Reviews for RECARO Start booster seat

The RECARO Start booster seat really is the Mercedes of child seats and is supremely robustly constructed. The "lock" for the shoulder belt is a great idea and is as user friendly as it can be given that it a bit complicates belt fastening. Safety trumps convenience in this instance, but it's worth it.

I have a child with autism and have gone through so many child seats - I don't want to even think about it. After buying very expensive brands, my child still hated car seats and traveling in the car. After buying the RECARO Start booster seat and trying it out for awhile - my child loved it and we will use it until he grows out of the weight and height specifications. The sound system is perfect. I have zero complaints.

The RECARO Start booster seat is the best car seat for a toddler/older child. I feel my child is more protected than with any other car seat. Thanks for a great product.

As my children grow up I've constantly gone back to the RECARO Start booster seat and am now on my third. One thing I haven't figured out after all this time is how to do the length adjustment on the seat cushion. The instructions say to push the plastic structure to release the metal bar but I've pushed and pushed and have not been able to release the metal bar. Any pointers on this? The speaker on one of the seats is very weak. Otherwise, it's an excellent seat.

Comments from The Staff:

We have contacted the manufacturer and here are a few suggestions:
The easiest way to adjust this seat cushion is to feel for the metal bar that runs across the bottom of the seat. Once the bar is located put your fingers on the plastic portion of the seat behind the bar and lift up. While doing this lifting motion, push the plastic forward over the bar. If the seat does not lock in place, pull on the plastic portion of the seat in front of the metal bar.
The speaker system is not supposed to be loud as it was designed for safety, not entertainment. The lower the volume, the more the child will keep their head in position.

We've had two of these for several years, and they've been absolutely the best!

We have three kids, and I have to say auto safety has come a long way in the last 10 years. This Recaro has stood the test of time as the BEST booster seat I have ever seen. The safety features are obvious: aluminum and steel reinforcements, padding on the inside and outside of the seat, and LATCH. Added to all this, if you adjust it correctly, your child will sit at about the same height as bigger siblings so he can see out the window. That in and of itself is a huge safety advantage because before he would crane, stretch, and contort to try to see out the window. Now he sits on a THRONE! The head and shoulder padding are wide enough to allow plenty of wiggle room and air flow but still protect. Having 3 boys and a big dog, this seat is tough. Everyone climbs over it including the dog. Our son positively LOVES this seat. We also modeled it for several parents at preschool amd they were floored by how awesome it is. The only thing I did in agreement with a couple other parents, was to install a 2nd tether strap around the BASE of the Start to secure the bottom as well as the top. Now the seat is rock solid and tight as a drum. The built in headphones are pretty cool too.

I've had Recaro seats in my street and race cars for years, so when it came time to buy a kid seat I was pretty much sold on the brand. Just like the adult seats, the kid seats are very nicely constructed with a nice heavy frame that should be super-safe in a collition. The side head protection is built just like my race car seat. The seat has proved to be durable and easy to clean. It has a little weight to it, and they're not the least expensive seat, but I can't imagine a safer seat - and that's the whole point.

I am a car enthusiast and have used Recaro racing seats in the past. Recaro seats provide the best back support and comfort, not only for long periods of driving, but for track days as well. The Recaro Start is a premium quality child seat that not only provides excellent side impact support but superior back support. The materials used and build quality is of the finest available. There are also several ways to adjust the seat to the child. I tell my son that's his racing seat!

I was very torn as to which car seat to buy for my 2 1/2 year old son. His little sister was outgrowing her infant seat and my son's Britax Boulevard was going to her. I wanted a car seat with side impact protection. The car seat testing in the US is disapointing to me. This seat was the only option I had for side impact protection in a convertible seat. I was unable to find it in any store on display. I had to purchase it site unseen over the internet. I am very pleased with this seat. It is extremely well made. I feel much better now knowing that both my children are in a car seat that will protect them beyond standard testing. You can't put a price tag on their safety.

This is by far the best booster seat on the market and worth every penny. I have tall, slim kids and it was very reassuring to put them in a seat that felt this secure. By weight they could have been in their Britax Marathons until they were 8, but their legs were dangling into the front seat. I love the fact that it is so heavy - it is so much more stable and secure than any of the plastic ones on the market. Definitely go for the footrest as well - it eliminates the kisking issue. We bought this initially when my now 5 yr old turned 4, and just bought one for his little sister because we love it so much!!

