https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:28:08 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/narrow-booster-seats#post-2927327 Tue, 02 Aug 2022 14:19:55 +0000 catgirl 2927327@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@agold: So 4 year olds should really still be harnessed. And I understand having larger kids - my DD has been 99% for height and 85% for weight her whole life. Five is really considered a minimum for using a booster, but many kids do not have the maturity right when they turn 5. This article may help: <a href="https://thecarseatlady.com/when-is-a-child-ready-to-use-a-booster-seat/" rel="nofollow">https://thecarseatlady.com/when-is-a-child-ready-to-use-a-booster-seat/</a></p> <p>That said, when using a booster it's important to remember that lower anchors are just to prevent the seat from being a projectile when the seat is empty. If a seat doesn't have lower anchors you would just buckle it in when it is empty. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/narrow-booster-seats#post-2927326 Tue, 02 Aug 2022 12:45:53 +0000 agold 2927326@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: @bees_knees: thank you for replying! I can't understand the issue, either. I like the rigid latches, but then the base of the seat sits on top of the seat belt. Its so frustrating. So I guess I will start buying more and returning what doesn't work. This is for grandma and auntie cars and for my pretty large 4 year old. I have high backs for my 4 and 5 year old in my car and my husband's car. But the other cars are just for picks up from school, so i'm open to low back since she fits the height/weight/maturity recommendations. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/narrow-booster-seats#post-2927307 Thu, 28 Jul 2022 20:14:42 +0000 bees_knees 2927307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Came to recommend the Viaggio Flex! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/narrow-booster-seats#post-2927304 Thu, 28 Jul 2022 19:27:04 +0000 catgirl 2927304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not sure if you are looking for a highback or backless booster... but the peg perego Viaggio flex, HBB 120, or shuttle are all pretty narrow and have rigid lower anchors. The Diono boosters are generally pretty wide, so wouldn't be good in a narrow space. I have never played around with the uppababy booster but I have heard that it can be incompatible in many different vehicles due to rules about headrests and overhang. The Maxi Cosi Rodifix also has rigid lower anchors but has some other installation quirks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/narrow-booster-seats#post-2927299 Thu, 28 Jul 2022 12:46:07 +0000 agold 2927299@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Any anyone reccomend a car booster seat that does not sit on the seat belt? I currently have Clek boosters and Nuna boosters, but they do sit on the seat belts. It is terrible for me and the grandma's cannot tolerate it. What is a good solid, rigid latch booster that is a more narrow base? Has anyone tried Uppababy or Diono? Or is there one I am missing? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924456 Thu, 29 Jul 2021 12:44:40 +0000 MamaintheValley 2924456@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Anyone test drive the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L yet? It is Jeep’s new 3 row version of the Grand Cherokee. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924453 Tue, 27 Jul 2021 13:27:19 +0000 Mommy Finger 2924453@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: I was laughing internally a bit this weekend as my BFF took my kids down to visit my ILs in her rented Grand Cherokee (long story there...) but we put the boys' seats in the car and had a hard time buckling them in due to the buckle placement and DH quipped that for a Grand Cherokee, it's not very grand... total dad joke. But I think car makers just don't give a rats you know what about car seats sometimes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924448 Mon, 26 Jul 2021 12:00:58 +0000 agold 2924448@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have the Telluride with captain seats. We really wanted the captain seats and are happy we got them. It's really pretty nice for a Kia. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924431 Thu, 22 Jul 2021 08:31:16 +0000 hellobeeboston 2924431@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just got a 2021 Toyota Highlander - and we went with the Captains chairs which so far I love. We had a Honda Pilot before and getting to the third row was a bit of a pain, it's a lot easier for the kids to crawl through this way, and I do like you can keep half the third row down (same with Pilot).... Having captains chairs is one less seat though which might not be ideal, but it's fine for now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924430 Thu, 22 Jul 2021 07:36:56 +0000 charm55 2924430@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a Subaru Ascent which I just love everything about. We’ve had it for 3 years now and it still feels so smooth and solid - just like new. We have really snowy winters so the AWD is a huge plus and I feel it works better than other AWD vehicles we’ve had in the past. </p> <p>No matter what you get - I highly recommend the captains chairs. It makes using the third row so much more practical. Before this we had a Pathfinder with a 2nd row bench and hardly ever used the third row because it was a pain to get to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924412 Tue, 20 Jul 2021 14:10:00 +0000 catgirl 2924412@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I really wish the Highlander had worked for us. The hybrid one is pretty perfect on paper but we just couldn’t get over the size of the third row compared to others we are looking at. We did love driving it though. </p> <p>@krispi: @Bluemasonjar: We looked at the Kia carnival. Parts of it were really nice. We found it less comfortable than the telluride, though the cargo space is better. We’re only interested in the sienna because it has AWD and is a hybrid. I think we are still more likely to do an SUV, but who knows. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924407 Tue, 20 Jul 2021 10:55:16 +0000 Bluemasonjar 2924407@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@krispi: I just saw the Kia Carnival at daycare pick up and really like the way it looks.</p> <p>We have a Honda Pilot and got the captains seats in the middle. We have a car seat and a high back booster in those seats and still have access to the third row which we mostly use when we have family in town. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924405 Tue, 20 Jul 2021 07:47:31 +0000 krispi 2924405@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you're open to the Sienna, you might also want to check out the new Kia Carnival. It has the features and space of a van but looks more like an SUV. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924403 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 22:36:27 +0000 MACSUNSHINE 2924403@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have an 2020 expedition max with a bench and love it. I really wanted to consider the sienna but my husband refused. Other than the price and overall size it works awesome, we have all 3 kids across the bench so we have the large trunk for travel.</p> <p>If you can follow the car mom on Instagram or google her website, she has reviewed many of the cars mentioned and installs car seats etc. it is super helpful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924402 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 19:59:24 +0000 Anagram 2924402@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: we have a 2021 highlander hybrid that we got last September. We only have 2 kids, but we really wanted a bench seat. My oldest is 8 now and can use a booster in the 3rd row when I need her to, but our most frequent visitor is my mom, so it’s so easy for her to sit between our girls when she visits. Our kids are still in regular car seats (a clek foonf for my 6 year old snd a Diono Radian for my 8 year old), but both can use a car seat for “special occasions”, ie. Short in town trips if we have two extra adults riding with us. </p> <p>I think the highlander is probably the worst for car seat configurations, but we couldn’t pass up the amazing mileage. We also wanted certain features including a tow hitch. At the end of the day, I only have 2 kids and 98% of the time we are driving just the 4 of us, so the gas mileage trumped everything else. </p> <p>I have a very long commute and filling up my tank only every 8-9 days instead of twice a week has been pretty amazing. When I’m off work (like now, in summer), I can go 2 weeks or more without filling up. I regularly get 36 mpg. Our old SUV would get like 18-23. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924401 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 14:17:42 +0000 ElbieKay 2924401@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: We went to the NY Auto Show before selecting our vehicle in 2018. The only two 3-row SUVs in the size class with actual legit 3rd row seats and enough legroom for an adult were the Atlas and the Ascent. We went to the show expecting to fall in love with the Q7 but the interior space was a complete joke. The only other way to get a comfortable third row was to go up a size class. My husband wanted to consider a Ford Expedition but it was $10k more, and I could not see myself parking it on the street in our urban location. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924400 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 13:10:34 +0000 catgirl 2924400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can I also just say how frustrating it is that so many large vehicles are just not designed to actually hold a lot of people. Short or missing headrests. Headrests that tip forward which can make installing seats difficult. Overlapping seat belts. Seat belts that are positioned too far forward in third rows to allow safe fits. Seat belt stalks that are so short it's hard to use a booster with. Lack of tethers or tethers positioned in ways that don't allow for safe installations. Seats that aren't deep enough for boosters that don't allow overhang. I feel like I had to rule out so many vehicles before even seeing them or driving them because of these issues. I really wish these things were being addressed more on new models... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924399 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 13:08:58 +0000 catgirl 2924399@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: I loved the interior of the atlas! The third row only having two seats makes way more sense to me than all of the other SUVs that have three small seats back there. DH is 6'2" and could sit in all three rows comfortably. Unfortunately, DH did not like driving it at all. </p> <p>@Mommy Finger: So funny. We were originally planning on the Subaru Ascent but can't get over how small the third row is compared to others. Now we are essentially down to the telluride and palisade (unless DH was serious about looking at the toyota sienna). We both prefer the exterior of the telluride and the interior of the palisade. The telluride seems to have more features at lower trims and our dealership is allowing deposits on the incoming ones, so we are slightly leaning towards it. The buckle placement is a concern for us (in both the telluride and palisade) with DD's current seat - I can install it in harness mode but not sure if she could do the booster. We may need to look into a narrower booster when the time comes (our britax is one of the widest boosters). I wish they had made the buckle stalks longer in all models, and had placed them closer to the edge of the captain's chairs. They are set so deep without much wiggle. </p> <p>@HappyBaker: The traverse seems to be popular. It is known for lack of lower anchors and tethers, as well as still not having headrests or usable headrests in all positions. Though I think that was all somewhat addressed in it's most recent redesign. With only on LO it would all be workable but it's longer than most of the other SUVs we are considering. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924398 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 12:36:05 +0000 Mommy Finger 2924398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a Palisade and I am so in LOVE with it. It's one of the nicest cars I've ever had. We have the captains chairs as it just seemed like the best option. I didn't see the need to have to mess with the seats every time someone needed to get in the back. I will say that it's not super easy to buckle in the seatbelt in the captains chair when there is the car seat since the buckle is sort of set into the seat and you have to go into it at the right angle. My 8.5 yo is fine but my 6 yo is still working on it. Not a huge deal. </p> <p>We test drove this, the Telluride and the Subaru Ascent. The Subaru just felt sort of meh after driving the Telluride and the Palisade. And I would have been happy with a Telluride too but it was a 6 month wait for one at the time and they had Palisades on the lot so that made it easy. Either way, super happy with our purchase. We've had it for almost 2 years now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924397 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 12:27:42 +0000 ElbieKay 2924397@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a VW Atlas. We purchased it when I was pregnant with our twins. We also have an older singleton, so it was important to me to set up the car with three seats across. I did not want to have one or more infants in the third row, and I did not want to permanently sequester my then-4yo in the third row. (I was very hung up on making sure he was included and not ignored as we welcomed his baby sisters.) We started out with two Chicco Keyfits and a Clek Fllo, and now we have two Clek Fllos and one booster.</p> <p>The Atlas has a 40-60 split in the second row and 50-50 split in the third row. For the past three years, we've pretty much kept the third row folded down and used the extended hatch space for storage, especially our double stroller. There have been a handful of times we needed a seat in the back for a friend or relative.</p> <p>We only just yesterday folded down the 40 and set up the rear two seats for boosters so we can carpool with another family to camp! My son is super excited to finally sit in the third row!</p> <p>My twins will stay in the second row for as long as they are in front-facing car seats. Then once they graduate to boosters we can move everyone around a bit more. My oldest only has one more year til he doesn't need a booster. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924396 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 12:23:23 +0000 HappyBaker 2924396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a new Traverse with captains chairs and really like it, though there aren’t as many latch anchors as I assumed (we had looked at so many suvs I forgot to double check that once we narrowed it down!) But our 2 oldest kids are in boosters so doesn’t really matter for us. I definitely prefer captains chairs, my 8 year old sits in the 3rd row and it would be hard for her to operate even the easy flip bench seats to get in during school pickup. Also the captains are super comfortable as an adult as well. Trunk space in most of these is really tight though if you keep the 3rd row up - we also have an Odyssey and love that way more for the trunk space and how it handles more like a car! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924395 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 12:08:00 +0000 catgirl 2924395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our current top two SUVs both have overlapping seat belts on the bench seat, so it will be pretty hard (if not impossible) to do three across on the bench. So either way it will seat the same number of passengers, just deciding if we want to pay more to have the captain's chairs. </p> <p>Though DH surprised me this morning by saying he really wants to give a serious look to the toyota sienna. I thought we were strictly looking at SUVs but he is intrigued by the sienna hybrid and it's mpg. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924394 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 12:07:23 +0000 catgirl 2924394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@krispi: I didn't love that feature on a lot of the cars we drove but it was most annoying on the honda. You can turn it off at the start of every ride, though it's silly to me you can't turn it off and have it stay off indefinitely. The pilot is generally very three across friendly (with the right combo of seats). We aren't worried about three across though. The car seat tilt friendly second rows do sound nice, but only work if the seat is installed with lower anchors so eventually it wouldn't be a choice. DH thought that feature was really cool until I pointed out DD's seat in installed with the seat belt. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924392 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 10:55:18 +0000 krispi 2924392@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a 2018 Honda Pilot with a bench seat in the 2nd row. Overall, I've been really happy with it. My favorite feature is Apple CarPlay. :) I have the touring model, and if I had it to do over again, I'd look for the EX with entertainment system instead. We don't love the 9-speed transmission and the engine turning off every time we stop. (It can be slow to start up again at red lights or stop signs. The touring model is great for highway driving but not as much in the city where we live.) I hear they improved it in later years, though. One thing I wish it had is 3rd row access with a car seat installed, like the VW Atlas. When we do use the 3rd row for extra kids, we just have them go through the trunk. I also haven't been able to get 3 car seats across with our existing seats but probably could if I bought new ones (but I don't plan to because that's not a common thing for us). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924391 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 08:50:37 +0000 josina 2924391@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@CatchAFallingStar: Also had a Traverse and LOVED it. We had captains chairs, with 2 car seats in the middle and older DSD in the back. </p> <p>Now we're in a mini-van (I do love everything about it as well, except that it's a mini-van lol). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924388 Sun, 18 Jul 2021 20:37:20 +0000 nwm 2924388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we have a bench which was definitely the best choice for us, because we have three little ones and weren't ready to have one in the way back. plus, we mainly use our car for longer trips, and so we need more trunk space. my BIL had recommended we get captains chairs because his 3 kids are a bit older and they are mainly using it to drive around town, so they don't usually need as much trunk space. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924387 Sun, 18 Jul 2021 18:15:42 +0000 bees_knees 2924387@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We previously had a 2012 Yukon xl with captains chairs and now have a 2016 Yukon xl with a bench seat in the middle. We MUCH prefer the bench seat. We have 4 LOs still in car seats (DS1 is 7 and recently switched to a booster). It’s easier to fold the seat forward for DS2 and DS3 to load into the third row than it was to go through the middle of the captains chairs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924386 Sun, 18 Jul 2021 07:34:45 +0000 catgirl 2924386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@fmmtk: makes sense! We only have one LO who is harnessed but will be moving to a booster soon. We envision having to use the third row a fair amount, but not constantly. For the time being it will most likely be an adult or two that will be in the third row - but typically only one car seat in the middle row. In the next few years I think it will be more of DD's friends in all seats. I think we will be legitimately fine with a bench or captain's chairs, we just can't decide :silly: . Some models we are looking at have captain's standard, some have a bench standard, some have a choice - so it may just come down to which vehicle we pick. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924385 Sun, 18 Jul 2021 07:07:18 +0000 fmmtk 2924385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a pilot with bench seat and love it, but we have one rear facing and one forward facing car seat so on the rare occasion we use the third row, they have to be agile and climb over the bench seat or in through the trunk. I think bench vs captain really depends on your car seat configuration and how often you’ll use the third row. We got the pilot more for the cargo space than the extra seating so we didn’t feel the need to upgrade to the higher model with captains chairs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-row-suv-question#post-2924384 Sat, 17 Jul 2021 20:22:04 +0000 CatchAFallingStar 2924384@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: we have a Chevy traverse and absolutely love it. It’s bench seating. We have 3 kids. The younger two are in the middle row and the oldest one is in the back. </p>