How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2019 Honda Odyssey?

How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2019 Honda Odyssey?
2019 honda odyssey; photo by evan sears

this car seat check was written in july 2017 about the 2018 honda odyssey. little of substance has changed with this year's model. to see what's new for 2019, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.

honda's people-moving odyssey minivan got more people-friendly for 2018. the redesigned odyssey wears new styling and gets a new multimedia system, as well as a host of family-friendly convenience features.

what hasn't changed is its status as car seat king. with five sets of latch anchors and oodles of room, big families should check out the new odyssey. for this car seat check, we tested an eight-passenger model with a three-position second row, and it fit three car seats across.  removing the second row's center seat leaves two captain's chairs and enables the magic slide system, which allows the captain's chairs to slide both forward and back and side to side.

how many car seats fit in the second row? three

how many car seats fit in the third row? two

related: more car seat checks

solid

  • latch, grade a: there are three sets of lower anchors in the second row, and they're exposed and easy to use. there are three top tether anchors on the second-row seatbacks.
  • infant, grade a: the seat was easy to install and the front passenger had lots of legroom.
  • rear-facing convertible, grade a: again, we had no trouble with installation and there was ample room.
  • forward-facing convertible, grade b: connection was easy and after raising the head restraint, the seat fit well. however, the top tether's position at the base of the seatback required a stretch.
  • booster, grade b: after raising the head restraint, the booster fit well. the seat belt buckles are on floppy bases, however, which make it difficult for kids to buckle up independently.  
  • third-row access, grade b: the second row slides and tumbles forward, but the pathway is small. when the center seat is removed, the captain's chairs can slide side to side, making a larger walkway to the third row.
  • third-row latch, grade a: there are two sets of lower anchors, and they're easy to use. there are three top tether anchors on the seatbacks; only the middle one is clearly marked.
  • third-row forward-facing convertible, grade a: easy install. after removing the head restraint, the seat fit well.  
  • third-row booster, grade b: after removing the head restraint, the booster fit well. the seat belt buckles are on floppy bases, however, which can make it difficult for kids to buckle up independently.

so-so

  • none

skip it

  • none

grading scale

solid indicates an a grade for optimum ease of use and fit. so-so indicates b or c grades for one to two ease-of-use or fit issues. skip it indicates d or f grades.

a: plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn't impact driver or front-passenger legroom. easy to find and connect to latch and tether anchors. no fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. easy access to the third row.  

b: one room, fit or connection issue. some problems accessing third row when available.

c: marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. difficult to access third row when available.

d: insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.

f: does not fit or is unsafe.

about 's car seat checks

editors jennifer geiger, jennifer newman and matt schmitz are certified child safety seat installation technicians.

for the car seat check, we use a graco snugride classic connect 30 infant-safety seat, a britax marathon convertible seat and graco turbobooster seat. the front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a shorter passenger. the three child seats are installed in the second row. the booster seat sits behind the driver's seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.

we also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row's middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. if there's a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. learn more about how we conduct our car seat checks.

parents should also remember that they can use the latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.

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