Honda Odyssey configuration for 3 car seats

[ormc]

I love my Odyssey so much, I'm actually a bit overwhelmed with the options I have for seating! I'm looking for suggestions on how to configure it when our new baby arrives next month.

I have a 3.5yo and 2yo, both in Radian80 carseats. The baby will be in a Peg Perego infant car seat.

I'm tempted to just put them 3-across in the second row so they're all within arm's reach if need be, but my husband thinks that's asking for problems.

Does anyone have any suggestions for easy loading/unloading with 2 toddlers and an infant?

[Momof3Labs]

Remove a captain's chair. Put two kids in the back row and one in the other captain's chair. I wouldn't put them 3 across at that age - they will drive you (and each other) insane.

[lkarp]

When DD2 was still rear-facing we had the eldest in the third row with DD2 and DD3 in the second row. We had the captain's chairs separate (did not trust DD2 to be too close to the baby) and had DD1 climb under their car seats to get to hers or climb in through the trunk when we were able to put one of the third row seats down. Now that DD2 is forward-facing we have the two older ones in the third row with the two captain's chairs pushed together in the second row.

[veronica]

When DD2 was still rear-facing we had the eldest in the third row with DD2 and DD3 in the second row. We had the captain's chairs separate (did not trust DD2 to be too close to the baby) and had DD1 climb under their car seats to get to hers or climb in through the trunk when we were able to put one of the third row seats down. Now that DD2 is forward-facing we have the two older ones in the third row with the two captain's chairs pushed together in the second row.

We tried this at the dealership with the Odyssey and it would not work. Is it something that worked with prior models of the Odyssey?

[KrisM]

We tried this at the dealership with the Odyssey and it would not work. Is it something that worked with prior models of the Odyssey?

The 2011 is a new design and it has 3 smaller chairs, instead of 2 regular chairs and a jump seat in the middle. I think you can just take out one chair and be good.

OP, I'd do 2 in the back and 1 in the middle. I'd think buckling the back row would be tough with 2 in the middle.

[WatchingThemGrow]

We had our 2Yo in the 2nd row rf next to the baby behind driver.3yo in back row with enough room to help her buckle. Middle seat came out of our 2009, but a dealer showed me how a seat comes out of the 2011 and both middle seats slide together toward the middle. Your big one could go way back behind driver seat .

[lkarp]

We tried this at the dealership with the Odyssey and it would not work. Is it something that worked with prior models of the Odyssey?

We have a 2008 Touring, so it may be different from the newer models. Three full-sized seats in the second row would be wonderful!

[hellokitty]

I have an older ody, so no 3 across option. We have tried two kids in the back and baby in the front with one captain chair folded down (DH refused to remove it). Now we have one kid in the back and two in the captain chairs. I kind of like it this way, there is less fighting btwn DS1 and DS2 and DS3 loves having DS1 sitting next to him for company. He can also entertain the baby if he gets fussy.

[belovedgandp]

If you don't need the third row and your kids won't bug each other, I'd be tempted to do three across in the second row.

My older ones have been great at entertaining rearfacing younger ones from the third row.

I've always had the two younger ones in the second row with aisle on the side and third kiddo in the back row, but my third was always old enough to buckle themselves. Plus, I've regularly had extra/carpool kids in another booster in the third row (even when I only had two kids).

[DebbieJ]

Remove a captain's chair. Put two kids in the back row and one in the other captain's chair. I wouldn't put them 3 across at that age - they will drive you (and each other) insane.

I only have two kids and I have a captain's chair removed right now. DS1 is in a HBB in the 3rd row passenger side (with nothing in front of him) and DS2 is RF in a MA70 in the driver's side captain's chair. Makes life so much easier.

[ormc]

Thanks everyone. I still have to buckle DS1 in so will need easy access to the third row. I like the idea of pushing the capt's chairs together to have an aisle to get by on the side, although I don't know if my 2010 model will do that. Will have to check.

[carolinamama]

I have a 2010 Odyssey.

