Hi, I'm wondering if anyone has actually gotten three bigger-kid carseats, like Radians, or two Radians and something that puzzles well in between them, into the Fit successfully?

The posts I'm finding on the car seat sites are mostly people who have at least one infant seat included. I need to be able to transport three kids, most likely average size and between 3 and 5, front-facing.

I'd rather not do boosters for any of them because buckling into a booster is such a pain for kids when they're pressed right up against someone else's seat.

I'm willing to buy fairly expensive seats, as long as someone else has actually gotten the same models to work in the Fit. Thanks in advance!

 

i doubt you can transport 3 kid seats in the back. if they are older kids then yes, probably possible if one is using backless boosters or something.

 

Most backless boosters are wider than the Radian though, and kids can't get buckled when they're up against another seat. Even with two children in backless boosters in the side and middle positions with no third carseat, you have to have one child buckle in, then the second child put his/her seat in, then buckle, then the third (seatbelt only) child climb in. It takes forever. This is why I'm asking if anyone has successfully gotten three front-facing seats installed, because the children who will be with me are all small enough to be in one of the larger front-facing seats. (Radian goes up to 65 or 80 pounds in the harness, depending on the model). One of the kids is probably about 30 pounds, so could be in one of the convertible models that only goes up to 35 or 40, so that would also work if someone has a successful install of Radian, something else that puzzles better, Radian.

There are a number of posts on carseat-org and other places with kids three across in the Fit, like this one, but they're all with either one or two kids rear-facing, which makes the seats puzzle together differently:

Su La Li: Fitting 3 Car Seats in a Honda Fit

But I would like to know if anyone has successfully gotten three front-facing seats installed. The dimensions of the Radian and a few others seats are narrow enough that they might be slightly too large, or they might work, depending how the seats puzzle together.

 

I have had three in mine, but they were all different types. One rear facing in the center, one front facing on one side, one backless booster on the other side. I've also done two front facing with a booster in between. The trick to buckling it is to reach your arm in from the front, along the seat bottom cushion. I imagine three child seats could actually be easier because once the seats are installed once you don't have to mess with the car's belts and buckles.

I was not able to do either of the above combinations in my old Civic. Despite being a wider car, its more sculpted seats force the boosters and seats inward until there's not enough room. The Fit's flatter bench seat allows them to be all the way out to the doors.

 

Exactly. Boosters are annoying. I've had current kid in a booster, a friend in a booster, and a friend with seatbelt only in the backseat. I had to have current kid position the booster and buckle in, then friend put in the booster and buckle in, then third friend get into the car. It takes forever. Large harnessed seats are easier because they can all get in and buckle in at the same time and don't have to take their seats in and out. They should all fit fine in Radians, and one's weight is low enough to fit in just about anything front-facing, so I just need to know which seats people have fit in three across!

And yeah, Civic depends on the year, as I've found out from seeing people on forums get really disappointed that they ordered something based on a post from someone with a different year Civic. Fit should be easier though, as you said, because the seat is all straight lines.

 

A quick Google showed me that those Radian booster seats aren't too wide, you probably can put 3 in there.

This is a pic on a minivan/crossover or something, not too wide, it's about the same width as the Fit's rear seats. I'm just guessing.

 

Right, I've googled it pretty extensively and talked to several car seat techs. As I said above, the width of the seats x 3 is a tiny bit more than the width of the Fit, so it may or may not work depending how they puzzle. I'm hoping to find someone who's actually done this successfully in a Fit before I spend $900 on the seats. Thanks.

 

Hi there, I did some research way back when I was looking into a second car seat. On babycenter.com forums I got some advice -- one of them had a honda fit and bought 3 radiant RXT and they did fit. I would suggest looking here, Convertible Car Seats, Toddler Booster, Radian Car Seat | Diono checking measurements, etc and then going to some place like buybuybaby and see if you can test it out before buying. Good luck, KP

 

That's a good point. I believe Toys R Us and Kids R Us will allow you to test-fit in the parking lot. Now whether they have three of the same model in stock is another question.

 

i say get a suv or minivan

 

Does anyone know of a national store that sells them in-store? Babies R Us doesn't sell them in-store, and requires pre-payment to order them.

 

I'm considering buying a 2015 Fit. I saw they have less hip room than the previous models. Has anyone had experience fitting three carseats across a 2015? Thanks...

 

Hi, I don't mean to post redundantly, but it's hard to find concrete statements on here about what is working. We have a 2010 fit and 3 Radian R100s. Right now 2 forward and 1 rear and they fit fine. All are on the seatbelts, not latch. They should also work fine as boosters (since these convert to boosters) since they fit now. It looks like we should be able to get them to work forward facing when the time comes, possibly with the little riser that radian sells for the middle one.