The Multimac car seat - experience/feedback

[MoRT489]

Learned members of Motors, does anyone here have first hand experience of using/owning a Multimac car seat? I’ve seen it mentioned a couple of times in threads but not from anyone who actually bought one, so I’m looking for any feedback that people might have.

https://www.multimac.com/range

It does seem like a viable option to put 3 or 4 child seats across the back seat of a car and somehow doesn’t look like a squeeze, and would save us needing to upgrade to a larger SUV (we currently have a BMW X3) that could fit 3 child car seats side by side. An added benefit is that it would mean we don’t have to buy another child seat again as the children grow!

We’d need to get the 1260 but I also noticed they make them to fit cars as small as a Fiat 500!

 

[Orionaut]

Blimey!

£1600

Trimmed in leather

£2400!

Mind, they do look quite solid. I wonder how much they weigh? (Might have missed it, does it say on the site)

Can they be fitted/removed by a single person?

 

[MoRT489]

They weigh about 35kg and bolt into the existing structure to eyelets under the seats. Apparently relatively easy to install and remove.

They are very expensive but compare than to the cost of trading in for a bigger car and the fact that you won’t need to buy any child car seats from the age of 1-12, which for 3 kids at circa £180 a pop (possibly 2 car seats each) is actually a similar price. It also gives the ability to turn your 3 seat back seat into a 4 with no loss of boot space, not to mention that very few cars can fit 3 child car seats across the back.

I can see it being annoying when wanting to put the seats down to carry something large in the boot, but that isn’t often...

I think I’m sold on them as the best option for us but interested in real world experience. Either that or we’ll have to drive around everywhere in two cars

 

[IAmATeaf]

Jesus, how much Can you trade them in as the kids grow?

 

[Jez]

They are very expensive but compare than to the cost of trading in for a bigger car

You are viewing this the wrong way round, the need to fit 3 car seats in the back is the excuse to upgrade to a bigger car

 

[Rilot]

They look really good. I can totally understand why someone would pay that for those. We've got a Honda CR-V as a family wagon and we'd struggle to get 3 car seats in the back.

 

[Gaijin]

We have one (against my better judgement ). We've had it for about 3 weeks now. Bought mainly on the insistence on my wife and we didn't pay the full price. It's fitted to a Kia Sorento (7 Seater) and we have 3 boys (Aged 4 years, 2 years, and 8 months). We have the faux leather option.

Previously we had two of the boys on the middle row with an empty middle seat (no isofix there) and this meant the eldest sat up front in the passenger seat, meaning myself of my wife (I.e. whoever not driving) would have to sit in one of the rear/3rd row seats (the middle seat in the middle row was too narrow), and the rear seats are pokey as hell.

Pro's:

• 4 seats across the middle row
• No additional seats needed to age 12
  
• Reclaimed boot space due to the above
  
• The boys can sit close together and often hold hands and chat which is pretty sweet
  
• My wife and I can sit up front together again (we have other cars and so could drive journeys using two cars but live in the country so doubling up on fuel costs isn't sustainable)
  
• When my parents fly over, my mum can sit in the fourth seat on the middle row (it's cramped but fine for journeys under an hour), this is an option
• Family holidays whilst driving are again feasible (prior to the purchase we had to take two cars to Centerparcs for instance)
• Potentially transferable to future cars.
• Seats beaing leather/faux leather are wipe clean unlike most individual kids seats.
  
• My wife is happy.

Cons:

• Whereas there's an argument for seat cost for a family over a time period, the up front cost is hard to swallow
• Belting the kids in is more difficult with one baby seat at the side, as you have to climb halfway into the car on the other side to buckle the other kids in.
• The draw strap for tightening the belts doesn't have a loop at the end which would make it easier to tighten if it existed
  
• We were sent the wrong seat buckles/sockets for the car initially (corrected now).
  
• Some scratching on the legs which go down to the floor (probably an installer issue, not multimac)
• Kids nearer each other means more noise and arguments - we've been lucky so far on the latter but being so close I feel it's just a matter of time.
• Boys are less likely to nap if siblings are so close and distracting them (ours have and do sleep however).
• Any vomiting will likely involve collateral damage to neighbours.
  
• It is possible to release the kids buckles from the front seat but not loosen the straps - if this was possible you could basically release the kids and just open the door and they could exit themselves without you having to lean in.
• Baby seat is on the small side (our youngest is a unit though) - supposed to cater up to 18 months but I cant imagine him being in it that long
• No rear facing option after 18 months currently (but Multimac are allegedly working on a solution)
• No recline option on the seats so sleeping kids' heads will slump forward (looks uncomfortable).
• Skeptical on how uncomfortable/pokey it will be for the boys as they get bigger

Happy to answer any other questions.