The Recaro Booster Seat is STELLAR! Not being an online shopper I am absolutely amazed that I was able to find a product that so perfectly fulfills ALL our needs. We live in a rural area and must drive great distances regularly? so the reclining seat is ideal for our 5 year old daughter to kick back and listen to a CD or watch a DVD (scholastic books or something science related FYI) using the plug in adapter for the buil-in speakers (after easily adjusting the back height to fit perfectly) while we're on the road. The built in speakers are great? we had numerous problems with headsets being too big and falling forward or ear buds regularly falling out so the built-in speakers have solved all these troublesome problems - yeah. We keep the seat permanently in recline position - so that elevates any fooling around with it with a sleepy kid eager to get in and rest. When not tired she usually sits in ?lotus? (after easily adjusting the seat length to fit perfectly) or uses the must have footrest. We also have the travel pillow that just stays put, too, which she loves and seems to actually induce calm behavior if not inviting enough to at least just rest her eyes. (Which alone is worth the price of this entire set-up because our little spitfire would rather be in the pool or on her bike than sitting in the truck again!) Overall our daughter loves her new seat, she is better behaved and actually falls sleep now, too, and when she wakes up no more neck aches, either. My only concern is my personal installation of the seat into our Land Rover. I'm unclear if it is truly secure. The review from the Dad in Milwaukee seems to really have a grasp on it - so I'm going to follow his advice and purchase a second strap to secure the lower area because, as he said, it is a heavy seat. And why else do we strap our kids in these contraptions anyway - but to keep them ultra safe. My wish and special note to Recaro is to design a more installation more user friendly: why not a double strap, like a backpack if you will, that goes over the truck seat down the back then slips through the seat & back cushions and double hooks onto the base of the seat! Easy. Or better yet - hook up with car dealerships (our Land Rover in Appleton has a sister Porsche dealership right next door!) and let them professionally install it for us! If you would do something like that you would get a sixth, maybe even a seventh, star from me! Meanwhile, thanks Recaro for everything? so far. Safe & Happy Travels to al, Suzanne from Door County, Wisconsin

My 4 1/2 year old little girl and I opened the box and I was instantly impressed by how sturdy this seat is. It doesn't even compare to any others I've ever seen. Her Compass seems so flimsy now -- I can only imagine how much safer she's going to be . The side impact protection she has now is worth every extra dime we spent. She had been complaining about her back hurting when in her seat for longer than 20 minutes, and with two 7+ hour trips ahead of us, we had to do something different. After hours of research online, I think I've read every review out there for a booster seat that reclines, I finally settled on the Recaro Start. I had her sit in the seat for me to make the adjustments (Which were not at all difficult), and now I can't get her out of it. She's sitting in her seat reading books and told me it's her "special comfy seat". I feel so much better KNOWING that she's so much safer and much, much more comfortable. The experiece with EliteCarSeats.com was also one of my best online shopping experiences and I do A LOT of online shopping.

After many hours/days/weeks of researching car seats - we picked this one. Although there is much debate about "5-point" harness, this seat is tethered in the back to help keep it in place. It doesn't move around at all. Our 4 yr old son is very comfortable and the seatbelt fit securing exactly where it should over his shoulder. Wish we would of ordered the footrest -- but we will soon when we purchase another Recaro for our other car! One thing we could of used is a video on proper installation ... a visual to make sure we have it installed correctly. A concise 10 minute video to complement the instruction manual would of been a big help. This site was great -- fast shipping and no problems at all!! Will order from them again.

