RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

Ladies i need help. #3 is due in October and right now i have a jeep commander with a 3rd row (bench seat in 2nd row).

My husband and i want a car with captains chairs in the 2nd row, with a 3rd row (we're thinking the dodge durango). We think it would be so much easier to get in and out of.

however some are telling us the bench seat is better and then you'll have that extra spot.

Can you share your opinions with me or what you find to be better/easier?

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

Captain seats!! I have 3 kids and it is so much easier for them to get into the back or for me , especially if you are going to have carseats/boosters.

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

I have the durango with the captains chairs and I love it. I have car seats on both sides. My step daughter can easily get to the 3rd row. The captains chairs are able to slide up even with the car seats in but it seems more of a hassle to me and she just climbs past them. I would not like it with the bench seat. but thats just me. I am soooo happy with my durango. I turned in my crv a year early to get and and am so glad that I did.

RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

With a car seat behind each front seat, the third row is inaccessible with the bench. If you have very narrow car seats you can position them behind the driver and the middle, so that there's room for the part of the bench behind the passenger to push down to access the third row. We are sorry we didn't get the captain configuration instead. We had the same thought process that it was an extra seat, but we have only seated 7 one time. On the other hand we had 5 or 6 a million times that it was annoying to get someone to the third row.

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

If you plan on using the 3rd row at all, then yes, get the captains chairs. Having carseats installed in the 2nd row basically renders the 3rd row useless unless you uninstall the carseats or climb over the 2nd row. We just bought the Explorer this week actually with 2nd row captains chairs.

Message edited 4/28/2014 10:34:10 AM.

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

Captain Seats for sure. How often would you need an 8 seater? 7 seater with the captain seats is more than sufficient. Congrats on # 3

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

I have Captains seats and it's perfect. I couldn't imagine having to climb over seats to get to the 3rd row because I have car seats in the second row. I have 3 kids and my 2 year old and 8 year old are in second row and my oldest, 10 yo, is in the 3rd row with plenty of room.

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

Posted by GraciesMom

Captain seats!! I have 3 kids and it is so much easier for them to get into the back or for me , especially if you are going to have carseats/boosters.

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

Both DH and I have Captain seats...We have 3 kids and use the back row regularly. If we didn't have captain seats...I couldn't imagine easily using that back row.

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

Without a doubt captains chairs!!!!! My next Durango will have them. I had to get bench because last years model didn't offer it. I has them in my Acadia and it was so convenient.

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

Captain sets for sure - have 3 dcs. It is so much easier.

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

Thanks ladies. You only confirmed what we were thinking. Captain seats for sure.

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

It depends how far apart your kids are if you ask me. when I had my third my first was barely 4 and incapable of buckling himself into a car seat. he was also not in a booster at that point so if we had switched to a car with captains chairs he would have been in the middle of the back row. there wouldn't be that much room for anyone else to sit there. also I would have had to climb past the second row car seat to get to him and buckle him in. I found it easier to keep them all in the same row until he was in a booster and fully able to get himself in and out of the car. This happened right around 5 I would say.

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

I have a bench seat and have been in a Captains vehicle. I would go with Captains next time around.

Plus if you have 2 carseats on each end on a bench seat, you won't be able to pull down the seat to access the back row. Definitely stinks.

Message edited 4/29/2014 7:51:01 PM.

Re: RP: bench seats or captains chairs for 2nd row?

I have a 2013 Durango and I opted for a bench. I wanted to have 7 passenger seating and that is only available with the bench...otherwise it's 6 person.

The bench is a 60/40 split. I have 2 kids and they are in boosters. It's very easy to move the seat and move the second row bench at the 40. Also, I am able to fit 3 boosters across in the second row.

The 2014 model may seat more with Captain Chairs now. But the Durango is longer as opposed to a Travers which is wider.