8 passenger Honda Odyssey with 3 carseats in 2nd row?

Dawn (Unregistered) · Apr 18, 2008

Hi,
We have a lightweight 4 year old in a Britax Roundabout (she's only 35lbs, not heavy enough for a booster), and we are due with twins this summer. We are shopping for a minivan to fit all 3 car seats as safely as possible. We especially like the 2008 Honda Odyssey in its 8 passenger configuration, and want to put all 3 carseats in the 2nd row. Is it possible to safely install 3 carseats in this row? The twins will be in Graco Snugrides for probably 6 months or longer, and perhaps after that, my daughter will be heavy enough for a booster (she would be 5 about that time).

I understand there is no top tether for the middle removable seat, but is that needed for either the snugrides or a booster? Ie, can we put a snugride there safely while the twins are small enough to fit in it, and then later on put my daughter in a booster there safely when she is heavy enough for it? Are forward & rear facing convertible seats the only ones that can't go in that position?

Safety is of primary importance to us, but I dread putting my 4yo in the 3rd row of a van where I can't pass her tissues or snacks, etc when we are stopped.

Thanks so much for any advice,
Dawn

mylittlet · Apr 18, 2008

First off, each step up is a loose of safety. So, rearfacing is safer then 5-point forward facing, 5-point forward facing is safer then a booster.

Since your 4 year old is smaller, I would suggest keeping her harnessed longer. Also, when doing 3 across, it is much easier to keep all kids harnessed.

I am sure that 3 across will work in the 2nd row of the Odyssey, but it will take the right combination. Do you already have the Snugrides? Do you have one from your daughter?

A top tether is only needed for a 5-point forward facing seat. A rearfacing seat could work in the middle seat just fine.

I would suggest looking at the Radian65 for your 4 year old. Hopefully someone else will see this and know how it installs in the Odyssey. There is also another post on this that is all about Radian installs. The Radian is a narrow seat, so it works well in 3 across situations.

Dawn (Unregistered) · Apr 19, 2008

Hi Stefanie,
Thanks so much for your response. We will definitely keep our daughter harnessed until she outgrows her Roundabout. We have some time since she is gaining weight so slowly.

It is good to hear that 3 seats across should be possible and that only the forward facing seat would be a problem in that position. That gives us quite a bit of time with 3 across. We already have the snugrides, but would consider buying different ones if necessary to get a good install. We will also take a look at the Radian.

Has anyone out there successfully installed 3 across in the 2nd row of the Odyssey, and if so which seats did you use?

Thanks in advance,
Dawn

mylittlet · Apr 20, 2008

Forgot to add to watch your daughters shoulders. When they are above the top slots she needs a new carseat. My guess is that she will grow her Roundabout by height before weight.

Also, when working 3 across a rf/ff/rf combo seems to work best. Also, if you are not going to be using the 3rd seat, you can tether the middle seat to the 3rd row middle seatbelt. If you want a link to see how, just ask in a new post so someone will see it. I am not sure where that link is right now.

trailrunnermom · Apr 20, 2008

Re: Odyssey 3-across 2nd row

I have a 2007 Odyssey. I tried a couple of times to install a car seat in the 2nd row center jump-seat, but I wasn't able to get a good install. (I tried a Cosco Regal Ride, since it's narrow, both RF and FF. I think I may have also tried a Snugride base.) That seat doesn't have a rear tether, so it's not a good place for a FF 5-point car seat.

What worked best for me was to slide the passenger-side captain's chair over, so there's a side aisle for easy entry and buckling in the 3rd row. (I had my two great-nieces on the 2nd row, and my 2 sons in the 3rd row.) A lower-profile 5-point harness seat outboard on the 3rd row was the easiest to use -- at times I put a Radian there (tough to install, though, unless the '08 Ody has LATCH in that position), a Husky (Regent), and a Fisher-Price Safe Voyage Deluxe (same size as a Marathon; not low-profile, though). I think a Graco Nautilus would work well in that spot, too! I know it's hard to not be able to reach your 4-year-old, but there's two cupholders and even a little storage compartment in that spot.

