Reviews for RECARO Como convertible car seat

A couple of years ago we took a chance in Miami, Florida in pre-ordering one of the very first Como models to come into the US, which was delayed for about 4 months due to intense US governent scrutiny over the safety of the seats and ensuring Recaro's commitment to a standard of quality, reliability and viability. We have been extremely happy with the craftsmanship, safety, harnessing system, comfort and style in our Como and our daughter, who was a newborn at the time, has greatly benefitted from it's durability characteristics. Our only negative is that the micro-fiber fabric over a short period of time breaks down too quickly and develops a slight patching/thatching on the surface where some of the micro-fiber material separates and you're left with the base material (hence the 4-star rating), especially when gently washing out urps from it. Additionally, the paddings longevity in the bolsters and backing could be bumped up at little, both in sturdiness, thickness and form-fit - we would suggest to Recaro to include true memory-foam in the backing instead (like that in the Tempurpedic beds) because a baby's spine if very delicate. Overall, we're very impressed and quite happy with our Como and we'll be purchasing another in the next month for our new bundle to arrive in August. Recaro has definitely done most of their homework and when it comes to the safety of your child, we recommend Recaro's product line without question - no expense is too great for the health and welfare of ours and we're sure you feel the same!

I did over 2 months of reserch instores and online and this one was a great choice. I haved owned the Como for over a Year. My son has loved this seat from the moment out of the box. I have NEVER had any problems with the seat belts twisting. I don't move it often. But, when i have it's been easy. I do wish I would have bought it in a lighter color or they would offer the replacement covers.

I bought a Recar Signo a year ago, for my 1-yr-old. This was my 2nd Recaro, 1st being a Recaro Young Sport , which I've owned for 5 years. I absolutely LOVE Recaro seats. I've compared a ton of seats, from Britax, to SAFEGUARD, to Eddie Bauer. I've taken both of my kids to the local store and strapped each one of the kids into each one of the seats. After much hands on research, I've concluded that currently there are NO seats that come close to the protection Recaros provide. Here is my take: Positives: 1. Unrivaled side impact protection. From head, to shoulders, to hips, to upper legs. Both of my kids, in their respective seats, have all of the side protection exactly were it needs to be, to be most effective in case of an accident. This is after multiple adjustments as the kids have been growing. 2. Besides having the side protection positioned where it needs to be, the seat provides a much better level of protection. To understand what I mean, go to your local store, get a seat of any brand, and using your hand and a bit of force, try flexing the side "wings" of the side protection. You'll see how flimsy other seats are. Recaros utilize a much stronger plastic that still allows some flex dissipating load forces during an impact. 3. Once the seats are installed they don't move an inch and I do mean no movement, not even a 1/16". It is easy to install them, as all the latch hardware is well designed and engages with a positive click when it locks. 4. If the seat is installed properly, when kids fall asleep, their heads DO NOT bob around and fall forward or to the side causing stretching and twisting of the neck. This is due to the positioning of the head restraint, as close to the head as possible. 5. The easiest seats to adjust the harnesses, or take off the cover to be washed. All the belts are easy to pull tight and release. The buckle is massive, easy to operate and has a very positive feel when it locks. Try changing the harness position on the Eddie Bauer seat or taking off the cover to be washed. I had the "pleasure" of trying to remove a cover on the Eddie Bauer seat. I had the whole seat apart to the point of unthreading all the belts (from their buckles), disconnecting the seat from it's base (this required tools) and still the cover wouldn't come off. After an hour I gave up and told them to get a different seat. I saw what the problem was but there was no way around it, other than cutting off straps that held the cover in place. 5. Wanting to keep my kids in a 5-point harness for as long as possible I found that Recaros provide one of the tallest back rests. I think that the only seat that'll let you keep a kid in a 5-point harness longer is a SAFEGUARD, but check out their prices and level of side protection. I will go to a real booster like a Recaro Start as soon as my oldest outgrows the 5-point harness. Negatives: It's a big seat and does take up a lot of room in the back seat. My wife can not install the seats on her own, but then again, she couldn't install any other seat. Other than that I can't think of any other negatives. Being as big as these seats are, they both fit with no problems in the back seat of our 3-series BMW, leaving enough space between them and on the sides for storage of kids' stuff. I did read that people had problems with the straps twisting. I'm not sure why but I hadn't encountered this problem. My buckles do twist around once in a great while, but it is an absolute breeze to straighten them out, as the slots in the buckles are a bit wider than in the other seats. I had a very tough time untwisting belts in a Britax and in an Eddie Bauer seat, as their buckles are much more narrow. Take my advice for what it's worth. But after 5 years of using Recaros, the only reason I decided to spend my valuable time to share information with others is because these are truly outstanding products and I'm back to buy two more seats, for the grandparents.

