Recaro Car Seats

[A4Ultrasport]

Hello - does anyone have experience using the Recaro ProRide convertible car seat in the rear facing position in the back of their S4? How far up does the front driver or passenger seat need to be to accommodate this car seat? Not so worried about the Recaro seat once its used in the front facing position ... Any other car convertible car seats that you guys can recommend that maximize front seat legroom in the car when used in the rear facing position? Thanks!

[theswoleguy]

I too am in this boat for my first in September, congrats!

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Google's ProjectFI

[thoness]

I use the Britax Boulevard rear facing in the rear passenger seat and move up about .5 inch compared to my normal seating position on the driver side. I'm 5'10" with a long torso though. If you go with Britax, I would definitely recommend going with the ClickTight models. They make installs a breeze!

I've had the Recaro ProRide rear facing in a previous car in the rear passenger seat and it was terrible. The leg room is gone and the shell is so large it covered the whole window creating a blind spot. You could go to Baby's R Us and they will let you try all their car seats out at no cost. Just provide your driver's license.

[A4Ultrasport]

I use the Britax Boulevard rear facing in the rear passenger seat and move up about .5 inch compared to my normal seating position on the driver side. I'm 5'10" with a long torso though. If you go with Britax, I would definitely recommend going with the ClickTight models. They make installs a breeze!

I've had the Recaro ProRide rear facing in a previous car in the rear passenger seat and it was terrible. The leg room is gone and the shell is so large it covered the whole window creating a blind spot. You could go to Baby's R Us and they will let you try all their car seats out at no cost. Just provide your driver's license.

In your S4, do you use the seatbelt/ClickTight combo, rather than the latch system for securing the seat in the rear facing position? Do you by chance you have a photo of the Britax Boulevard installed in the rear facing position in our S4 (curious to see how much room remains)? Thanks!!

[chaos2984]

I use the Britax Boulevard rear facing in the rear passenger seat and move up about .5 inch compared to my normal seating position on the driver side. I'm 5'10" with a long torso though. If you go with Britax, I would definitely recommend going with the ClickTight models. They make installs a breeze!

I've had the Recaro ProRide rear facing in a previous car in the rear passenger seat and it was terrible. The leg room is gone and the shell is so large it covered the whole window creating a blind spot. You could go to Baby's R Us and they will let you try all their car seats out at no cost. Just provide your driver's license.

I currently have the Recaro Infant seat Performance Coupe. And Yes i like it for safety purposes. But for function I absolutely hate it. DO NOT BUY IT. You have to put the pass seat all the way forward just about for it to fit and get in and out correctly. It just a design issue when it comes down to how it fits in the base. I even have to put the seat forward in my 2006 explorer. Its a mid size suv. Now when he gets bigger to the next seat I will go to something else. But when he goes front facing I will go back to recaro. The car seat is heavier than most also. Yea the recaro aspect is cool. But the carseat fitability is bad. We do however love the Recaro Denali stroller though.
Id like to get something else but with so much invested with the seat and bases. ill just stick it out and deal with it. Unless you have a A8 or a huge SUV don't buy it.

[thoness]

In your S4, do you use the seatbelt/ClickTight combo, rather than the latch system for securing the seat in the rear facing position? Do you by chance you have a photo of the Britax Boulevard installed in the rear facing position in our S4 (curious to see how much room remains)? Thanks!!

I use the latch system since that seat isn't a clicktight model. My front facing only seat was my first ClickTight model and I wish had it from the beginning. Let me know if you need other angles and pics.

For reference, my daughter is 21lbs and maybe 28" tall. The inner shell will be lower for infants and newborns (4th pic).

http://s890.photobucket.com/user/tho...?sort=3&page=1

[o1turbo30v]

I currently have the Recaro Infant seat Performance Coupe. And Yes i like it for safety purposes. But for function I absolutely hate it. DO NOT BUY IT. You have to put the pass seat all the way forward just about for it to fit and get in and out correctly. It just a design issue when it comes down to how it fits in the base. I even have to put the seat forward in my 2006 explorer. Its a mid size suv. Now when he gets bigger to the next seat I will go to something else. But when he goes front facing I will go back to recaro. The car seat is heavier than most also. Yea the recaro aspect is cool. But the carseat fitability is bad. We do however love the Recaro Denali stroller though.
Id like to get something else but with so much invested with the seat and bases. ill just stick it out and deal with it. Unless you have a A8 or a huge SUV don't buy it.

This!!! Rear facing they are to floggn big! I would recommend the Chicco Keyfit 30, fits really well and has a universal base mount.

[Whitee]

I love mine although when my daughter was 1 week old I couldn't get her out of the damn thing. The base locked up to the seat and it wouldn't release when I was in a parking lot trying to go inside a store. Needless to say I ended up ripping the release off the seat and having to carry the baby around the store in my arms LOL.