Another option might be to go with the Toyota Sienna; I've seen and read on here in the past year about people having much better success putting 3-across in the Sienna's second row. I think someone even had two Regents outboard with a 3rd seat in the middle!

Good luck with the car shopping!

wendy1221 · Apr 20, 2008

Have you looked at the Siennas? THey've had the 3 seat middle row longer than the Oddyseys have. My friend has an Oddysey, and I have a Sienna. I LOVE my Sienna! It is a 7 seater, not an 8 seater, though. My friend has an Odyssey and says she likes my Sienna a lot more. I have never had a problem installing ANY seats in my Sienna, they're very user friendly.

sasicas · Apr 20, 2008

We looked at the Odyssey a few weeks back and it really did not look like I would be able to get my 3 seats across in it, we did not test it though, but the middle seat is VERY small and can be removed, it just didnt seem like it was safe enough for us. We did have a Chevy Venture, they dont make it anymore but if you are going to buy used you might consider it, ours was great, all 3 seats fit across the middle, we had an Apex, and two snugrides, eventually went to an Apex and two Triumphs and they all still fit. We ended up going with the Saturn Outlook, gas mileage is great, about the same as with the minivan and Im thinking we could fit all 3 across in the second row but have not tried it. Your best bet is probably to take all the car seats and go looking around and trying to install the seats, I know that Saturn had no problem letting me try the carseats.

sirrahn · Apr 20, 2008

trailrunnermom said:
Another option might be to go with the Toyota Sienna; I've seen and read on here in the past year about people having much better success putting 3-across in the Sienna's second row. I think someone even had two Regents outboard with a 3rd seat in the middle!

Good luck with the car shopping!

Yes, the Sienna has 3 "real" seats across the 2nd row, all equipped with full LATCH. The center one can also be moved forward so that a child in easy reach of the front seats.

Unregistered · Jan 1, 2011

We installed 3 Britax Boulevards in the second row of our 2005 Odyssey Touring. We purchased and installed the center seat. To secure the center seat we "shared" the latch system connection points the captains chairs. (The latch connection points are wide enough to attach two connectors). Directly below the center seat there is a seat-base mounting connector in the floor of the van --- and we used that to connect the top-tether. Voila.

The tricky part (as others have observed in this thread) is dealing with the WIDTH of three full size car seats. The Britax seats are 20" wide, and the center seat really only has 14" to work with. What we did was slide the two captains chairs back as far as they would go, and by doing that (and by using 3 identical carseats) we were able to "spoon" or "nest" the outboard seats under the lip of the carseat in the center. It fits like a glove. All three seats are affixed with the latch system and tethers. We have loads of cargo space and are EXTREMELY RELIEVED not to have anyone sitting so close the the rear door (which just seems so vulnerable to a rear impact).

Good luck everyone -- If you are reading this thread, you are good and caring parents trying to put your kids in comfort and safety. Commendable.

wendytthomas · Jan 1, 2011

Honda does not allow sharing of the inner anchors, and no carseat or car allows for two hooks to be on one anchor. Is that what you're doing? If so, you need to reinstall immediately for your children to be safe.

Second, if the seats are tight only because they're being held down by others, they're not tight nor safe. You need each of those seats to be installed as if it's the only seat in the car. Usually what we do is install the middle one first and get it tight (in your case, with the seatbelt). Then install the outer ones (in a three across, often with the seatbelts as well so you can pull the seats to the sides and give the middle a bit more room). Remove the middle seat and make sure the outer seats still have less than 1" of movement at the belt path. If you do, you can either reinstall the middle seat between them, or what is more likely, you remove them and do the whole thing again one more time.

Also, are your seats forward or rear facing? You cannot tether rear facing Britax seats to the seat they're sitting on. So finding something under the seat to tether to is not allowed. If they're forward facing, using an approved tether location (on the captain's chairs they are under the seat, not sure on the plus one) is the only permitted thing to do.