It figures that after I bought this seat for my 40lb 4 year old, I read about the Safeguard Seat(that's the full name). That also has an aluminum frame but is not necessarily a booster seat. If you still have a very young toddler, look at that one also because it's awesome and goes to 65lbs with the 5-point harness. Back to the Start. PROS: 1. This thing adjusts 9 ways to Sunday! What fun! In fact, you can even fully extend the tushy cushion so your child can fold his/her legs on long trips. 2.It's V-E-R-Y solid. It also has a steel subframe under the tushy area not unlike the "SIPS" (side impact protection) system that Volvo patented in the early 1990's. 3. The rubberized webbing for the seat and back allow air to flow through which is great, especially if the lil one is still using pull-ups. 4. There is also styrofoam on the OUTSIDE of the base, which is great because in the event of a severe impact, my other two sons' pelvises will be protected somewhat from the nearly 30 lb seat. 5. If you want to, and your child is big enough, you can forego the use of the upper belt router, which is what we do because our Sienna has ratcheting seatbelts. That upper belt holder was originally designed for European cars which do not have ratcheting seatbelts, at least until recently. If we still had our beloved Volvo 960 wagon, that upper holder would be a lifesaver! 6. The speakers are cool, but other tots are jealous. 7. The upper tether helps secure the seat, which is EXTREMELY important since it's designed to fold forward for portability. If you use this seat without the upper tether, you will risk serious injury to your child who could get sandwiched by the heavy backrest. CONS: 1. The main one is that there should also be lower tethers to secure the heavy seat. In a rollover, since the bottom is hinged to the top, the bottom could put an inertia load on the child and cause injury because it would push his legs toward his chest. Just hold the seat upside down to see for yourself. Now imagine that at 20+ G's. In a frontal, it could also cause a dangerous inertia load because the child's abdomen would also be holding back the seat. As a result, I bought a lower tether strap and installed it myself. I put it around the vertical aluminum bars at the base of the backrest. 2. The armrests are too small. They should also be adjustable. 3. The speakers do not get very loud at all. You will have to CRANK up the AAA batteries on your mp3 player half the time, so stock up! 4. It is very difficult to use the recline function because the heavy seat sinks into the cushion. If your child falls asleep in the seat, you'll have to remove her first, so what's the point?! 5. The side impact wings for the shoulders (like 1st generation side airbags) seem only moderately helpful in a side crash as your bigger child's torso will come out far past where they extend to. Like newer airbags, they need to be redesigned and lengthened. 6. Like German cars, it takes a very well educated user to use it correctly. The instructions are barely adequate. It's easy to get it wrong, so don't leave this one for a fragile Gramma or babysitter. Spend time to put it in correctly. All told, if I could do it again, I would buy the Safeguard Seat for him until he was 50-65lbs and THEN graduate to this seat. We also have a Britax Parkway but it tips back and forth if you corner too fast(also needs upper tether). We like the Regent, but there is almost no side impact protection, it's too wide, no adjustability, and will not likely fit an 80lb American child anyways! Besides, if you have a Regent, know that U.S. safety standards only go to a 60lb assumed weight for child, and about 25 lbs for the seat. If you use that seat without the car's belt, a latch-weld on the car could fail due to the 80lb child and 30lb seat. Depends on the car so look into that if you have a Regent. DONE!

Comments from The Staff:

Britax's instruction manual for the Regent states that LATCH can be used up to a certain weight limit, after which, the seatbelt must be used for installation. This is common in some car seats - you should ALWAYS check the car seat's manual, and the manual for your vehicle before installing a car seat. Different vehicles have different anchor weight limits.

Christina
Call Center Manager
Certified CPS Tech

we have originally purchased (two) matched seats for our two growing up babies. We have done a lot of research since 2001, decided to go this route with safety concern as major issue. now our daughter turned 10 last month and our son turning 7 soon, we are still planning of keeping our kids in our Recaroes till they turn 12. (perhaps like some Europeans) We are vey satified with our choice. They are solid, well-built booster seats. Our kids are happy with easy to buckle Recaro seats. Only thing, American market limits very few colors and patterns.

I know you've read everything about the safety of this seat or you wouldn't even be reading these reviews. So, I'm writing to tell you the best feature on this seat is the built-in speakers in the headrest! I can't believe no other companies are doing this. What a joy to go on a family trip and not have to listen to the DVD player or complaints about how the headphones won't stay up, or are uncomfortable. Only my son can hear his movie, we can enjoy the radio, and everyone is happy. We've had the car seat for 3 years now and have very little complaint. It is very comfortable, washes well, and was not difficult to make growth adjustments. The seat belt guide does lock sometimes and can be frustrating (the reason for only 4 stars). We are now purchasing a second seat for my daughter. I had planned on passing my son's seat down to her when I made the original purchase, but he still has plenty of growth and is very happy with it, so I guess he'll be in it for a few more years. The seat is expensive, but well worth the money for safety and convenience.