I emailed recaro and they sent me a new one very very quickly and not many questions were asked other than model and color. I still feel the design is flawed in how it's released, and if I had it to do over, I would probably have spent 300 dollars on a different car seat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dubious]

Hello - does anyone have experience using the Recaro ProRide convertible car seat in the rear facing position in the back of their S4? How far up does the front driver or passenger seat need to be to accommodate this car seat? Not so worried about the Recaro seat once its used in the front facing position ... Any other car convertible car seats that you guys can recommend that maximize front seat legroom in the car when used in the rear facing position? Thanks!

I recommend the ProRide seat but not so much in a sedan and not in the S4. Its pretty big and rear facing only makes it worse. It fit OK in a 2011 honda pilot (rear facing) and fits well front facing in my 05 Allroad. Im guessing it would press against the front seats and force you to adjust them forward. I position the seat in the middle to allow for extra leg room and better ventillation. We have had this car seat for 3-4 years and it has held up well and it has a decent wt and ht limit so potential for longevity.

[infinkc]

all the new Recaro boosters are becoming to Americanized, i dont want a seat with a cup holder for the kids.

[A4Ultrasport]

I use the latch system since that seat isn't a clicktight model. My front facing only seat was my first ClickTight model and I wish had it from the beginning. Let me know if you need other angles and pics.

For reference, my daughter is 21lbs and maybe 28" tall. The inner shell will be lower for infants and newborns (4th pic).

http://s890.photobucket.com/user/tho...?sort=3&page=1

Super helpful ... this is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!! Any shots you have that better show how much legroom there is behind and in front of the front passenger seat with the Britax installed in the rear facing position would be awesome!

[A4Ultrasport]

I use the latch system since that seat isn't a clicktight model. My front facing only seat was my first ClickTight model and I wish had it from the beginning. Let me know if you need other angles and pics.

For reference, my daughter is 21lbs and maybe 28" tall. The inner shell will be lower for infants and newborns (4th pic).

http://s890.photobucket.com/user/tho...?sort=3&page=1

Out of curiosity, what protector are you using on the back of the front seats?

[poweredbyaudi7]

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...s-for-B8-Avant

[thoness]

Out of curiosity, what protector are you using on the back of the front seats?

I'll take some more pics tomorrow.

This is what I use and recommend. Been in service for around 2 years and my son always puts his feet on it. Easy to clean and hasn't shown any damage.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CASDZKC..._nWHAxbKK8Q68F

[chaos2984]

I'll take some more pics tomorrow.

This is what I use and recommend. Been in service for around 2 years and my son always puts his feet on it. Easy to clean and hasn't shown any damage.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CASDZKC..._nWHAxbKK8Q68F

That's what I plan to get right there when my son gets old enough to be front facing. As for right now, I changed out and removed the S4 lower seat cushion and replaced it with a normal A4 one. Found one cheap on ebay for 100 bux. And saves my S4 one.

Put it this way with the recaro and your anything over 5'10 you have 0 leg room in the pass seat.

Yes the recaro release is a bit hard in the S4 since you really have no room to grab at it. My wife complains about it at times. We have no issues in the explorer though. I guess its a space issue with how you pull on it

[The Fat Kid]

+1 on the Britax ClickTight series. We have, and highly recommend, the Boulevard.

We have a 2003 Corolla as a city beater/daycare mobile and the S4. The funny thing is that the Britax fits better in the Corolla than the S4, likely due to the S4 having the "cobra hood" seats. The Corolla is tiny, but I am 5'10" and can comfortably drive with the Britax in the middle of the rear seats. We have to put the Britax behind the passenger seat of the S4 and someone up to ~5'7" would still be able to ride shotgun.

ClickTights can be swapped between cars in less than two minutes once you know how to do it, and you do not need to use the LATCH system.

I have an Orvis seat cover for the S4, but it seems like it was discontinued; this cover is the closest to what I use.

[BlownOne]

The recaro is too big for the s4 imo...it fits fine in the Escalade, but takes up the whole backseat in the Audi.

[Ray Khan]

I'm 5'11" and I had to move too far forward to keep the Recaro behind me. I ended up sticking it in the middle which is far less convenient but I rarely have my daughter in my car. We have a Chicco Nextfit the Q7 (used to be in the Passat) and it's a much easier seat to work with. It also seems to recline a bit more than the Recaro when rear facing.

[rcz22]

My son was 2 when we got the S4 - we have a Recaro Pro Sport (agree the cup holder is worthless and its been removed). This fits well behind the passenger seat (front facing) and we really like the seat overall. I agree that we'll have an issue when #2 comes along in Nov...We have the Britax B-Agile stroller/seat system. I haven't tried to fit anything in just yet. Perhaps the S4 remains a 1 kid car...we'll use the jeep when needing to transport both?

[QuattroRocket]

At 6'5" I had only one option for moving the kids around ... a Q7 :-) So the S is relegated to spirited driving and some commuting and the Q handles all the kids duties. No chance of getting any front or rear facing seat in the S for me.