Wendy

mlohry · Jan 2, 2011

We have an 05 Odyssey and we have the plus one seat. I believe the 3 across in the middle is the same for a 05 until the new model 2011 so this advice should work for an 08. I have my daughter installed RF in a Roundabout 50 in the passenger side captains chair slid up as far as it can to allow my boys into the 3rd row, then I installed a Snugride 32 with the base on the plus one seat and then another Snugride 32 with base on the drivers side captains chair, so those 2 seats are right next to each other and the passenger chair is off center and it is a great install on all 3 seats. So I think you would be fine with the Roundabout installed FF. I had to do this 3 across because I am going to do daycare for my twin nieces.

Unregistered · Jan 2, 2011

I really would reccomend looking into the Sienna. The middle seat really is FULL SIZE, allowing practically any seat to fit there.

lovinwaves · Jan 2, 2011

Can you put 3 seats across in the 2nd row safely? yes. Are you probably going to need to buy certain seats to accommodate that? yes.

I will say that several of us have 3 kids in our Odyssey and most of us utilize the 3rd row. One member here has the "8th seat" and one of the captain's chairs completely removed and has two kids in the 3rd row, and one kid in the 2nd row. That's easiest for her and works well.

Unless your daughter goes rear-facing again, you are going to need to put one of the infants in the "8th seat" in the middle. That is going to make it very hard for you to get the infant in and out of the van (ouch my back!).

I would suggest removing the 8th seat and sliding the passenger side captain's chair over and placing the 4 year old in the back row by herself. The twins will be in the two captain's chairs in the 2nd row. There are some nice pockets and drink holders in the 3rd row for your 4 year old to place toys, tissues, drinks, snacks, etc... If you really need to attend to her, it would safest to pull off the road.

The 2nd row can hold 3 car seats, but I don't think it's going to be the easiest for you. :twocents: There are several configurations you can do with that van. Also keep in mind that you can utilize the rear hatch for pulling kids out of their seats (I do this frequently with my baby nephew who rides in the 3rd row a lot rear-facing).

My successful 3-across in the 2nd row of my Odyssey was a rear-facing seat in the "8th seat" and two forward facing seats in the captain's chairs (Either boosters or harnessed seats). So pretty much the opposite of what you are needing. Bummer.

Good luck!

mlohry · Jan 2, 2011

Without the twins with us, it's just my 3 kiddos and we slide the passenger captains chair middle row to the muddle so that it makes a nice walkway to the 3rd row. You can check my siggy for our normal seating arrangement.

MySillyKids · Jan 2, 2011

Unregistered said:
We installed 3 Britax Boulevards in the second row of our 2005 Odyssey Touring. We purchased and installed the center seat. To secure the center seat we "shared" the latch system connection points the captains chairs. (The latch connection points are wide enough to attach two connectors). Directly below the center seat there is a seat-base mounting connector in the floor of the van --- and we used that to connect the top-tether. Voila.

you CANNOT use the plus one seat. It's useless for the 2005 honda odyssey touring. There's NO seatbelt there, because it's NOT MEANT to be there.the seatbelt comes out of the ceiling, IF that seat came with the car. I had a 2005 touring also, and we forfitted the right to use the plusone seat buying that vehicle.

lovinwaves said:
Can you put 3 seats across in the 2nd row safely? yes. NO! Are you probably going to need to buy certain seats to accommodate that? yes. NO!

I will say that several of us have 3 kids in our Odyssey and most of us utilize the 3rd row. One member here has the "8th seat" and one of the captain's chairs completely removed and has two kids in the 3rd row, and one kid in the 2nd row. That's easiest for her and works well.

Unless your daughter goes rear-facing again, you are going to need to put one of the infants in the "8th seat" in the middle. That is going to make it very hard for you to get the infant in and out of the van (ouch my back!).

I would suggest removing the 8th seat and sliding the passenger side captain's chair over and placing the 4 year old in the back row by herself. The twins will be in the two captain's chairs in the 2nd row. There are some nice pockets and drink holders in the 3rd row for your 4 year old to place toys, tissues, drinks, snacks, etc... If you really need to attend to her, it would safest to pull off the road.

