The Volvo V60 (known as the S60 in its sedan version) is a mid-sized luxury hatchback, or station wagon, designed to compete with vehicles like the Subaru Outback, Audi A4 Avant, and at times its own stablemate the XC70. It’s stylish, safe, seats up to 5, and is frequently chosen by families interested in luxury while having access to Volvo’s reputation for safety. Features like ESC, rollover-sensing airbags, and good front, side, and roof crash test scores are present. It’s a well-designed luxury vehicle and I made it my goal to figure out which car seats were most likely to fit 3 across in a Volvo V60. The short version is that, as the V60 is essentially a clone of the S60, you’re going to have a very similar experience fitting car seats into it and puzzling them together.

Before going into the details, however, remember that whichever seats you choose, you’ll want to keep infants and very young children rear-facing as long as possible (ideally until 4!), before forward-facing them in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 8!), and then keeping them in high-back boosters until they’re ready to use adult seat belt systems (which typically happens between 10 and 12). The goal is to keep your little ones safely restrained to give them the best odds of surviving a crash, and these recommendations are designed with survival in mind.

With those guiding principles in mind, I went about testing the V60 I had access to with convertible, infant, and combination seats to see which 3 across combinations were most feasible. Fortunately, there are several combinations that will work with the V60. 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.

The initial generation of the Volvo V60 is 182 inches long and 73 inches wide, which is almost identical to the dimensions of not only the Volvo S60 but also the Volvo XC60 that shares the S60 platform. Many of the 3 across combinations that work in other luxury mid-sized sedans will also work in the V60, and as in those vehicles, you’ll want to use your seat belts instead of the LATCH anchors to make the most of side-to-side space.

Due to the shorter wheelbase of the V60, front-to-back space will be more difficult to come across here than in a comparable-width vehicle like, say, a Subaru Outback. As a result, I’d recommend going with a seat like a Fllo or a Foonf over a Radian RXT if you’ve got taller drivers or want to maximize front-to-back space.

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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.

The Mercedes GL-Class SUV (soon to be renamed the GLS-Class SUV) is one of the safest SUVs you can buy as measured by driver death rates. Along with the Kia Sorento 2WD, Lexus RX 350 4WD, Volvo XC90 4WD, and Toyota Sequoia 4WD, no driver deaths were reported by the IIHS in their most recent driver death rate study. In other words, it’s one of the safest SUVs money can buy. And it certainly costs a pretty penny, along with its fellow 3-row SUV competitors like the Audi Q7, Buick Enclave, Land Rover Range Rover Sport, and Cadillac Escalade. Drivers on smaller budgets who still want giant vehicles are likely to consider SUVs more like the GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Tahoe, or the aforementioned Sequoia.

That said, if you’re reading this article, you’re probably interested in finding out which car seats are likely to fit well in 3 across configurations in the GL-Class SUVs. I borrowed the previous and current generations this weekend in order to find out for myself. I had a hunch that it wouldn’t be hard to fit just about anything in them, given how large they are, but there’s no knowledge like first hand knowledge. Before looking at which car seats worked and which took more effort, however, let’s take a look at which kinds of car seats are best for different kids at at different ages.

First of all, car seat safety starts with rear-facing from the day your child leaves the hospital, and for many years to come, due to the safety advantages it provides over forward-facing. Rear-facing is the way to go even if it takes you through the preschool years (ideally until 4!). Once you can’t fit your child in a rear-facing seat anymore, forward-face him or her in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 8!). Once your children 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). The overriding goal is safety, which comes from using certain kinds of seats at certain times.

With that in mind, here’s the list of car seats you’re likely to get to work in 3 across configurations in the GL-Class series. If you’re in a hurry, just by 3 Clek Fllos or 3 Clek Foonfs. They’re narrow enough to fit in any vehicle without struggle 3 across, and they have the highest weight limits on the market. When purchased with infant inserts, you’ll be able to use these seats to rear-face your children from birth until 5, and then you’ll get another year out of them forward-facing before needing to look into booster seats like the Frontier G1.1 or Pinnacle G.1.1 that will work until they no longer need booster seats. If you’d like more details or are on a tighter budget, read on.

The list isn’t complete, but it’s my goal to make it as complete as possible over time. 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.

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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.

The Mercedes E-Class sedan is the safest car you can buy today in the United States as measured by side impact resistance ratings, and one of the three safest cars you can buy as measured by actual driver death rates. I’ve written about side impact ratings and ranked the best cars for surviving side collisions here, as well as the safest cars for families in terms of driver survival here, and the E-Class tops the side impact list today and has topped the driver survival studies in the past.

Since this blog is all about safety, this makes the E-Class one of my favorite cars to talk about. It competes with other large luxury cars like the Audi A6, Volvo S80, Acura RSX, and BMW 5-series, as well as with its smaller sibling the C-Class. Lots of folks buy it because of the prestige it commands, but it’s also a good family car if, like me, your absolute priority is keeping your little ones safe. Let’s see how it does when it comes to 3 across car seat compatibility. First, though, it’s always worth reviewing best practices in terms of which kinds of seats should be used and when.

