Need help with fitting 5 in my Odessey

[gardenmommy]

I am expecting #5 in about 6-8 weeks, and have yet to resolve my carseat dilemma. I have to put 3 children in the 3rd row of our Honda Odessey. Currently, we have 2 in booster seats (although legally, one could ride without, I just think she fits better in the booster), one in a harnessed seat, and one who just uses the seat belt (he is almost as big as me, sits in the front sometimes, but will need to be in the back when we travel as a family). I *really* want to keep #4 in a harnessed seat for at least one or two more years (he is not quite 3 yrs.), so I'm looking for a very narrow base on a new seat.

My plan was to put one booster child, the harnessed child, and the non-car-seat child in the 3rd row. If I do that, it would be a tight fit. Further, I wanted to put the harnessed seat in the middle, so that no one would have to deal with the seat belt that comes out of the ceiling and drives you up the wall.

Is there a seat that has a super narrow base that will fit in that spot? Anyone else driving an Odessey with more than 4 children? A second question: my child who is legal w/o a booster is 8, about 70 lbs. It is my preference for her to stay in a booster for at least another 6 months, or until she grows a couple more inches and gains a bit more weight. I'd be ok with her in it for another year, if I can convince her, lol. What are your thoughts on that issue, too? I am definitely open to other seating arrangements! Thanks for your input.

[4Blessings]

Hoping to find an answer to this dilemma too

[DahliaRW]

How about a radian for the harnessed seat. It's super narrow and will last a good long time.

[Jwebbal]

How big and old is the harnessed child? I routinely have 3 in the back row, with one in a Marathon, one in a low back booster, and one in a seat belt. It's not a problem.

[Jwebbal]

Did you say the 3 yo would go in the back row? Marathon isn't a problem, it's a bit tight, but not a big deal.

[gardenmommy]

I don't think the Marathon will work, because my harnessed child is already 33 lbs. He will be 3 in May. When I had our Britax Wizard in the back, it was a really tight fit, and the older kids had a hard time buckling themselves in. *I* had a hard time buckling them in. I would like to not have to climb in the back every single time to buckle 3 kids in, when they are doing it by themselves right now.

Jwebbal, do you kids buckle themselves in, or do you have to climb in the back and do it for them?

The other issue is that my oldest child really hates being super squished in the back (sensory issues going on there), so I am also wanting to make it as easy as possible on him with regard to how big the seats are that go in the back. I think it is inevitable that there will be a booster and a convertible in the back, so it's going to be tight either way.

I had another thought about this whole thing this morning. Although it wouldn't be my first choice, I could put the baby in the back, if the infant car seat is smaller and narrower than the convertible. What are your thoughts on that?

[scifimama]

I second the Radian idea. We have two Radian 80s and will be getting another for baby #3. Radians are very narrow. I think like 17" across at the widest point. You are supposed to be able to get three across on a bench seat. And Radians have lots of awesome safety features (steel alloy frame, 5-point harness even up to 80 lbs!) They are a little pricey but since they work from birth-80 lbs, you can really get years and years of use out of them.

Good luck, Mama. I hope you find something that works.
http://www.skjp.com/

[Jwebbal]

It doesn't sound like your child is on the larger side? My son was almost 3 when I had to switch him around because he hit 33 lbs. How tall is he is the better question. My kid outgrew his Marathon at 4.5 I think, he's in a Regent now. Which of course that would never work with three in the back. Yes, with three across the back row it's a tight fit, but I think any seat is going to be? Okay, just looked it up. Marathon is 18.7 wide, Frontier is 19.5. You could put the baby in a Marathon, rear facing, which leaves more room than forward facing. The Wizard was 19.5. The child in the back who uses the booster buckles himself in, and so did the other kid on the other side using a regular seat belt. As for being squished, I think you can only try it and see how it works? I mean, a Radian could work, I never wanted to spend that kind of money, and liked the ease of use of the Marathon. With a baby in the third row rear facing, you can buckle them up from the trunk area. I have done it numerous times. Not as easy as if they were on the side, but it's not that hard.

