Wondering how on Earth you’re going to fit 3 car seats in your car? Or even more car seats? We asked other twin parents how they managed to make all the car seats work, so keep reading for ideas on the best configuration for 3 car seats (or more)!
Getting two car seats into a car is one thing, but trying to fit 3 or more? Now that is quite the task! Thankfully, these seasoned parents of multiples chimed in with how to fit 3 car seats into a car!
We recently asked our twin parent community:
Parents of multiples: how did you make 3 (or more) car seats fit in your car?
Here’s what other twin parents shared about their car seat configuration for 3 or more kids:
The 3-across configuration
“Three across for over a year so my wagon could fit in the back. We finally upgraded to a massive SUV that fit kiddos AND wagon comfortably!” — Jenah
“The struggle is real. My twins were in Hbb (high-back booster) when the baby arrived and fitting his car seat in took some careful planning. Wishing the girls would have a growth spurt. I do feel it’s a European/UK issue about the 3 seats, as we’re moving back to Australia where the regulations are different and I’m seeing plenty of options that promote themselves as fitting 3 across.” — Rachel
“Graco Slimfit 3 across car seats. All fit in RAV4. It’s actually so much more convenient than trying to load one in a third row! Highly recommend.” — Urella.08
“We have an SUV with a third row. Not sure what we will do moving forward, but for now, we have all 3 kids (3, 1, and 1) side by side in the second row. We have the Clek Foonf car seats that are designed for this exact purpose. After having tried a few car seats with my oldest, we just like this brand the most from a safety aspect as well.” — trulia_
“3 across and the 3rd row folded down to fit the stroller plus groceries. One toddler seat and two infant seats for now. Plan to swap all to Diono after we are done with the infant seats and keep them 3 across for a while longer.” — Kyndall
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“We are HUGE fans of the Diono!! We have three across in the back seat of my Dodge Ram. Works like a charm! Everyone has plenty of room and the wagon slides right into the bed of the truck.” — Sarah
The third row configuration
“2 Britax bucket seats and one Britax Poplar in a ‘13 Chevy Equinox! Then we got a Kia Carnival so we did Britax Poplar in the 3rd row passenger side, 2nd row passenger seat removed and a Graco Extend-2-fit & Britax advocate in the 2nd row.” — Natalie
“Buying a car big enough for them? Honda Odyssey. Magic slide seats. Game changer.” — Tracy
“We traded our Jeep in for a Honda Odyssey. I was sad about it at the time but have come to love the Odyssey! We took one of the 2nd row seats entirely out (our model is a 2nd row with 3 across, not two bucket seats) and started with the twins in the third row until my eldest (18 months when we brought the twins home) was big enough to switch to forward facing, then we moved her to the 3rd row behind the empty/removed seat on the passenger side and put the twins in the middle seat and the seat behind the driver’s seat in the 2nd row…
…Removing the seat makes for a great landing space when loading/unloading everyone. The kids just climb in and up to their seats (eldest is 4 and the twins are 2.5 now), I close the sliding door behind us while buckling everyone in, and I don’t have to worry about standing out in traffic or anyone running away from the vehicle. Provides extra space for the wagon, groceries, suitcases when traveling, etc too. I highly recommend it if your vehicle model allows.” — Jennifer
“We went with Honda Odyssey middle seats slide so my big girl can get to her car seat with the two rear facing in the middle row captain chairs.” — leahgindin
“Vauxhall zafira.. my 5 year old in high back booster in the back. Twins in the middle. Out n about nipper fits in the boot. Middle seat for a bag. Tight squeeze but it works.” — Becky
“We have the toddler and a twin in the bucket seats and the other twin in the third row. Way easier to toss a car seat back there then wrestle with a toddler lol.” — Shelby
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Switched to a bigger car…
“I got a really big freaking car. An Expedition. Not my favorite car ever but it fits us all, plus the dog, plus sports gear, plus bike rack, etc. Buy used, the kids will trash it.” — hei_hales
“Traded in my Acadia for a Suburban. It made the most sense for us since we needed to use the third row while also bringing a stroller!” — mrspaigemendenhall
“I had an Audi A4 which did fit 2 baby carriers and a high back booster in the middle, but it was a squeeze and I had to put them all in order. In the end, we got a new car, so my eldest had a bit more space. Citroen C5 Aircross has 3 individual seats across the back and the boot is plenty big enough to fit the double pushchair too.” — Jodie
“We couldn’t make 3 car seats fit & having 3 under 3 money was tight… so I had to trade my husband vehicles. I now drive an F-150 and he drives my edge for the time being.” — Ericcaagraves
“I had to buy a bigger vehicle. 7 seater. My son is in the very back and the girls are behind me.” — hamish_plus_twins
“You get a Honda Oddessy lol.” — Emily
How to fit 4 car seats in a car
“SLIM. CAR. SEATS. 👏 Nothing bulky for other kids to climb around & you’re always going to be moving them around so the slim seats fit in every configuration. Buy the slim seats!! Signed a Mom of 4.” — sarahkubacki
“When my twins were born, my oldest was 6 and still in a booster. So I needed to put FIVE car seats in my 7 passenger Odyssey. Babies R Us assured us that they could do it. They told me to bring my car and they’d offer me a discount on whatever car seats I had to buy. Yeah. They couldn’t make it work. So we bought a Toyota Sequoia. And I’m still driving it 13 years later because it fits all the people and all the gear.” — BrodieLynn
“I’ve had about 55 configurations at this point, lol. But if you need 3 across, Diono is the best in my opinion. At one point we had 4 out of 5 in seats. Chevy Traverse is a great option.” — Amy
Want to see even more inspiration? Check out the original Facebook post here or the original Instagram post here!
Want more insight on car seats or best cars for multiple kids? Check out these articles too!
- Choosing Car Seats for Twins: The Do’s and Don’ts
- What’s the Best Car When You Have 3 Under the Age of 3
- Best Cars for Twins: The List of Cars I Would Consider
