Reviews for RECARO Young Sport toddler car seat

We bought this seat for out daughter when she turned 2, and she fit in it fine until she was about 3 1/2 then the seat was to narrow for her with a winter coat. Also the strap didnt have enough slack to fit her either. The other problem with this seat is it is exceptionally HOT!!! She always came out of the seat with a sweaty back.

This is one of the best car seats I bought for my son. We got it for him when he was 2 years old after he went through many seats. This is the one actually comfortable hugging the entire body of the kids. It looks very comfortable when he takes a nap in it. I am ordering another one for my younger daughter.

I love my young sport, and it is manufactured locally in my home state, so you have to love that! I have just upgraded to the Signo now though because my 3 year old is 42 lbs and is out of the young sport harness. Recent info out there is that they should stay in a 5 point harness for as long as possible. That is why I bought the Signo today. He'll be able to use it until he is 70lbs, or gets too tall. I wish it would have been available 2 years ago (or that I would have known about it if it was). Thanks Recaro, the boys love their seats, the SIP for the head is a great safety comfort to me and just plain comfy for them when sleeping. The Britax Regent was another car seat I was comparing and I ordered the Recaro Signo because I already knew we liked the Recaro brand, and the SIP for the head was bigger. The Britax Regent had a rating of Side Impact Protection, but not True Side impact protection-which includes the extra head support (according to their website). Some of the Britax car seats do have the extra head wings, but not the Regent. It's a tough decision, hope this helps.

We purchased two of the Recaro car seats: one for each car. My son loves the seat. It is safe and worth every penny. It's great for the booster seat transition. Every child that has sat in this seat, falls asleep, so it must be very comfortable. The con is that it's just very bulky and heavy. Would not recommend it if you plan to switch it from car to car often.

Honestly, the RECARO Young Sport toddler car seat is one of the most phenomenal items I have ever purchased. Without any question, I know for a fact that is the best child seat out there. No compromises when it comes to my child. I love the way this seat secures it self to my car. I truly have only one word for it, and I stand by it, "German efficiency".

I'm a younger dad at 23 i have recaro racing seats in my eclipse. I bought the recaro child seat to match my all recaro interior (so my gear head buddies won't laugh at me) for having a car seat in my sport compact. my wife was not amused when I told her our son was riding in a racing seat just like daddy's but when she saw the safety ratings she was impressed, they were better than the cheap one we got at the baby shower that looked weak and inferior, great seats for big boys and little ones.

I wanted to give an update 2 1/2 years after purchasing... My daughter is now 5 and has a booster seat in all other cars (dad's, grandparent's, aunt's) but refuses to give up her Recaro Young Sport in my car. She loves her "pillows" on the sides and can get in and out easily since the belt catches on the guide. It has been taken on many airplane flights and transferred to and from cars and it is still in perfect condition. Cover has been washed probably 5 times and although faded a bit (black and tan), still in great shape. Again - 2 1/2 years later - can't find anything wrong with this seat! ORIGINAL REVIEW... Reviewer: JS Ficker , Floyds Knobs, IN Date: April 05, 2006 My 2 1/2 year old daughter is very tall for her age and having outgrown her Evenflo Triumph V (which we loved and highly recommend) I wanted to get a very safe and sturdy seat that would hopefully be the last seat that we purchased. This is it. I debated between the Recaro and the Britax and now that I have the Recaro, know I made the better choice. Positives - Very sturdy and solid; comfy textured fabric; easy in and out for my daughter to "do it (her)self"; easy buckling. I was worried a bit about the side "wings" by her head, that she wouldn't be able to see, but she has never once complained and doesn't seem to strain to see past them. They are absolutely great for sleeping, she justs rests her head and is out. Negatives - Extra padding for seat isn't attached and it lasted about 3 trips; padding on buckle lasted 1 trip for same reason. Both are worthless. I can't give you a reason not to get this seat. My daughter has had it for about 3 mos. and calls it her "big girl seat". Couldn't be more pleased.

This was a great carseat for my boys, but it is not working out very well as a booster seat. I have three children and they all sit across the backseat. It is very difficult to "plug-in" the seatbelt around the Recaro seat - hard to access the buckle and make sure the belt gets through the guides easily without locking the seat belt.

Safety was the top priority in our search for a "big boy" seat when our son turned one year old. We searched literally hundreds online and in stores. The prices ranged from $89 to $350. The SIP was the draw, the name recognition was the closer. Our son had accomplished in one year of life something that "ol' Dad" hadn't in his entire life...ride in a Recaro bucket seat!! On the day he was 15 months old, every nickel spent on this seat became exponentially valuable. Mommy and son were in an accident, totalling the car. Both stepped from the vehicle shaken but unscratched. We have often wondered how much money we would have wished we had spent had the outcome not been as fortunate and the seat not performed as well as this one. We wouldn't trust any other seat with our baby.

We bought the RECARO Young Sport toddler car seat for our daughter who is one year old. The moment we took it out of the box she was curious to see what had come home. We placed it in the living room and turned around to see that she was examining the car seat. She liked it and sat in it, in an odd manner and smiled. We knew she liked at the first look. Then came the ride in the car, she loved it and didnt want to come out when we came home. We were glad to see that she slept very comfortably, and her head didnt jerk at all. The reclining feature might not be much but is enough for her to be comfortable. Its a very sturdy seat and we are happy with it. A little heavy if u own 2 cars and are using one car seat. But fixing it in the car is a breeze.

We love our Recaro!! It's a great seat, solid construction, and fits in my Toyota and VW perfectly. I also have a Britax Decathlon and a Boulevard. The Recaro in my opinion is a better seat. My daughter is 3 and weighs 38 lbs, and it fits her live a glove. The only negative I would say is that it's not the easiest car seat to travel with. It's a little heavy to carry around especially through an airport with a toddler.

I think this is the best seat one can buy. I am online ordering a second one for our 1year old (for my car). Our daughter loves this seat she very easily falls asleep in it and I like the looks and respect the brand for its reputation. I only have one suggestion and it is to ask Recaro to somehow secure the buckle protector pad, our s often came off and eventually we lost it.

We have the Recaro Young sport for our 3.5 year old and we really like it! (39", 37lbs, so we use the harness) It sits like glued into our car, it fits really well, and does not flop around. She seems to be happy in it. We thought that all Recaro seats must be good, so we ordered the Signo for our youngest daughter, but it was a different story. It does not fit well at all in our car. It is too high and blocks the view. We drive an Audi A4 Avant, which is a midsize/small car. I do agree with other reviewers that the crotch strap pad falls off and the strap may also become a little snug in the future, but I guess that then we will just use it as a seat belt booster.

I am happy we purchased this RECARO Young Sport seat instead of the Britax Boulevard. I think it will grow better with our child. She is 21 lbs right now, but she fits in the seat great and it looks very comfy. We have had it for a few months and I find it easy to use.

I bought the Recaro Young Sport for my tall 2 year old. We had a Graco ComfortSport and he just seemed to look too big in it. His shoulders were also just about above the top slots. I bought the Recaro because I liked the SIP and that it could be used as a belt positioning booster once he was old enough. What I didn't realize was that the weight limit on this seat is the same as on the Graco when using the harness (40 pounds). So, in a way, I was a bit duped. He's almost 3 and I think he's going to hit 40 pounds pretty soon, so I'm going to buy a Britax Regent for him to keep him in a 5-pt harness. His little brother will go in the Recaro until he hits 40 pounds, and then my older son will switch back to it as a booster if he's old enough - and narrow enough at the shoulders. I think this is overall a great seat; my son falls asleep very easily and comfortably in it. I do think that the SIP wings impede his view a bit, but he doesn't complain. Installing the seat in our small wagon (Pontiac Vibe) with the Latch and Tether is ridiculously easy, and it fits snugly and securely against the seat. I just wish Recaro would make something like the Britax Regent, that had their SIP, but is not a convertible seat with a high base like the Signo and Como.

When reviewing possible car seats, my hubby instantly focused on this due to the name. I was less enthusiastic because my focus was safety. However, I love the seat. The construction alone suggests safety. There just seems to be a lot to the seat. My daughter fits very easily into the seat and although she has plenty of room, the side panels protect her whole head. It also is very plush and she loves that. I love that the straps are easy to loosen and tighten; I had more difficulty with her Peg Perego infant seat. It's a little difficult to maneuver her into the seat but this may be due to the fact that we have an Expedition - maybe it's an easier with a sedan or mini van? Overall, it's a hit!

I bought this seat last year for my then three year old son. He loves his "race car seat"! I was so impressed with the construction of this seat. It was so extremely easy to install in my car, I had my husband check to make sure I did it right. I will have to move it to another seat position when we change it to a booster, but that is okay. Our Volvo has an integrated booster seat, but we will use this seat. My son fits snuggly into the seat, like a real race car driver, he thinks thats cool. The padding nice as is the fabric. He does not mind the headrest "wings". Thanks for making a great seat.

Got this for our 4-year old who outgrew his Britax Roundabout (is that the correct name?). Either way, was considering the giant Britax Regent or this beaut. Obviously went with this car seat and we are so glad we did. It fits him perfectly. He can still use the harness and then when he reaches the weight maximum, the seatbelt comes in. I was a little worried about the seatbelt aspect of it -- being safe enough -- but after having this seat installed, I am concerned no more. This seat is SO STURDY AND SAFE. It is going nowhere. The truth is, I should've purchased the Recaro years ago. It just seems way safer than the Britax ever was. And my son, the kid loves it. He loves the fact that it is his "race car" seat and I love the side impact wings. It's comfy and safe and really lovely to touch. I couldn't be happier and would recommend this to anyone who would listen. So, anyone, if you're listening, buy this seat!

We graduated our 3 and 4 year old to these seats from the Britax and now they refuse to drive in anything else. The seats are super comfortable and the safety benefit cannot be matched. The head support system is nice for when the kids fall asleep in the car--now their heads do not bob all around as in the Britax. Also, they have little problem seeing out the side windows and have never complained about the head support. All in all, these are the safest and definitely the best car seats that we have used to date. Besides, the kids absolutely love them too!

I have had this car seat for my now 3.5 year old son for almost 2 years and feel that there isn't a better car seat on the market. The side impact wings are unmatched by any other company and have never presented a problem to me or my son. In the recline or upright position if he wants to look around he just moves his head forward and being in the center of the backseat he can see all he wants. We both love the race car look of the seat and it matches perfectly with the black Recaro seats in my Audi. Having tried and researched many car seats between my son, and 10 year old daughter when she was younger, I would and do suggest Recaro and Recaro only to anyone who asks.

