The Mercedes-Benz GLC / GLK-Class, (e.g., the GLK 320 & GLK 350) is one of two mid-sized 5-passenger SUVs currently sold by Mercedes-Benz in the United States. It competes with its stablemate the M-Class, as well as with several other 5-passenger luxury crossovers, including the Volvo XC60, BMW X3, Acura RDX, Lexus RX, and Audi Q5 among families who don’t need a full time 3rd row but who are looking for safety, style, and high-end transportation.
When it comes to safety, the GLC (formerly known as the GLK-Class) is near the top of the heap in a very important category. In my comparison of SUVs with the best levels of side impact crash protection, I calculated that the GLK-Class was the second- best SUV you could be in during a side impact collision, which was impressive.
Given its safe, sturdy, and stylish design, I became curious about which car seats would fit well across the back seat of the GLK-Class, especially after having made 3 across guides for a number of other Mercedes’, including the GL-Class, M-Class, E-Class, and C-Class (which is designed to be the car counterpart of the GLK). What I found was pleasantly surprising; there was actually a good amount of interior room in the GLK-Class. So which seats worked and which seats didn’t? We’ll get to that in a second. First, let’s take a look at some best practice in car seat selection, orientation, and installation.
The safest configuration we know of when it comes to vehicle safety is rear-facing. I recommend rear-facing your children long past age 1, which is the legal requirement in most states, and going well into the preschool years (ideally until 4!), before forward-facing them in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 8!). Once they outgrow their harnessed seats, it’s best to keep them restrained in high-back boosters until they’re physically and psychologically ready to use adult seat belt systems (which typically happens between 10 and 12). We want our little ones in the safest positions we know of for as long as possible to give them the greatest advantages in a collision.
Keeping these ideas in mind, I set to work to find which infant, convertible, combination, and booster seats would work best in 3 across combinations in the GLC/ GLK-Class. It’s my goal to make this list the most thorough on the Internet. If you find the list helpful when shopping for car seats, you can shop through my Amazon link below. I’ll add more seats as I test them 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.
2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.
Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65, Diono Radian / RXT.
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Tips and Tricks:
The current and only generation of the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class is 183 inches long and slightly more than 74 inches wide. What this means is that you’ll have a significantly easier time in 3 across setups in the GLC than in the GLK-Class.
The biggest challenge you’re likely to face when using car seats (3, 2, or even just 1) in this SUV isn’t the left-to-right space but the front-to-back space. Like the GLK (although several inches better), the GLC is a rather short SUV, which translates into rear seats that are pretty close to the front seats, which means you’re going to struggle having enough space for a rear-facing recline while having room up front for the driver and passenger.
Regardless of whether you’re in the GLC or the GLK, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of the seat belt system instead of the LATCH anchors to make the most of your available space. And given the shorter length of the GLC, if you’re going with a Radian, which is what I’d recommend if you’re planning on rear-facing, you’ll definitely want to pick up the angle adjuster for each Radian you buy; they’ll give you several inches of front-row space back for both the driver and front-row passenger.
2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class (X204)
Guaranteed 3 across installations:
Clek Fllo (x3).
Clek Foonf (x3).
Diono Radian RXT (x3).
Diono Radian R120 (x3).
Diono Radian R100 (x3).
Combi Coccoro (x3).
Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.
Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65, Diono Radian / RXT.
Chicco KeyFit 30, Clek Fllo, Chicco KeyFit 30.
Tips and Tricks:
The only generation of the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class is 178 inches long and between 72 and 74 inches wide, depending on whether you’re driving a 2009-2011 model or a 2012 and newer model. What this means is that your 3 across abilities will be significantly impacted by how new of a GLK you own, unfortunately. As a result, I put together a list designed to accommodate both the narrower and wider versions of the GLK.
The biggest challenge you’re likely to face when using car seats (3, 2, or even just 1) in this SUV isn’t the left-to-right space but the front-to-back space. The GLK is a rather short SUV, which translates into rear seats that are pretty close to the front seats, which means you’re going to struggle having enough space for a rear-facing recline while having room up front for the driver and passenger.
Regardless of which version of the GLK you’re driving, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of the seat belt system instead of the LATCH anchors to make the most of your available space. And given the shorter length of the GLK, if you’re going with a Radian, which is what I’d recommend if you’re planning on rear-facing, you’ll definitely want to pick up the angle adjuster for each Radian you buy; they’ll give you several inches of front-row space back for both the driver and front-row passenger.
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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.