Those super-long Recaro harness pads...

[ketchupqueen]

...which Recaro seems not to realize are long enough to interfere with the chest clip, and which are so thick, and which we all despise so. ;)

Okay, now that's out of the way, here's my question:

I noticed the back has a rubber "grip" on it like my SafeGuard seats do, like I've heard European seats do. On those seats they serve a similar purpose to Britax's HUGS, to reduce head excursion, right?

Here's my question: do they do the same on the Recaro seats? If so, would it be extremely desirable to use them while forward-facing, at least? (I'm thinking a rear-facing kid would probably be too small to use them properly.)

My oldest has SPD and ABHORS the feel of harness pads, and prefers not to use them on her Radian (though she doesn't mind the non-removable ones on the SafeGuard, I'm thinking these ones are thick enough they're going to bother her. The SafeGuard ones are thinner and less bulky.)

The seat is mostly not going to be for her anyway, more for her littlest sister, but I would like it as an option for her to ride in while she fits it, or her friends if need be, so it's a definite point of interest for me.

[Pixels]

I suspect that the only purpose for the grips is to keep it in place, non-crash scenarios. I just looked through the Signo's manual, and didn't see any warnings not to remove them. Several of the pictures also have the covers removed.

[JerseyGirl'sMama]

Dani (DaniCPST) called Recaro about a year ago and was told it was perfectly fine to take off the harness pads.

[LISmama810]

I've heard that the purpose of the "grippy" pads on European seats is to help keep the harness in place in the absence of a chest clip. I have also heard that that theory is complete bunk.

I've never heard that it has anything to do with head excursion.

[ketchupqueen]

Hmm, that's what I had read in perusing old threads on the matter.

[ketchupqueen]

(okay, so now the question is, if it's the same kind of grippy pads they use in Europe, what about taking the chest clip off? Not that I would of course, but could you? Did they just throw a chest clip on the same harness and pads they use in Europe because we use chest clips in America?)

[zeo2ski]

I don't think so. The European seats I have seen have the grippys on a piece that is closer to HUGS than shoulder pads, only bigger. The shoulder pads--even recaros--are not nearly the same thing.

[ketchupqueen]

Really? 'Cause they look a lot like my SafeGuard shoulder pads (only fluffier. And removable.)