Child Car Seats in Small Cars
If you are the owner of a large SUV you probably don’t have to worry about being able to fit more than one child car seat inside. You will have plenty of space along the seat rows and may even have 3 separate rows of seats to make things even easier.
But, not everyone has the luxury of such a large family vehicle and, if you are one of those people that has to make things work without a large SUV, you need to pay extra attention to the dimensions of a convertible car seat before you buy it.
To be clear, car size is only usually of concern if you have, or intend to have, more than one child car seat installed inside your vehicle at the same time.
If you are only ever likely to have a single child car seat installed at any one time, you can choose freely from the full range of convertible seats. You probably won’t need to worry about the dimensions of that single seat unless you drive a really small car, like a 2-seater sports coupe or similar.
This post is primarily designed to help those who need to fit 2, or even 3, child car seats inside a single small or normal sized car at the same time. Maybe you have to fit 3 car seats in a row. Maybe you only have to fit 2 car seats in a row but also want to leave enough space for another adult passenger to sit beside those child car seats?
If you are one of those people that, for whatever reason, needs to find the best child car seats to fit inside your small vehicle, this post is written with you in mind.
For the most part, the best convertible car seats for those driving small cars will be the narrowest models since this dictates how they fit side-by-side.
Of course, just because you have a small car, that doesn’t mean that you will want to compromise on quality in order to find a slim convertible car seat.
I never recommend cheap budget car seats and, so, all of the options described below are made by reputable companies. They are all high-quality premium convertible car seats that are packed with high-end comfort and safety features.
So, which is the best convertible seat for small cars?
Narrow Convertible Seats – The Options
If you are looking for the narrowest convertible car seats to fit inside your small or average-sized car, there is really only one option.
That single option is the Diono Radian Car Seat.
When I say that the Diono Radian seat is the only option, what I actually mean to say is the Diono Radian “range” of seats.
The Diono Radian range of convertible car seats are the narrowest seats available to buy in the USA and Canada at the time of writing this post.
As I say, there are a number of different models of Diono Radian seat to choose from. Although the various different models of Diono Radian seat come with slightly different features, they all have one important thing in common. They all measure just 17 inches in width.
You won’t find a narrower premium convertible car seat to buy. They are, therefore, undoubtedly the best convertible car seats to fit inside small or standard-sized cars.
As a bonus, the Diono Radian is not just a convertible car seat.
It can be used in exactly the same way as a standard convertible car seat but, unlike other convertible seats, they do not need to be replaced once your child reaches the usual height and/or weight limits for safely using a convertible car seat.
Once those limits have been reached, you can continue to use the Diono Radian Seats for many more years. This is because they can simply be transformed into harness to booster car seats, and then highbacked booster seats.
So, they are genuinely car seats that can be used from birth until your child no longer needs to sit in a car seat.
The latest products available come from the Diono Radian 3Q-Series of seats.
The Diono Radian 3Q Range of Convertible Seats
There are 3 seats to choose from in the Diono Radian 3Q Series of convertible car seats.
From the bottom to the top of the range, they are:
Although there are some significant differences between these seats, and I highly recommend that you read my individual seat reviews or seat comparison reviews (links below), I repeat, they are all just 17 inches wide.
To give you an idea of how that compares with one Diono’s main competitors, the Britax Boulevard ClickTight Convertible Seat is 18.5 inches wide. This might not sound like much, but it is when you are trying to fit 3 of them side-by-side or 2 seats plus an adult passenger along a single row.
The Diono Radian 3Q Series Seats – My Reviews
I have already written several detailed individual and comparison reviews of the latest Diono Radian car seats and, rather than repeat myself here, you can find those reviews by clicking the following links:
Diono Radian 3QXT vs 3QXT Plus
Where to Buy Diono Radian 3Q Series Seats
If you have already read enough about the Diono Radian seats and are almost ready to make a purchase, you can check the best prices and/or read more user reviews by following the links below.
Check Best Prices of Diono Radian 3QXT Seats
Find Diono Radian Seats in Canada
Find the Best Canadian Prices and User Reviews
Get in Touch
If you have any questions about the Best Convertible Car Seats For Small Cars, please just leave a comment in the box below. If you have found any other great narrow convertible car seats, I would love to hear your recommendations.
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