This seat is much sturdier than the typical seat: more rigid frame, stronger side-protection side flaps. Comfort amenities are similarly superior in comfort and build quality, ie the padding and the covers. I had some difficulty installing because the latch belts are short, but I can see the rationale as once installed the seat is a tight fit which enhances safety. We've used it in booster mode too, a little bit of a chore to convert, but once done an excellent product. In harness mode, the seat sits more upright than non-convertible seats, which is OK as long as your not transition directly from a "bassinet" type seat as your child will likely have trouble sitting up on long trips. The kids have no problem belting themselves into this and another Recaro product we have, a plus for us and them. Negatives: much heavier and also wider than typical booster seat. I took one star off because installation was a bit of a hassle, but wouldn't let that be a decision making criteria unless you need to do it frequently.

It's a good thing that this isn't the first car seat that a new parent has to buy because the sticker shock would make them miss out on the best investment a parent could make for their child and their safety. We love it and our son loves it too. We purchased our based on a relatives' recommendation. They purchased the same on for their son who is just seven weeks older and they love theirs too. I am thrilled that they will both be able to use the seat for so long! My son likes to stuff his favorite car or train of the day on either side for easy accessibility, Mom likes the ease of getting him in and out! Thanks Recaro!

Baby was not crazy about this seat at first because the head rest kept her from seeing side to side easily, but she soon learned that playing peekaboo by "hiding" up against the sides of the headrest was much more fun!! I love the one-button release for the straps - so much easier than our previous carseat...some times it worked, some times it didn't - what a pain!!! It is also much easier to tighten down the shoulder straps on this seat since there is just one strap to pull. My husband thinks it doesn't tighten down enough, but I feel that baby is quite safe and secure. I love that the material is so soft, and the "cover" that goes behind the lap buckle is a great plus - keeps baby from being pinched if she is wearing shorts or a dress. I haven't figured out how to switch it back to completely upright from the semi-reclining resting position, as now that it is strapped in it won't move.....maybe we will have to unhook it to allow it to release, but that in itself is quite an issue. We have a Hyundai Tucson and the hooks are up under the seats almost in the center, making it nearly impossible to unhook once it is fastened. It is secure, and thankfully we don't have to remove it and switch it to another vehicle or it would be too much trouble. So - if you are placing it in a vehicle and not moving it around I would recommend it without a doubt - if you have to switch it out, you may have to see how difficult it is to fasten and unfasten before you decide. Other than that issue we are very pleased!

Really nice and well constructed. Install via the latch connectors in my Audi was difficult as I had to remove the plastic guides (connectors too big.) Once in, it is solid. Appears to be very comfortable and safe. The harness can be hard to adjust (much harder than the Britax Roundabout.)

I bought 2 of these for my 2 and 1 year old. I love the seats so much that I am going to purchase another for the baby I am going to have this summer. I love how you don't have to adjust the straps by hand only by raising the head support. Plus the kids really seem to be comfortable in them. With other car seats their heads seemed to always fall forward when they fell asleep in the car and they don't do that in this seat. Plus with having 2 seats they can sit in either one and adjusting is fast and easy. This is a seat that any parent would want to spend the extra money on for the safety and comfort of their little ones.

We bought this car seat for our 2 1/2 year old son. We loved the safety features, but were very disappointed by the fit. When he has his coat on (which is about 6 months out of the year because we live in Chicago), the narrow fit of the seat causes him to sit forward a bit. The side panels on the headrest are then behind his head, negating all side impact protection and causing his head to slump forward when he falls asleep. Also, the crotch buckle is a snug fit right now... which means that in a year or two it will be too small. We really hoped this would be the last car seat we bought for him (and for the price it SHOULD be), so we have decided to return it for something that will actually fit in the long term.

Bought this seat for our 20 month old. It installed very easily, appears to be of a very high quality build and material content. Excellent side protection for both body and head. Easy to get her in and out of, and she seems very comfortable in it. Only minor complaint is that one needs to unclip at least one side latch to get to the height adjustment on the back of the seat, but it's a minor inconvenience on an otherwise close to perfect product.

Love this carseat. It's narrower and much much easier to adjust the height than any Britax. Its narrow width makes it possible and easy to install more than one carseat in a row, and more comfortable for the adult sitting next to the carseat. Also, no rethreading the harness for adjusting the height. Just lift the entire back with the harness intact. Absolutely five stars in my book!

I bought this car seat for my 4 years old son based on reviews and the safety importance. The first car seat was Britax Marathon, also very great one. Both-the Britax and Recaro are very good quality and meet my expectation for safety even in a stronger safety rules for care seats in Europe.

We purchased the Recaro seat to replace the Britax roundabout that we had. So far I am very happy with it. The Recaro is very nice looking and the fabric is incredibly soft (I wish I could sit in it!) The straps are easy to buckle and I like that he sits down a little lower and is easier for my son to get into than the Britax. We have one car with Latch and one without, it is very easy to install with latch but I am not very happy with how it goes in with the seat belt, it just doesn't feel as secure as the old one did. The other two things that bother me a little are that it is considerably heavier than the old seat and sometimes I feel like the side impact head protectors are like blinders on a horse. But they are there for safety so I guess I can't be so picky. Overall I am very happy with the seat, but would definately reccommend it for someone with a latch system in their car. We call it his "racecar seat" and my son gets excited to get into it!

I purchased 2 of the Recarro Young Sport toddler car seats. I wanted a safe seat for my convertable car that would give me peace of mind. They are relatively simple to install, unlike some others out there. The seat is slighly narrow, but that is part of the safety feature. Not a lot of wiggle room. The construction is as solid as my new mercedes. I highly recommend this product for individuals, as it provides me with confidence that my 2 and 4 year old are protected within this car seat. The impact resistant seat provides an obvious safety feature that I have not seen before. I have purchased over 6 different brands, so that is a great comparison for new moms. I even had compliments on them...how funny is that! That was a first time for me.. "nice car seat"! I selected this seat because I wanted it to be the last one I had to purchase for them. They can grow into it for sometime, which is great. It does cost more than most, but it actually looks expensive. My kids are worth it!

I first ordered the britax Boulevard but it was to small for my daughter. Who is 3 and 27lbs. So for the money I went for the Recaro Sport because of the conversion into a booster. Pros: plush fabric, easy adjustments, sturdy, daughter loves it, easy to install. I really love this seat. The main reason for the four stars is that compared to the boulevard I wish there were more girlie patterns and the boulevard seemed to have slightly more padding. But compared to other seats I have had like Graco and evenflo the padding on the recaro is far superior and I love the plush fabric. I have installed the seat in a 03 honda crv and a 01 Ford crew cab 350 without any problems. I was also impressed with the service I received, also go with the shipping insurance. Great seat and pretty reasonable price for a high end seat.

The seat is great and I love it!! Very easy to use and move from one car to another. My son loves it and is very comfortable in it. It's really soft too. Feels very safe and secure.

I order one a month before they got in to the market my wife was upset with the price but as soon we got the seat and see no more baby sleeping with the head hanging on the side she said she like it and in a car accident not a scratch way to go!! we bougth another one for the new baby no more buying 2 or 3 buster seats easily adjustable to size, money well spend ...

This is the perfect seat for our toddler. Our daughter is almost 30lbs now but has been in this seat for a while. She is very comfortable in the seat and still has room to move her head freely. The latch system is very easy to use too. We loved this seat so much we just ordered our second one from this site This seat is really durable, it is easy to take appart to clean the fabric, we have the dark grey so it hides minor spills well too. The best part we found is that this seat fits in most cars really well. We have used it in both of our cars and two of the grandparents cars and in every car/suv this recaro fits perfect and is easy to get real tight. We have tried some friends Britax seats that don't fit as well sometimes. I would't recomend any other seat. The only downside is that this is a heavy seat so it is def. not for traveling on airplains etc.

We love this carseat and have actually bought 2 to the first being in an accident. I love how your child is in a cocoon like area and so protected, the headwings are the reason we went with this when my son was too tall for other carseats. He was 41 inches and weighted 36 lbs and was 4 years old at the time but I felt even thought it only went to 40 lbs harnessed that it was the best option out there. I returned our britax to get this one. Made for TALL kids! Worth all the money they cost!

IT'S THE BEST NOT BIG AND BULKY LIKE OTHER SEATS. FABRIC IS NICE AND SOFT VERY COMFORTABLE MY CHILD LOVES IT. GREAT FOR SMALL CARS DOES NOT TAKE TO MUCH ROOM

I have had our Recaro for a year or so...cant think of one bad thing about it...in fact just ordered a second one for the BMW...A+.....daddy wants one too!

We have a Britax Boulevard in our other car, that our 14 mo old seems much more comfortable in. So far, after 4 months, she has yet to relax in this seat - she always seems uncomfortable. The side impact is a great safety feature - but she seems like she is straining to see, and to find comfort for her head! I want to get rid of this seat! But it was too much money....

I always used Recaro seats in my performance oriented cars, so when it came time to replace my son's infant car seat Recaro was a no-brainer. Right out of the box you can tell it's superior to Britax, and since it is also a booster seat he can use it for years and years. The Recaro is also built like a real car seat, which is quite a departure from most seats which are essentially tubs of plastic, padding, and a cover. My son been in his Recaro for nearly two years now and it still looks and works like new. And you should see the admiring eyes and hear the positive comments from the police department folks who run the car seat safety check points. The only disappointing aspect of the seat is the cheap-o crotch pad which looks like an afterthought, but I'm more concerned with the ability of the seat to protect my kid in a crash. Sure, the seat is a little pricey, but can you put a price on your kid's safety? If we are ever involved in a crash, I want to know that he was in the safest seat on the market. The safest seat is Recaro.

We've had this seat for a few weeks now and love it. When my 13-month old falls asleep in it, she looks very relaxed, as if she's meditating. Love the safety features. She sits a little lower than I had anticipated, so she can't see out the windows yet, but that's no big deal. We just returned from vacation where she spent 2 days in the chair each way and it worked out well. She seemed pretty comfortable. The only cons are so minor it's really barely worth mentioning. I have a Jetta so I have to bend down to put her in and the head protection makes it a little awkward to get her in the seat, but it's worth the trade off for the safety it provides. I'm sure that over the next few months I'll get more graceful at putting her in the seat and soon she'll be able to crawl in herself anyway. Also, the knobs to recline the chair are so stiff I can barely turn them, but I assume they'll loosen up over time. Finally, the chest clip seems a little less sturdy than the Chicco seat we had,(which is why we rated a 4 instead of 5) but it clasps well, so as long as it doesn't break it should be fine. Other than that, we love the seat and recommend it to everyone. I love that I'll never need to buy another seat. That makes it well worth the expense. Do wish it came in other colors, though.

