My Multimac car seat review: The ideal solution for carrying 3-4 kids in the back of your car!
If you’ve ever traveled with three or more children in your car, you’ve probably faced the challenge of trying to squeeze three child seats in. It’s not like when I was a kid I would just shove everyone in the back seat and hope for the best!
in the UK, children must currently sit in a car seat until they are 12 years old or 135cm tall.
Of course, this is great because it’s very safe. Also, don’t forget that it’s more comfortable and allows your little one to see out the window (does anyone remember being bored on a long journey when you couldn’t see anything?) There is a headrest so you don’t have to worry about getting up. Laughing left and right!
However, most cars aren’t wide enough to accommodate three child seats in the back seat, creating problems for families with more than two children.
The car I drive is a Kia Sportage, which can be said to be a wide car and is popular among families, but I couldn’t even fit three seats in the back! I also purchased a slim fit seat for my older boy, but I was unable to install the buckle between the seats to tighten the seatbelt.
Car travel has become a complicated game of musical chairs, with everyone moving seats depending on who’s in the car. If all 5 of us were in the car, I would be (relegated to the back seat of my car!!!) because my partner Sam would be in the middle of the two seats in the car. Because I can barely fit it in. So Sam drove, my oldest sat in the front of the car seat, my younger two sat in the back, outside seats, and I was squeezed in the middle. It wasn’t ideal, especially as we do a lot of road trips as a family and are always traveling around Wales!
We were considering purchasing a new car. There are several large five-seater cars that can accommodate three child seats, but the selection is surprisingly small. I could have bought a 7-seater car, but I didn’t want something that big. The extra two seats are essentially in the trunk, which often results in a significant loss of trunk space.
And don’t forget, I really like my car so I didn’t want to go through all the effort and huge expense of buying a new one!
That’s where Multimac comes in!
Everyone is eating sour sweets here!
What is a Multimac car seat?
The Multimac car seat is a unique 3 or 4 person child seat that fits in the back seat of almost any car. This means she can safely fit her 3-4 children in the back seat of most cars, ensuring they are seated in legal, safe and comfortable seats.
It’s like a large bench seat that attaches safely to the back of your car. There are different Multimacs for different cars, even small cars like the Fiat 500 and Ford KA!
Can be used from birth to 12 years old. There is also a rear-facing newborn baby seat called the Mini Mac, which can be put in and out like a regular baby seat. Please note that Minimac is the only baby seat that can be used with Multimac. It cannot be attached to other baby seats. There’s also an adult buckle in case you occasionally carry a smaller adult in the back.
Is it safe and legal?
Yes, Multimac has passed all necessary tests and is approved to the European safety standard ECE 44-04 for child seats and significantly exceeds all crash test requirements. Learn more about safety specifications here.
My partner Sam is a former firefighter, so he is very safety conscious after rescuing people from car accidents. I can’t pretend to be a safety expert, but the Multimac got high marks from Sam. He had previously returned a car seat because he didn’t feel safe.
Is the Multimac car seat comfortable?
My kids love Multimac. It is said to be comfortable and I have no complaints. They all fall asleep as usual. I think that’s a sure sign that they’re comfortable.
My older two don’t seem to have a preference over the Multimac or that old car seat, but my youngest, Alba, definitely prefers the Multimac. She used to cry when sitting in the old car seat, but she has never felt her frustration when sitting in the Multimac.
Several people have asked if the seats recline. They don’t recline. At first I thought this might be a problem because we always recline Alba’s seat when we know she’s going to fall asleep. But she actually prefers the upright position of her Multimac and I think she used to cry because of the recline!
What happens when your eldest child reaches 12?
What do you do if your older child turns 12 and no longer needs to be in a car seat, but your younger children still need to be in a car seat?
There are three choices here.
- For £29, you can purchase an adult slip-on buckle that allows you to use a regular car seatbelt.
- Take out your Multimac, use a regular car seat for younger children, and tuck your 12-year-old into the middle or sit in the front.
- If it still fits, leave it in the Multimac (although I think most 12 year olds won’t be happy with this and will consider it a child seat)
What happens if you occasionally want to have adults in the back of the car?
In some cases, you may need another adult to give you a ride. What should I do then?
This is a little tricky. If you purchase a plug-in buckle, an adult can sit on his Multimac seat, but with a regular buckle instead of a child harness. However, this is really only suitable for petite adults and I personally don’t recommend it for long trips. This is a good backup option and is fine if you need to take a quick trip with friends in the backseat, but it will be difficult for larger adults.
On the plus side, you will rarely be the designated driver on a night out!
How do you fit a Multimac car seat?
Usually, people go to professional fitting agents to get their Multimac fitted. Fitters are located across the country (you can find them here) and prices typically range from £120 to £200. If you have it professionally installed, you can send your Multimac directly to your installer, where it will be ready and waiting for you.
There is a downloadable installation guide, and if you’re a competent DIYer, you can even install it yourself.
Do you need to let your insurance company know you have a Multimac?
Yes, you should notify your insurance company. Should be covered at no additional cost.
Why have I never heard of these before!?
I know, I felt that way too.
I know many families who reluctantly trade in their car for a soccer mom’s car when their third child is born. Getting a new car is very expensive (not to mention the admin and hassle!) and you can often end up getting a car you don’t really want.
So if this is you and you are expecting your third or fourth child and don’t want to change your car, I highly recommend buying a Multimac!
Why do I have a four-seater Multimac?
Sharing my 4-seater Multimac doesn’t mean we’re going to have another baby!
We created the video in collaboration with Multimac. When I came to install it, I brought a 4-seater to take photos. I think they wanted to emphasize that there’s plenty of space because the four-seater is actually so comfortable that people can’t believe it’s a good fit. Anyway, once I installed it, I liked it so much that I suggested keeping the 4-seater as is.
In fact, I think it would be really useful to have an extra seat. That means you can pick up your nieces, nephews, or even your child’s friends. It also means there’s extra space to put toys and treats…or just to separate Alba and Jojo since they fight all the time!
Would I recommend the Multimac?
Absolutely 100% yes. Yes, yes, yes again.
I don’t know why it’s not more popular. People are always amazed every time they see it and can’t believe they’ve never heard of it before.
If you have three or more kids and don’t want to replace your car, you won’t regret buying a Multimac. There’s no need to buy huge people carriers or minivans. You don’t need a 7-seater car, and you don’t need to spend all your time sitting in the back seat with your kids while they sit in the front!
For more information, visit Multimac.com
