How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2026 Subaru Outback?

What Car Shoppers Need to Know

• The redesigned 2026 Subaru Outback performed fairly well in our Car Seat Check with mostly A grades.
• The SUV seats five and we tested the Limited XT trim.
• The two-row SUV had ample room for two car seats, but it does not fit three car seats. The middle seat is narrow and the buckle comes down from the ceiling, complicating connection and spacing.

Take a look at how the Latch system and each car seat scored below in our Car Seat Check of the 2026 Subaru Outback.

Related: Search Car Seat Checks

Latch: Grade A

The two sets of lower anchors sit under a large Velcro flap; they’re easy to find and use. There’s also an extra anchor in the middle spot for added flexibility. Three top tether anchors sit halfway down the seatbacks and are clearly marked for easy connection.

Infant Seat: Grade A

This seat was easy to install, and our 5-foot-6-inch front passenger had ample legroom.

Rear-Facing Convertible: Grade A

Again, installing this seat was easy and the front passenger was comfortable in front of it. We used the Level 2 recline angle for the rear-facing convertible.

Forward-Facing Convertible: Grade A

Installation was easy and the convertible fit well. We removed the head restraint to situate the convertible flush against the seatback. We installed this car seat with the seat belt, for caregivers interested in that method. We had no trouble connecting to the top tether anchor behind the seat. Note that if the convertible is installed in the middle position, the seat belt comes down from the ceiling, blocking the driver’s view when in use.

Booster Seat: Grade B

After removing the head restraint, the booster fit well, but the Outback has short buckles that sit flush with the seat bottom cushions; these could be tough for kids to grasp and use independently. Also note that if the booster is installed in the middle position, the seat belt comes down from the ceiling, blocking the driver’s view when in use.

About Cars.com’s Car Seat Checks

Editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman are certified child safety seat installation technicians.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Chicco KeyFit 30 infant-safety seat, a Graco Extend2Fit 2-in-1 convertible 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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