Regent and 2 SafeSeats in Odyssey -- placement & using seat belts for installation?

[kroppink]

Our son will be 4 years old this spring, and we are in the process of adopting twins. They should be home in a couple months, around age 10 months. We have a 2007 Honda Odyssey, and I'm still debating where I'm going to install the 3 car seats.

Our 3-year-old is in a Britax Regent. Then we have 2 Graco SafeSeats for the babies. First question... has anyone had a successful installation of either of these seats using a seat belt in the 3rd row (not LATCH) in an Odyssey??

Here are the 2 plans I'm thinking of:

1. The 2 babies in the captain's chairs (2nd row), with the aisle down the middle. Then our 3-year-old in the middle of the 3rd row with LATCH. I am concerned though that it will be tricky to get around the babies to buckle up my son in the 3rd row. But it will probably be nice that big brother will be able to see the babies from his seat, whereas we won't be able to from the front.

2. Remove one captain's chair and put 2 kids in the 3rd row and one baby in the 2nd row. Then there's a big floor space to be able to maneuver in there. But one car seat in the 3rd row would need to be installed with a seat belt instead of LATCH. That is my concern.

Thanks for any help!!!

[Joolsplus2]

You might love all that extra floor space... I might try doing that seat-removal trick. The seatbelt installation of a safeseat is easier than the LATCH, don't let it worry you a bit (just get the lapbelt tight, put both lap and shoulder in the lockoff, and clamp the lockoff closed...I never even used LATCH with mine, the seatbelt install was so much easier and just as secure :) )

Or put the Regent in the third row Passenger side if it's a good install there, it'll be a lot easier to buckle him up and will be very easy to load the babies into the middle.

[bubbaray]

Definitely option #2. We have an '05 Ody, same style as the '07. There isn't much room between the 2 captains chairs for an adult to get back to the 3rd row.

[o_mom]

#2, or #2a - leave the passenger chair in, push it to the middle, all the way forward, and keep it folded down. That is what those of us with no garage space to store the extra captain's chair do. :)

The SafeSeat base is a dream to install with a seatbelt. Literally 20 sec or less. I :love-retry: my SafeSeat. The Regent, you need to eventually learn to install with the seatbelt anyway as Honda only allows LATCH to be used until the child is 40 lbs (not sure if they are changing it on newer ones).