This seat is awesome. Easy to install and remove. My son loves it. It's so plush he almost instantly falls asleep. Daddy wants one for himself too. I cant think of 1 negative thing.

We are very happy with this seat! We previously had a Britax, and were looking to purchase another one, but the comparable model to the Regent was just way too big! This is the perfect size and my 3 year old fits in it great. The only complaint I have is that the crotch pad comes off too easily. I find it lying on the ground next to my car all the time. So, I just took it off altogether. I was also concerned about the dark color being too hot, but it doesn't seem to be a problem. Overall, this is a great seat.

We are really pleased with the quality and design of these seats and both our children seem secure in them. My only disappointment is the recline is very limited once placed in the car, although the seats must be comfortable enough as both my children tend to fall asleep minutes after getting in the car.

This seat is a must for anyone who is looking for safety, comfort, style and more important, piece of mind. I'm so glad I bought this! We were strictly a Britax family, and now we're converts. Britax is great, but does not make a 5 point harness seat that converts to seat belt/booster for up to 80 lbs. I was pleasantly surprised by the speed of shipment, and wowed by the quality of the seat itself. Not to mention the fact that my 3 1/2 yr old son loves it. I'm telling all my friends!

We did TONS of research when deciding which seat to purchase, as we know - firsthand - that it's important, after having purchased a previous carseat that our sheriff's office said they had yet to install safely in any car. We read all the reviews on the Recaro, and are pleased to say: We love it, and so does our daughter. She sees fine out of it, and we feel safe with her in it. It's also quite comfortable. The same sheriff's office that vetoed our first car seat, and liked our second car seat, LOVED this one. They said they've heard nothing but great things about them. The sheriff even said that she sat in one at training... and it was strong and comfortable! We're just thrilled with this seat, and are already recommending it to everyone we know!

I had spent quite a bit of time researching car seats for our 1 year old little girl. After reviewing the specifications on many car seats we decided on the Recaro. I have been aware of Recaro and their quality for many years and the detail and safety that is incorporated into the Young Sport is second to none. Yes it may be a bit more expensive than others, but the satisfaction of knowing that we have chosen one of the best seats for our child is priceless. I would recommend this seat to anyone who wants the best safety and styling for their family. I may even purchase another for my other car especially with the colour combinations available; it would match the interior of my car. All the best,

Our son does extremely well in this car seat. It is very plush but does not seem too hot. The harness seems to be very secure. I have no negatives about this product and will likely purchase a second for our other vehicle.

Great seat. If you need one, don't think twice about purchasing this one.

Excellent, comfortable, and easy to install in any model car. Great side head protection.

We have had our Recaro seat for about a month and there are no complaints! My Daughter is 2 and loves her new seat. It is easy to get her in and out of and comfortable- she used to always say her back hurt in the other seat. Some reviews said the tether was to short- I have not found that the case. Maybe there could be a bit more length on the tether for the latch system and that's it. WE are very happy!

Loved this from the first day I put it into my small coupe. It fits perfectly, has great head support/protection and is fairly light. Honestly there isn't anything I don't like about the seat.

We bought this as a 2nd car seat, in addition to our Britax Decathlon. I absolutely love it! We got it because of Recaro's reputation in other industries (aircraft, car racing, etc) and do not regret it at all. The only problem we've had is the crotch pad seems to come off too easily, but its really not a big deal. Our son enjoys it and will soon be moved to the outside when the new baby arrives. It comforts me knowing it has extra side impact protection.

My little girl has hated her car seat since the day she was born. For her first birthday, and after MUCH research, we bought her the Recaro Young Sport and are NOTHING BUT PLEASED! She loves it. She just hangs out and is so glad to be facing forward. She falls asleep all the time--something that amazed me. It was easy to install, it's easy to clean, it doesn't budge an inch, and I feel so secure (for once) with her in the car. I really feel like she is so much safer with the side-impact protection and the sturdiness of the seat. Since this lasts throught the booster seat years, it will be the last seat I buy--but even if it wasn't, it's worth the money...every penny. I will never buy or recommend ANY OTHER SEAT!!! Unbeatable service too!

I'll start by saying we love the seat, and so does our daughter. It is incredibly solid, comfy, and with the LATCH system easy to install and remove. The side head wings are great....her head does not droop when she falls alseep, and they are there for safety if ever needed. It's a wonderful seat that she loves being in. The belt and latch system slides securely and easily, without a lot of the unevenness and hard-to-tighten problems on our previous seat. On the downsides (and these are fairly minor quibbles), the seat bottom materials (base pad and belt snap cushion) should be velcro'd in as they move around and bunch up or just fall out when she gets in or out. If you need to slide a three-point belt through the seat materials, it's difficult to do. In fact, I doubt I would want to own this seat without LATCH, especially if I had to move it from car to car often. And the seat is pretty heavy.....actually, very heavy, but if you want a safe alloy-frame seat, that's the price you have to pay I guess.

I decided to look for a new carseat for my 16 month old daughter because I was less than satisfied with my Graco, the straps would twist and never stay even, one was always too tight and the other too loose. This time I decided to research my options. I looked mainly at Britax and Recaro and it seemed that recaro was the winner from most accounts. Unfortunately the only way to obtain a Recaro in Cincinnati is online but I decided it was worth it. I was right, I am very happy with this seat. It is solidly built and was super easy to install. This is the only carseat I've been able to install myself, without the help of my husband or a friend. Its helpful that it can be tightened on both the left and right sides using the latch system. This seat does not budge. I also feel that my daughter is buckled in very securely with minimal effort and adjustment. The head wings don't seem to block her view. She did look a little uncomfortable trying to sleep by resting her head against the wings until I placed the seat in recline position and then she was very comfortable. The "crotch cushion" is a nice touch, the buckle doesn't press into her thighs like her previous seat did. Also, the fabric is super soft, my daughter "pets" it. Its much softer than any carseat fabric I've seen. I highly recommend this seat. I don't think you can put a price on safety, as a nurse in a trauma ICU I've seen what can happen to people in an auto accident and I felt this seat was the safest I could buy. Its also very easy to install and use.

We have a Britax Boulevard and I purchased this as a second car seat for my Volvo convertible. I like this seat much better than the Britax and my daugter seems very happy in it. It is very solidly built, easy to adjust, and the fabric is nice. If I had to choose between this and the Boulevard I would choose this seat.

Our son is tall for his age (13 mos) and had problems with the shoulder straps on other car seats not adjusting high enough. Our Recaro seat fits him like a glove, and it has enough adjustment left to keep him comfortable for a long time. Sideways visibility is restricted by the high head bolsters but the additional protection they provide is outstanding, and it really doesnt seem to bother our son. We have been using this seat for 2 mos and have no complaints.

I spent weeks comparing car seats, both in stores and online, and I'm so happy that we decided on the Recaro - it was definitely the best choice, both from the standpoint of safety, and in value. It is well worth the price, it is wonderfully and intelligently designed. We call it our son's "Velvet Throne" - he's big for his age, really long, and it fits him so perfectly! He's comfortable and happy, and never fusses when he's being put in it! The 'wings' are so great for him to nap against, and I love how they protect his head while still allowing him good visuals - makes our car rides so much more enjoyable! This carseat was easy to install, and arrived quickly. I have been delighted with this whole experience, and recommend the Recaro and the Elite website without reservation.

Wow! I did a lot of research online for the best car seat for my 2-year-old son. There were obvious things, like safety, that I wanted. While they all seem to offer some basic features, it was hard to find one that would recline to make it easy for my son to sleep in. Well, I found it. This seat reclines perfectly. I no longer need to climb in to the back seat in order to hold his head up while he sleeps or make sure his head doesn't go crashing down when my husband hits the brakes. He loves it and visibility is just fine...he still points at all the trucks! And thank you to Elite for delivering the car seat so quickly and FREE!

I cannot believe anyone would give this less than 4 stars. After 4 children and many car seats I cannot believe how wonderful this seat is. The padding is great and it is solid. We live in Hawaii and my daughter loves to look out the window, this does pose some restriction, she can see and she'll get used the small limitation as it is not much worse than other seats we have. Her safety is more important.

I adore this seat! We own 4 Britax seats and 1 Recaro for our kids and this one is fabulous! My 3 year old son was getting a little too tall for his BRitax ROundabout, but he's too low in weight for a booster and after reading about how much safer the 5 point harnesses are, we decided to keep him in that. IT prevents him from monkeying around with the shoulder straps on a traditional booster too. He calls it his "race car" seat and it's VERY plush and built very well. I have the utmost confidance in it! HE loves the head rests b/c they give him a place to rest his head on long trips into town (We live far). Contrary to popular thinking, he can still see out the windown quite easily. And, just for those of you looking for one for an older kid, my 45 pound 5 year old requested a ride in it to try it out and she gave me the seal of approval too, saying it was even more comfy than her Britax booster. We have also used Elite for several of our seats and will continue to do so--great customer service when I was undecided on which model to purchase. Due to the versitility in weight -- up to 80 ponnds, my 3 year old will not need another seat (thank goodness!) and that makes it worth the high price!

I bought my now 5 year-old son the Recaro about a year and a half ago. He has loved it from day one. He is a thin 33 pounds and about 42" tall. He loves it and has no problem with the wings. He can see out the window just fine. The only thing that didn't stay put is the extra padding on the seat which we took off. The seat is still plenty soft without it. My daughter turned one in January but we didn't buy the Recaro until she was 20 pounds which was about 3 months later. She loved it from the very beginning. Easy to get them in and out of the seat. The only slightly difficult thing is getting the LATCH system hooked into the ancors...mine are hidden in the crack of the seats (Ford Freestyle) and sometimes it is hard to get it hooked up. But over all we all seem to love the carseats. A big thanks to Elite Car Seats for their quick delivery and the care to the customers!

We bought a Britax and were never happy. Or son was never comfortible. Now he enjoys being in the car and sleeps much better on long trips.

