Help me with the Como

[LuvMyCharlie]

My Woot! Como just arrived this afternoon. :D After battling with it in the car for half an hour, I've called it a day. I got an 'acceptable' install with LATCH but I like better than acceptable. I like when seats don't move AT ALL. Anybody got tricks for for cinching the LATCH a little tighter? Or is this gonna be a seatbelt-only-install-seat? :p

[ketchupqueen]

I've heard that some Comos have LATCH issues... (Some were so bad that Recaro was replacing seats.) Did you check when it was uninstalled to see if it tightened smoothly? (I didn't play with the other two but the straps on my Cobalt seemed to pull very smoothly to tighten. I haven't tried an install yet since I don't know which one I'm keeping.) Did you find that it was the angle at which you had to pull that made it difficult, or what?

[Defrost]

Maybe you just need to re-question your need for a rock-the-car install? ;)

I know I really prefer them, too, but keep in mind the carseats do pass testing with just the plain old "adequate" install, and there's no evidence (or any reason to believe) that a rock-the-car install does anything more than make us feel better. :D

[LuvMyCharlie]

I tried pulling from several angles. The strange thing is, they loosen VERY easily but are so hard to tighten. I pull them and maybe a millimeter of movement. So it's taking fifteen and twenty tugs to get it 'acceptable.' I tried all my normal tricks and nothing seemed to help. Hmph.

I know, I know, Debbie. Sigh.

[ketchupqueen]

That's weird. Do they do that when out of the car too? Mine tightened very smoothly and easily. They did do it easier when the strap was pulled at a certain angle, but I didn't have to do the tugging you're describing at any angle.

[Blondie87]

Only one side of latch tightened on mine.. is that normal. The other wouldn't budge.. but I got it rock solid.. although it seems pretty upright.

[ketchupqueen]

Only one side of latch tightened on mine.. is that normal. The other wouldn't budge.. but I got it rock solid.. although it seems pretty upright.

No, both are supposed to tighten. I'd call if one side is not tightening, it specifically says to tighten both sides in the manual and all...

[LuvMyCharlie]

Only one side of latch tightened on mine.. is that normal. The other wouldn't budge.. but I got it rock solid.. although it seems pretty upright.

That's similar to what mine is doing too. Although the one side that does tighten still takes a muscle man's strength to do so.

[Blondie87]

K I'll call them on Monday. Should I not use it in the meantime?

[LuvMyCharlie]

Just use the seatbelt! ;)

[Blondie87]

lol alright...

[LuvMyCharlie]

Well, I got a decent install with the seatbelt after finagling for another half hour. I swear, this thing has been harder for me to install than the d*mn Crappysport.

Could someone check the angles on these two pics? The first looks too upright, but the second looks a little to reclined for my toddler. I'm wondering if there's a happy medium? The blue piece of construction paper taped to the window is parallel to the ground:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/cotyandtristan/IMG_9035.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/cotyandtristan/IMG_9036.jpg

And does no one else have a problem with the thickness of these strap covers? I know they've been tested with the seat but it's so ingrained into my memore, 'nothing thick under the harness.'
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b235/cotyandtristan/IMG_9037.jpg

[ketchupqueen]

And does no one else have a problem with the thickness of these strap covers? I know they've been tested with the seat but it's so ingrained into my memore, 'nothing thick under the harness.'


Did you see the bottom has grips? I'm wondering if they serve a purpose like the SafeGuard strap covers do, or is this a European thing?

[LuvMyCharlie]

bumpity bump!

Could someone help with my angles, please?

[Defrost]

I didn't post because I agree with you. :D The first one looks too upright, the second one looks better but I'm not sure a toddler would be comfy in it. And I have no ideas on how to fix it.

It's also hard because I'm not familiar with that seat, and it's so padded that I'm just guessing what the inside recline (the angle the kid will actually feel) must be.

[joolsplus3]

Dumb question, but for the LATCH install (and it works for seatbelts, too...) did you take the cover off the front of the seat so that you could pull the straps up IN the seat (through the RF belt path) as you pushed down where the bum goes? Of course it's tough to tuck the cover back around the seat after it's installed, but pulling in from that angle usually makes the seat a lot tighter than trying to pull the LATCH outside the seat.

[LuvMyCharlie]

Not a dumb question, jools. I did try that and it didn't seem to help. The cover's not a problem. I just recline my vehicle seat, slip it back on, then sit the seat back up. :)

[tumblebug]

As far as the angle, in the manual it said as long as the base was lined up with the ground it was correct. I had to use a pool noodle to get the base to line up but it does seem to be pretty reclined. I think it's the just seat though as when you install FFing it still seems pretty reclined.

It takes everything in me not to tether it rfing though... AHHH! I can't even think about it.

[LRG0905]

I'm also wondering about the strap pads. I was considering using the pads from my Chicco infant seat, because I can barely get the chest clip to armpit level, but then I got all paranoid about using "after market" gear on another car seat. My car seat is still sitting in our living room.