Car seat details

[jlk]

Anyone with a car seat in their Model 3, could you please post pictures of the interior to give us a sense of how much space a car seat takes up?

Rear facing/forward facing are both appreciated.

I read something about there being two LATCH anchors. Is placing the car seat in the middle still an option?

 

[flashflooder]

Anyone with a car seat in their Model 3, could you please post pictures of the interior to give us a sense of how much space a car seat takes up?

Rear facing/forward facing are both appreciated.

I read something about there being two LATCH anchors. Is placing the car seat in the middle still an option?

You can place the car seat in the middle, you'd just have to use the lap belt to secure it.

I would also love to see lots of pictures of installed car seats. Call me crazy, but I'm hoping I can fit 3 across in the back. I realize I will probably have to buy Radian seats (the narrowest on the market), but I'd love to see some pictures to get a sense of how much room is back there.

 

[ölbrenner]

Motor trend has baby seat test, and there are YouTube vids too.

 

[PaulJB]

You can place the car seat in the middle, you'd just have to use the lap belt to secure it.

I would also love to see lots of pictures of installed car seats. Call me crazy, but I'm hoping I can fit 3 across in the back. I realize I will probably have to buy Radian seats (the narrowest on the market), but I'd love to see some pictures to get a sense of how much room is back there.

You're not crazy. I am anticipating the possibility of needing to do 3 across. I also expect to need to buy new narrower car seats, and probably Radians. If people can do it in a Prius, I'm thinking (hoping) it can be done in the Model 3...

 

[flashflooder]

You're not crazy. I am anticipating the possibility of needing to do 3 across. I also expect to need to buy new narrower car seats, and probably Radians. If people can do it in a Prius, I'm thinking (hoping) it can be done in the Model 3...

Didn't realize it was doable in a Prius. This makes me feel a little bit better about it! The way the back seat is almost flat in the Model 3 is also a huge advantage to accomplishing this goal.

 

[PaulJB]

Didn't realize it was doable in a Prius. This makes me feel a little bit better about it! The way the back seat is almost flat in the Model 3 is also a huge advantage to accomplishing this goal.

I should be clear that I've never actually seen it in a Prius, but I've seen multiple discussions in Prius forums where people have discussed making it work in a Prius.

 

[flashflooder]

I should be clear that I've never actually seen it in a Prius, but I've seen multiple discussions in Prius forums where people have discussed making it work in a Prius.

Still, good to know. I've been doing all kinds of research re: rear hip and shoulder room in the 3 vs other cars in its class, and it really does beat most anything else in the midsize category. The problem is I don't know how trustworthy these numbers are (I've found conflicting numbers for various cars, depending on the source) and also the numbers alone don't always tell the whole story. A lot of it boils down to the shape of seats and how the cabin is shaped.

Really hoping we can at least get a picture of a 3 with dual car seats installed, any parent-owners wanna chime in?

 

[palmer_md]

Bonnie (@bonnie )posted a picture of a Model 3 with car seats installed. Well a booster and a base anyway. If the driver can sit with a rear facing baby seat behind, then that would be awesome! I'd like to see the picture with the seat in the base, but at least this is evidence that it should be possible.

I'm in this exact situation, with a 1 year old in rear facing seat and a 4 year old in a booster. We usually have the seats opposite since the rear facing usually take up so much room the driver would be uncomfortable sitting so far forward. I'd love to see this setup in person.


Bonnie Norman on Twitter

 

[Dakkor]

My problem in the S is it's so low and the door opening is so small that we have a hard time getting the kids in the seat and buckle them. The 3 seems to be even more low because of the smaller tires but does the door opening is bigger?

 

[dehydratedH2O]

My problem in the S is it's so low and the door opening is so small that we have a hard time getting the kids in the seat and buckle them. The 3 seems to be even more low because of the smaller tires but does the door opening is bigger?

The door opening is a similar size. Not noticeably larger or smaller.

The 3 is definitely taller than an S with air suspension on the standard setting -- probably about the same height as an air suspension S set to "high".

