Question Minivan owners!! 2nd row bench or captians chairs?

Which do you prefer? Why? Which would be better for 2 seats side by side RF?

I have teenagers, so I personally prefer captains chairs, so they can easily get in the back. When I have 2 RF seats (rarely), I put them in the captains chairs. If I will have others not in seats, or in other seats, then the oldest RFer goes on the back bench, center (because it's a lap only belt).

Kinda depends on the minivan.

In general, I prefer bench. To me, if you've got two in the 2nd row, it's easier to access the 3rd row if you've got a bench instead of two captain chairs. Too hard to squeeze through IMO and I'm pretty skinny.

I dunno about some other cars, but on the 2004-2010 Toyota Sienna 8 seater and the new 2011+ Honda Odyssey 8 seater, if you do two side by side, I don't have any problems flipping forward that 3rd section of the bench and getting into the 3rd row.

I have two captains chairs..... and two rear facers. I would NOT want a 2rd row bench or even an optional 8th seat because i would never use it.... and here's why -

I took one of my captains chairs out. Yep, i have only one captains chair in (directly behind the drivers seat outboard) and the 3rd row bench up. This allow me to be able to climb in and have some room to help the littles. I do have to put in the other captains chair every couple of weeks to haul extra kids and i HATE it. I am so used to the kids running in and getting in their seats and my being able to climb in behind them get them buckled quickly, etc and have room to manuver things like heavy coats coming off, boots/shoes off if its wet. Etc. Now i do only have 3 kids so this works for us, but i love love love the space and flexibility of the captains chairs.

And in case this matter DS1 and DS2 ride on the 3rd row bench each outboard so there is the empty middle seat between them to let DS2 climb in his RF seat unassisted. DS1 is in a booster and this allows him easy access to his buckle. DS3 rides RF in the lone captains chair and is too little to climb in on his own. If i did want my two RF side by side i would still want the captains chairs for the flexibility, and in my Sienna the pass. captains chair can slide over so i would slide the seat over and have the two seats side by side with the aisle on the outboard passenger side. This is how i load the seats in when i take extra kiddos. Boosters in back, two RF seats in the captains chairs.

It works for us

Just remembered...when we moved I took the captains chairs out, moved the bench up to the 2nd row, and was still able drive us all, as well as load up all the "soft stuff" that needed to be moved.