3 across in Subaru Outback

Please help...we have a 2006 Subaru Outback, and we'll be expecting our 3rd child in December. We also have 4.5 year old twins.

The twins are now in Eddie Bauer car seats, but I think those will be way too wide with an infant seat. So, I would like to know what combination of 2 booster seats and an infant seat do you think can fit 3 across in the Subaru?

Our daughter is about 40 lbs right now, and our son is a little smaller, about 36 lbs. However, I think they'll both be 40 lbs. by the time the baby comes. I don't know their heights off the top of my head, but our daughter is a little taller than average for her age, and our son is a little shorter than average.

Price is definately a concern...but fitting 3 across is a bigger one (we cannot afford a new vehicle any time soon).

Thanks in advance for your recommendations!

I'd like to add this to my original post...

After looking through many other threads on this site (something that I should have done before my original post!), it seems that Radians are very narrow and may work in the Subaru. However, there seems to be conflicting info as to whether they will install OK in the Outback (especially with a belt install).

Some other sites even suggest that the center position in the Subaru may not work at all with a RF infant seat, or a Radian.

So, has anyone installed 3 in a row (with one RF infant seat) in an outback? Should I forget about the Radians and just look into boosters (like the turboboster)? I'm concerned that our son won't be ready for a booster by the time the baby arrives, and it would probably be optimal for both of the twins (who will be 5 when the baby arrives) to still be in a 5 pt. harness.

Any thoughts?

Ive had several rearfacing infant seats in the centre of my outback and they fit just fine - its a 1997 and doesnt really have a hump though.

Cant help you with the other stuff though, I have a Truefit rf in the centre and a saftey first infant seat outboard - I would try Radians though, I think 2 of them would fit with an infant seat if you get a pretty narrow infant seat

snugride in the centre of the outback (yeah my son had a pink one....) I had it in there rock solid with the seatbelt.

I would try a Radian. Buy from a place with good return policy, so if it doesn't work you can return it. Try them with your current infant seat, and if that doesn't work, you may need a different infant seat - but still cheaper than a new car. You'll have to put your boys into the Radians and see how much growing room they have left as well. Post back if you have any problems, some people here know all the installation tricks with a Radian.

FYI - I just ordered 2 radians from Target.com. I am currently "playing around" with various install set-ups in my 2 vehicles. (I am definately keeping at least one of them, probably both.)

Anyhow, another poster here advised target because they can then be returned to a target store if they don't work out. I have a target only a few miles away, so that was the best for me. Oh, and shipping was free. I think there ended up being a $2-ish handling charge, but otherwise it was free.

Just wanted to add that you can use LATCH install in the Subaru up to 48 lbs...Subaru actually has 60lb limits on their LATCH, but you go by the car seat's limit of 48 lbs (whichever is lower) I could never get Radians installed with Seatbelt in my Outback- the buckle stalks were too long and stiff.
So, theoretically for now you could use 2 Radians for the twins in the Outboard positions with LATCH install (I had rock-solid Radian LATCH installs in my '02 Outback ) and find a narrow infant seat for the center seat belt install. Your kids may not reach 48 lbs for several years (my DD was 34 lbs at 3yrs, 39 lbs at 4yrs, and 42 lbs at 5yrs) so the growth really tends to slow down in the weight dept, while they get taller. According to the weight curve my daughter is on (75% percentile) she won't be 48 lbs until she is nearly 7yrs old. So, my advice is to try the Radians with LATCH installs, find a narrow infant seat for the center with seat belt install, and then when they are ready to outgrow the Radians by height, or exceed the LATCH limit, you could get different seats (they may be ready for boosters then) OR you may have a different vehicle. Definitely no boosters before they are at least 4yrs and 40 lbs, but also remember that those are minimum standards and keeping the kids in 5 pt harnesses as long as possible is the safest option. Good luck!

Found this post in the successful 3 across thread on here:
http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=487564&postcount=141

So a Radian will work in a couple different configurations at least. Looks like she didn't use 2 Radians, but a Radian and a Marathon. I know newborns don't usually fit well in a Marathon, but if you're going to use Radians in the car, or even boosters later on, a Marathon often puzzles great with them b/c it sits high on the base and the Radian and some boosters are more low profile and they fit nicely next to each other.

are your children still in the harnesses of their EB seats? Your dd has reached the weight limit and you either need to switch to booster mode or replace with a higher weight harnessing seat right away. At 4.5, there's a good chance they've both outgrown the harness by height as well. The seat is outgrown when their shoulders are above the top usuable harness position or ears are above the top of the shell (if they are 3 in 1s, the top harness position is not usable).

You can use the Radian for the entire 60 lbs Subaru allows (the manual states 48 lbs, unless vehicle manual allows. However, you're more likely to achieve 3 across with the seatbelts because they allow you to install the seats closer to the doors than with the lower anchors. Using the lower anchors will likely not leave you enough space to fit anything in the center.

I do think it's possible, but you'll likely have to invest in two Radians. Here are a couple threads of when I played around with both 3 across and Radians in my Outback.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=31148
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=38764

I know this is an old post, but we just bought a used 2006 outback and were searching the internet before we got it looking for 3 across information. So, in case someone else is in the same boat, I thought I'd post our experiences. We have a 5,3.5 and 1 year old. I still have the 5 year old harnessed, and had the 3.5 year old rear facing in our old car( Honda pilot). The 1 year old was getting too big for his jnfant seat.

What I wanted was 2 rf and 1 off seat. We were able to safely install the ff diono in the middle with 2 rf cocorros on the outboard seats. Yay! But, my 5 year old had no way of getting into his seat - the rf feathers were in the way and climbing into the center over the seats took forever ( and he is already super slow at getting in the car!) So what we ended up with was 2 ff dionos for the 5 and 3.5 year olds and a rf cocorro behind the drivers seat. Even with a car seat tech's help, we couldn't get the 2nd cocorro installed in the middle. And, any other rf seat was way too tall and the driver and passenger couldn't sit safely.

So, we did it and they are in their rock solid! We had to turn my 3.5 year old, which i didnt like, but we had no other realistic choice. And, he sits in the middle, which is a little safer. And he's 3.5!

Good luck to everyone!

I impressed by anyone getting a good three-across in the 2006 Outback. My sister has a 2006 Outback and that car is a bear to install seats in AT ALL, let alone getting a three-across.