​​How Well Do Car Seats Fit In a 2026 Traverse​

It is hard to think of a vehicle that fits the description of “family car” better than the 2026 Chevrolet Traverse. As a three-row SUV, it can seat up to eight, making it perfect for large families, or perhaps smaller family that likes to bring friends or extended family along for the ride, or simply has a lot of bulky gear. 

Depending on how young the family may be, some of that bulky gear may well include child safety seats – an imperative addition when it comes down to keeping infants and young children positioned and secured safely. While most vehicles offer some attachment points and anchors for child seats, some are easier to access and install than others, while some vehicles may not allow for multiple child seats across a given row of seats. 

Fortunately, Cars.com has a regular feature in which they pick a model and check how well car seats can be installed in it. Recently, their editors turned their attention to the Traverse, and Twin Falls Chevrolet reports on what they found.  

Who Tests Child Seat Installation? 

Cars.com editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman are both certified in child safety seat installation Since testing every single child seat model isn’t feasible, they choose one representative car seat from each stage that best represents most models in that category, and they use these same seats for all their tests. These seats are: 

• Chicco KeyFit 30 infant-safety seat 

• Graco Contender Extend2Fit 2-in-1 convertible seat (front-facing and rear-facing) 

• Graco TurboBooster seat 

Seats are tested in the second row since that’s where most are installed. For safety reasons, installing child seats in the front row isn’t recommended when an alternative is available, primarily due to airbag deployment issues. Even beyond airbags, the second row has proven to be the safer choice for children. Infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat, while booster seats are tested behind the driver. The driver’s seat is positioned for an average 6-foot-tall adult, while the front passenger seat is set for someone shorter.  

They also test the convertible seat in the forward-facing position while installed in the middle of the second row to check if three child seats can fit side by side. Their evaluations are based on the ease and accessibility of the child seat latches, as well as other installation challenges. With rear-facing seats, they evaluate if it forces the front passenger seat to be moved forward to an impractical position. With 3rd row vehicles like the Traverse, they also assess the practicality of installing seats in the third row. Each test is graded from A to F, with these specific definitions of each grade: 

A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; it 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.  

B: One room, fit, or connection issue.  

C: Marginal room plus one fit or connection issue.  

D: Insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues. 

F: Does not fit or is unsafe. 

The Traverse Did Well, But Wasn’t Perfect 

The Traverse model tested was an LT with second-row captain’s chairs, providing a total seating capacity of seven. Of the five primary tests, using the second-row seats, the Traverse earned five A’s, but issues arose when it came time to install seats in the third row. With one A, one B one C, and one that simply did not apply because there was no third row LATCH anchor.  

Results 

The following are verbatim comments on each grade: 

LATCH: Grade A 

“In the second row, the two sets of lower anchors are exposed for easy connection. Two top tether anchors sit on the seatback and are clearly marked and easy to use.” 

Infant Seat: Grade A 

“This seat was easy to install, and our 5-foot-6-inch front passenger had plenty of legroom in front of it.” 

Rear-Facing Convertible: Grade A 

“Again, this seat went in easily and did not impact our front passenger’s legroom. We used the Level 2 recline angle for the rear-facing convertible.” 

Forward-Facing Convertible: Grade A 

“After raising the head restraint to situate the convertible flush against the seatback, the car seat fit well. We had no problems connecting to the lower anchors or top tether anchor.” 

Booster: Grade A 

“The booster fit well once we raised the head restraint. The Traverse’s buckles are large and sit on tall stalks anchored to the seat, so they should be easy for kids to grasp and use independently.” 

Will the 2nd row fit three seats? 

No – unsurprising in this instance since the second row consisted of two captain’s chairs. 

Third-Row Access: Grade B 

“In the Traverse LT, the second-row seats lift and slide forward with the touch of a button, opening up a large passage to the third row. There’s also a space between the captain’s chairs that allows access to the third row.” 

Third-Row Forward-Facing Convertible: Grade B 

“Since there are no lower anchors in the third row, we installed this car seat with a seat belt and had no trouble accessing and connecting to the top tether anchor on the seatback. The outboard seats have fixed head restraints that push the convertible off the seatback. You could install the convertible in the middle position because it has a removable head restraint, but it blocks the driver’s view when in use since it’s mounted to the ceiling. The middle position is also very narrow and will take up space from the other seats if used.” 

Third-Row Booster: Grade C 

“Here again, the third row’s fixed head restraints caused issues since the booster didn’t sit flush against the seatback. Also, the third row’s floppy buckles will likely be tough for kids to grasp and use on their own.” 

In summary: so long as you primarily install seats in the second row (and, perhaps, opt for the available three-person bench seat instead of the captain’s chairs) and send older kids to the third row, the Traverse will work quite well for you. You can be assured that if you have a family and anticipate it continuing to grow, the Traverse may well be the vehicle for you. You can confirm that yourself with a visit to Twin Falls Chevrolet, and feel free to bring along the whole family.