My daughter truly loves this car seat, and so does mommy and daddy. The safety is great with the ability to use latch or seat belts. Side impact is awesome although we have not tested it, thank goodness. This is a well built seat that others cannot compare with. We looked high and low for car seats and the Recaro was by far the best as far as quality and finish. The strapes tighten easily, the buckles snap easy. This is how a seat should be. My daughter never complains with this seat. We had to buy two of them because we had a cheapy in the truck while the Recaro was in the minivan. My daughter would hate going in the truck because the other seat was uncomfortable. Go Recaro, the People that actually know seats, not a quick baby product from a baby company. Look, I know this seat is expensive, but it is worth every penny. When it comes to your child and safety in a car, you should spend the money and know you have a good product. The only thing I would add to this seat is maybe some storage and some cup holders, but that has not really been an issue since we don't have many drinks in the van anyway.

I am very particular with carseats and I am very happy with this one. High quality, easy to install. My 2-1/2 year old says it is very comfortable and calls it her "fancy carseat". I was concerned that the side panels would frustrate her by limiting her visibility but instead they support her head better when she falls asleep. Really great carseat!

I replaced two Britax seats (Wizard and Boulevard) with the Recaro due to the fact the Britax sat way too tall for our two SUVs - old Volvo XC90 and new Audi Q7 - as they won't go flush with seat due to head rest. Recaro fit great - excellent quality and kids like better. Liked the option of transitioning into booster seat too! The only other seat to consider is the Radian 80 because it can go rear facing, as this one can't. For us, not an issue.

I have this seat for my 3 yr. old son. We love it, but after having it a while, I noticed that when my son is bundled up for winter, The seat almost is too small. He has to squeeze in to lean all the way back in to the seat and most of the time he sits forward and his head is not even between the head supports. (this really takes away from the safety of the seat) This is with the seat belt completely tight. Its really because of his winter jacket, which I really don't think is that fluffy or anything. Its just a typical jacket. And my son isnt heavy either. Additionally, I'd really like to see the seat be able to use the 5 point harness always and not have to stop at a certain weight limit.

Also, the plush is really too hot for summer time. You can imagine getting in to a hot car and having to sit in a plush seat when you are hot to begin with. Overall I would recommend the seat, but would love to see some enhancements in future models.

I read all I could about the different car seats available and settled on this as I am familiar with Recaro's racing seats. They build the best and most popular seats for racing and I have no reason to think the quality does not carry over to the child seats.

I find this car seat very easy to use and is quite comfortable for our son. It was easy to install and it's quite easy to quickly strap in our child. The large side bolsters do not seem to bother him nor does he try to look around them. He uses them as a pillow and easily falls asleep during longer drives. The padding is very plush and soft which improves his comfort. Overall, I am completely satisfied with this seat and would recommend it. We even plan to buy another when our younger son reaches 1 year old.

Our experience with Elitecarseats.com was very good. The item was shipped quickly and arrived within a couple days shipping (granted we live close). We will buy from them again.

Out of all the baby products we have bought for our twin boys... this has been the ONLY product that has truly impressed us. Probably because it was designed by an actual automobile company (high-end race car parts) as opposed to a "baby products" company.

Anyway - very plush seat, soft fabric - washes easily. Already had 1 vomit episode... not a trace of smell because the fabric cleans so easily. The buckles and shoulder straps are very plush and comfy.

The kids don't seem to fuss when they are in them.

They installed VERY easily.

They are nice looking, comfy and well made. BUT the main reason to get these is that the side impact design is worth every penny. And a very nice peace of mind. Britax cannot compare. You have not seen anything like this in the stores. We bought these seats sight-unseen. The side impact support is truly amazing.

What more can I say. I would reccommend these to everyone who is graduating out of their infant carriers.

Buy it - you will not be dissappointed.

My daughter seems very comfortable in this car seat. I am very impressed with the integrity and design and was quite pleased to see how easy it is to get her out of the five point harness. There is one button in the front of the base that allows you to quickly slacken the shoulder straps which, not only make it easy to remove here, but also to put the shoulder straps on again the next time I put her in the seat. I decided to purchase this seat due to the range of size it permits. My daughter hit the minimum weight shortly before I purchsed the seat and she will be able to use it for some time to come.

I purchased this Recaro seat for my 22 month old. He always looked so uncomfortable in his last seat when he would fall asleep. His head would hang, I tryed different supports, he hated them all. Now anytime we get in the car seat, he's super supported without feeling uncomfortable. I worried that his view would be obstructed and it would make him mad, this didn't happen. I worried that he would fit too snugly in the seat, he's not a skinny guy, he's pretty solid and what I consider average weight. He fits wonderfly. If he were extremely overweight, may not be the best choice. The side impact safety ratings sold me on this. I worried that the cost would outweigh the product. Not the case at all. I would recomend this to any and all of my friends who may be in the market! Also, the guarantee that I was given, 30 day money back guarantee made it easy to buy the seat sight unseen.

Good protection all around. My boy seems to be very comfortable whenever he is in it. Am planning on buying another.

I went crazy looking for a car seat for my 3 year old. I have the Britax Marathon, which I love, but my 8 month old needed to come out of infant seat so it make sense to put her in marathon and get a carseat that could eventually be a booster seat for my toddler. She and I absolutely love this seat. It is extremely cushiony (even more so than britax marathon) and they wings are not only extremely safe but my toddler sleeps comfortably next to them without have a 90 degree neck. It is extremely well built and just looks so safe with wings. The only downfall is that the straps do get a little twisted which the britax marathon never did and the strap could be longer to make it easier to tighten it once you have loosened it up. These are my only 2 flaws and they are minor ones as far as I am concerned. My toddler is extremely comfortable in it and I feel that it is incredibly safe.

I was overwhelmed by people who commented that they were worried because this carseat did not have a cup holder or that their child could not see around the head rest. Well, I have two Recaro car seats, one Young Sport and one Booster Seat and the least of my concerns is the cup holder or that they might not be able to see the blue van next to us. I look at the car seats that my friends and in-laws have their children in and it reaffirms that I made a wonderful decision in my purchase. The car seat itself is heavy and locks into the car easily. It holds the child in the same manner as any other carseat on the road...except, if I am involved in an accident, my childs head is not going to bounce around the car. My children have been across the country in these seats and have never seemed "uncomfortable". They are safe and happy, and I am happy knowing that they are secure in a strong carseat that does not leave room for their bodies to flop around. There is no question in my mind that I made a bad purchase. Safety is my main concern and this carseat is #1. There are very few carseats that have the head protection that this carseat has.

We've tried a few different car seats including the Graco Comfort Sport and the Britax Roundabout. We have a big and tall toddler who looks like he may exceed the weight limit for the other two seats before he's four. After having a second baby, we wanted to get him a big boy seat that wasn't just a booster without the 5 point restraints, but something that would last him a few more years. The Recaro was exactly what we were looking for. It also has side impact features that not all seats have. It's very cushy, stylish and comfortable as well as being safe. However, this is not the seat to travel on airplanes with because it's heavy (like the Britax). We love this seat!

We've tried a few different car seats including the Graco Comfort Sport and the Britax Roundabout. We have a big and tall toddler who looks like he may exceed the weight limit for the other two seats before he's four. After having a second baby, we wanted to get him a big boy seat that wasn't just a booster without the 5 point restraints, but something that would last him a few more years. The Recaro was extactly what we were looking for. It also has side impact features that not all seats have. It's very cushy, stylish and comfortable as well as being safe. We love this seat!

Used this seat about a year and a half now. Generally satisfied. Couple of things I'd change (and perhaps they have changed now). The buckles twist and are not wide enough to easily slide up and down the shoulder straps, they need to be a big bigger. This contributes to the buckles twisting on the shoulder straps. The straps themselves are way too short, if your child is wearing a heavy coat you might run out of strap or only have one inch to use to grab and tighten.

I like the side impact design but if your child is wide in the shoulders they will quickly outgrown this seat, its pretty narrow.

I would buy it again if they made those simple changes to the harness.

I bought the Recaro because of it's added side impact protection and safety. I was very impressed with the styling and look and was so happy to have found a carseat that would not interfere with putting down the middle section of my Jeep Commander (other car seats were too wide and we need the flexability to put down the other portion of the backseat). My almost 2 year old son does not have any problems with the "wings" and he seems fairly comfortable even on long rides ( we drive to NC 10 hours and NY 8 hours a few times a year). Unfortunately I do believe the crotch comfort will become an issue as he grows...it is placed fairly far back on the seat (more than on our strollers/old car seat/ and highchair)and it will definitely not fit him for too much longer- which is a huge disappointement especially considering I invested the money for safety and the convenience of the booster. The other problem is the angle that the top portion of the carseat extends at. It completely hits my cars' headrest at a bad angle which in effect shifts the seat. The car headrest is NOT removable. So unless I get it sawed off permanently I will have to buy yet another 5 pt car seat for my son even before he is ready for a booster. Check your cars headrest BEFORE you purchase this carseat. As much as safety is more important to me than price- it is crazy to think that there is no way to predict or advise customers about this before they spend the money.

this is a very good quality, luxurious carseat. i have gotten numerous compliments on it and i feel my child is in one of the safest carseats made. However, be aware that this carseat did not arrive in its original packaging so it was returned and purchased from an authorized recaro dealer. i did not feel comfortable recieving a carseat not in its original box for ANY reason.

Comments from The Staff:

Not sure if you mean that you purchased the seat from EliteCarSeats.com, or from another retailer, and received it in a box other than the original.

Here at EliteCarSeats.com, we are an environmentally friendly retailer, we save our corrugate instead of throwing it away...so if we receive a box from the manufacturer that is either damaged, or not suitable for shipping, we will repackage it in another box. When we do this, however, we apply a label to the box stating that the item is NEW - it is NOT a return - the original box was simply just not suitable for shipping, and therefore we repackaged it in another box.

Christina
Call Center Manager
Certified CPS Tech

I purchased this seat to be used next to another car seat in my Nissan Altima. It is not as wide as other seats and is very comfortable for my petite daughter, even on very long road trips. It is very sturdy and good looking.

Comments from The Staff:

That's great to hear! It would be awesome if you could leave your feedback on www.CarSeatData.org for other parents to search through, as well!

Christina
Call Center Manager
Certified CPS Tech

We are very very pleased with this car seat. After doing lots of research we decided to splurge and get this car seat for our son who was one year at the time. When I opened the box I was also a little worried about the hard wings on the side of the seat, but decided to give it a try. My son used to scream and fight me every time we had to be in the car, but as soon as we put him in this seat he was so comfy that he could immediately take naps and didn't mind the side wings at all. If he wants to see something out of his view all he does is lean up a little and look. No biggy! Because of this seat we can now go on car rides peacefully and my son is now able to take naps during trips! Yeah for Recaro! It is also easy to move from car to car, it takes me just a few minutes when other seats would take me 20. It is also not very heavy to lift. We have no complaints whatsoever! I highly recommend this seat!