I love this car seat. I recently bought the Compass B500 Booster and realized how superior the Recaro Start it. First of all the headrest wings extend much further giving better protection. The seat material is not slippery so my daughter does not slide in the seat and the "anti-submaring" feature also keeps my daughter from sliding. I love the tether attachment which you do not find with most boosters, that keeps the seat stable even when child is not in it. I love the belt clamp feature which functions like a locking clip and keeps the belt tight. The headrest and shoulder height adjustments are superb, perfectly positioning the belt across the shoulder...it never cuts into the skin and is never poorly situated.

I purchased this booster seat about a year ago for my then four year old son. He loves it, especially that he can listen to an iPod. I think it is probably extremely comfortable, as I have taken the upholstery off to wash it and it has a mesh suspended back and bottom as opposed to the usual plastic seat. Taking it apart and reassembling was fairly easy, but more work than the usual car seat. The fabric washed very nicely, and stains came out easily. My Volvo sound system does not work with the speakers, and I am certain it is a problem with the booster speakers, not the car. The accessory foot rest is very nice. I find the seat difficult to adjust it to the sleep position and back. The position of the seat belt guide is fine in my Volvo, but the same Recaro seat in my husband's Toyota is such that my son cannot pull the seat belt over without it getting caught, and therefore we have to put his seat belt on for him. Overall it is a very nice seat, and we will probably order another pair when my daughter turns four.

I purchased two, one for my car and one for my daughter's car. My two year old grand daughter loves it--more importantly she recently survived a serious rear-end collision unscathed; my daughter suffered neck and back injuries. The police officer said the car seat was fine--the best designed he had ever seen. The cost of this seat expensive, the protection priceless.

I was having a difficult time finding a booster to move my almost 5-year-old twins into since they had outgrown the height of their car seats because every booster I looked at seemed so flimsy. What I like most about the Start is that the frame is aluminum and would actually absorb some of the impact in a crash. A plastic frame would most likely just snap off. Plus, since Recaro manufactures racing seats for Porsche (used in the race cars, not the street legal ones), I know that the safety technology from this has to figure into the design and safety of their car seats and boosters. My boys find it very comfortable and are content to ride in it for long trips. They love that it looks like a racing seat and we love that it is so safe. Also, the seat is very adjustable in height, width and depth, which makes it easy to fit the seat perfectly to your child and hopefully get many years of use. The child's head and torso are really protected. It is easy to use and the fabric is easy to keep clean. The only drawback I can think of is that it can be difficult to transfer from one car to another because it is heavy and because it needs to utilize the tether of your car's LATCH system. I hated to have to pay the price for this booster, but am so glad that I did because if we were ever in an accident, I would be glad that I spent the extra money on the Start. I have recommended it to my friends and several also have purchsed it for their children.

Very well constructed. Kids love them (we have 2). The side bolsters for the head and shoulders keep the boys in place when turning or when they fall asleep. Beige color hard to clean. The worst part of the seat is the roller mechanism for the shoulder belt. It frustrates the parent and the child. We don't use it and let the belt slip between the headrest and shoulder side bolster. The other area that can be improved is the track locking mechanism to keep the seat in the upright position. It tends to slip out and the seat reclines when you don't want it to. Make sure you buy the foot rest too.

This is the best car seat ever.My husband was initially angry I spent so much on a car seat until I removed the padding of this car seat and our plastic car seat. I showed him the differences and urged him to try and bend it. One look and he was convinced. We now have one for each of our daughters...

I have two kids - 4 yrs old and 7 yrs old. My 4 yr old already outweighs his older sister. The thing we like the most about these seats (other than they look cool) is they use metal framing, not plastic. The seat is solid and very comfortable. Spending the extra couple hundred dollars is by far worth the piece of mind that my kids are in the safest seat on the market.

My kids love the seats for their luxurious comfort. I love them for the incredible engineering and protection provided. Truly the Mercedes of car seats. Due to heavy construction, adjustments are not as easily done for a petite person and I haven't been able to figure out how to adjust certain features yet. Worth the money if you can afford it.

