All posts by Mike

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Fit In a Ford Focus?

November 16, 2014 Mike

The Ford Focus is one of the most popular small cars currently available in the United States, competing with offerings like the Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic, Kia Soul, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius, and Scion xB among families interested in smaller yet quality vehicles for life in urban and suburban environments.

The current generation of the Ford Focus is available in both sedan and hatchback options, making it a competitive model for families with greater storage needs than those typically available in small-sized cars, with the exceptions of the Soul, Prius, and xB, which come with hatchbacks by default. I borrowed one this weekend in order to see how it would do when it came to fitting 3 car seats in a Ford Focus. My results are below.

Before reviewing the results, however, it’s a good idea to remember what we’re looking for when it comes to using car seats in vehicles. You know the basics of best practices in car seat safety: rear-face as long as possible (ideally until 4!), and then forward-face as long as possible (ideally until 8!), and then booster until a regular belt fits your child (which typically happens between 10 and 12). Keeping children in safer restraints for longer amounts of time reduces their odds of injury or death in car crashes.

However, to make use of that information, the first step is to figure out which car seats are and aren’t going to puzzle well in the Ford Focus, which is where the guide below comes in. It’s not a complete guide, and I’ll certainly be adding to it more in the future, but for now, it gives you a good idea of the kinds of car seats that are and aren’t likely to fit in your Ford Focus, particularly if it’s the current generation model. The good news is that you can definitely fit infant seats, convertible seats, combination seats, and booster seats in the Ford Focus, and even fit 3 of them across without too much trouble.

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

2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Ford Focus

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Cybex Aton 2, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.

Graco Snugride 30, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.

Tips and Tricks:

This generation of the Ford Focus is 179 inches long and 72 inches wide in the sedan version and 172 inches long in the hatchback version, making it very similar to the current generation Ford Escape in its 3 across capabilities. You’ll want to prioritize seat belt installations to give yourself more room than what you’d have available in LATCH installations. The Snugride / Radian / Radian fit will be tighter than the Aton 2 / Radian / Radian fit, but both should work.

2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Ford Focus

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

This second generation of the Ford Focus is 175 inches long and 68 inches wide, or 4 inches narrower than the third generation Focus. Practically speaking, this means that you’re going to have much less space for viable 3 across installations than you would in the current generation, although it’s definitely still possible to get several seats there with patience and judicious use of seat belts.

—

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.

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Fit In a Ford Escape?

November 15, 2014 Mike

The Ford Escape is one of the most popular small SUVs available today in the United States, and is a common SUV of choice for small families and young professionals. It competes with small SUVs like the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-5, and Toyota RAV4 among parents interested in a safe and economical means of transporting their children to school, home, and around the various areas of everyday life. As a result, I was happy to have the chance to look into how the current generation of the Ford Escape did when it came to fitting multiple car seats.

You know the basics of best practices in car seat safety: rear-face as long as possible (ideally until 4!), and then forward-face as long as possible (ideally until at least 6!), and then booster until a regular belt fits your child (which typically happens between 10 and 12). The goal is to keep kids restrained as safely as possible for as long as possible.

However, you’re going to need to know which car seats in particular will fit in your Ford Escape in order to make the most of best practices, which is why I’ve spent a few weekends putting together this list of car seats that will fit in a Ford Escape. You’ll see the usual suspects here, in terms of Radians, Foonfs, and Fllos, but there are also NextFits, Frontiers, and other seats present. The basic idea is that there are a number of seats you can make work in 3 across configurations in the latest Escape as long as you’re willing to work for it a bit.

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

2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Ford Escape

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Chicco NextFit, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier 90.

Chicco NextFit, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Pioneer 70.

Recaro Performance Ride, Recaro ProRIDE, Recaro Performance Sport.

Tips and Tricks:

This generation of the Ford Escape is 178 inches long and 72 inches wide. This is about the width of a mid-sized car, which means there are a lot of options, relatively speaking, for a 3 across installation by width. The shorter length of the Escape, however, means that front to back space might be more of a challenge than it would be in a mid-sized car. In general, the basic suggestion of using seat belts instead of LATCH connectors to make a 3 across installation more likely still applies here. The good news is that there are a number of recommended car seats compatible with the Escape in 3 across configurations at every budget.

