# Perplexed: Bench or Captains Chairs...



## bluesmachine (Nov 26, 2010)

My family and I have decided on the Atlas SEL-Premium. Our family loves it after 12 years and 3 minivans... 

I've got a wife and 3 kids and 75% of the time - give or take - it's just those 4. Oldest is old enough to sit up front, and twins would of course be in captains chairs if we go that route. 

We love the captains chairs and how much roomier it makes the car feel, but of course, it limits the Atlas to a six seater AND when 5 of us head to: to dinner, skiing, etc.. it does limit the storage for sure and one has to sit in the way back - which isn't so bad at all... 

BUT... do the captains chairs give you MORE room day to day with that space between the seats, etc... 

Any families w 3 kids get the captains chairs in the SEL-PREM? or are most people going bench...?

thanks.. im a bit perplexed...


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## snobrdrdan (Sep 10, 2008)

My 2 cents...

We have 2 little ones & a third on the way. I was sold on the bench in the Atlas, and knew our oldest would be sitting in the back regardless.

After the numbers didn't really work out though, we looked at the Traverse and I wanted the bench in that (although it's rare to find one in a LT trim). _Chevy doesn't charge for the captain chairs btw and that's what most/all of them have except for the base model (LS) has the bench standard._

Anyways...I was all set on the bench, but then the manager questions my decision for the bench & says that with kids & everyday living the captain chairs make more sense. A kid wouldn't be able to "easily" move the bench by him/herself, and you/they would have to do that EVERY time to get to the rear.
Instead they could just walk thru the aisle to the rear with the captain chairs.

So I backed out of the deal for the bench seat and went with the captain chairs. I knew I'd be losing that seat, but how many people want to sit between two baby seats on the bench IF you really needed that seat (in my scenario)....no one.
You also have a hole in the floor when the seats are folded down, but oh well....the captain chairs seem like the better option for everyday living for me.

With older kids...maybe it wouldn't be an issue?

The captain chairs also look nicer, FWIW. Possibly more comfortable?


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## tntbrd (Apr 2, 2018)

We ordered the captains chairs specifically in our SEL. Kids grow and they’re not going to want to sit three a bench. Having come from a family with three kids growing up, captains chairs eliminate many arguments. We had a minivan growing up with a bench and every trip was miserable. We got a van with captains chairs in the second row, it eliminated all problems. Just my two cents.


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## bajan01 (Nov 26, 2001)

Just make sure that it’s not twins.

We had just purchased a small SUV and then had to also purchase a minivan as number 3 turned into 3 &4.

Last November we traded in the minivan for an Atlas, with bench seats of course.


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## liquidzoo (Jan 30, 2018)

I have 3 kids as well, and the oldest is definitely old enough to sit up front, but here's my take:

If my mom, or my in-laws come to town, we can go somewhere in 1 car rather than 2 with the bench seat.

It's really easy to move the seats (my 6 year old neighbor could do it on her own) and with the bench we have plenty of room when my wife carpools kids to school or take a bunch of teenagers to the skatepark.

I never tested or sat in one with captain's chairs, but we knew from the start we wanted 7 passengers rather than 6 for the main reason I listed above: Taking 1 car rather than 2 to go places.


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## AudiVW guy (Feb 7, 2006)

bluesmachine said:


> My family and I have decided on the Atlas SEL-Premium. Our family loves it after 12 years and 3 minivans...
> 
> I've got a wife and 3 kids and 75% of the time - give or take - it's just those 4. Oldest is old enough to sit up front, and twins would of course be in captains chairs if we go that route.
> 
> ...


i went with captain chairs as it gives you more space - plus entry and exit is way easier from the 3rd row. Not mention the seats are more comfortable. 
also when in motion if you need to get to the 3rd row or move forward you dont need to stop and pull over.

Captain Chairs ends the BS arguing as well.


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## atlas titan (Dec 15, 2017)

wanted bench but was hard to find. Then i google capt vs bench seat and seems like the pro and con convince me to take capt. I can always put a lil stool in the middle as backup seat


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## streetmuziq (Jan 29, 2018)

I’ve always wanted captains chairs. Mainly because they just look more luxurious. They only argument that ever peaked my interest was that your children could access the third row through the center of the captains chairs. With the ease of access from the second row bench seat, with convertible car seats. That became a poor argument in my eyes. My advice is this. Get the bench seat. You do not want to be forced into using the third row and loosing all that cargo room every time your whole family is in the car. If you get the bench seat you Will realize that the cargo room
Behind the 2nd row seat is much more important than the captains chairs. Just stick all the kids in the second row. Also the second row is huge when it’s pushed all the way back on the tracks. Good luck!


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## sayemthree (Mar 2, 2006)

We went back-and-forth on this quite a bit . Our kids are grown but still ride with us sometimes , also we use the cargo floor a lot , I think the only real advantage to the caps and chairs as that kids can get in and walk between them , Otherwise the bench gives you more options and allows you to seat more people , we got the bench


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## dbjb (Sep 10, 2017)

I have 3 kids and a fourth on the way. Have captain chairs and still prefer them. 

