Recaro ProRide Convertible Car Seat Review
The Recaro ProRide convertible car seat is engineered for maximum safety and durability by a company that also manufactures high quality aircraft seats. In this review, you can read all about different aspects of this car seat, and you can click on a title in the table of contents if you want to skip ahead to one specific section. You’ll learn all about the ProRide’s features, dimensions, specifications, and where to get the best price!
Table of Contents
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1. Safety
2. Installation
3. Video
4. Dimensions and Sizing
5. Fabric and Maintenance
6. Recline and Base
7. Pros and Cons
8. Customer Testimonials
9. Summary
Safety of the Recaro ProRide
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Recaro has a track record for excellence in safety, well before their car seats hit the US market. The ProRide is a great example of their diligence to safety standards. The side wings are some of the deepest I have seen on a convertible. They are quite prominent and easy to adjust, and they also have the fringe benefit of offering your child a nice resting place for her head on long car trips. They have been tested in Europe for side impact protection, even though the U.S. doesn’t include that test in its safety checklist.
The 5 point harness ensures your child is properly restrained. It is easily adjusted in the front by accessing the metal lever and harness strap located under the flap. The harness can be repositioned for height by using the knobs on the side of the car seat. You don’t need to rethread it, as it adjusts with the head restraint.
An extra safety bonus of this seat is that it’s FAA approved to be used both rear facing and forward facing on aircraft.
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Installation of the Recaro ProRide
If you’re not using LATCH, you’ll be happy to note that the ProRide has a lockoff system if you are installing the seat with the regular car’s seatbelt. There is a top tether in the top of the seat, stored in a pouch, to be used when forward facing. The LATCH tethers are also stored away neatly when not used.
Installation is quite easy, as the manual itself is quite clear with depictions of each step. The ProRide has push-on LATCH connectors, which I like better than hook types. The only drawback I found was that I was used to bubble indicators to show me when a seat is level, and I find stickers with a line to be outdated. Nevertheless, the Recaro took minutes to install via LATCH and is quite secure in my car.
With a seatbelt, it took a little longer, as I found the belt path to be narrow, but I still was able to get a good, tight fit in my minivan.
Video Overview:
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This video demonstrates the installation of the Recaro ProRide, as well as its user-friendly features by a grandmother who is happy to have this convertible car seat for her granddaughter:
Dimensions and Sizing
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Rear facing, this seat is meant to accommodate the 5 to 35 lb range, and from 20 to 70 lbs forward facing. With a seat height of 27.5 inches, the child needs to be under 50 inches to use it forward facing (or 37.5 inches for rear facing use) according to the manufacturer. What this means practically is that a seated height of 22.5″ will be the maximum for rear facing use, and 27.5″ for forward facing use.
The seat is 19 inches at its widest point, with a base width of 14.5 inches.
The ProRide is no lightweight, weighing in a little under 21 lbs.
Fabric and Maintenance
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I absolutely love the fabric on the Recaro. It’s plush and easy to brush off, while still offering some mesh fabric on the sides for ventilation. My son, who never managed to fall asleep in the car before he got his Recaro, finds it so cozy and actually does manage to doze off.
The cover is removable to clean, and the instruction manual shows how to put it back on so you won’t spend an hour trying to remember how you took it off!
The colors are gorgeous: there are gender neutral ones, some boyish colors, and a beautiful pink one for girls. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind putting my daughter in the Blue Opal. It’s radiant!
The cover says to hand wash. Many car seats give these instructions because of a flame retardant applied to minimize the risk of the carseat catching on fire in the risk of a collision. I am unsure if this is the case here, and I can’t tell you if I would machine wash it on cold or not. I have never had the need to do more than use some baby wipes or a bit of spray and some paper towels.
Recline and Base
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The seat reclines, so it can be installed at a deeper angle when rear facing, which makes it easier for your infant to sleep while traveling.
The ProRide has a base to help level the car seat. Please note, this base is part of the car seat install, and it’s not like an infant seat where you install a base and then click in the seat.
Pros and Cons of the Recaro ProRide Car Seat
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Pro: Easy to use both in installation and daily use
Pro: Extremely safe
Pro: Very comfortable
Pro: Sidewings are the best of any on the market
Con: Does not work well in short cars
Con: Hard to tell if the seat is level
Con: Belt path is a little narrow
Con: Hand wash only, not machine washable
Con: No cupholder
Customer Testimonials of the Recaro ProRide
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“We are still more than happy with this seat 7 months later! It still looks brand new and my baby is growing into it with ease! “” — Debbie
“This seat exceeds safety standards in Europe and the U.S. This is the best seat, ever!” — Polly
“This seat is perfect and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking at getting a convertible car seat!” — Mary
Summary
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The Recaro sells at a medium-high price point, cheaper than the premium seats, but higher than medium priced seats, but the excellence to safety and quality assurance is worth it.