My tentative plan when #3 arrives is to take out the plus one seat in the middle and move over the passenger captains chair to the middle. DD and DS1 will be in the middle (DS1 is 5 so he will probably be more help than a pain with the baby) and DS2 in the back on the passenger side. With the middle row seat pushed over, there is a clear path to the back to buckle in a child in the rear. We had that configuration last summer when we did lots of carpooling and it worked well. Did that make sense? If I have to rearrange, I will. I would love to get the baby on the driver's side, but DS1 is in a FR85 with a seatbelt install and that means the seatbelt would be in the middle of the walkway so we will probably put baby on the passenger side and DS1 behind the driver.

[sandwish]

We took out the passenger side 2nd row seat. Originally when the baby first arrived, I had baby in the third row middle next to a Frontier (driver side). And in the second row driver side a Marathon rear facing. We usually buckled in the baby ahead of time and just dropped the bucket seat in.

Now we have one kid on each side in the third row, forward facing, and baby rear facing in the second row.

Having the space from removing the extra seat makes a huge difference. It is great for diaper changes, I have an extra piece of carpet on the floor. I usually just have everyone get in first, especially rainy days, and close the door. Then I can take my time to buckle each child in. I especially like this in crowded parking lots where people don't notice me and are not waiting for my space, I don't like the pressure.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Thanks everyone. I still have to buckle DS1 in so will need easy access to the third row. I like the idea of pushing the capt's chairs together to have an aisle to get by on the side, although I don't know if my 2010 model will do that. Will have to check.
It may be like a mini-aisle since both seats push toward the middle, but the older vans pushed both seats toward the driver's side and left a wider aisle. Let us know how yours does it.

and to the PPer who said there's no 3 across in the middle...I did find once a list of seats that will work on the 2nd row middle seat of the Odyssey. I think they were:

Graco Snugride
Britax Roundabout
Sunshine Kids Radian
maybe Parkway??? (can't totally remember this one, so maybe not)

but you get the idea...the smaller foot-print seats. I know I can get 3 across in the 3rd row using a Radian between two Marathons. I'm almost certain it would work for the 2nd row. Radians make it work everywhere.

[rgors]

Seems like you already have a good headstart on your answer, but thought I would chime in since I am in your shoes.

My plan is that DC1, who will be 4 and is FF, will be 3rd row passenger side.

DC2, who will be 2 and will probably still be RF, will be 2nd row in the middle. His seatback, will be reclined all-the-way, so that he can easily see and talk to his older sister in the third row. My honda manual does not say the seatback has to be upright for a RF carseat, and I googled around and found a carseat tech photo with his child RF in a honda, with the seatback all the way reclined, and he said it was fine as long as your manual did not state otherwise for the seatback position (this might have been CPSDarren, not sure).

DC3, in the infant seat, will be 2nd row driver's side (easiest position for me to lift the bucket seat in and out of the car).

I have the 2011 Odyssey so I have to take out the 2nd row passenger captain's chair to do this. In my friend's 2008 Odyssey, you take out the middle chair and slide the passenger captain to the middle. Not sure how it works for a 2010 Odyssey, though I expect it would be like the 2008 since it's the same "generation"?

In the 2011, you can slide the 2nd row seats forward or backward independently -- not sure if that is true in the 2010. At any rate, I plan to slide the two rearfacing kids as far apart as possible. I don't quite trust DC2 to not poke at DC3!

My DC1 is very focused on wanting to be able to see both DC2 and DC3. With the flexibility to recline seatbacks as well as slide/stagger 2nd row seats, I should be able to figure out something that works.

I also had considerations of needing DC1 to be on the passenger side for her preschool dropoff lane. Finally, I sometimes transport a 4th kid, so putting 3 across in the third row wasn't a realistic option -- didn't want to stick the carpool kid in the last row all by herself.

IF you do 3 across, I'd consider installing a Safety 1st Go Hybrid as your carseat in one of the outboard positions for your oldest DC. The reason is because that seat is not a hard shell seat, so you can still fold an outboard seat forward for someone to get into the third row.

HTH

[SpaceGal]

I have my two boys, in the back one by each window.

DD is in the captains chair behind the passenger seat. I removed the seat behind the drivers seat...so I can load the kids all on the same side as the driver. With the seat behind the driver's empty I can also load my groceries and what not easily. So I don't really ever use my trunk unless I need to get my stroller out.