General Kids seats and 3 rear passengers

[Van Diemen]

Anyone ever use their Pandas with 3 rear passengers, when at least one requires a child seat? What kids seats do you use and how do you get on?

(Obviously this post only applies to those with 3 rear belts fitted!!)

 

[lamlash]

Do any of them have 3 rear seat belts? I thought it was a 4 seater only.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Do any of them have 3 rear seat belts? I thought it was a 4 seater only.

Was a factory fitted option.

 

[Wee Smurf]

Which age group seat are you looking to use? Infant carrier, 9 months to 4 years or high back booster seat?

Is this something for a one-off? Or a regular arrangement?

 

[lamlash]

Sorry if I'm going a bit off-topic, but can the middle rear belt be retro-fitted? Would be very useful for ferrying the occasional extra child around. My kids don't need booster seats anymore.

 

[Van Diemen]

Which age group seat are you looking to use? Infant carrier, 9 months to 4 years or high back booster seat?

Is this something for a one-off? Or a regular arrangement?

I'm interested as a bit of research. I have 3 kids that can fit in with a particular set of seats but I want to know what others do (if indeed anyone does).

 

[Jerseywurzel]

Was a factory fitted option.

Yes, mine was factory fitted, even though I didn`t actually order it lol

It has actually come in handy on a couple of occasions.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Sorry if I'm going a bit off-topic, but can the middle rear belt be retro-fitted? Would be very useful for ferrying the occasional extra child around. My kids don't need booster seats anymore.

At a great expense. Although if you can get the parts from a salvage vehicle you'll be ok, it's extensive though, and good half day job and involves changing half the interior.

 

[Wee Smurf]

I only have two kids (one lightweight age 3 and a big age 5 = so one 9 month - 4 seat and one booster with back), but I have gathered up loads of different car seats over the years...

If it's going to be just an odd occasion and they're all of booster seat size / age, you probably could fit 3 BubbleBums in the back. These are inflatable booster seats, but are only 33cm wide (I bought one for travel purposes as they take up no room in the suitcase). The newer ones have a tether to position the seatbelt over the shoulder. They're around £25 or so in the likes of Halfords. I haven't come across any seat as compact in width as those. The Graco ones are 40cm wide so not suitable if two or three are required...

Admittedly, if I need to take three kids (the third is usually my sister's small 6 year old), I take the husband's Accord... I can (only just) fit the second stage seat in with two boosters in it and it's a good bit wider.

 

[gtidriver]

Multimac 100... Not cheap though, but neither are children

 

[Wee Smurf]

Multimac 100... Not cheap though, but neither are children

I didn't suggest that as I know it's well over £1000...

I went for the cheaper £75 option instead (despite being a woman)!

 

[Van Diemen]

No, Multimacs aren't cheap and obviously come with other discussions.

I've done a lot of research on this issue, as there are loads of cars you can't fit 3 seats in the rear of properly including Mondeos and even Audi A8's (when I say properly, I mean without overlapping seats mean they sit skew or obscuring seatbelts). Obviously the Panda is the most extreme end of the spectrum.

I'm not looking to make or sell seats directly, but we have designed, made and crash tested an ISOFIX prototype to test the concept. Basically the seat can be offset from centre and securely locked in place, therefore gaining the space in the centre. The result is that everyone is sitting square on the seat with as much space as possible. It makes a massive difference, with 3 seats viable in nearly all cars. As i say, I am not making or selling these, but I am interested in the experiences and solutions people use at the moment.

 

[Wee Smurf]

Just out of interest, how close does it make the seat to the door?

Also is it physically possible to set three proper-size child seats in the back of a Panda?

I reckon that door-to-door there's approximately 120cm to play with in a Panda. A Group 1 car seat is on average around 45cm wide and the most basic full-size Group 2-3 high back booster (by Graco) is about 41cm wide. So three won't fit...

So you'd be down to the narrower "travel" seats. Even the likes of the Trunki Boostapak travel seat is 40cm wide so no room for manoeuvre there, and therefore back again to the BubbleBum! ...

In other words, you'd need to design a narrower car set as well.

Sorry but the statistician in me probably thinks a little too much!

 

[johnswlondon]

well i was a bit disappointed the panda only came with two rear seats, especially since it comes with two rear doors...anyway...

 

[Super Uwe]

No, Multimacs aren't cheap and obviously come with other discussions.

I've done a lot of research on this issue, as there are loads of cars you can't fit 3 seats in the rear of properly including Mondeos and even Audi A8's (when I say properly, I mean without overlapping seats mean they sit skew or obscuring seatbelts). Obviously the Panda is the most extreme end of the spectrum.

I'm not looking to make or sell seats directly, but we have designed, made and crash tested an ISOFIX prototype to test the concept. Basically the seat can be offset from centre and securely locked in place, therefore gaining the space in the centre. The result is that everyone is sitting square on the seat with as much space as possible. It makes a massive difference, with 3 seats viable in nearly all cars. As i say, I am not making or selling these, but I am interested in the experiences and solutions people use at the moment.

Hi Van Diemen,

Just wondering if there is any more news on this prototype?

I'm certainly interested as our Panda is just like the one in your picture (same horrible upholstery too, haha!).

Am I right in saying that you could potentially fit three car seats in there, or are we talking about two car seats + one other passenger (with any third car seat going in the front)?

Also - might be worth moving this one to the Panda 2012 section as that is the one featured here?

Very interesting by the way!