RECARO Como convertible car seat - Great, roomy car seat. My baby enjoys this large and comfortable seat. Ease to install. The only discomfort is the seat belt. Twists and turns all the time and you have to adjust it every time you put your baby in. Also there should be a head rest or some kind of padding as the back of the seat is hard and unpleasant for your sleeping munchkin. I give my baby small pillow every time we ride for his comfort. He is only 7 months, however too big for head support provided with the car seat, which is great for smaller babies. Overall with those couple inconveniences it should be less expensive or be more detailed. We will keep it though! Looks great and it's safe.

I did lots and lots of research before finally taking the plunge in upgrading my toddler's convertible carseat that he was due out of at 40lbs. The two seats I was most interested in were the Britax Frontier and the Sunshine Kids Radian 80. I had never even considered a Recaro product, but once I was looking at them side by side, the RECARO Como convertible car seat just stood out! First, both the Frontier and the Radian 80 are VERY upright youth seats. There is no way my toddler could have napped comfortably in either of the seats. Secondly, of the three, the Recaro was still a longer use convertible 5 Pt. harness seat (up to 70lbs!), so I could just pass the seat onto my next child and worry about a full booster type seat later on for my toddler...when he is a bit more mature and ready to stay seated in a belt positioning type seat.The Radian 80 has an extremely small bottom seat area and I am not sure that it would have been comfy for extended rides in the car. The entire seat was VERY narrow. The Recaro provided as much plushness and comfort padding as any of the Britax Marathons and definitely more than the Radian or Frontier with more growing room than the Radian 80. My son loves the seat and is very comfortable in it for as long as I need him to be. The Como is VERY self explanatory and the instruction manual is easy to understand. I have heard and read both reviews and friends say that that other seats are difficult to install correctly and there may be info regarding the seats missing in the manual which would be helpful (such as moving the latch restraints to different positions for forward and rear facing children...and how to get that done the right way)... Overall, I LOVE the seat. The only thing is that I wish it came with a snack or cup holder, but the customer service rep that sold me the seat says that Recaro is just very particular about things like that...safety first. Definitely a great buy if you are into safety, comfort, and ease of use more than style and fabric options!!!

We've had this seat for almost 2 months now, and its been really great for us. My daughter is small for her age (1), and she'll be able to use this seat for a long time. I'm surpised how well it fit in my small car. (I have a 2 door Chevy) It fit perfect in the middle seat and I didn't have to adjust the two front seats, even though its rear facing. Its a big seat, but I can still look around it, but I do notice it while I'm driving. We have had some small problems with twisting straps, but I find if I'm very careful with the way I take her in & out, they don't really twist at all. I did a lot of research on car seats before I bought, and my daughter didn't feel as comfortable in any other seat as she is in this one. I have no problems with her, and the seat seems to be resistant to stains and whatever else she's thrown at it (although, time will tell.) I really like the pink & grey. Overall we're happy with the seat, and we'll probably buy another Recaro in the future.

