Car Seats to fit 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon

[rp2b]

We are expecting our first in December and I'm a bit torn on what car seat to buy. Given the age of our car and size of the back seat, is there anything we need to consider when choosing a car seat?

We considered skipping the infant seat and going straight to a convertible, but if our car is too small for a convertible in a full newborn recline position, we're okay getting an infant seat first.

Would love to hear any recommendations for specific seats that will fit, or things I should look out for when trying to choose one.

 

[rachelandtyke]

What are the heights of the front seat passengers? Does it have the hump in the middle of the back seat like the 2002 does?

 

[rp2b]

I'm 5'4" and my husband is 5'11".
I'm not sure whether you'd consider this a hump. It is raised compared to the side seats, but only slightly. Pics below.

https://imgur.com/AJbss4o

https://imgur.com/CrScfcM

 

[MelodyoftheForest]

Do you have a budget in mind?

I don't think that hump should be a problem. It would likely be difficult to install a seat in the center because of that plastic bit at the bottom and because of the type of lap belt there. A convertible might work, as it's less likely to contact the lower part of the center seat back. You'd need a belt shortening clip though, and they can be hard to come by.

So, you should probably plan to use one of the outboard seats. There are convertibles that are more compact than most infant seats front-to-back, and others might know more about that than I do. I know Graco tends to be compact, and there are some newer seats that have cool recline features or inserts that help get a good newborn fit, but not sure which ones off the top of my head.

 

[rp2b]

If we start with an infant seat, I'd prefer not to go over $200 since it's such a temporary seat, and I know we can get the Chicco KeyFit 30 or Graco Snugride Snuglock 35 in that price range, but wasn't sure about the fit of either of those.

If we go straight to a convertible, budget isn't a concern as we'll spend what we need to to get a good quality seat with the best fit.

 

[SafeDad]

I agree that the hump is not likely to be an issue, but the seatbelt and hardware may be problematic for some car seats. It's hard to say for certain which ones would be affected unless you can find reports from a credible source online of models that work well.

The outboard seats should be fine for most car seats, and the Keyfit 30 and SR SL 35 are both great choices. This one is still on deal at $180 https://amzn.to/3hrzWKz and Chicco has a sale at their website with $30 off $199 (or $50 off if you sign up for the email offer): https://fave.co/2FPCqEJ

For convertibles, since you don't have LATCH, I would suggest one with an easy seatbelt installation system like the Britax ClickTight models: https://amzn.to/2Qn93LY

Whatever you buy, unless you are certain you love it and it works, be sure that the retailer has an easy/free returns policy just in case. Return shipping can cost a small fortune if you find it doesn't work or you don't like it for any reason.