My wife and I looked at all of the popular brands and they are all plastic and cheaply built for the most part with thin fabrics and foam. I had Recaro seats in some cars I owned in the past so was interested in this product even though it was 3 times the price of the others. My wife said no way are we spending that much but I convinced her that a product of this caliber may be worth the investment and being that this is our last child, we should be able to sell it used for most of what we paid for it. She agreed. When the seat arrived, I thought the box must have rocks in it cause there is no way this thing could be that heavy, I was wrong. I could not believe how it was built, just like the racing seats I had with a steel frame and suspension system. It also has many adjustments for incline, height and seat depth. The fabric and foam is better then most full size car seats!! My daughter loves the seat and the way the belt clamps near the headrest makes me feel she will be safe in a head on crash. I also like the padding on the sides of her head that should prevent neck injuries in a side impact. The speakers in the headrest are also a clever idea, she can play her own music and we hardly hear it. This is one area of our lives that I don't hesitate to scrimp and I can say again that this seat was worht every penny.

This seat is well worth the initial investment. To begin, the seat has an upholstered seat feel rather than the typical hard plastic booster seat construction. My kids no longer whine about how much longer they have to sit in their seats. A feature that has come in very handy is the recline feature. When my kids are sleeping, I can easily reach back and recline their seats without waking them. Their heads don't flop forward and they get a good rest! The seatbelt guide near the shoulder is also a great feature. In the locked position, the seat belt stays tight. In the unlocked position, the seat belt moves somewhat freely. Between the tether strap, the locking shoulder seatbelt guide and lap belt, I feel very secure that in the event of an accident, my children are protected the best that they can be. The seat height adjustment is easily adjusted as well. The only confusion I had regarding the seat, intially, was the incredibly unclear product manual. My 7 year-old special needs daughter and 5 year old son both adore their seats for the comfort and look of a big kid seat and I love it for the safety and convenience. After doing extensive research, I do not believe that there is another booster seat on the market as safe and well thought out as this one. I figure that if Recaro can keep Formula 1 race car drivers safe, they sure can keep my children safe!

Being a racing and sports car fan, I am very familiar with the reputation of Recaro and have sat in their seats in cars that I have owned. The fact that their products are used extensively in high speed applications gives Recaro an advantage that other seat makers simply do not have. I was expecting a top line product from them and am not disappointed. In fact, the Start seat has exceeded my expectations. The adjustablility is as advertised and the aluminum construction gives the seat a rigid and strong shell which will doubtless protect our child should we ever be involved in an accident. The seat has many well engineered and executed features that make it easy to use, care for and install. Best of all, our daughter finds the seat ingress/egress easy and the comfort is good during long drives. The seat may seem expensive at first glance but, when you consider the protection offered to your child and long life of this product due to its adjustability and high quality materials, cost is really not an issue. The quality and ease of use that Recaro delivers make this an ideal product.

We purchased two Recaro seats several years ago. They are still in use today and we feel the kids could not be safer. An outstanding product, a little pricy but well worth it for our kids.. Thanks for a great SAFE seat.

My daughter just turned 3 and it was time to replace her Britax Roundabout with a booster. I originally bought a TurboBooster. My daughter loved the cupholders, but I felt the seat didn't have enough padding for long road trips and was a bit flimsy. So I did a ton of research and decided on the Recaro. I love it! It took me about 2 hours to get it adjusted to fit my daughter and to get it installed properly in my car. Because it has so many adjustments, I kept tweaking it until I felt it was the perfect fit and the belt was fitted properly across her. This seat is worth the extra money. The others are too flimsy/plastic for me. BTW - the reviews done by elitecarseats are right on.

I purchased the Recaro Start for its quality construction. I needed to have a second car seat instead of switching his Britax. I thought we should move to a booster seat. I was disappointed in the way the shoulder straps were flimsy and did not pull tighter around his shoulders, even after adjusting them. Even though he his very tall for four, the ability to take his arm out and unhook the car seat belt was a real problem. I felt he was not protected properly.

after researching alot..i bought the seat for my 40 lb 5 yr son..He falls asleep in the car so i wanted a booster that reclines..i shipped the first start back because i thought it was broken...but the second seat works just as bad.. It only reclines if you stop the car and re do the seat belt after you stuggle ! and i mean struggle with the button for it to recline. and the child has to get out while pushing the button too....so on long trips its best to start off in the reclining postion, the seat belt slot is hard too...everytime you put the child back into the seat you need to take it out of the slot (pain) and start over... I wish i liked the seat as much as everyone else... but i use it as our second long trip seat<<< elite seats were great in buying it and exchanging it ,,,and am looking for another booster with them to buy that is easier to deal with

When you get this seat, and see the quality, you'll know where the extra cost went into. Its nothing like those cheap feeling plastic seats.