You get more luxury, walk way between the seats and the kids argue less when they’re not so close! 

Go check out the atlas with captain chairs. Even with one child in the third row, you’ll still have a decent amount of storage in the trunk. Of course, that determination is in the eye of the beholder. So, only you can decide what’s sufficient. 

Good luck. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## sayemthree (Mar 2, 2006)

dbjb said:


> I have 3 kids and a fourth on the way. Have captain chairs and still prefer them.
> 
> You get more luxury, walk way between the seats and the kids argue less when they’re not so close!
> 
> ...


 With the bench u can still separate the two in the middle and have one in the back and have other options , the only thing you lose is the walk-through


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

Similar situation here with 3 kids and we cam out of a minivan. They are getting older so all of us using the Atlas isn't as common as it was for us to all use the minivan. We went bench (SEL) b/c it's just more useful overall for times when we need the cargo room or generally need to haul people. I love the look of captains but can't justify the ding to practicality they give you. With 2 kids I would have considered them.


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## Aonarch (Dec 4, 2006)

Bench, three kids seats across. Access to the third row is easy enough.


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## geneld (May 7, 2006)

I have 3 teenage boys. And while typically I don't have 5 in the car, went with the bench for the extra capacity for carpools and when going on trips (not a lot of room for luggage with the 3rd row up).

When we are just around a town one of my boys typically climbs into the back - they have no problem doing so.


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## Gromicide (Nov 1, 2017)

My Wife was mad when I bought my '14 Durango with Captn chairs. Her argument was "Now we can only fit our family and one of the kid's friends." I said "exactly!" We are a family of 5 also. I prefer the captain chairs still and would choose this option again regardless of vehicle. We looked at some Yukon's recently and she again brought up wanting a bench seat in the middle.


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## bluesmachine (Nov 26, 2010)

Thanks everyone! Very varied opinions!

The thing that has us leaning towards the bench is simply room when all 5 of us are in the car. 

Kids often have cellos (BIG!) and often times I take my TT triathlon bike which I do NOT want on the roof or in a rear bike rack. 

W/ bench we can still separate the kids when need, take 7 people and get the stuff in the car I think we need. 

I really, really like the look and sense of space the captains chairs gives the car, but I *think* for our purposes, the bench might serve us better. 

Maybe.


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## Gromicide (Nov 1, 2017)

bluesmachine said:


> Thanks everyone! Very varied opinions!
> 
> The thing that has us leaning towards the bench is simply room when all 5 of us are in the car.
> 
> ...


Go with bench. Either is good IMO. Captn chairs are for people who absolutely want them. If you're torn between the two, I don't think there'd much remorse if you went either way.


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## Savvv (Apr 22, 2009)

Rather than post a new thread I found this and figured I'd put in my 2 cents after reading through the comments. We are looking to place an order for a 2019 Atlas as soon as orders open up.

We currently have a 2016 Acadia with captains chairs. I've got a 5, 3, and 2 year old. My 5 year old obviously can walk through the 2nd row to her seat and buckle herself no problem, and my 2 boys are in car seats in the captains chairs. We have the extra 3rd row seat folded flat, which is enough for a double stroller and a few other items, or the occasional Sam's Club run, etc. Now, with that car, it's still a 7 seater since the back row is 3 across.

I was originally wanting to do captain's chairs for the same ease of access to the third row, but after stopping at the dealer and seeing that my daughter can easily pull the latch for the bench to fold forward in an SEL-P, the premium for captains chairs and loosing a seat now comes to question. They boys would still have separation being in the bench seat, but now the benefit is if we are in a pinch for room because we are picking up stuff that takes up room, we can move my daughter to the middle seat and deal with the arguing and hitting for a single trip and then have the rear seats folded for storage space. OR, we have a 7 seater that my parents can comfortably fit in with the kids in the car too. For traveling I invested in a Thule Motion XT-XXL to keep the interior of the car clear of all the stuff we don't need access to during a trip, but I'm definitely leaning back toward the bench seating. :thumbup:


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## huntrm (Sep 18, 2018)

*1 kid in college, 1 ready to go to college and 1 left in high school*

Kids are 20, 17, and 14 and we went with the captain chairs and we love it. With them being older, we just wanted something more luxurious. We've had two expeditions prior with the bench seat and we really didn't want another bench seat. 

So far we love the choice and don't have a need for the bench.


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## Atlas1615 (Nov 27, 2018)

With 3 kids I would go with the bench. We just bought an Atlas with a bench and sold a 2017 GMC Acadia limited that had captains chairs. The main reason for us was lack of cargo space as we always had to have at least part of the 3rd row up.


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## geneld (May 7, 2006)

I have 3 teenage boys - so they take up a lot of space. I went with bench so I had the option for more storage on trips with the back seat down and all 3 on the bench. What's ended up happening on most trips though is one sits in the back surrounded by luggage while two sit on the bench with room to spread out.


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