As with every generation of the Escape, however, given the rather short length of the crossover, you’ll want to keep your front-to-back space in mind if you’d like to use the Dionos; I strongly recommend getting the angle adjuster so you won’t make driving your Escape or sitting in the front passenger seat a negative experience.

2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Ford Escape

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Graco MyRide 65, Evenflo Maestro, Maxi-Cosi Mico.

Tips and Tricks:

This generation of the Ford Escape is 175 inches long and 71 inches wide, or about 3 inches shorter and 1 inch narrower than the current generation. However, it’s still possible to fit a decent range of car seats into it, especially if you’re willing to use seat belt installations.

2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Ford Escape

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

This generation of the Ford Escape is 173-175 inches long depending on whether you have a pre-2005 or 2005 or later model, and 70 inches wide, or about 0-3 inches shorter and 1 inch narrower than the following generation. However, it’s still possible to fit a decent range of car seats into it, especially if you’re willing to use seat belt installations.

—

Britax B-Safe 35 Elite Infant Seat Review: Best Britax Infant Seat?

November 14, 2014 Mike

Britax is no stranger to the car seat world, and I’ve had the pleasure of using and reviewing a number of their car seats over the years, including the Advocate ClickTight, Marathon ClickTight, Boulevard Clicktight, Advocate G4, Frontier 90, Pinnacle 90, Pioneer 70, Parkway SGL, and B-Safe. All of these seats have been high quality devices, and I’ve been equally thrilled with their B-Agile Double Stroller. As a result, when Britax let me know that they were on the verge of releasing both an update to the B-Safe and a new B-Safe Elite, I couldn’t wait to take a look at an early version of it. You can pick up the B-Safe 35 Elite from Amazon here.

2018 update: Years later, the B-Safe 35 is still a great choice for parents looking for a safe and affordable infant seat. There have been no significant changes since its debut.

Britax B-Safe 35 Elite – What’s the big deal?

The B-Safe 35 Elite is an updated version of Britax’s popular B-Safe infant car seat. Britax is releasing two versions of the B-Safe; a regular, newer B-Safe 35, which features a 35 pound weight limit instead of the prior 30 pound weight limit and the B-Safe 35 Elite, which adds a number of safety technologies, including SafeCell Impact Protection, Side Impact Protection PLUS, and an Absorbing Base. What does that all mean? We’ll go over it down below in the “Using” section. However, a bit of background first…

The B-Safe 35 Elite is an infant car seat, which means it’s designed to be used rear-facing only, and that it can be the very first seat your baby uses right out of the hospital. Being an infant seat, you can’t use it to forward-face; you’ll either need a convertible seat or a combination seat for that. The advantage of infant seats is that they’re much, much lighter than convertible seats; the disadvantage is that you can’t use them as long.

B-Safe 35 Elite Limits for Weight and Height

Rear-facing: 4 to 35 pounds. Children should be shorter than 32″ in height and their heads must be at least 1″ below the top of the seat. The child can have a seated shoulder height between 6.5″ and 11.” Of course, you’ll want to rear-face your child until they reach the weight or height limits, and not forward-face them until then. Personally, I’d use the seat for as long as possible and then switch to a convertible seat like the Advocate ClickTight or Marathon ClickTIght or Boulevard ClickTight. Alternatively, I might just buy one of those from the start and call it a day. The main point is to learn from the Swedes, who have the lowest child crash fatality rates on Earth, and rear-face for as long possible.

Dimensions of the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite

The B-Safe 35 Elite is 17.75″ wide, 26.5″ deep, and 25″ high. The back of the seat is 20″ high and the seat area is 13″ deep and just under 9″ wide. The shoulder width is 10″ while the buckle strap depths are 4″ and 6.” There are 6 harness slots that range in height from 5.5″ to 11.” The seat itself weighs 11.5 pounds while the base weighs another 9 pounds. At 11.5 pounds, it’s definitely not the lightest infant seat out there, but it’s still lighter than any convertible seat, and it’s also narrow enough to work well in almost any car, truck, or SUV with 3 car seats.

Buy the B-Safe 35 Elite on Sale with Free Shipping at Amazon here.

Installing and Using the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite

The Britax B-Safe 35 looks strong and sturdy out of the box and feels smooth and well designed. Installation is possible both through LATCH anchors and through a seat belt installation. One of the features of the Elite designed to make the installation process easier is SafeCenter LATCH Installation, which basically means you get a set of center-pull straps that make it simple to install your LATCH straps. There are also Easy-On / Easy-Off LATCH connectors that click when they’re correctly anchored to your vehicle and are released simply by pushing a button.

