Combi coccoro in 8th seat of Toyota Sienna (middle row, center seat) -successful install?

Woodika

New member
I'm pretty sure I got a successful, rock solid install in the the 8th seat of our 2014 Toyota Sienna and wanted to share how and make sure that it is an acceptable way to install. Our goal was to have our two kids on three driver side captains chair and the center seat so that the passenger side captains chair was able to move freely to allow access to the back row when we drive my nieces and would also be available for me or my husband to sit in the middle row next to our kids on long car rides. The car seat on the drivers side captains chair is a forward facing britax marathon 80.

First we tried a rear facing clek fllo in the center seat. It hung over the front of the seat a bit (the base was too long front to back), the anti rebound bar would not lie flat against the back of the center seat because of the captain chairs' arm rests, an because the width of the base is exactly the same as the width of the tiny center seat and the center seat sits slightly lower than the captains chairs, there was no way to check for movement at the belt path.

We removed the inner armrests of both captains chairs and then tried a friends maxi cost mico which had the same problems. Too much of the base hung over the front of the center seat and there was not enOuch space between the sides of the base and the captains chairs (which, again, are slightly higher up than the center seat sits) to check for movement at the beltpath.

We ordered a combi coccoro and with both inner captains chair armrests gone I easily got a rock solid install on my first try using the seat belt (no movement at the belt path and plenty of room between the captains chairs and the side of the combi to check this.) the combi is completely on the center seat with room to spare on all sides, not hanging over the front edge like the clek fllo or maxi cost mico were. The combi is narrow enough that the passenger side captains chair can move easily back and forth to allow full access to the third row. There is plenty of space between the britax marathon and the combi too.

Before trying this i read so many different opinions online about whether or not this center seat is usable for a car seat install but I feel really good about the install with the combi coccoro (in rear facing position only since there is no forward facing tether on this 8th seat).

Does it sound like a good install or is there something I'm missing?
 
Last edited:
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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
The only question is whether it will stay long term. Coccoros do have a habit of slipping back when bumped sometimes.
 

Woodika

New member
Thanks for the heads up! I was checking for movement at the belt path every time I put her in but stopped after a few days. I'll be sure to keep checking, especially since my older daughter climbs past the combi to get into her seat some of her time. So far it is still solid.
 

LC2003

New member
That is exactly how I did it. Without the inner arm rests, it is super solid and has never budged an inch with the Euro belt routing. I check it all the time and it never moves.

I have mine tethered to the left track of the passenger seat. It is an acceptable degree off from center, and it does not ping the airbag sensors nor touch the seat at all.

The 2nd row passenger seat moves forward and back with no problem.

I did use the locking clip after much discussion here.

My only gripe is that the friction of the seat against the car's seat back rubs the bottom of the cover up and off and I am always tucking it back in and it just won't stay.
 

Woodika

New member
Thank you for your reply! I'm so relieved to see that somebody on here thinks this is a legit and safe install! I don't think we have a problem with the seat cover coming off that you mentioned...maybe our angle is slightly different? Could you explain why you decided to use the lock off clip or post a link to the discussion on it? Currently we don't have it locked off, but I pulled the Toyota belt out all the way during the install and so it is locked...

It's been a few weeks and I still LOVE the combi seat and love that I have the passenger seat all to myself when I sit in the back with full access to the 3rd row. And the passenger seat is an excellent place to nurse the baby for a bit before she goes back into her seat during stops on long drives.
 

LC2003

New member
Thank you for your reply! I'm so relieved to see that somebody on here thinks this is a legit and safe install! I don't think we have a problem with the seat cover coming off that you mentioned...maybe our angle is slightly different? Could you explain why you decided to use the lock off clip or post a link to the discussion on it? Currently we don't have it locked off, but I pulled the Toyota belt out all the way during the install and so it is locked...

It's been a few weeks and I still LOVE the combi seat and love that I have the passenger seat all to myself when I sit in the back with full access to the 3rd row. And the passenger seat is an excellent place to nurse the baby for a bit before she goes back into her seat during stops on long drives.

Here is the thread I started about it: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=276589

I also locked mine by pulling it out all the way and then I slid the blue clip on anyway. I'm not sure why I did that, TBH.

I don't know why the bottom of my cover by the tightening strap lifts up. Do you have leather? Mine is fabric. Maybe leather wouldn't have enough friction. I have it reclined to the line drawn on the side.

My only issue is fear of losing the armrests and hardware now that they are not in the car. DH is kinda crazy about it, actually.

I also really love the seat. Someday if she forward-faces and is still tiny (very likely as she was a preemie and is only 3rd percentile), I intend to use it in the 3rd row center where so few seats fit.
 

Dad123

New member
I'm pretty sure I got a successful, rock solid install in the the 8th seat of our 2014 Toyota Sienna and wanted to share how and make sure that it is an acceptable way to install. Our goal was to have our two kids on three driver side captains chair and the center seat so that the passenger side captains chair was able to move freely to allow access to the back row when we drive my nieces and would also be available for me or my husband to sit in the middle row next to our kids on long car rides. The car seat on the drivers side captains chair is a forward facing britax marathon 80.

First we tried a rear facing clek fllo in the center seat. It hung over the front of the seat a bit (the base was too long front to back), the anti rebound bar would not lie flat against the back of the center seat because of the captain chairs' arm rests, an because the width of the base is exactly the same as the width of the tiny center seat and the center seat sits slightly lower than the captains chairs, there was no way to check for movement at the belt path.

We removed the inner armrests of both captains chairs and then tried a friends maxi cost mico which had the same problems. Too much of the base hung over the front of the center seat and there was not enOuch space between the sides of the base and the captains chairs (which, again, are slightly higher up than the center seat sits) to check for movement at the beltpath.

We ordered a combi coccoro and with both inner captains chair armrests gone I easily got a rock solid install on my first try using the seat belt (no movement at the belt path and plenty of room between the captains chairs and the side of the combi to check this.) the combi is completely on the center seat with room to spare on all sides, not hanging over the front edge like the clek fllo or maxi cost mico were. The combi is narrow enough that the passenger side captains chair can move easily back and forth to allow full access to the third row. There is plenty of space between the britax marathon and the combi too.

Before trying this i read so many different opinions online about whether or not this center seat is usable for a car seat install but I feel really good about the install with the combi coccoro (in rear facing position only since there is no forward facing tether on this 8th seat).

Does it sound like a good install or is there something I'm missing?

How do you take off the armrests? (I know this thread is years old)
 

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