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View Full Version : what carseat for 3 year olds? 3 seats in a row?



ghitahn
11-16-2007, 09:49 PM
help! i have twins that turn 3 years old in a month. i want to replace their beat-up graco comfortsports. i can't decide what to buy!
my twins are about 36 inches tall and 27 pounds - they are pretty skinny and they sit FF. i've gone back and forth between the radian 65, britax regent, decathalon, and boulevard. i'm also wondering about the safeguard go.
i have another baby due may 1st. ideally, i would love to fit 3 across in the back of my subaru outback once the new baby comes, but i'm also considering buying a honda odyssey. here are my questions.
(1) is it dangerous to sit 3 car seats across a back seat? someone just told me that there should be at least 1 inch space in between car seats, so that one car seat doesn't hit the other in a side impact crash. i can't imagine that's possible with 3 across. right now, my 2 seats are next to each other and they touch - is that dangerous?
(2) we travel by airplane a lot. does that rule out some of the britax seats because of bulk?
(3) i have heard that the regent can be too big for some kids - would they be too big for my twins (36 inches, 27 pounds)?
(4) if i don't have to fit 3 across the back seat, what do you think the best seat would be? i recognize that eventually i'll have to buy the twins booster seats, but i would prefer to get seats now that will take us through to boosters, and keep them in 5 point harnesses as long as possible. i can't decide what's better - radian vs. britax.
(5) if i buy the radians (FF) for the twins and an infant seat for the baby, do you think i could fit 3 across in my outback?
i'm feeling so confused, even after spending hours and hours reading about car seat options. thanks for any help you can give.
ghita