Does anyone know of a decent fitting booster seat with a back that fits in the 3rd row? Our current booster overlaps the seat belt buckle in the third row and makes it difficult for our child to buckle himself. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
I bought this when I had the same problem. I use booster seats without the back and the only one that didnt fit well was the rear driver side. They have no problem buckling now that I added the extender.
Not sure if this will work in the 3rd row, but you might try out the Britax Pinnacle. It's not narrow, so I don't know if it can even be installed in the 3rd row since I've never tried it... But, if you can install it with the seat belt, you can use the built-in harness for children up to 90 lbs (much higher than the weight limit for the built-in harness in all other boosters I've seen). BuyBuy Baby let's me try out seats in the parking lot, which is how I usually pick car seats, so if there is one nearby you could try it there before buying.
How big is the kid? Perhaps you should consider that if the kid is big enough and the seating designed is appropriate for the kid, then a booster seat may not be necessary.
The Evenflo Big Kid XL, works in the 3rd but not in the middle belt position. Our Britax booster seat does not work in the 3rd, does not matter it if has the back on it or not.
I would not move a child from a booster seat, until they are big enough and mature enough to sit in it. It is about more than just size, it is also about their ability to sit in the seat properly without a booster seat.
I'll see if I can find this booster. I'm just looking to have him sit in one of the outboard positions and not the center seat (that seat looks VERY small). Thanks!
The added safety aspects of a high back booster include protection of the head and torso from side and rear impacts. IMO this is very important since the third row is so close to the rear hatch and window.
2 things that are helpful with boosters in the way back:
1. The passenger side seat is wider due to the way the seats split to fold down. I can fit our standard Britax and Graco boosters on that side no problem.
2. If I need two boosters in the back I use a very cheap Cosco seat I bought at Walmart. It fits fine on the driver side, but it’s pretty hard and narrow so I can’t imagine it would be great for long trips or daily use.
Hello, has anyone had any luck finding a booster that can LATCH in the third row? For those that have used the Maxi Cosi can you please tell me if it’s possible to LATCH it in on the driver side 3rd row? Or has anyone tried the Peg Perego HBB? I’d really like to find a booster that will work with the LATCH but everything I’ve tried seems to interfere with the buckle because of where the LATCH is located. So frustrating.
It is literally impossible to use LATCH in the 3rd row driver's side (the only side that has anchors) because the inboard LATCH anchor is located further toward the centerline of the vehicle than the seatbelt latch. So if you engage the LATCH in that spot, it covers up the seatbelt latch. It's a horribly stupid design. I've resorted to using a booster seat (see my post above) and just not using the LATCH. I instead just use the seatbelts because the safety seat repositions the belt itself.
HOWEVER, I've noticed that the way the seat bottom is contoured, with my kid in it, he and the seat tend to list/tilt towards the center. That's probably not the safest position.
IMO Subaru has made a devastating bad error in design here. And it could be a dangerous one for a kid in the 3rd row.
As someone with two boosters (plus another car seat) in the Ascent, I understand the frustrations, particularly with the narrow fit on the driver's side, third row. However, the inability to use LATCH with a booster is not a safety problem.
I'm pretty sure that the LATCH system is a convenience, not a necessity. It was developed to make proper installation of car seats easier (hence more likely to be accomplished). Using a booster seat without LATCH is not more dangerous. (Nor is it more dangerous to attach any seat correctly with the seat belt.) Consumer reports doesn't consider LATCH anchors necessary on booster seats, and some of their top scoring models do not have them.
I use the latches on my second row booster to secure it when empty. I consider this more convenient that buckling and unbuckling the seat belt to secure it.
About five years ago, dedicated LATCHable booster became available in both high back and backless versions. Combination seats could even use lower anchors.
As someone with two boosters (plus another car seat) in the Ascent, I understand the frustrations, particularly with the narrow fit on the driver's side, third row. However, the inability to use LATCH with a booster is not a safety problem.
I'm pretty sure that the LATCH system is a convenience, not a necessity. It was developed to make proper installation of car seats easier (hence more likely to be accomplished). Using a booster seat without LATCH is not more dangerous. (Nor is it more dangerous to attach any seat correctly with the seat belt.) Consumer reports doesn't consider LATCH anchors necessary on booster seats, and some of their top scoring models do not have them.
I use the latches on my second row booster to secure it when empty. I consider this more convenient that buckling and unbuckling the seat belt to secure it.
About five years ago, dedicated LATCHable booster became available in both high back and backless versions. Combination seats could even use lower anchors.
Thank you for your reply. I agree with your comments about safety but I’d just like to secure it with the anchors so we don’t have to worry about buckling it in when not in use. It seems like a pain to have to remind my kid and like an extra step that could be avoided if the LATCH connectors were placed in a better location. I guess that’s what we will have to do, though.
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