We recently purchased this seat for my thin, tall 4-1/2 year old. She still was below the weight requirement for the Britax Roundabout, but was too tall. When I read that the Recaro would take a child up to 59 inches, I thought I found the one. After further reading though (6 months after the purchase), it turns out that the height limit for the 5 point harness is only 40 inches, not any more than the Britax was. I want to keep her in the 5 pt. as long as I can for safety, but technically she is too tall for the 5 point harness function. The other seat we bought was a Graco and you can keep it to 5pt harness until they are 43 inches. Itâ??s not as comfortable however. She definitely prefers the Recaro. Makes me wish I had bought a bigger Britax to start with and then put her in the Recaro Young Style just plain booster seat when she wouldnâ??t tolerate the 5 point harness any more.

I don't know how to write a review on your site but i am so disappointed about the recaro seat. maybe its to my own fault but as i was doing research i really wanted a seat that would allow for 5 pt. harness as long as possible. with recaro marketing the seat as a 5 pt harness and up to 80 pounds i thought that meant the child could stay in the 5pt harness until 80 pounds. this is totally not true. I bought the sunshine kids for my husbands car (this really is a 5 pt. harness to 80 pounds) and the recaro for mine. meanwhile my son is 4 years old and 38 pounds. i moved him out of the britax marathon come to find out i would have been better keeping him in it since it would last longer.

any comments about this...and also i'd love to hear your thoughts on the safeguard. any others i should consider.

also, what do i do with my seat now? sell it?

Much Thanks, Laura

Comments from The Staff:

We have been in contact with Recaro about this, and they have informed us that they are working on fixing this problem. We do have a 30 day return policy, we would be more then happy to get this sent back and get you a car seat that will last a lot longer. There is the SafeGuard Go Booster Seat, as well as the SafeGuard Child Seat, and also the Sunshine Kids Radian 80 Convertible Car Seat. Just let us know and we will be more then happy to help!

Jessica
EliteCarSeats.com Guru
Certified CPS Tech

We bought the Recaro Young Sport for our 2 year old. He weighed just over 30 lbs at the time. He is just about to outgrow the "baby" seat functionality of the seat, and need it only as a booster with the standard car seat belt. He absolutely loves his new seat, and still can't talk enough about his "new seat". The seat, sides, and head area are all extremely bolstered, even more so than my carbon fiber racing bucket seat. He knows that it is a race car seat, and he gets excited for daddy to "go fast" every time we get in the car. Structurally the seat is much stronger and solid than any other seat he has used.

We just received our Recaro Young Sport, You first notice the Weight and how well it is made. Little Paulie seems very comfy in it, I'm a little worried about room for his head as he grows, it's a little tight with the Side Impact Protection. The seat was a Breeze to install and I've taken it in and out a few times, easier every time. A little warning about ordering from Elite or any web site! Be VERY sure of order!! You CAN NOT cancel once you push enter. Even 2 minutes after!! Customer Service was AWESOME! but, I still couldn't cancel. I didn't want to pay Sales tax. I'm in MN and their in MI?? anyway, we're happy and my wife said to get over it!

Comments from The Staff:

Hi there! We have three offices - one in Minneapolis, MN, one in Ann Arbor, MI, and another in Sylvan Lake, MI - so unfortuantely we have to charge sales tax in Michigan and in Minnesota, by law.

Christina@NicheRetail.com
Call Center Manager
Certified CPS Tech

We bought this seat for our 3 1/2 year old who had grown too tall for her roundabout but still didn't weigh 40 lbs. She loves the seat (especially the "wings"), and I found it easy to install. On the other hand, we find it difficult to tighten once she is in it due to the short length of the harness tensioning strap. By the time we have loosened the harness enough to easily get her in (especially with winter coat on), all we have to tug on is a little nub. Also it seems that pulling up on the strap as we used to do with the roundabout is innefective and only pulling down towards the floor of the car seems to do the trick. The seat is currently set to the highest non-booster position and I moved the black bar in back up to the highest position per the instructions. Anyone else have this problem or know what I'm doing wrong.?

Comments from The Staff:

Recaro has been notified of this issue of the harness tensioning strap being too short. They say that they have not had many complaints like this before, but are working on correcting this issue. And remember when looking for a seat for your child; donâ??t always go by the weight limit of the harness or seat, but by the height limits or restrictions.

Jessica
EliteCarSeats.com Guru
Certified CPS Tech

I have owned both the Britax Marathon & Roundabout for 2+ years, and recently decided I wanted my kids to have side impact protection. I also own the Britax Parkway booster (with side impact protection) for our 2nd car but felt my 3.5 year old son was still too close to the lower limit (at 33 lbs) to safely use a booster. So I decided to check this website and found the Recaro Young Sport. I ordered 2, one for my 3.5 year old, and one for my 12 month old. We have been using the seats for about 3 months and they are excellent. Much more plush and soft than Britax. More importantly, the side impact protection, in my opinion, is much less intrusive than the Britax Parkway's design. It is not wrapped around my son's chin and face like a wedge, it is just a "wall" of protection that does not bother either of my children. I also appreciate the side protection along the torso, which makes this seat seem incredibly safe. My only gripe is the seat belt isn't as smooth and quick to tighten as the Britax Marathon or Roundabout, but a few seconds isn't going to deter me from, in my opinion, a much higher level of safety. Also, this seat is VERY heavy, so it's not one that I would want to move in and out of my car. I don't move them, so it is not an issue for me. Last week my son sat in the Britax Parkway booster (in our 2nd car) and the seat fabric and protection seemed so minimal, I am VERY happy I have the Recaro seats in our primary car. HIGHLY RECOMMEND IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SIDE IMPACT PROTECTION.

Customer service at this site is also 5*, have done a return on a stroller and all was good. Had questions when the Recaro seats I ordered were backordered for a couple weeks, and Customer Service was very helpful on the phone.

I read many reviews here about the Recaro before purchasing it. I needed a booster/car seat for my 3.5 year old to move into and this seemed to be the carseat that many happy Britax owners were moving up to. People raved about its cushy padding and the strong safety ratings and I guess that these things are still true. However, I have been frustrated every time I snap my child in because the belts constantly twist (they didn't on our Britax so they could be better designed) and the extra padding pad also twists all around hiding the buckle. I can remove the extra padding pad but then what was the point of having it. My daughter is comfortable in the seat but for the price, it should have been designed to use with ease. I wish that we had chosen another option.

Comments from The Staff:

Hi there! Sorry to hear that you're having trouble with your Recaro. You mentioned that you've heard that 'Britax owners' are moving in to this seat - but I just wanted to point out that the harness weight capacity on the Recaro Young Sport is only 40 pounds, while on most Britax seats, it's 65 pounds (except the Roundabout, which is 40).

So if someone is looking to move in to a booster from a seat with a 5 point harness, that their child has outgrown, the Recaro Young Style might be a better option than the Young Sport - the Young Style doesn't have the harness, it's just a booster seat.

Or, if you'd prefer to keep your child in a 5 point harness, perhaps choose a seat with a higher harness weight capacity. If you still want something that will convert in to a booster seat when you're ready for that, you might want to check out the Safeguard Go.

Christina@NicheRetail.com - Call Center Manager/Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician

This is a terrible design, and I do not recommend it. It is entirely to restrictive in the head area. The 'straight-jacket- type design does no good in the safety area, if the child won't sit in it. After all it is made for 50-80 lb children, which by that time have their own personalities and needs. They don't want to be shielded from everything around them, which is what this seat does. The cost is not the factor when it comes to safety, however if it won't be used, what's the point?

Comments from The Staff:

Thanks so much, for your honest review! I have heard, in some instances, that the head wings which provide side impact protection can cause a child's view to be obstructed. Some children don't mind this, and others absolutely detest it. All kids are different, and have different preferences!
I'm really sorry this seat didn't work out for you. Since you purchased so recently, hopefully our customer service can help you pick out something else that will meet your needs :)
Thanks again, for the review!

Thanks!
Christina
Call Center Manager
Christina@NicheRetail.com

I almost purchased a Recaro Young Sport for my 2 year old who has out grown his Britax Roundabout. I had done about as much research as can be done (Consumer Reports, NHTSA, Epinions, etc.) and the Recaro seemed to be the way to go. I was a little concerned about the NHTSA review on the Recaro. The Britax Regent didn't seem to be the right seat for our situation and we already have a Britax Marathon for another child, and it looks like she'll outgrow it length-wise fairly soon. But after checking out the SafeGuard Go I was really impressed. There is no doubt in my mind that both the Recaro and the SafeGuard are very safe. In the end I decided on the SafeGuard Go because of the versatility, size and convenience. I've had our new SafeGuard Go for a day, and so far it seems to be everything I had been looking for. It is very comfortable and very easy to use.

My husband and I spent months looking at and doing research on various car seats for our then 1 year old. We finally decided on the Recaro Young Sport model and could not be happier. It has all the safety features that we were looking for (even the side impact protection system that I was afraid my son would find restraining - but then, isn't that the point?) He actually likes to rest his head on the "wings" so that worry went right out the window. This car seat by FAR feels more substantial than any of the other car seats we looked at, the fabric is of outstanding quality and still is machine washable. It has one of the higher 5-point harness weight limits (which was a HUGE selling feature for us). The payoff is looking back at my son grinning from ear to ear in his comfy, new, big-boy car seat. I would definately buy this car seat again - and recommend it to anyone with small children. It is not a convertible car seat - so it can not be placed rear-facing (that would be the only additional selling point - but of course that adds size - something passenger cars don't have a lot of) But if your child is already a year old (AND 20 lbs.) This car seat is a great choice!

I am a safety nut about my daughter's car seats and did alot of research on the internet (and in stores) before settling on this seat. She recently outgrew her Britax Roundabout (also a great seat) and I wanted the seat I purchased next to be her last. Regular booster seats have a minimum weight limit of 30 lbs - my 2-1/2 yr. old daughter isn't there yet plus I still wanted her in a 5 pt. harness. Since Britax doesn't offer a youth seat (with a 5 pt. harness) that converts to a booster I started researching and found this is the safest and most versatile seat offered. As I said, I'm hoping this will be her last seat so it had to meet the height/weight requirements for WI state law for child restraints - this was the only one I could find (minus the bottom only boosters) that did. In any case, she loves her new big girl seat - it is super cushy and the side impact wings don't bother her in the least. My only complaint (and it's minor) is the side impact protection doesn't leave alot of room for big bulky winter coats (with hoods) we need during the winter in the Midwest :o). I love the Recaro Young Sport - the safety it offers my daughter makes it worth every penny.

