# 3 across in a Volvo S80? *UPDATED*



## joybird (Feb 2, 2006)

I have 2 boulevards and I'm thinking if I get a radian I might maybe (hopefully?) just possibly fit them all in?? Two need to be RF. Anyone have a similar combo??


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## dmpmercury (Mar 31, 2008)

I don't know about that particular vehicle but if it is a mid sized sedan I think it will fit with a rear facing radian in the center. The boulevard puzzles really well with a radian either rear facing or foward facing so I could do it with one rear facing seat or three. I fit that combo in both my Alero and my Jetta Wagon and I think it would work in almost any mid size sedan.


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## Mommybree (Jul 27, 2007)

What year is the S80? I have a 2004 S80. I'm not a tech, and I've never done 3 across in it, only 2 seats at a time. I'm just sort of musing out loud here based on my own experience.

I think the biggest challenge to install three seats with the S80 is that the seats have a flared edge toward the door; a car seat tends to just fit in one exact spot in the seat in the outboard seats because of how the backseat is designed. In cars with flatter back seats, you can sort of scoot a seat over a few inches closer to the door and use seatbelts instead of LATCH to buy you some extra room to install seats, but that trick doesn't work so well in the S80, in my experience. So, the S80 is great for 2 car seats, but I think it will take a little work to manage a 3 across.

Right now, I have a rear-facing Radian behind the passenger's seat (it takes up a lot of room front-to-back). I honestly don't know if a Radian would work in the center; there's a chance it might be over-reclined because of how flat the center seat is compared with the contoured outer seats or it could work beautifully. Also, there would have to be a really short driver to make the Radian work RF behind the driver's seat. I could see a FF Radian behind the driver, then a RF Radian in the center, then a RF Radian behind the front passenger. Maybe a FF Radian, RF Radian, RF Boulevard would work. There's a chance that a Boulevard would work in the center (FF Radian, RF Boulevard, RF Radian), but I really doubt that two RF Boulevards will work in the back, unless the third kid is using a Ride Safer Travel Vest or something, which probably isn't practical for everyday use. I used to have a RF Marathon (so same size as the Boulevard) behind the driver and a RF Boulevard behind the passenger, and I can't really envision a traditional seat that could have fit in between them whether it was rear-facing or forward-facing, and 2 Britaxes wouldn't have fit side-by-side. Maybe, a FF Boulevard, RF Radian, RF Boulevard, but I actually dislike how the Boulevard installs FFing in my S80. Maybe if you have a different year S80 or can work with a tech to help you or have better luck than me.









Other narrow convertibles are the Complete Air and the Coccoro (but the Coccoro will be outgrown quickly compared to other convertibles). Maybe a FF Radian, RF Coccoro or Complete Air, then RF Boulevard (or Radian/Coccoro/Complete Air). I think the Baby Trend infant seat and the Chicco KeyFit infant seat are pretty narrow, as well.


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## Sharlla (Jul 14, 2005)

well i have a volvo 960 and cant fit a complete air,turbo booster and a marathon across. guess my 11 year old will not be in a booster anymore but it appears he fits the seatbelt just fine without it
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## joybird (Feb 2, 2006)

Thanks for the replies. The car is a 2000 S80 I think. I ordered the Radian anyway - I guess if they won't all fit I'll have to buy another one. I'm pretty sure 2 of those and a Boulevard would work. I know what you mean about the flared seats. Is it okay to sort of fill in the dip with towels the same way you'd use them to change the incline? Probably not. It'll be here on Tuesday so I'll post again when I figure it out.

Also, if I have to buy another Radian can I sell my Britax on Craigslist?


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

No you cannot use towels like that. Yes, you can sell your britax.


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## joybird (Feb 2, 2006)

Well, they fit. Barely. I can't believe I just did that! I had to put them all RF with the Radian in the middle. It would not fit FF in any position no way no how. Which is just as well, since it does RF to 45 lbs and dd is only about 40 lbs.

So is it okay if they are totally wedged together as long as they are each independently tight? They puzzled together very well but they are definitely wedged against one another....


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## Smidge (Aug 29, 2007)

The easiest thing to do is to get the measurements of all three and then measure your seat


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## joybird (Feb 2, 2006)

Not that easy I'm afraid. The seats puzzled together in a way that isn't really measure-able. If I had gone by measurements alone, I wouldn't have bothered trying because technically they wouldn't have fit. Also, the seats tend to fit in a certain way in each part of the back seat. As the other poster said, the seat of this car flares out a bit at the edges, so there was really no way of knowing how the seats would go in together without trying. I sure wish it was that easy though.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

It's fine as long as they are independently secure. You can test that by installing all of them, then taking them out one at a time and making sure the others are secure. It's a PITA, but it's important to know.


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