[jran76]

I currently have the Recaro Infant seat Performance Coupe. And Yes i like it for safety purposes. But for function I absolutely hate it. DO NOT BUY IT. You have to put the pass seat all the way forward just about for it to fit and get in and out correctly. It just a design issue when it comes down to how it fits in the base. I even have to put the seat forward in my 2006 explorer. Its a mid size suv. Now when he gets bigger to the next seat I will go to something else. But when he goes front facing I will go back to recaro. The car seat is heavier than most also. Yea the recaro aspect is cool. But the carseat fitability is bad. We do however love the Recaro Denali stroller though.
Id like to get something else but with so much invested with the seat and bases. ill just stick it out and deal with it. Unless you have a A8 or a huge SUV don't buy it.

I'm using this setup with our 1 week old baby. I agree for the most part. It is larger, and I'd probably go with something smaller in hindsight. With that said, my wife can get in the passenger seat of both my S4 (pretty tight), and our 2014 Explorer (just a little tight). She's only 5'3", and it would be hard if she was much taller or maybe on a long trip. I'm 6'2", and there is no way it'd fit behind me.

I also like the stroller, and stroller/carrier setup. I'm hoping I can deal with the size of the car seat for a year, and then get something smaller. It had me seriously considering a larger car....

[thoness]

Check the link now.

http://s890.photobucket.com/user/tho...?sort=3&page=1

[A4Ultrasport]

Check the link now.

http://s890.photobucket.com/user/tho...?sort=3&page=1

Exactly what I was after. Looks like there's still quite a bit of room for a passenger in the front. I now know which seat to buy. THANK YOU.

[thoness]

No prob, car seat buying is a hectic experience.

[A4Ultrasport]

No prob, car seat buying is a hectic experience.

One final question ... are you using a protector underneath your convertible car seat? Are you seeing any damage from the seat (e.g. indents in the seat, etc.) when the carseat is removed? Thanks again!!

[thoness]

I'm using the prince lionheart seat protectors and not sure how much they help. With how tight these seats need to be installed I'm just not convinced anything would help. It works for the bottom but the back portion still gets indents. What is everyone else using? I saw another poster used some kind of doggy mat. Trouble with that is it could affect the install.

Prince Lionheart 2 Stage Seatsaver, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000083GHY..._NEfBxb377PY82

[The Fat Kid]

I'm using the prince lionheart seat protectors and not sure how much they help. With how tight these seats need to be installed I'm just not convinced anything would help. It works for the bottom but the back portion still gets indents. What is everyone else using? I saw another poster used some kind of doggy mat. Trouble with that is it could affect the install.

Prince Lionheart 2 Stage Seatsaver, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000083GHY..._NEfBxb377PY82

There is no issue if you are referring to the Orvis seat cover I use.

The other major upside to the ClickTight is you can just pop the seat open to release the tension when not in use, and close it again in less than five seconds before putting the kid back in. This pretty much eliminates the risk of damaging your car's seat due to having a base locked down on it for years.

OP - AVOID any seat covers that have a tacky/adhesive type "anti-skid" feature since that substance can bind to your car's seat and ruin it.

[A4Ultrasport]

There is no issue if you are referring to the Orvis seat cover I use.

The other major upside to the ClickTight is you can just pop the seat open to release the tension when not in use, and close it again in less than five seconds before putting the kid back in. This pretty much eliminates the risk of damaging your car's seat due to having a base locked down on it for years.

OP - AVOID any seat covers that have a tacky/adhesive type "anti-skid" feature since that substance can bind to your car's seat and ruin it.

Can you send a link to the Orvis seat cover you're referring to?

[The Fat Kid]

+1 on the Britax ClickTight series. We have, and highly recommend, the Boulevard.

We have a 2003 Corolla as a city beater/daycare mobile and the S4. The funny thing is that the Britax fits better in the Corolla than the S4, likely due to the S4 having the "cobra hood" seats. The Corolla is tiny, but I am 5'10" and can comfortably drive with the Britax in the middle of the rear seats. We have to put the Britax behind the passenger seat of the S4 and someone up to ~5'7" would still be able to ride shotgun.

ClickTights can be swapped between cars in less than two minutes once you know how to do it, and you do not need to use the LATCH system.

I have an Orvis seat cover for the S4, but it seems like it was discontinued; this cover is the closest to what I use.

Can you send a link to the Orvis seat cover you're referring to?

I already did

[Tony@EPL]

+1 on the Britax ClickTight series. We have, and highly recommend, the Boulevard.

We have a 2003 Corolla as a city beater/daycare mobile and the S4. The funny thing is that the Britax fits better in the Corolla than the S4, likely due to the S4 having the "cobra hood" seats. The Corolla is tiny, but I am 5'10" and can comfortably drive with the Britax in the middle of the rear seats. We have to put the Britax behind the passenger seat of the S4 and someone up to ~5'7" would still be able to ride shotgun.

ClickTights can be swapped between cars in less than two minutes once you know how to do it, and you do not need to use the LATCH system.

I have an Orvis seat cover for the S4, but it seems like it was discontinued; this cover is the closest to what I use.

+2 on the Britex.

Im on my 6th seat with them (infant, convertible and not click-tight boosters). The click tight system is awesome.

BTW - read recaro reviews.... they dont always "test" the best.