We searched every local store possible to find a car seat for our 3-year old daughter. She isn't tall enough for a booster so we needed a toddler seat. After looking at the seats in the stores, we were so discouraged because they felt so flimsy and uncomfortable. We also didn't like the triangular buckle used on almost all of them because it pinched her leg a couple of times as we were trying her in them. We wanted a rounded buckle like her Britax Roundabout has. We were hoping not to spend the premium price for another car seat but just couldn't bring ourselves to spend $100+ on something that looks and feels so cheap. We bought the Recaro Young Sport and are very satisfied. It's solid and comfortable. We feel she's very safe and she loves it. The ONLY thing I don't like is the design of the shield that fits behind the buckle. It comes off every time she gets out of the car. Also, the bottom, detachable padding moves when trying to sit her in the seat. I've just taken both off for ease of use and it's still far more padded than any seat we saw in the stores. One note...our daughter is 36" and 30 lbs. She fits fine but I wonder if a husky child would fit in it as well. It seems a bit narrow.

I needed to move my daughter into my son's Britax Marathon (also a great seat) but he wasn't ready for a belt positioning booster. Britax doesn't make one that converts from harness to booster so I started Googling. I researched things to death and this seat has exceeded my expectations. My main concern was comfort since all of them must meet certain safety standards. This seat exceeds safety standards and is incredibly comfortable. I had looked at 'other retail stores' to test comfort of other brands and they are all awful! When you adjust the height of the backrest on some of them the pad ends up in the middle of the child's back or there just isn't any cushioning in the seat. Everything seemed flawed to me in some way. I ordered the Recaro based on reviews and am thrilled with it! My concern was the SIP headrest because it comes out so far that I thought my son would be annoyed that he couldn't see. He doesn't seem to mind at all and has never once made an issue of it. He actually looks really comfortable now when he falls asleep because his head isn't all sideways. The way I figure with carseats is this: If a child must be secured VERY snugly in a seat to be safe, it should be the most comfortable seat they can sit in, right? When we ride for long distances we have the luxury of squirming and shifting, kids don't. So when I see those carseats with hardly any padding, I can't imagine wanting to be in the car very long if I was a toddler. This was truly a great purchase and I have NO REGRETS WHATSOEVER. I wouldn't change anything about it.

When my daughter first got it, she's wake up in the carseat after a drive and start to sing :) Everything just works so PERFECT. We had to purchase a cheap $50 walmart seat to fly with us once and even my daughter noticed a difference. It was ALWAYS a battle to get her in the cheapy. Not with her Recaro though.

Our son loves his new car seat. It is so easy to get him in and out...even when he's asleep! We were impressed with the reported safety features. Hopefully we will never have to put them to the test. We feel we made the right selection for overall comfort and safety. So far it has been worth the investment.

We got this seat (in Midnight Desert) for our almost-three-year-old son, who is about 40" tall and 40 lbs, and had outgrown his Britax Roundabout but was not quite ready for a belt-positioning booster. The seat looks nice and feels very sturdy, unlike some of the less expensive seats that are out there. We are still using it with the harness (have not yet converted it to the booster) and he is very comfortable. He is not a car sleeper at all, and so I was concerned about the SIP head wings, but he is big enough that actually they do not block his view out of the car windows. The seat also fits very well in both of our cars (a 2002 Passat Sedan and a 2004 Passat Wagon) and it is easy to move the seat from car to car whether you use the LATCH system or the seatbelt to secure it. I was very happy with the service from EliteCarSeats when we received the carseat the next day after I placed the order. The only downside so far is I have found that the clips on the harness are not quite as easy to maneuver as the harness on the Roundabout, only because you have to continue to hold the releases down while you remove the chest clip or the two pieces on the belt (instead of pressing the release and having the pieces pop out as they do on the Roundabout). Overall, we are very satisfied with this seat and recommend it highly, especially for a child who is nearly, but perhaps not quite, ready for a booster seat.

I bought this car seat for my first grandchild who was transitioning from an infant seat. She is extremely fair and all other seats left marks on her neck. She just relaxes into the padded harness and seems to really like this seat. It also provides excellent vision through the front window - and the navi system entrances her at 15 months!

I believe this will be the last "special" seat that she will need. It provides a very secure place for her to sit with little to no movement in our vehicles with the latch system. I am very satisfied with my purchase and would recommend it to others with no reservations.

Plus the men in my family were impressed that I was purchasing a Recaro seat!

Very plush and comfortable, great option for second car!

it is a beautiful seat..my only gripe as with all seats is once they are sleeping it does not look that comfortable...other than that safety..well that is a given, quality and looks all get 5 stars

After much investigation, we decided on the recaro young sport for our son who is 27 pounds at one year. We called the helpful staff at elite who answered all of our questions and were knowledgeble in all of the products, and how they fit into your vechicle. What great selection and information!

i ordered the car seat for my one-year-old. (her older sister has the britax marathon.) after one day, i put my older child into the recaro. in my opinion, the recaro caused my one-year-old's head to tip forward when she was trying to sleep. she couldn't rest it on her side; but only tip forward. it also blocks the periferal vision. my older child has to look over to see her sister. i would probably buy the britax, if i had to do it all over again.

I was concerned about the "wings" on this seat as she loves to look around outside while in the van. Seriously, not even an issue! I was so surprised after reading some of the other reviews. She adores it b/c it's "so soft and comfy" she says. I of course adore it b/c of the safety factor. I shopped til I was blue in the face for over a month and settled on this seat plus elitecareseats.com, they shipped amazingly fast and have been so great with communication emails. So trust me on this one and look no further. Just order it and have a cup of coffee and relax. :o)

We bought this car seat after going back and forth between the Britax Marathon and the Young Sport. We wanted a safe booster type seat for our 2-year-old that would also have something on the sides to catch his head when he fell asleep. We chose the Young Sport, because we knew that he was not crazy about the harness and although we would like to keep him in it as long as possible, we liked the fact that this car seat converts to a booster as he grows, whereas the Marathon didn't. I was a bit worried from reading other reviews about the sides getting in his way, but no problems there. He loves this car seat and rests his head on the side all the time. He can see just fine out the window of our Honda Odyssey. It is very easy to install. With the latch, you just hook the anchors and teher in and pull tightly while you put weight on the seat and it instantly is snug. We have only used the latch and I love that you just push the button to release the latch kind of like a seat belt rather than having to sqeeze the clip like on our old car seat. It is also very sturdy and fits very tightly.

The only thing I don't like is that it is not airline approved even with the harness which all the other same-type booster seats I looked at were. I also miss having a cup holder, but that's a small thing compared to how safe and comfy my child is. We are getting ready to move across the country and I am so glad that we spent the extra money and purchased a car seat that feels extremely safe. I would highly recommend this car seat.

I purchased this car seat for my year old son and I am completely satisfied. It is extremely sturdy compared to other seats I've seen in some retail stores. It looks great, but more importantly I feel that my son is as safe as can be in the Recaro Young sport. I would recommend this product to anyone who is looking to purchase a durable car seat. It is a little expensive but in my opinion well worth the money. I feel that I purchased the safest car seat for my son.

This is a solid, easy to install car seat. Fit adjustments are easy to make and my son finds this car seat extremely comfortable. We use the Young Sport in harness mode as my son is 3 years old. I have 2 issues with the Young Sport in harness mode. The first is the need for velcro on the harness straps to hold the straps to the sides of the seat(as on Britax models.) This would make getting in/out of the car seat much easier. Also, the seat pad is not stitched down. If my son climbs in/ out of the seat on his own, he bunches up the seat cushion. I then have to reposition the seat cushion properly. This car seat is in my husband's car and not used everyday, so the strap and seat pad issues are not major but are a bit irritating. Overall, we have been impressed with the quality construction, comfort, and solid feel of this seat. We would make this purchase again.

The grandchildren all love this seat and it's the most secure fitting seat we've ever had. Even the people at the car dealers were impressed with this car seat. We replaced all the other car seats we had with Recaro and we like the young sport best.

This car seat is very well-padded with very soft fabric. It's very easy to use. My only concern is that it seems to be best for larger children. To be properly fitted in this seat at 20 pounds, you child would need to be tall for their age.

The Recaro Young Sport car seat is simply the best and safest seat I have encountered. I bought this seat after using the Eddie Bauer 3 & 1 for a short period of time and being very disappointed in it. The Recaro just exudes safety in all aspects. I am now planning on buying yet another Young Sport for my second child. I feel that my children are truly buckled into the safest car seat made today. Also, I purchased this car seat through EliteCarSeats.com online at 10:30am on a Monday morning. The seat was delivered the next afternoon! I couldn't believe the fast service!

Comments from The Staff:

We love to hear that. Our warehouse is outside of Detroit, so shipping to those in Chicago is one day for ground shipping, and unless there is an issue with a credit card, products always ship the same day. Thanks for the feedback!

I have previously owned three car seats manufactured by Eddie Bauer, Mercedes Benz, and Graco. I have never been happier as I am with this car seat. It is very well made and has an upper piece that keeps my daughter's head from falling to one side when she is sleeping in it. I can't think of anything that I would improve. I was also very pleased with the order and delivery from EliteCarSeats.com. It arrived promptly the day that they had promised. I have already recommended this seat to friends and they love it as well.

I had the Britax Galaxy for the convertible. It is nothing compared to this Recaro. I did weeks of research to find a good carseat. It is so comfortable, my son doesn't ever rush to get out. Indeed, if he has fallen asleep in it, he shrieks at me for trying to get him out of his cozy carseat. The Recaro Young sport is wonderfully designed, especially when you have a taller toddler.(which is why we gave up the britax, which should have lasted another year)

The Recaro has the latch system, back latch at the head. and if you dont' have a latch compatible car, then it is still safely anchored by a well designed seatbelt spot. it also has the side shields which will not only protect from side imapact and broken glass, but provides a wonderful support for a sleepy head. It is nice and cushy. My only (very minor) complaints are the pad that protects the crotch area comes off too easily. I have almost lost it on several occasions. And the fabric doesn't breath overly well, making for a sweaty kid in the summer. both easily remedied .(sew on the pad, and layer a thin cotton blanket).