Of course, you can also install your B-Safe 35 Elite through a good old fashioned seat belt, especially if you happen to have a vehicle that doesn’t come with LATCH anchors or if you simply don’t want to use them. When you use the seat belt, you get built-in lock offs to reduce the effort needed to get a nice tight installation. I generally prefer using seat belt installations whenever I can help it, as that makes it easier to achieve 3 across installations. However, if you aren’t planning on setting up 2 adjacent car seats beside your B-Safe 35 Elite, I’d suggest going with the LATCH setup if you can just because it’s so darn easy.

Base, Harness and Fit

The base for the B-Safe 35 Elite looks sturdy and feels even sturdier. You can buy extra bases separately and install them in additional vehicles, which saves you from having to use a seat belt baseless installation if you want to use the B-Safe 35 Elite frequently in multiple vehicles. There is a spring-assisted recline foot and a pair of level indicators to help you get the right installation angle in your vehicle. I found both easy to use and had no complaints in the installation process.

The harness for the Elite is adjustable in 6 positions with heights at 5.5″, 6.5″, 8″, 8.75″, 10″, and 11.” The harness is described as a Quick-Adjust Harness, which means it’s basically a no-rethread harness. I love no-rethread harnesses because they take one more step out of the process of car seat adjustment, which results in safer children. You simply push a button and move the harness up or down as needed. Remember that when rear-facing, the harness straps should always be either at or below the child’s shoulders.

Fit-wise, the rating down to 4 pounds in weight indicates that the B-Safe 35 Elite can be expected to fit newborns and premature infants, which is always a relief since we never know exactly how large (or small) our babies will be until they arrive, no matter how many times we go through the pregnancy and delivery doors. I tested it with a full term 8 pound doll and a 5 pound doll and was able to achieve a good fit with both, especially with the additional head supports.

Safety and the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite

Safety-wise, I’m a big fan of the impact-absorbing base and steel frame, as when I’m driving with my little ones I want as much protection as I can afford. The head restraint is designed to absorb additional energy to help protect your baby’s head and neck, the two most vulnerable areas of the body. The side impact protection is something that only Britax and private companies can test, but given Britax’s track record in attention to side impact force mitigation, I’ll trust their results and analysis.

Buy the B-Safe 35 Elite on Sale with Free Shipping at Amazon here.

Why Buy the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite?

I’m a fan of the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite for a number of reasons. First of all, I like that it features an increased level of rear-facing ability through higher weight limits than those found in the previous generation of the B-Safe. I wish the height limits had also been extended, but having the higher weight limit is a good first step.

What’s important is to keep rear-facing as long as possible, which means that the B-Safe 35 Elite should not be the only rear-facing car seat you buy if you choose it; 35 pounds won’t get children to age 4, which is where I believe we should be aiming for as parents when rear-facing. You’ll want to combine the B-Safe 35 Elite with a seat like the Advocate ClickTight, Marathon ClickTight, or Boulevard Clicktight if you’re looking to stay within the Britax family, or one of the other high weight convertible seats I’ve reviewed (here are the ones that allow rear-facing until 50 pounds).

Besides the rear-facing capabilities, I’m also a fan of the extensive side impact features built into the B-Safe 35 Elite, since side impact crashes, on average, are far more likely to be fatal to adults and children alike than front or rear-impacts. More broadly, I like the fact that the fabrics are comfortable, that the seat is compatible with a number of Britax strollers including the B-Agile Double, and that it’s made locally in the United States and approved for aircraft travel by the FAA.

I wholeheartedly recommend the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite, which you can buy here in Cactus Green, Cowmooflage, Domino, Red Pepper, and Vibe.

If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can shop here for Canadian purchases. Have a question or want to discuss best practices? Join us in the forums!

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Will Fit in a Hyundai Accent?

November 13, 2014 Mike

The Hyundai Accent is one of the most affordable cars you can buy new today in the United States, which is part of why it’s such a popular car among young professionals and small families. Competing with the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, Toyota Prius C, and Toyota Yaris, it’s a low-cost alternative in the mini-car market, and it’s rapidly growing in popularity. You can haul a surprisingly large number of things in it, including little ones in 3 across configurations, as I learned this past weekend. Here are the results of my efforts to fit 3 car seats in a Hyundai Accent.