 

[T34ME]

You're not crazy. I am anticipating the possibility of needing to do 3 across. I also expect to need to buy new narrower car seats, and probably Radians. If people can do it in a Prius, I'm thinking (hoping) it can be done in the Model 3...

I have a 2012 Prius. The model 3 is 2 inches wider in the backseat than my Prius. However, my understanding is that there is only 2 sets of latch attachments in the model 3. For reference, my Prius has none, it is all dependent on the seatbelts.

For perspective, I have two daughters who are mature adults at this time. When they were young, we put them in simple booster seats in the back seat, strapped in with seatbelts. Expensive car seats were not available at that time. They quickly adjusted to the seatbelt routine and did not protest in the slightest. Sometimes I think today's child safety issues are driven by corporate marketing and profit when a low tech, inexpensive alternative is equally safe.

 

[SMAlset]

The Model 3 manual on child seats starts on Page 24. It covers using seats installed with Latch retained (2 outer seats) and with the seat belt retained (middle seat).

 

[flashflooder]

Found this on Reddit. Person who posted it measured 10” between the seats, and claims those are both 17” wide seats (though they do look bulky to me). 17” is same width as Radian’s narrowest seats.

Kind of discouraging for the prospects of fitting 3 across... though squeezing a seat in the middle might push the seats out enough to fit all 3... thoughts?

 

[Dakkor]

The door opening is a similar size. Not noticeably larger or smaller.

The 3 is definitely taller than an S with air suspension on the standard setting -- probably about the same height as an air suspension S set to "high".

I have coil suspension..

 

[Cricket88]

This is the Britax Boulevard click tight behind the drivers seat and I am 5’11”. The car seat sits slightly more elevated in the 3 vs my S. Leg room for my 2yr old seems to be slightly better in the 3 vs in my S.

 

[PaulJB]

View attachment 271750 Found this on Reddit. Person who posted it measured 10” between the seats, and claims those are both 17” wide seats (though they do look bulky to me). 17” is same width as Radian’s narrowest seats.

Kind of discouraging for the prospects of fitting 3 across... though squeezing a seat in the middle might push the seats out enough to fit all 3... thoughts?

I'm trying to figure out the Cosco one on the left, but the one on the right is this:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Scenera-NEXT-Convertible-Car-Seat-Renaissance/45983816#read-more

Note that, unless I'm interpreting the specs wrong from the Walmart page, it is 17" in length and 22" wide.
Assembled Product Dimensions (L x W x H) 17.00 x 22.00 x 23.50 Inches

**EDIT**: There are differing reports. See below:
Side by side comparison for Cosco Scenera NEXT - Diono Radian R100

So, default maybe to the owner if he/she actually measured it.

 

[rexorz]

I've got two Diono Radian R120's installed.

 

[PaulJB]

I've got two Diono Radian R120's installed.

This is very helpful. It looks quite tight in the middle, and in that picture definitely doesn't look like you could fit a 3rd car seat.. Do you think the outer seats could be moved to the outside any more to fit a third? From the second picture it doesn't look like it.

Also, what is the front passenger leg room like with the rear-facing car seat behind it?

Thanks so much for posting!

 

[rexorz]

I'm not sure you can fit 3 across in the rear. You can push the seat out a little more on each side but it would be hard with the latch anchors.
Legroom is not bad for the passenger. Obviously you will want to get the angle adjuster for the Diono's. Also I ended up purchasing this to put against the top of the car seat to prevent the car seat from putting indentations into the headrest (Armacell Tubolit 3/4 in. x 6 ft. Polyethylene Self-Seal Pipe Wrap Insulation-OES07838 - The Home Depot)

 

[PaulJB]

I'm not sure you can fit 3 across in the rear. You can push the seat out a little more on each side but it would be hard with the latch anchors.
Legroom is not bad for the passenger. Obviously you will want to get the angle adjuster for the Diono's. Also I ended up purchasing this to put against the top of the car seat to prevent the car seat from putting indentations into the headrest (Armacell Tubolit 3/4 in. x 6 ft. Polyethylene Self-Seal Pipe Wrap Insulation-OES07838 - The Home Depot)

I noticed your pipe insulation solution. Very nice!