Fitting 5 seats in a Jeep Commander

[heath111]

We recently adopted two children (2 1/2 and 5) and now have a car full of kids and carseats. Our baby just turned one and needs to be out of her infant carrier. She is a tiny thing and is now at 29 1/2 inches and under 18 lbs. Right now we have

7 year old- cosco booster. It's a piece of junk though. She is pretty tall and can pass the booster test if she is in the back row of the Commander because the bench seems shorter. She can't pass it in the middle row though and that is where we need her to sit so she has to still have a booster.

5 year old - about 51 inches, 47 lbs, currently in a Graco booster that used to be a 5 pt booster

new 5 year old- 42 inches, 37 lbs, in a convertible graco

new 2 year old- 37 inches, 36 lbs, in a convertible evenflo

just one- 29 inches and under 18 lbs in an infant seat.

So do I need only one new seat for the baby (to be rear facing)? I believe that both the convertibles only go to 40 lbs. For certain the now two year old will still need to be harnassed. She already tries to get out of her straps.

I'm leaning toward the Radian for the baby but then the baby always has to be in the middle of the middle row because the headrests tilt forward quite a bit in every other seat. I would be tempted to get a Radian for the two year old but the headrest is a problem and she is a bit on the meaty side for her height. I pretty much need the two boys (5 year olds) in the back because then we can pull teh 7 year old's booster in and out as they get in and they don't have to climb over the seats.

So what would be the best seats for the middle row that can go with the booster. I need to make sure my 7 year old can continue to get her hand in there to buckle her booster.

	Rear Facing Car Seats A rear-facing seat is one in which the infant faces the back of the car. Always install a rear-facing seat in the back seat of your car. This is the safest position for an infant. NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with passenger airbags.

	Convertible Car Seats Convertible seats are for infants and toddlers. The seat can be used as a rear-facing seats for younger children, and switched to a forward-facing seat on the child's first birthday if the child weighs at least 20 pounds. However, experts recommend keeping the child in a rear-facing position until he or she outgrows the weight or height allowed by the safety seat.

	Infant Car Seats Infant-only rear-facing seats are for babies up to about 22 to 30 pounds, depending on the specific car seat. You will need a new seat when your child gets bigger. Infant-only seats have handles that allow you to move the seat from the car to the house or other locations. Some have a base that you can leave installed in the car, so you can just click the car seat into place each time you use it.

	Booster Seat A booster seat raises your child up so that the car's lap and shoulder belts fit correctly. The lap belt should fall across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should go across the middle of the shoulder and chest. A booster seat is used for older children up to about 80 pounds. Some states have passed laws requiring booster seats for children up to age 8 or 80 pounds. Check your state's law.

	Graco - Click for more info Graco is one of the world's best known and most trusted juvenile products companies. They started the entire juvenile products industry with an invention called the Graco Swyngomatic. Since then they have invented products that have changed the way that parents travel with their children such as the travel system, which has made it so parents can lock an infant car seat into a stroller easily, without waking their sleeping baby. Their Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat is pretty much synonymous with the term “infant car seat” because of its safety and design features coupled with its affordability. Today Graco continues designing and developing top-quality products that inspire parents and keeps children safe. Check out the new Infant Safe Seat Step 1 and Toddler Safe Seat Step 2 for proof of Graco’s continued commitment to child safety.

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

[MnMadhouse]

It sounds like your ideas of the Radian are right on. They are the narrowest convertibles on the market. As for the headrests, are they adjustable? If they are, and not fixed, then you can likely remove them. Check your vehicle's manual. Sometimes, even raising them to the highest level will allow enough room to install the seat underneath.

	Convertible Car Seats Convertible seats are for infants and toddlers. The seat can be used as a rear-facing seats for younger children, and switched to a forward-facing seat on the child's first birthday if the child weighs at least 20 pounds. However, experts recommend keeping the child in a rear-facing position until he or she outgrows the weight or height allowed by the safety seat.

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

[SusanMae]

The headrests are not adjustable in the commander. Jeep is aware of the problem.

The LATCH manual fix is to recline the seatback a bit.

Susan

	LATCH LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It is a system mandated by the Federal government in an effort to standardize and simplify the installation of child restraints without using the vehicle's seat belt system. New vehicles and child safety seats manufactured on and after September 1, 2002 will be equipped with the LATCH system. Cars, minivans, and light trucks will be required to have anchor points between the vehicle's seat cushion and the seat back in at least two rear seating positions, and a top tether anchor (with the exception of convertibles). Child safety seats will have a lower set of attachments that fasten to the vehicle anchors. Most forward-facing child safety seats will also have a top strap (tether) that attaches to the top anchor in the vehicle.