You know the basics of best practices in car seat safety: rear-face 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). The goal is to keep your little ones safe by using the safest restraints and positions we know of for as long as possible.

However, in order to put this information to use, you need to know a bit more about which car seats will and will not fit well in particular car models, which is where guides like this come in. Several scraped knuckles later, I can confirm that it’s not only possible to fit car seats in a Hyundai Accent, it’s actually possible to fit several car seats in the Accent without too much trouble. My results are below. The results apply to both the sedan and wagon (hatchback) version of the Accent.

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

2018, 2019, 2020 Hyundai Accent (HC)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

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

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

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

Tips and Tricks:

This generation of the Hyundai Accent is 165 inches long in the hatchback version and just under 173 inches in the sedan, while expanding slightly to just over 68 inches wide. As a result, you’re going to have to plan more carefully to achieve a 3 across installation than you would in a number of other vehicles, and practically speaking, you barely have any advantages over the previous generation. That’s said, it’s definitely possible to do, so don’t give up. Start out with a seat belt installation for all three seats and don’t be afraid to try different combinations from what I’ve listed above.

2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Hyundai Accent (RB)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

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

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

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

Tips and Tricks:

This generation of the Hyundai Accent is 172 inches long in the sedan version and 67 inches wide. As a result, you’re going to have to plan more carefully to achieve a 3 across installation than you would in a number of other vehicles. That’s said, it’s definitely possible to do, so don’t give up. Start out with a seat belt installation for all three seats and don’t be afraid to try different combinations from what I’ve listed above.

Deana May Igoe, 86, in Sisters, OR, Killed in Car vs. SUV Crash

November 12, 2014 Mike

Who:

Deana May Igoe, 86, was killed at around 9:15 AM on Monday, 4/28/14, on Highway 20 close to Santiam Pass, just west of Sisters, OR. She was eastbound in a 2008 Ford Fusion and collided with a westbound 2013 Volvo XC60. Winston Saunders, 57, drove the Volvo, and he and his passenger, Sara Stamey, 56, were treated for injuries. Saunders’ injuries were minor, while Stamey’s were serious but not life-threatening. Igoe died at the scene.

How:

Per police reports, all occupants were using seat belts and airbags in both vehicles deployed. Igoe was westbound close to milepost 82 on Highway 20 when her vehicle began to skid on the ice and she lost control. she crossed lanes and was impacted on the passenger’s side by the Volvo.

Why:
Unfortunately, Igoe appears to have lost control due to the ice. It is unclear whether she was traveling too fast for conditions. The 2008 Fusion did not come with ESC, which might have helped her retain control of the vehicle on the ice, preventing the loss of control that led to the collision.

The Fusion is classified as a midsized car. It has a “good” side score, and came with head and torso side airbags standard. The 2013 XC60 weighs ~4169 lbs as a midsize SUV. It had a “good” frontal crash score.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 572KJ of energy into the Fusion / XC60. The standard side impact test simulates 143KJ of energy (a 3300-lb sled impacting a vehicle at 31 mph). In other words, the Fusion occupant faced 400% of the force she’d have experienced in the types of crashes cars are side rated for. Sadly, her odds of survival were not high, despite the good side impact score of her vehicle and the fact that she was sitting opposite the side of impact.

Meanwhile, the Volvo was designed to perform well in a frontal impact test simulating 302KJ of energy (i.e., a Volvo impacting its twin at 40 mph). The Volvo occupants faced 189% of these forces. Their survival was expected, despite the significantly higher forces, and is a testament to the “good” frontal score, the presence of front airbags, and the occupants’ use of seat belts. I’m not sure why the passenger was seriously injured, and would have expected her to have fared as well as the Volvo’s driver, based on the vehicles and forces involved.

This is one of the few cases I’ve come across of fatalities occurring among passenger vehicles with “good” side impact scores impacted by other passenger vehicles. It is possible that Igoe’s advanced age placed her at greater risk of experiencing a fatality in this crash, as well as the fact that she faced significantly greater forces than her vehicle was designed to safely withstand in a side impact.

—

35,000 Americans will die this year on the road. You don't have to be one of them. A car seat and car safety blog to promote best practices for families.