The Ford F-150 is the most popular pickup truck sold today in the United States, as well as the most popular vehicle sold in the country overall. Competing with (and outselling) full-sized pickups like the Dodge Ram, Toyota Tundra, Chevrolet Silverado, Honda Ridgeline and Chevrolet Silverado, the popularity of the F-150 as an all-American favorite means it’s used by a large number of families to transport children to school and around as a means of day-to-day transportation. 

However, transporting children safely in a pickup truck means having some basic knowledge of car seat safety. Let’s first talk about which kinds of seats should be used during which ages and stages of child development, and then we’ll get down to which car seats can be fit 3 across in a typical F-150. If you’re in a hurry, the answer is nearly all of them.

Car seat safety begins with rear-facing, whether you’re driving a subcompact or a full-sized pickup truck. To keep your infants, toddlers, and preschoolers as safe as possible, I typically suggest keeping children rear-facing as long as possible (until 4 or 5 like the Swedes), followed by harnessing until they can safely use booster seats (until at least 5, like the Swedes), and then boostering until the 5 step test is passed (typically between 10, 11, and 12). Beyond that, I suggest keeping kids in the back seat until at least 13, and delaying teen solo driving until 18 if possible.  Even if you’re in a large vehicle, you’ll protect your children far more by properly restraining them than by skipping stages.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at what worked and what didn’t. The fact of the matter is that with a vehicle as large as the F-150, you typically aren’t going to have any issues with 3 across car seat installations in terms of width; your main challenges will have to do with front-to-back room, which depends on your cabin sizes. That said, this is likely to be the most thorough 3 across car seat guide for the F-150 on the Internet, and I’ll keep adding to it over time.

You can access the complete 3 across guide for every vehicle here and the complete list of recommended seats here. The Canadian car seat guide is here. 3 across car seat images are courtesy of Wikipedia.

2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Ford F-150

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian 3RXT (x3).

Diono Radian 3RX (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Rainier (x3).

Diono Pacifica (x3).

Diono Olympia (x3).

Combi Cocorro (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30, Britax Pinnacle 90, Clek Foonf.

Clek Fllo, Britax Pinnacle 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Foonf, Britax Frontier 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Graco TurboBooster.

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco TurboBooster.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Tips and Tricks:

The current generation of the Ford F-150 is between 209 and 250 inches long, depending on which cab size you choose, and 80 inches wide. In other words, you’re going to be able to fit just about any 3 car seats next to each other when it comes to width. However, when it comes to front-to-back space, what you can and can’t do will depend on your cab size. In smaller cab sizes, you might have a good bit of trouble due to needing to choose between car seats and front-passenger space.

2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Ford F-150

Guaranteed 3 across installations: 

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian 3RXT (x3).

Diono Radian 3RX (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Rainier (x3).

Diono Pacifica (x3).

Diono Olympia (x3).

Combi Cocorro (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30, Britax Pinnacle 90, Clek Foonf.

Clek Fllo, Britax Pinnacle 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Foonf, Britax Frontier 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Graco TurboBooster.

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco TurboBooster.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Tips and Tricks:

The 2009-2014 twelfth generation of the Ford F-150 is between 213 and 250 inches long, depending on your cab trim level, and 79 inches wide in every version except for the SVT Raptor, which is 86 inches wide. In other words, you’re going to have your pick when it comes to 3 across combinations. Keep an eye out for front-to-back space, however, in the shorter cab trims.

Tips and Tricks:

This eleventh generation of the Ford F-150 ranges between 212 and 248 inches in length depending on which trim level you purchase, and is 79 inches wide across all trim levels. Again, your issue won’t be in the 3 across installations themselves but in having enough front-to-back space to make driving and using the front passenger seat enjoyable.

Tips and Tricks:

The tenth generation of the Ford F-150 ranges between 202 and 244 inches in length depending on which trim level you purchase, and is 78-80 inches wide across trim levels. Again, your issue won’t be in the 3 across installations themselves but in having enough front-to-back space to make driving and using the front passenger seat enjoyable. Naturally, you’ll also need a trim level that features back seats, such as the Super Crew or Crew Cab options, in order to make any of these installations work.