Narrow booster to fit in a three across?

oakster

New member
Hi! My five-year-old (almost 40 pounds, 43") is almost at the minimum weight for a booster and otherwise seems mature enough to handle riding in a booster on occasion, so I'd like to start looking around for a booster to do some training so that we have it as an option for occasional use when we need to fit three children in our 2015 Subaru Impreza. He usually rides harnessed in a Frontier ClickTight and we plan to keep him harnessed in that for at least another 18 months or so, when we'll likely hand it down and get a dedicated booster for daily use.

Primary uses for this will be rare three-across in our car, occasional carpool or unexpected pickup if he's riding with someone else, eventually future travel, and other unusual situations. So I think I'm probably looking for a LBB, though if there is a HBB that might be light/easy to move for this sort of thing and potentially work, that's great too.

Our other seats are a RF Britax Marathon G3 and an Evenflo Maestro (I'm assuming the Frontier is useless for three across). Is there a narrow booster that might work with these seats to squish into a smaller backseat that would be appropriate for a child his size who is a new booster rider? Is it worth looking at something like a RideSafer Travel Vest or other less conventional solutions (and is there anything new on this front?)

Thanks!
 
ADS

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Most of the time, a booster is tougher in a tight 3 across than a harness, especially if you're talking a high backed booster (something like the Bubblebum the exception.)

With such wide seats (all 3 are wide) a RSTV may work but I doubt a conventional seat will, and I don't consider that a great solution for riding in other parents' cars if you haven't been able to specifically train them on its use. It is worth noting that a RF Marathon and Frontier often work next to each other where you'd think they might not.

What you may want to do if you go that route is also get a Turbobooster or another simple high back to teach him to ride in a conventional booster when you AREN'T doing 3 across, and be able to send with others.
 

kazkirk

New member
We have 3 across, Im having a hard time with boosters, they just cant buckle the damn things. I think we are upgrading their freshly outgrown 5pt to....more 5pt with higher limits. That or they need tiny, microscopic hands. Its just not happening.
 

oakster

New member
Thank you (but ugh--picked the Maestro in part because it was supposed to be more compact!)

An alternate question, if nothing is likely to work with what we have--is there a seat here that we could replace with something that might then play with one of the remaining seats and a booster? The Marathon is the best candidate for this since it expires in two years, although we would then need another RFing seat to swap in. We do also have a Combi Coccoro, but my 2.5yo just hit the RFing height limit, and if he follows his brother's growth pattern, will likely be close to the FF height limit before we're ready to turn him. So I'd also be fine selling that if there's a logical seat to replace it with. I'm not super excited about buying another convertible since we own two but if it were long-lasting FFing and decent for travel, it would be worth it.

Thanks!
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
You can save some space on the Maestro by calling Evenflo to order hole caps so you can remove the cupholders. That will help some.

The BubbleBum is narrow. It will work. It is just more difficult for new booster riders to keep their position on in my opinion. So I would probably start training in a different booster if possible, and use that for three across when needed once he's a more experienced rider if that makes sense. It may still be difficult to do up and you may have to help.

If you'd like to continue rear facing the Graco Slimfit may be an option. Or if budget isn't an issue, a Clek possibly.
 

oakster

New member
Thanks! Clek is out for price, given that we have at most another 18m rear-facing (and younger child is a peanut, so no need for the extended RFing capacity otherwise). I will see about the hole caps for the Maestro, though, since that would help. Is it worth looking at the Scenera Next, or is that not likely to be enough narrower than what we already have to make a difference? Right now Kid #1 fits in any of the Maestro, Frontier, and Marathon; Kid #2 fits only in the Marathon. No one officially fits in the Coccoro (boo) although I am okay with using it on rare occasions RFing since my younger son still has two inches above his head in it. They all almost fit in the various three-across combos, but the door won't close without pushing on the last seat, so it seems like we only need to pick up an inch or so somewhere (or find a better way to puzzle them than what I've tried so far). Ugh.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
The Scenera Next is certainly narrower than the Marathon! Check before buying on fit to child- I don't know where the child falls on the shell of the Coccoro but it isn't a LOT taller.
 

oakster

New member
He is mostly legs (24m shirt size) and has a good bit of shell left in the Coccoro, but measured at 36" last month so technically has outgrown it. It looks like the Scenera goes to 40"/43" vs. the Coccoro's 36"/40", which might be enough to make a difference even if the shell's about the same. (Older DS outgrew the Coccoro both RF and FF by hitting height limits vs. other measures, and younger DS looks on track for the same.) Sounds like it might be worth at least checking out, since it would be a lot cheaper than anything else--thanks!
 

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