We have two wonderful active identical boys who hated being strapped into their baby car seats, but since we got the RECARO seats they don't mind getting in them at all. The seats are also very easy to use and they make strapping our boys in quick and complaining free. They also seem very comfortable because almost everytime they ride in the car now they fall asleep and look very content.

I love the look of this seat but I can't stand how the straps always twist Im tired of fixing them and who has time to fix them every other day???!!!! Other then the straps its a nice seat and my 10 month old son seems to like it. If I could buy another seat I would!

The seat seemed very safe and well built. My son also seemed to be comfortable in it. I ended up returning and getting the Britax Boulevard. Reason... the side impact pillows fit right next to my sons head. We live in a warm climate so it made him sweat. It didn't seem to bother him, but it did me. I would recommend the seat but be aware that the SIP fit up against the childs head.

To my disappointment, I ended up returning this seat after ordering it because I couldn't wait for the signo. It is a very large seat and our 17 mos old was swallowed up in it (he's a teeny 19lbs). Also, the SIP wings did not fit him in the lowest slots, and had to be removed. My son has never been a big fan of carseats, but he cried for our entire trip in this one because he could not see us, nor could we see him (high back blocks mirror on headrest used to view him while rear facing). All in all, I'm sticking with Britax. I have a roundabout and will likely purchase a Marathon to replace this one. My hubby was a bit disappointed (cool recaro race seat, lol), but all in all, it is not safe to drive with a screaming toddler. Luckily, I purchased return insurance and customer service was great about taking it back.

I recently ordered this seat for my 12 month old. Because of circumstances I ended up using it for my 3 year old for a short time. I love the look of the seat, and it seems to be one of the most plush seats on the market right now. In fact it is a bit too plush. My 3 year old (who is 39 lbs and 42 inches) does not fit in the seat with the extra pads in it. Also the straps twist easily, and I've heard that many people are having problems with the front facing seat belt locks.

We have only had this seat for just over a week but so far it seems great. First of all it arrived in record fast time. I have been waiting for the Recaro Signo seat for months now (Recaro's delay not this site's) so I was so surprised when I got this seat in 3 days! WOW! Secondly, it was super easy to install!! The straps on the shoulder do not twist at all and we had a big problem with that on one of our Britax seats. The straps do however twist at the waist with the belt buckle and that has been a little annoying. Hopefully that is just user error and will improve as we get use to the seat. The seat feels very plush and comfortable. My daughter seems to be very comfortable and likes the seat. The back does not lay back as far as our Britax but she still seems to sleep comfortably in it. I feel like she is safer in with the SIP and with it just being made by Recaro with the extra metal support.

We waited for 4 months for the recaro signo and could not wait any longer (16 months and still in infant seats) so we decided to purchase the como for our twin girls. I gave it 4 stars because their heads are too big for the headrest (side impact protection) pillow and there is no way they will be able to sit rear facing till 35 pounds. We have a nissan murano and even with the seats reclined their feet still touch the backseat and they are 22 pounds, so at 35 pounds there will be no way. But, I do love how deep and high the car seats are. The girls had the peg perego infant seats so they were used to having to lean their heads forward to see each other so they are not bothered by the depth of the seats at all and because of the height of the seats they can easily look out the window. We do have to be careful not to bonk their heads on the roof while getting them in because the car seats are rear facing and my car is not big. It will be much easier when forward facing. But, over all I think this is a great car seat and highly recommend it and will always recommend this website to my friends.

This seat is wonderful wish it was around six years ago. We purchased it for our four year old that outgrew the typical fourty pound limit carseat, and ended up using it for our six year old who fits nicely in it, we plan to purchase another for the four year old. I think it is great we can keep older children just as safe as the younger ones.

