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View Full Version : Triple Infant Carseat /Stroller Conundrum



Hokiebear
10-20-2009, 08:20 AM
So I thought I had this figured out. I was going to use the snugride 32's (32lbs, 32 height) with the triple decker and angels would sing over this wonderful combination. Lovely until I tried to fit three across the back of my Honda Odyssey - no dice, no matter how much I cried & cursed. The seat is 18.7 inches wide.

Quick Background: I am 22-limit-carseat-averse. That's because my son, who arrived 8 weeks early, still outgrew his (22 lb limit) infant carseat by 6 months old. (DH is 6'4") With three infants on the way it's really important to me to keep them in the infant carseats as long as humanly possible, for the convenience and safety factors (quick in and out, instead of leaving 2 in the parking lot in the stroller while I buckle in the first). So I *really really REALLY* don't want to buy any infant carseats with 22lb limits.

I did some research on narrower carseats that have higher height/weight limits than the regular snugride & the evenflo (both carseats that the triple decker work with) & came up with:
1. Chicco keyfit 30 (30lbs, 30" limits. The seat is 17.6" wide)
2. Baby Trend Flex Loc (30lbs, 30" limits. The seat is 16.6" wide)

Problem is that the triple decker doesn't take either of these seats. According to the manufacturer anyway.

So... the question is: Can other seats be used with the triple decker? Are they really all that different with the way they snap into the stroller? After all the baby trend snap and go (single and double only) is pretty universal and can have almost any seat snap into it.

Or am I doomed to just using convertible carseats in the first place and a regular stroller that doesn't take snap in infant carseats?

The final option is to use the regular graco with the 22 lb limits - but I can't tell you how much I HATE that option - we'll be out of those seats in no time flat!!!

Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks,
Susanna

traciann
10-20-2009, 08:23 AM
I would put one of the seats in the captain's chair and have 2 in the back, so you could have the seats that work best for your stroller.

Hokiebear
10-20-2009, 09:24 AM
I thought about that but that leaves me trying to get at least one infant carseat into the third row. With child in seat this is impossible, defeating the purpose of the convenience of snap in/snap out. I would have to take the child out of the carseat (put child where?) lift carseat upside down over 2nd row to get it back there, then put child back in seat. At that point I may as well just get convertible seats in the first place...

The current plan was to have my 4.5 y.o. in one 2nd row captains chair and 3 infants across the third row together. And removing the other captains chair in the 2nd row I would have easy, fast access to the third row. (Sorry, I didn't make that clear in the first post). So I either need 3 infant carseats that fit across the back row together and snap into a stroller together or go to convertible car seats in the first place...
thanks

Momof3Labs
10-20-2009, 09:39 AM
Can you fit your 4.5yo in the back row with two infant car seats? That's the next combo I would try. What seat is he in?

Or buy an 8-passenger Sienna - I can confirm that you can put Safeseats next to each other in the side and middle seats (middle row), remove the third middle row seat, and have good access to the back row.

o_mom
10-20-2009, 09:42 AM
I thought about that but that leaves me trying to get at least one infant carseat into the third row. With child in seat this is impossible, defeating the purpose of the convenience of snap in/snap out. I would have to take the child out of the carseat (put child where?) lift carseat upside down over 2nd row to get it back there, then put child back in seat. At that point I may as well just get convertible seats in the first place...

The current plan was to have my 4.5 y.o. in one 2nd row captains chair and 3 infants across the third row together. And removing the other captains chair in the 2nd row I would have easy, fast access to the third row. (Sorry, I didn't make that clear in the first post). So I either need 3 infant carseats that fit across the back row together and snap into a stroller together or go to convertible car seats in the first place...
thanks

I replied in Car Seats, but in this situation, if you put the 4.5 yo in the back row, driver's side, he can get in the seat himself and most likely buckle so that all you have to do is reach back and tighten while standing on the driver's side runningboard. Then put two infant seats in the middle row with the passenger side moved to the center and pushed forward. The last infant seat can go third row passenger side and should be able to be snapped in from the passenger side door.

WatchingThemGrow
10-20-2009, 10:10 AM
I believe I read (haven't tried it) that the Radian can fit in the Plus One seat in the Odyssey. Could the big kid go there with one infant seat?

Also...even though your older one was big and outgrew the infant seat by 6mo (ours do too), triplets won't likely be as big and won't outgrow things quite as quickly, in theory, right?

eta: Not sure if you have a jogging stroller picked out, but I have the BJ q series triple and I would TOTALLY invest in the Summit 360 if you have a garage!

twowhat?
10-20-2009, 11:30 AM
You could put one of the seats outboard or center in the 3rd row. Then, when you need to get it out, fold down the 40 part of the 60/40 split and get the seat out from the hatch.