I love the idea of this carseat growing with my son. it is not a convertible, though, it doesn't recline too much and is not fit for a young toddler. it is most definatly a toddler/booster seat. If was to get a convertible again I would get the Britax Boulevard. But the Recaro is definately the next carseat after a convertible. The best out there. Recaro knows what they are doing.

My three year old is small and the seat fits him really well. You will love it!

I read tons of reviews before choosing this car seat. I couldn't see it in person because no stores in our area carried it. I do like the car seat and so does my son. The wings on the sides are great and they don't seem to obstruct his view like other reviewers have mentioned. The thing that is annoying is the padding on the seat. The pad for the crotch strap and the extra cushion pad felt great but they come off easily. The crotch pad came off every time I took my 2 year old son out of the seat. We got rid of that pretty fast. The cushion he sits on isn't fastened to the seat which I think is ridiculous. It is constantly sliding around, getting caught underneath him or bunched up if I need to shift him in the seat or he struggles at all. An ubsurd design! I tried velcro but it didn't stick well to the padding. I would get rid of it too but the seat underneath isn't padded much at all. Overall its a good carseat but I expected a little more thought into the design.

I bought this car seat when my daughter was 22 months old (she is now 25 months). I love how easily the straps can be loosened or tightened. This feature makes it easy for me to use the seat with or without her wearing a jacket and with my 14 month old daughter now too. I can easily put either child in the seat without having to reconfigure the entire strap system. The material washes well and feels soft and comfortable. I recently took the seat on an airplane. My daughter slept most of the long flight without having her head and neck droop to the side. My only complaint is the seat's weight when trying to carry it around, however, I do not travel often so this won't be too much of a burden. Overal, my girls and I are really enjoying the seat and highly recommend it!

Hi, i live in veracruz in mexico, i really love this carseat, is so soft and my baby girl loved. I feel very secure with the carseat, because here in Mexico we have hard traffic! So, i really recomended because people like me, who have to bring your child alone this is a great idea.! PS forgive my bad english.

Comments from The Staff:

Thanks for the comments. Keep in mind, we do not currently ship to Mexico, though hope to one day.

I bought this for my daughter when I felt the hand-me-down Britax had served it's time. I liked the idea of the aluminum frame versus the plastic Britax one- her head is also more protected- and she seems ver comfy in it- The downsides are it's heavy, wide, and she almost always finds it too comfy- falling asleep in it it often- which is ruining my nap schedule- but all in all we love it.

1The Young Sport is a safe and comfortable seat for my 14 month old that should be able to last her until age 4-5. She went right into it from her rear-facing seat at 12 months. She absolutely loves it and now enjoys going on trips in the car. I had never heard of Recaro before, before researching forward-facing car seats. We were going to go with the high-end Britax , but I liked the reviews on this Recaro. Glad we bought one. We are even thinking of getting another for our other car.

The Young Sport is well padded, comes with great instructions, and is a cinch to adjust. The cover is washable and the seat is extremely sturdy. We have even packed it on an around the world flight and it survived without a scratch. It is heavy enough to be sturdy, but not too heavy to be uncarryable. Most people will probably be taken back by the price. Well, you get what you pay for, and you certainly will get your money's worth with the Recaro Young Sport. One word of caution: although its not huge, it will take up a full seat in the back. In my SUV, we have it in the middle, and each passenger on the side has enough room to be comfortable. Be sure you measure. Enjoy! and I hope this review helped.

I love my son's Recaro car seat. It is very sturdy and feels very solidly built. I love the fact that the side impact wings prevent my son's head from falling forward when he falls asleep in the car. The LATCH System makes it very easy to install and I don't have to fight with the straps every time I buckle him up like I had to with his old Cosco Alpha Omega Car Seat. They were always getting twisted up no matter how careful we tried to be.

This has been a great seat for us. I love the plushy material, the choice of colors, the 5 point harness, the ease of harness adjustment, the wings for supporting my son's head when he sleeps, the ease of installation, and the ability to convert it to a booster when we are ready. My only complaint about this seat (and it is one I gripe about to myself every time we use it, which is daily) is that there is only one position for the buckle (between the legs) as opposed to the 2 or more found on other seats. My son is 3 1/2 and the buckle is positioned too close to his crotch for comfort. This causes the upper portion (where it clips into the buckle) to dig into his legs. I REALLY hope Recaro takes this into consideration for their next version of the seat.

We bought the Recaro Young Sport for our 3-1/2 years old son who was outgrowing his Britax Roundabout. The seat is very well built and has the flexibility of using the harness or seatbelt. You can adjust the seat as the child grows. Our son loves riding in his Recaro carseat.

When I was looking into buying a new carseat for my son, I didn't want to settle for less. Recaro makes one of (if not the best) seats in the world! From Aircraft to Racing these guys know what there doing, so it's no surprise that that there baby line is just as good! My son loves his carseat. He seems so comfortable in it. The fabric is luxiorious and well padded, it has the SIP (side impact protection), 5 point harness, Ergonomic, Multi-level height-adjustable headrest,easy to install, etc! You will not be disapointed with this purchase. No comparison!

My daughter of 124 months loves her seat. Every time she gets into it she says "cuckle" for her buckle and starts to help with fastening the buckles. My only problem is that Ricaro does not make a transport bag for airline travel and it is not airline cert. I have had only one situation where after using it 1 month the latch holder broke on 1 side and Ricaro is sending us a new seat and a call tag for us to send back to old one.

When we had to purchase another car seat, I was reluctant to put my smallish 3 1/2 y.o. in another "car seat." She is not big enough for a traditional booster. I liked the versatility of this combination seat. It is comfortable, although I quickly removed the bottom cushion, b/c it moved around too much. I was not crazy about the color choices, but it's about function, not form. The straps are easy to adjust, although the instructions are a little confusing.

We purchased 2 Recaro Young Sport seats this year. We have two children 2 1/2 & 11 mo. old. The seats fit perfect inside our 06 fx 35, and they keep our older childs head from leaning too far to one side while she is sleeping. The one piece armrests are a great idea. Most other products look cheap compared to this one. Everyone loves the way these seats look. Money well spent. Highly recommended. :)nice.

I bought the Recaro Young Sports for both my 3 yr old and 2 yr old. They had the Britax Roundabouts before, but my daughter will be ready for a booster soon, so we decided to upgrade them both to these seats now. When I easily installed these in my car, I noticed the superior quality right away. These seats don't budge, and they almost seem like they are permanently attached to my car. I feel that both my children are extremely safe in these seats, and highly recommend them. They are both still using the 5 point harness, but I don't doubt that I will feel comfortable that they are still extremely safe when they convert to the booster. My kids love them too! Very comfortable!

We purchased this carseat for our 2 1/2 year old since she is tall and thin and needed a new seat for her height. She was formerly in the Britax Roundabout and had to be moved out of that, and we were concerned that other convertible/booster seats weren't as good as the Britax. This seat went into our SUV easier and is as solid as they come, it is very easy to convert it to a booster and I love the head support that it provides. It is well worth the money, we loved the Britax as well and this is as good if not better.

We love, love, love this carseat. It's easy to use, soft and cushoined, and the wrap around head rest is perfect for little car sleepers. The five point restraint systems is so easy to use and the straps don't get twisted like on other car seats. The only recommendation I would have to the manuracturer would be to make the bottom portion of the restraint system (with the buckle) adjustable. The five point restraint seems safer than a seat belt but since it's not adjustable, you can only use it for so long before it sits uncomfortably between the child's legs. Then it's time to switch to booster/seat belt mode. I would definitely buy this one again after having used several different seats and brands.

Safe, Comftorable, built to last all for a reasonable price considering it's your child. I own the recaro start as well, this is a more versatile lightweight version of that. It is not as hardcore with the aircraft aluminum all over, but my 2 year old loves it and feels safe. The fabric as always with recaro products is a step above the rest. The 5 point harness is very easy to use and adjust. overall I have found this seat to be a joy and makes me feel like I'm offering the best protection available for my child. Dont skimp on a product that you will be using for the next 5 years.

The infant seat is comfortable and secure, it looks and feels luxurious. I love it! I regret my first buy, a Eddie Bauer. No comparison!

I ordered this seat for my son after extensive review online. I was looking for a seat that could still work as a five point harness as long as possible, but that would still appear as a "step up" to him. I also wanted side impact protection. After reading online at a carseat forum that the height was not restricted to 40" for the five point harness mode, I was pleased to discover that my son who is 40" tall and 33 lbs, fits all of the safety requirements while still having another "notch" of the bar to grow into for the 5 point harness.

For more on this issue you can call the manufacturer, but the manual height limits are just guidelines, and it really comes down to torso height. My child will be able to use this seat beyond 40" due to his torso height. Now I'm really hoping that he will be harnessed until he's 40 lbs, as that does provide greater safety.

The side wings do not bother him at all. He has had no problem wearing headphones in this seat either, as we just took our first four hour trip in the seat. He was quite content for the whole ride. The cover for the buckle at the crotch did come off right away, but with a little adjustment, we still have kept the extra cushioning at the base of the seat. Still, it requires rearrangement often. It is hardly a deal killer. The buckles took a little time to get used to, as we have had Britax for so long, but now I don't even think about them as being different.

The other issue that I had with the seat was that it cannot be used on an airline. FAA recommends that children be 40 lbs before you stop using a carseat on the plane, so I might just fly with his old Marathon while travelling. Still, I could not find a better answer than this seat for all of the other safety items that I wanted. I did look at the Sunshine Radian, but again, I read on various car seat forums (www.car-seat.org) that a lot of certified car seat installers were having problems getting a tight fit with the Radian. Maybe some of that has been resolved, as the seat appears to have a really neat concept, but I decided to stick with the Recaro.

The instructions are clear and there are nice markings at the seat for obvious belt routings. I haven't used it in booster mode yet, but it appears to be easy and safe to utilize. After using the seat for 3 months, both my son and I are really pleased with it, enough so that we are ordering the second seat for my husband's car.

We bought this when my son outgrew his Britx Roundabout.Britx Roundabout. He wanted a big boy seat but was not ready to be in a belt positioning booster at that time. He calls it his batman seat an LOVES it. He naps great in it and has never complained that it was uncomfortable. Now we have it as a belt positioning booster and he sleeps great in it even on long trips. The only thing is he can't wear his headphones in it because of the wings, but I prefer that he be protected than listen to NEMO...KWIM? It took a little time to convert to a booster but I love that it still uses the tether and is very secure. Overall we love this seat an it is pure quality!

