and I found I had to kneel on the seat to get him in. With car seats in the way I wont have anywhere to kneel and I worry for my poor back lol.

[Liviam]

I have the my seats exactly the same as you. I have the seatbelt extensions and they are absolutely awesome!! My older two can do up their own seats belts - saves me a stack of time and they love being grown ups.

[LuluHB]

Sorry to go a bit OT, but does anyone have two seat belt extensions right next to each other? DH's concern is that if you have two extensions in buckles right side by side then that is a really weak point, and because of all the movement against each other one could flick the button thing and release the other ITMS. Anyone experienced this?

[nel1574]

I've been wondering that also, which 3 car seats would fit best in a prado??

[LuluHB]

Exactly how and why what Novella said but no extension straps - still tossing up whether to buy them or have the actual seat belt buckle strap extended. My big girls could do up their own seat belts but with the seats being so close its too tricky for them - I have to pull the door side seat over a bit to get my hand in to do up the middle seat, then then door seat and then shove the door seat back over again. Major pain in the whatsit. How I long for a muppet bus . . .

[Lisa]

I had the baby rearward facing and behind the passenger seat. Eldest in the middle in a maxi rider and the middle one behind the driver in a maxi rider. The drivers side door always had the child lock on the door. I would undo the older kids seatbelts and let them climb out over the front seat. That made it easy for me to get the bub in & out of her seat.

[~Kim~]

I do what Onyx said. DD2 is behind my seat. She can't run on the road or get out on her own, and the RF seat discourages the others from trying.
DD1 is in the centre as she can do her own belt and DS is on the curb side. DD1s seatbelt is also curbside to do up so it is easier with the Maxirider than with the RF seat there if I need to do it up.
We have a pajero and getting a child into a RF seat in the centre was a nightmare. It also meant that both seats had to be quite far forward.

You'll need to find very narrow seats for a Prado. We recently upgraded from an Outlander, and the Outlander was 9cm wider seat edge to edge than the prados...and the outlander isn't huge.

[Heaven]

I had the baby rearward facing and behind the passenger seat. Eldest in the middle in a maxi rider and the middle one behind the driver in a maxi rider. The drivers side door always had the child lock on the door. I would undo the older kids seatbelts and let them climb out over the front seat. That made it easy for me to get the bub in & out of her seat.

Yep, I would do that! My kids like to climb through so I undo their belts and then walk around and get them out the front passenger door together. So with a baby I could just get them out the same side first

[willow5]

It just might not be logistically possible to have the RFing newborn in the middle. If you can't get them in and out without breaking your back, it just might not work. If you've got a capsule and you can harness up then lift the capsule in after, maybe, but they get heavy too! So I'd go baby behind passenger seat if not in the middle. Child lock the door on the drivers side if you're worried about escapees onto the road. But it will be about how the seats are going to install correctly too, there may only be one or two good configurations to even get the seats installed that will decide for you in the end.
I just always try to have them with the most vulnerable, being the youngest in the safest spot possible in case of an accident. So if the middle is out, then passenger side is next safest with the drivers side last.

Good luck You might just have to try installing and see how you go.