Hokiebear
10-20-2009, 03:21 PM
The 4 y.o. can't go into the back row with 2 infant seats because his seat is even wider than one of the infant seats. It's a britax regent - a wonderful seat but also a monster of a seat.

I also can't get an infant seat into the 3rd row if all three of the 2nd row seats are in (with regent + two infant seats in the 2nd row) - unless I removed the base of one infant carseat every time so I could then fold/lean one of the 2nd row seats forward. Without leaning the seat forward the infant car seat won't fit in there. And I can't lean the seat forward without removing the infant base. Which again defeats the purpose of convenience factor of snap in and snap out - which would be ok if there wasn't also a safety issue there too... While I'm doing all this buckling/unbuckling and/or installing bases etc. I've got at least one child left alone in the parking lot. Which is the main reason fast and easy snap in snap out are important to me. When they get older I can put them all in the car on their feet and ask them to toddle to their seats - maybe they will and maybe they won't but at least they'll be in the car and not in the parking lot. Then I can leave the stroller alone in the parking lot and buckle everyone in one at a time but with everyone in the car the whole time anyway...


We are currently looking at going to the manufacturer and seeing if the built in cupholders on either side of the 3rd row can be removed and replaced with a flat panel (or duct tape if necessary :) ). If that will damage the car too much then we may trade in for the sienna because my dh needs to get rid of his (5 seater sedan) anyway since we will be a 6 person family soon.

Tonight when dh gets home though I'm going to try some ideas here - namely 2 infant seats in the 3rd row & the regent and one infant seat in the 2nd row (in the middle seat) and one captains chair from the middle row removed for access to the third row. Maybe that will work.... I'll post again on that after we've wrestled with the seats a third time! lol
thank you everyone

WatchingThemGrow
10-20-2009, 03:49 PM
Could you replace the regent with something smaller- frontier or radian?

o_mom
10-20-2009, 03:54 PM
The 4 y.o. can't go into the back row with 2 infant seats because his seat is even wider than one of the infant seats. It's a britax regent - a wonderful seat but also a monster of a seat.

I also can't get an infant seat into the 3rd row if all three of the 2nd row seats are in (with regent + two infant seats in the 2nd row) - unless I removed the base of one infant carseat every time so I could then fold/lean one of the 2nd row seats forward. Without leaning the seat forward the infant car seat won't fit in there. And I can't lean the seat forward without removing the infant base. Which again defeats the purpose of convenience factor of snap in and snap out - which would be ok if there wasn't also a safety issue there too... While I'm doing all this buckling/unbuckling and/or installing bases etc. I've got at least one child left alone in the parking lot. Which is the main reason fast and easy snap in snap out are important to me. When they get older I can put them all in the car on their feet and ask them to toddle to their seats - maybe they will and maybe they won't but at least they'll be in the car and not in the parking lot. Then I can leave the stroller alone in the parking lot and buckle everyone in one at a time but with everyone in the car the whole time anyway...


Remove the 'plus one' seat and slide the passenger side captain's chair to the center, moved all the way forward. You will then be able to get 2 infant seats in the middle row and still have a clear aisle to the back passenger side to put the third infant seat in.

Hokiebear
10-20-2009, 09:05 PM
We have a solution thanks to my genius husband! After first going to the honda dealership and asking about removing the cupholders & being told that if they did that there would be lots of wires underneath and no flat piece to go over it & they wouldn't recommend that anyway, I then looked at the Sienna (and endured the most patronizing salesperson who knew nothing about carseats & actually said "Why don't you let your husband drive and you can put three in carseats while you hold the third in your lap?" I was so fed up by his unending crap by that time that I snapped "Because I'm not Britney Spears, that's why!") - they fit but just barely and really seemed to be tightly wedged together to the point where one base was not entirely flat, it kept wedging up against the next one at an angle, so the sienna wasn't a great option either (for 3 snugride 32's that is - I'm sure the regular snugride fits fine)...

We got home and tried two snugrides in the third row and the britax regent (for my 4 y.o.) and another snugride in the 2nd row - they didn't fit. By that time, I was thinking "full sized van" when my genius husband tried putting the britax regent (for my 4y.o.) in the third row next to one snugride. The other two snugrides went in the 2nd row, one on a captains chair and one in the middle in the pop up seat.Voila! They fit! With enough room for me to get the third snugride into the back too (because the 2nd row other captains chair was removed). YES!!!

Beautiful!!!!
thanks everyone
Susanna

WatchingThemGrow
10-20-2009, 09:26 PM
Sounds great! That's one set up I was picturing!