I give this 5 stars...by far the best thing on the market. What price can you put on your childs safety-A++++++++ all the way.

I ordered the seat on a Monday afternoon and the seat arrived the next morning! Everyone I spoke with at ECS was extremely friendly and happy (they seem to really like their jobs!).

So far, I am extremely pleased. I love the way you adjust the head rest and shoulder straps/harness - you don't need to thread the straps through openings in the chair like every other car seat on the market. I'm not sure I 'love' the color we ordered (midnight flash), but that's pretty irrelevant as far as I'm concerned.

I was a bit worried about the headrest "wings" after reading some of the postings on this site, but so far, my son loves his new 'race car' seat and his view is not obstructed at all.

I feel good about the SIP since he's next to the door (latch is only available in two of the three seats in our back seat). I think this seat may even be a step above the Britax (his sister is now rear facing in the Marathon).

Overall, A+ to the Recaro Young Sport.

My 2 1/2 year old daughter is very tall for her age and having outgrown her Evenflo Triumph V (which we loved and highly recommend) I wanted to get a very safe and sturdy seat that would hopefully be the last seat that we purchased. This is it. I debated between the Recaro and the Britax and now that I have the Recaro, know I made the better choice.

Positives - Very sturdy and solid; comfy textured fabric; easy in and out for my daughter to "do it (her)self"; easy buckling. I was worried a bit about the side "wings" by her head, that she wouldn't be able to see, but she has never once complained and doesn't seem to strain to see past them. They are absolutely great for sleeping, she justs rests her head and is out.

Negatives - Extra padding for seat isn't attached and it lasted about 3 trips; padding on buckle lasted 1 trip for same reason. Both are worthless.

I can't give you a reason not to get this seat. My daughter has had it for about 3 mos. and calls it her "big girl seat". Couldn't be more pleased.

I absolutely love this seat! My daughter just turned 3, is 39 inches and 35lbs. She has outgrown her Roundabout and it took me three weeks to decide if I should replace it with another Marathon or the Recaro young sport. My main concern was her height and weight, thinking she'd outgrow the Recaro's harness too quickly. Other than that the seat had everything I was looking for. I decided to take the risk and buy it anyways. Worst thing that would happen is that she didn't fit and I would just save it for later to use as a booster. When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised to see that she just barely fit in the lowest height harness setting (of three potential settings). I decided it was best on the number two setting which means she still has quite a bit of room to grow. I am very happy I decided to buy this seat. I installed it in my car yesterday playing around with both the seat belt and the LATCH system. I now have it installed with LATCH and it is rock solidâ?¦doesnâ??t move a millimeter. Everything on this seat is top quality. The side impact protection is amazing and does not bother or obstruct my daughter's view at all. The harness is easy to use and it looks as though theyâ??ve shortened the shoulder pads so that they donâ??t interfere with the chest clip. Plus, itâ??s really easy to get her in and out of the seat. I was having trouble lifting her in and out of her Marathon because it has a base and sits up high, but since the Recaro is a booster style seat itâ??s bottom is lower and therefore makes getting in and out a breeze. I ended up buying the black and tan colour combination and it perfectly compliments my black and tan car! All raves for this seat!!!!

This is an awesome car seat! I only want what is best and safest for my son! I started him out in Britax, which I still like, but their version of this seat, the Regent, was too big! When I saw this seat, and everything is came with safety wise, including the SIP (Side Impact Protection), it made me feel really good about getting this for my son. Installing it was a breeze compared to the Britax and it fits perfectly in my Pacifica! My son loves it and I feel good in this decision! Recaro makes a solid, safe seat and I feel good knowing my son is in the BEST seat we can get to protect in the event we are in a crash! Recaro only makes seats, so you know you are getting the best with the most up to date safety innovations!! I did alot of research and even went on their website. Britax is good, but Recaro is a step above the rest! My son thinks of this as his RACE car seat! He truly is more comfortable in it, and even when he falls asleep, his head has support for him when he does doze off. I cannot say enough about this seat! Lets just say, I wish they had an adult version of this seat!!!

We would not recommend this car seat. It has hardly any padding and its hard for the child to look around the head restraints (which are hard as a rock). We bought this car seat thinking it was rear and foward facing and this is not the case. This is only for children over 1 year of age. I'm sure this is a very safe seat but the comfort is just not there.

Comments from EliteCarSeats.com:

Isn't it interesting how much some people just love a product, and others just don't at all?

We love this seat, but more importantly, our tall and still pudgy child loves it! He sleeps so much better in this than his Britax (which we also like) because it has the wings, which in addition to making for a great pillow, make me feel so much better about his side impact protection. I was recently in a side impact crash (totaled my Explorer) but felt so much better knowing that if he had been in the car, no shattered glass would have hit his face because of those wings! There was not a piece of glass in the car seat. He can still see out the windows though and has a lot of fun playing peek-a-boo. The bottom line is that for me, this seat seems much more substantial compared to the Britax. We've encountered no problems with fit, we've had in an Audi A6 coupe and wagon, VW Eurovan, Explorer, ForRunner and even the rock-crawling Toyota with no fit problems. I do wish it had a cup holder though (although he'd probably just fling the water around anyway :)

Awesome child seat! This is my first ever child seat purchase. The Recaro introduction was perfect timing. Solid construction and easy to switch from car to car. Moving my daughter in and out of the seat is easy. I have read all the reviews of various child seats and the Recaro by far is the best. The pricing is very reasonable with all the safety features it comes with. Recaro manufactures seats and only seats. I wouldn't want anything else for my daughter except the best.

I own quite a few car seats, and this is certainly the one I feel my child is the safest in. The quality of the materials is top notch - all the way around. Only issue is it is not as easy to get a child in and out of as say our Britax Roundabout, but the extra safety and comfort is worth it. Also, be sure to follow the belt / height positioning carefully, otherwise the belts will seem too short. There is a belt bar in the back that needs to be adjusted as you adjust the height.

The Recaro Young Sport screams quality before even taking it out of the box. The combination of solid craftsmanship and sturdy padding suggests I could tumble my car end over end into a ravine and all that would happen is that my little one would get dizzy. (...and then call out "more! more!") But anyone considering this seat should also know that the wings on either side of the head are deep -- on the order of about 8 inches -- and really do hamper your kidlet's ability to gaze anywhere but forward. My daughter enjoys looking all around as we drive, and had to crane forward to do so -- a position that quickly becomes uncomfortable, and I'd sure hate for the gremlins of fate to pick a craning-forward moment to launch us off that embankment. I'd also like to see Recaro come up with some kind of cupholder. Yeah, I know it's an American obsession that the world likes to laugh at us about. But for someone experiencing those first few steps of independence, having control of her own cup is a Very Cool Thing -- and it saves me from trying to wrangle her a drink of water while negotiating traffic. But that's a matter of personal preference. So here's the nutshell from me regarding functionality: If your driving routes are populated by crazy drivers, or if you simply want the best protection for your child no matter what, the Recaro Young Sport is an almost peerless candidate. (I say "almost" only because I haven't tried them all out there, though I do include the excellent Britax.) If your criteria include "happy factor" as well as safety and comfort -- especially if your little one isn't much of a car-seat sleeper -- he or she might prefer another seat.

Ever since we thought of having a child we've always known that we wanted a Recaro seat for our child. So we ordered a Recaro Young Sport as soon as we could find one. This is a very solid seat and presents little doubt that it will protect our son well. Initially, we could not find a Recaro in stores so we settled for a Britax Boulevard. But that seat did not work well in our Land Rover Discovery Series I and we moved that seat to our 2005 Honda Odyssey. A web search for Recaro child seats brought us to Elite Car Seats where we bought our Recaro Young Sport. The Recaro Young Sport fits much better in the Discovery because it does not have a large base below the seat. But living with the Recaro has presented difficulty: the main issue is that unlike the Britax, our son does not like to be placed in the Recaro. We have not been able to determine why this is so. We have checked all the straps for similar slack so that he can move about yet be restrained. But he still does not like the seat. The additional pad that is placed above the seat bottom does not attach to any part of the seat and stays in place by friction (no Velcro strap or clip or anything) so if you have a struggling child the pad will be pushed around by the child's feet and end up in a bunched up heap making the entire operation very difficult. So we had to stop using the pad in our seat. Also the protective pad in front the point where the five-point harness meets slides off too easily. Again presenting a challenge with a resisting child. The seat's user manual is supposed to be stored in a pocket underneath the padding on the inside of the seat back -- this seems like a good idea because it will always be handy. But running my hand over the padding I can detect a crease and indentation where the top of the user manual ends underneath the pad. We've been wondering if this is what is making him uncomfortable. We'll probably remove the manual from its pocket first to see if that helps. Next we may go to a hobby store and get some thin furniture foam padding, about the same thickness as the pad in the seat and place that underneath to see if it improves. Other theories for his dislike include the large Side Impact Protection pads that obstruct more of his vision. Or it could be that the Recaro armrests are not as conveniently placed for his arms as they are on the Britax Boulevard. We may post a follow-up if we are able to resolve this. I am disappointed that the Recaro is not working out for our son because it is a nice solid seat and looks good in the car.

This is an excellent seat and I recommend it without reservation. I shopped for some time, high and low, and I'm delighted I bought this particular model.

My daughter is 2.5 years old, 36 inches tall and approx. 35 lbs. So, we're just short of a full-on booster and a little too large for a convertable. This was clearly the best seat in the category as it has 5-point harness, LATCH, and amazing side-impact protection (seriously, AMAZING!). The buckles, fabric and even the directions are of the highest quality.

This is no cheap piece of plastic. It's heavy and seemingly rock solid; it reflects superb craftsmanship.

We put the seat in my wife's car -- a 2000 VW Passat -- with ease. It fits nicely.

The seat is somewhat narrow, but my daughter fits fine even with a puffy winter parka. Upon reflection, I actually think the snug fit is best and would imagine all but the huskiest kid would fit fine in this model, even with a jacket on.

Not sure if this seat will save my baby-girl's life, but I do feel better knowing I sought the safest seat I could find, and now have her in it. I'll buy another, if needed, for our younger son when the time comes.

Finally, I had an excellent experience with Elitecarseat.com. The order was processed and shipped in hours. Package arrived in two days via (free!) FedEx Ground.