Originally Posted by gardenmommy

I don't think the Marathon will work, because my harnessed child is already 33 lbs. He will be 3 in May. When I had our Britax Wizard in the back, it was a really tight fit, and the older kids had a hard time buckling themselves in. *I* had a hard time buckling them in. I would like to not have to climb in the back every single time to buckle 3 kids in, when they are doing it by themselves right now.

Jwebbal, do you kids buckle themselves in, or do you have to climb in the back and do it for them?

The other issue is that my oldest child really hates being super squished in the back (sensory issues going on there), so I am also wanting to make it as easy as possible on him with regard to how big the seats are that go in the back. I think it is inevitable that there will be a booster and a convertible in the back, so it's going to be tight either way.

I had another thought about this whole thing this morning. Although it wouldn't be my first choice, I could put the baby in the back, if the infant car seat is smaller and narrower than the convertible. What are your thoughts on that?

[gardenmommy]

2 y.o. (almost 3 when baby arrives) is pretty tall. I haven't measured him in awhile, but he is in a lot of 4T stuff because of the length. I was wrong on his weight; I just had him weighed about a month ago. He is almost 34 lbs. The Marathon is only rated to 33lbs. (correct?), so I'm not really interested in that. I think the Wizard is rated to 65 lbs. (installed with the seatbelt, to 45 or 48 with the latch system, it's been awhile since I've read the manual).

I am going to stop at BRU this week and see if they have a Radian I can try in the back middle seat to give me an idea of how it will fit. I am also going to look at some different infant seats to see how they fit.

Jwebbal, LOL, I don't really want to spend the $$ on a Radian, either. However, I do need something that will give us the best fit and most comfortable children (we tend to take long road trips, so it really is an issue for us). Plus, I know that my 2 y.o. will use it for a long time, and then my new baby will use it for a long time. I am pretty sure we will get our money's worth out of it.

I looked online for awhile last night at different seats and whatnot. It looks like the Combi Shuttle 33 has a footprint of 16.75". Has anyone used that? It appears to be well-rated.

[sewaneecook]

BRU doesn't sell Radians. However, I have a Radian and a TrueFit in the back of our Accord and I can fit in the middle (I'm a size 8, 5'6" ... it's a squish, but ok for short trips). I'm not sure if the Odyssey is wider than the Accord.

[Jwebbal]

Marathon is rated to 65 lbs, though most kids outgrow by height not weight. The only way to really tell is to get him in a seat and check where the top strap height is on him. Even tall kids can last a long time in the Marathon if they have short torsos and long legs. The Wizard is out of date I believe, it's been replaced. The great thing about the Marathon is that your baby can transition to it when your son outgrows it. The frontier would be your best bet long term for your boy, but it's wider than the other seats. Perhaps you could go ask on carseat.org?

Originally Posted by gardenmommy

2 y.o. (almost 3 when baby arrives) is pretty tall. I haven't measured him in awhile, but he is in a lot of 4T stuff because of the length. I was wrong on his weight; I just had him weighed about a month ago. He is almost 34 lbs. The Marathon is only rated to 33lbs. (correct?), so I'm not really interested in that. I think the Wizard is rated to 65 lbs. (installed with the seatbelt, to 45 or 48 with the latch system, it's been awhile since I've read the manual).

I am going to stop at BRU this week and see if they have a Radian I can try in the back middle seat to give me an idea of how it will fit. I am also going to look at some different infant seats to see how they fit.

Jwebbal, LOL, I don't really want to spend the $$ on a Radian, either. However, I do need something that will give us the best fit and most comfortable children (we tend to take long road trips, so it really is an issue for us). Plus, I know that my 2 y.o. will use it for a long time, and then my new baby will use it for a long time. I am pretty sure we will get our money's worth out of it.

I looked online for awhile last night at different seats and whatnot. It looks like the Combi Shuttle 33 has a footprint of 16.75". Has anyone used that? It appears to be well-rated.

[Jwebbal]

The third row on the Odyssey is smaller than the back seat of an Accord, I have both cars.

[gardenmommy]

Thank you, it's been a bit since I checked the specs on the Marathon. I am going to check out the options at BRU on Thursday when I head off to the city. BRU has the Radians online; I wonder why they don't carry them in their stores. Interesting.