The 2nd row can hold 3 car seats, but I don't think it's going to be the easiest for you. NO!!!! :twocents: There are several configurations you can do with that van. Also keep in mind that you can utilize the rear hatch for pulling kids out of their seats (I do this frequently with my baby nephew who rides in the 3rd row a lot rear-facing).

My successful 3-across in the 2nd row of my Odyssey was a rear-facing seat in the "8th seat" and two forward facing seats in the captain's chairs (Either boosters or harnessed seats). So pretty much the opposite of what you are needing. Bummer.

Good luck!

She CANNOT use the plus one seat. (i know you know that mel!

lovinwaves · Jan 2, 2011

I was replying to the OP which wasn't speaking of a Touring.

Darn these old threads that get brought up again

chuck · Jan 18, 2011

Hi, I am having an issue as well. We have a 2007 Honda Odyssey, 7 seater, and its small!

We have 3 girls, and 1 boy on the way. The eldest girl is 6 yrs old, roughly 40 pounds, the 2nd is 4 yrs old, about 30 lbs, and 3rd is 1 year, 4 mths old, 22 lbs. All are in car seats.

I would like to know if we can --and should-- use booster seats in the back row. I would like to use 3 forward facing Graco (style Julia) Nautilis 3in1 booster seats for the 3 girls, whilst the newborn would sit, rear-facing, in the middle row.

Can or should we make this work? I do not mind having 3 5-point car seats, due to safety concerns, if need be.

Any advice would really help us out!

If we need to trade in the Odyssey, we will do so, as safety is more important than convenience.

I read from an earlier poster that Honda will not permit sharing of the hooks--maybe the Sienna is a better option?

We are very concerned with safety--I've even read if we were hit in the rear, its very dangerous, versus the middle of the mini-van.

mylittlet · Jan 18, 2011

chuck said:
Hi, I am having an issue as well. We have a 2007 Honda Odyssey, 7 seater, and its small!

We have 3 girls, and 1 boy on the way. The eldest girl is 6 yrs old, roughly 40 pounds, the 2nd is 4 yrs old, about 30 lbs, and 3rd is 1 year, 4 mths old, 22 lbs. All are in car seats.

I would like to know if we can --and should-- use booster seats in the back row. I would like to use 3 forward facing Graco (style Julia) Nautilis 3in1 booster seats for the 3 girls, whilst the newborn would sit, rear-facing, in the middle row.

Can or should we make this work? I do not mind having 3 5-point car seats, due to safety concerns, if need be.

Any advice would really help us out!

If we need to trade in the Odyssey, we will do so, as safety is more important than convenience.

I read from an earlier poster that Honda will not permit sharing of the hooks--maybe the Sienna is a better option?

We are very concerned with safety--I've even read if we were hit in the rear, its very dangerous, versus the middle of the mini-van.

I highly doubt you would get 3 Nautilus in one row. Also, we would never recommend putting a 1y in a ff seat. She needs to be rearfacing a while longer.

chuck · Jan 19, 2011

Thx for the reply...if that is the case (i.e. not able to fit 3 Nautilis + recommend against it--what is your recommendation for 4 car seats in this vehicle?

2 forward-facing Nautilis boosters in the rear, one on far left, one on far right.
1 forward facing car seat for 1.5 year old in the middle
1 rear facing car seat for newborn, in the middle?

mylittlet · Jan 19, 2011

chuck said:
Thx for the reply...if that is the case (i.e. not able to fit 3 Nautilis + recommend against it--what is your recommendation for 4 car seats in this vehicle?

2 forward-facing Nautilis boosters in the rear, one on far left, one on far right.
1 forward facing car seat for 1.5 year old in the middle
1 rear facing car seat for newborn, in the middle?

I suggest you start a new thread with your questions. Then it will be all answers to your questions. We would all recommend you rearface the 18month old. She is 5x safer rearfacing. Kids should rearface until they outgrow convertibles rearfacing, usually minimim age 2y, but we like to see longer. Check out the forward facing to soon link on the left side at www.cpsafety.com. So I would do 2 ff and 1 rf seat. I don't know what would fit.

8 passenger Honda Odyssey with 3 carseats in 2nd row?

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