We recently purchased the Recaro Como. We had issues installing the seat in our Focus. The rear tether anchor points in the vehicle are very close to the backseat. The tether strap on the Como has a long metal hook and the tensioner inlined. When we hooked the tether to the anchor point, we could not get it tight because the tensioner was hitting the back of the car seat. Also, the seat is quite narrow. Our daughter is not even 3 yet and her shoulders were touching the SIP. We also were on the second to last height adjustment. There just was not very much room for future growth. The straps twisted very easy and we were fishing down to find the buckles each time. We also noticed that the straps were starting to twist where they thread through the buckle. It looked as if the slots in the seat belt tabs were slightly oversized and allowed the belt to begin to fold over on itself. The SIP are very nice. You really get the feeling of your child being safe in the seat. We only used the seat twice, but there were enough drawbacks to send the seat back. We are trying the Safeguard Child seat next. We currently have a Britax Roundabout and love the seat. It is easy to use, has velcro tabs that hold the straps in place while loading your child. We would have gone with the Regent, but the seat will not fit in our car.

Comments from The Staff:

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with your RECARO Como. Unfortunately, all car seats do not fit in all vehicles just the same as every child does not fit in every car seat. In regards to the straps twisting, RECARO is aware of this issue and is working to resolve the problem. Thanks for your feedback.

Michelle
Site Manager

So far we have only used this seat rear-facing (he is now 19 lbs), but this car seat solves the problem of the slumping head when our child is sleeping in his car seat! He complains a lot less about being in this seat - it is well cushioned, but doesn't seem to be overly padded. He can get a bit warm in this seat, so I am sure to have the AC on before we buckle him in. We have the latch system in both our vehicles and the attachment system is so easy to attach and release making it easy to move the seat from one car to the other. Tightening the seat down and securely is quick and simple. Making the adjustment for the headrest as he grows is simple as well. This seat sits up high though, so if you have limited headroom, it may be a challenge to get them in and out without bumping their heads, but I think our child likes being up higher so he can see more out the windows and the sun is better blocked.

Just wondering what type of cars the reviewers drive? I have a 2007 Odyssey and the seat is high in the 2nd row middle seat, but I am not sure if that's because I am just not used to it?

After using Britax seats for 8 years, we decided to try Recaro. The Como is very well-made and the materials rival Britax in quality. For a child with wide shoulders, there is no way this seat will last to 70lbs, as the shoulder area near the top of the seat is quite narrow. The straps also twist A LOT- they remind me of the cheap Dorel and Evenflo seats. That is definately a drawback that we don't have with our Britax convertible seats. For this price, I am disappointed that the seat does not tether rear facing. All in all, I'd say it's a very nice seat, but I don't think I'd recommend it over the Britax Marathon or Boulevard.

We received our seat in record time and it is wonderful. My 3-year-old girl loves her new seat! It fits great in our car - she is safe and secure with the added benefit of being cozy. We have been Britax people up to now, and still love Britax, but would recommend this seat to everyone!

We had to send our Recaro seat back because we didn't feel it sunk into the seat of our van well. Maybe it would be different in a different vehicle, but it didn't seem to fit well in ours.

Comments from the Staff

Not every car seat is a good fit for every vehicle. Keep in mind that we have a 30-Day No Worries Return Policy. Also, before buying you can determine if the car seat you want is a good fit for your car by visiting the website CarSeatData.org. Their Car Seat Compatibility Database is the leading online resource for parents seeking guidance toward the best car seat.

With a few changes this would be the perfect seat, but for now we are going with the Britax Blvd. Looks great and the "cacooning "effect of the deep seat seems very safe. The weight and height limits surpass all and it seems very solid. BUT, when the huge head wings are removed (my son is 14 mos and is average on the growth chart for head size and hated them) there is little padding behind the head(more padding all over would be called for in my opinion). My husband and I tried several time to install it RF(my son will ride RF until he max's out the seat's weight limit for RF) and could never get it tight. The strap you pull to tighten is very hard to use RF and even though the deep seat seemed safer, my son cant see around the sides so he cries. Also the straps are fairly thin so they twist more easily. I really wanted to love this seat and I think I would have if it were more comfortable and my son were ready to turn around. More of a FF seat than a convertible.