First of all, car seat safety begins with rear-facing. You’ll want to keep infants and very young children rear-facing as long as possible (ideally until 4!), before forward-facing them in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 8!), and then keeping them in high-back boosters until they’re ready to use adult seat belt systems (which typically happens between 10 and 12). The goal is to keep your little ones safely restrained to give them the best odds of surviving a crash, and these recommendations are designed with survival in mind.

With those guiding principles in mind, I went about testing the E-Class sedans I had access to (an E 350) with convertible, infant, and combination seats to see which 3 across combinations were most feasible. Fortunately, there are several combinations that will work with the E-Class. 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.

With that in mind, you can still get a number of solid installations, especially if you make use of your seat belts instead of the LATCH systems. To make things as easy as possible, I’d just go with the Fllo for everything rear-facing and a Radian or Graco seat for forward-facing, given their narrowness.

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!

The Chevrolet Traverse, or Chevy Traverse, as it’s often known, is one of the General Motors large Lambda SUVs, along with its twins the GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and now discontinued Saturn Outlook. Together they form a collection of the most popular large SUVs sold today in the United States. The Traverse competes with other giant SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Toyota Sequoia, and Nissan Armada among families who need–or simply want–something larger than a, say, Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander, but who aren’t looking to spend as much money as they would in the luxury segment with a Mercedes Benz GL-Class SUV. They’re more bread and butter large SUVs.

I had the pleasure of fitting a range of car seats into the Traverse’s GMC twin, the Acadia, last Memorial Day. However, I ran out of time before I had to return it and still had a number of seats left to test. Fortunately, I borrowed a Traverse this past week and have been putting it through its paces. Being essentially the same vehicle with very slight interior and exterior trim changes, this list features all of the initial 3 across installations I got to work in the Acadia as well as a number of new ones I puzzled together in the Traverse. Before looking at the results, though, it’s worth reviewing which kinds of seats are appropriate for kids at different age ranges.

First of all, I suggest rear-facing from day one until you can’t anymore. Rear-facing is the way to go even if it takes you through the preschool years (ideally until 4!). Once you can’t fit your child in a rear-facing seat anymore, forward-face him or her in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 8!). Once your children 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). The overriding goal is safety, which comes from using certain kinds of seats at certain times.

With all that out of the way, here’s what I found in a nutshell: the Traverse is a huge SUV, which means you’re going to get most of your potential installations to work if you’re patient and make use of the strategies I suggest below.

The list isn’t complete, but it’s my goal to make it as complete as possible over time. 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.

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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.

The GMC Acadia, along with its General Motors twins the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, and now discontinued Saturn Outlook, is one of the most popular large SUVs sold today in the United States. It competes with other behemoths like the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Toyota Sequoia, and Nissan Armada among families interested in very large SUVs, whether for towing, luggage, or large family-hauling capabilities.

The Lambda SUVs (i.e., the Acadia and its twins) feature good safety scores and in the most recent years, a modicum of front crash prevention features. However, what I was most interested in was learning how many different combinations of car seats I could fit 3 across in them. As a result, I borrowed an Acadia from a friend this weekend and got to work. Before looking at the results, though, it’s worth reviewing which kinds of seats are appropriate for kids at different age ranges.

First of all, I like to begin with rear-facing, since it’s the safest position for young children. I suggest rear-facing from day one until you can’t anymore, even if that takes you through 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). The overriding goal is safety, which comes from using certain kinds of seats at certain times.

The good news with the Acadia is that since it’s as wide as most minivans, it’s a lot easier to find 3 across configurations that work than 3 across configurations that don’t. My results for puzzling (installing) 3 car seats across in the GMC Acadia are below. The list isn’t complete, but it’s my goal to make it as complete as possible over time. 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.

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 GMC Acadia

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Britax Frontier ClickTight (x2).

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.

The current and only generation of the GMC Acadia is 201 inches long and 78 inches wide, which means you should have a much easier time than most in fitting the majority of car seats in 3 across configurations. However, there are a few things to consider when trying for 3 across configurations in a 3 row SUV like the Acadia.

First of all, if you have a 3 across setup in the 2nd row, it’s going to be very difficult for anyone to access the 3rd row. You might want to install only a pair of seats in the 2nd row and then another 2 or 3 in the 3rd row if you need to install or use more than 3 car seats on a regular basis.

Second, the biggest challenge in 3 across setups in the 2nd row will be fitting a pair of seats on the driver and center vehicle seats, as there’s a 60/40 split to deal with. Once you overcome that, just about any car seat will fit on the passenger end.

Third, there’s only one top tether anchor available in the 3rd row for forward-facing seats, which means that you won’t want to have more than one forward-facing seat at a time in the 3rd row if at all possible (see here for why tethering forward-facing seats is essential).

Remember, as always, to use seat belt installations instead of LATCH to maximize available space.

Incompatible Installations:

A reader shared that a Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Rainier (x2) combination will not work in the 2nd row due to the rigid belt buckles in the center position; they make it too difficult to install the Rainiers.

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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.