Outgrowing Recaro YS, What next?

I have no clue what to do about our seat situation

The Recaro YS is by far my most favorite seat and the only seat my DD has liked and tolerated. She is FAR from tall and FAR from 40 lbs.

However, There is 1" of adjuster strap left. I can't loosen the harness anymore. There isn't anything wrong. I took the seat out, put her in it, tightened the harness and looked at the back. IT was fine. That harness is just SOOO short! I've seen pics of other kids bigger in it, so I have no clue what is wrong with mine. Once winter comes with a little bigger clothes or if she ummm grows a teeny bit the harness will be at it's max. I'm super mad cause she has atleast 2" to grow before hitting the top slots

I don't know what to do. This seat isn't gonna fit much longer. I loved the low profile, the super buttery adjuster, how easy it is to buckle etc. The crotch strap is super long and always lays flat and I never have to dig for it when she gets in. And it's the ONLY seat she can really buckle the chest clip herself which helps me out. There is no head slump at all. She loves the side wings all around

She has to get a new seat. Most likely before the end of winter. I don't want a seat on a base so that limits me. She HATES the Radian with a passion.

Any other ideas? There is just no seat similar to it which annoys me to no end. Her autism just makes this so difficult. This was the *perfect* seat.

I've emailed Recaro and they said theres nothing they can do. When theres no harness left, theres no harness left. This kid is tiny! My seat must just the freak seat out of the bunch or something

GRRRRR

ETA: Her stats are in my siggy. She just got a feeding tube so should continue to grow regularly after this.

Seats that do NOT work that we've tried:
GN-in DH's car but she is rarely in it
Radian-head slump.
Radian XT-no sides, but she'll have to go in one anyways in DH's car when baby #3 comes but she is rarely in it
True Fit-she is so narrow and it was way too wide
Boulevard -self explanatory with the head slump
Frontier-horrible to install, horrible head slump, no sides
My Ride. Way too freaking reclined and way too high up

I don't mean it had head slump as in she couldn't sleep. SHe never sleeps in the car. I mean it literally pushed her head forward and she sat like that with her head forward the entire trip and fussed the whole time.

I'd offer to trade you RYSs if mine really is longer. I'm sure DS will max out the weight before he uses all the harness, but I'm not sure there is a good way to tell. Besides, I think mine expires in 1.5 so it's probably a lot older than yours and not a good trade for you.

What about the Frontier? I'd assume that the Nauti causes head slump? I wonder if the Generations 65 would work? Or even a Cargo?

skipspin said:

I'd offer to trade you RYSs if mine really is longer. I'm sure DS will max out the weight before he uses all the harness, but I'm not sure there is a good way to tell. Besides, I think mine expires in 1.5 so it's probably a lot older than yours and not a good trade for you.

What about the Frontier? I'd assume that the Nauti causes head slump? I wonder if the Generations 65 would work? Or even a Cargo?

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Yeah I need it to last for a couple more kids Thanks though. Mine is an 09 so I have no clue if they changed the length or something?!?!?

The Frontier is a no go. No side wings and horrible head slump and a PIA to install in my car (plus it won't fit where I need it to fit when babe #3 comes)

Nauti is a no go. She has that in DH's car and she hates it.

She sat in a Generations in a plane two months ago and it had a weird head rest thingy. Not at all what she is used to and likes. The Cargo maybe but I think I may have a hard time stomaching going from a YS to a Cargo Plus the lack of head wings thing. She *needs* that contained feeling. If she didn't have her tube she'd be back in the start with the shield but it doesn't work

This is too freaking complicated. There isn't a seat I can think of that will work. DD2 is so easy. SHe sits in whatever and doesn't care. Evelyn is just so complicated and this was such a perfect seat. Wahhhh

I know Recaro is *supposed* to come out with a new HWH combo seat or something early 2010 but we all know how that usually works out. If it's similar to the YS in style I'd buy it in a heartbeat but honestly I'm not getting my hopes up.

That is really weird... because mine easily fits my 35lb 3.5 year old...

did you call recaro? I know they can be less then helpful sometimes... but I think you should see if there's something wrong with your seat

It sounds from what the other posters are saying that your seat is defective.

Here is what I would do: Find another Recaro YS (preferably identical, shouldn't be too hard since yours is 2009), photograph your DD in both seats in identical conditions clearly showing that your seat has much less room left in the harness, and send the pictures with a letter (an actual paper letter) to Recaro's customer service department demanding that they either replace the harness or replace the seat. (You can include a copy of your previous e-mail stating they wouldn't if you want.)

Recaro is a German company. If they are like other German companies I have experience with they will not act on any customer complaint unless you put it in writing. E-mailing and calling simply won't work. If you don't get a response with the first letter, mail a second one. I would expect they will act on the complaint then. I hope so anyway!

I agree that something is funky with yours. P that I watched fit in hers up until 5yo and 40 lbs with adjuster to spare. That's just so odd :scratcheshead:

Does anyone around you sell them in store? If so, could you try her in another one for comparison and if it's defective call Recaro?

Is it possible you could remove your harness & measure the sections, and ask some others here to do the same for comparison? If you had measurements, you'd have hard facts to complain about instead of a generic 'the harness is too short & my kid's little'.

BW1426 said:

I agree that something is funky with yours. P that I watched fit in hers up until 5yo and 40 lbs with adjuster to spare. That's just so odd :scratcheshead:

Does anyone around you sell them in store? If so, could you try her in another one for comparison and if it's defective call Recaro?

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No USA baby did but no longer carries Recaro. I have no where to try one out and no one I know has one.

Signo?

What about the new Safetly 1st Complete Air? No base and has excellent head wings on it. :thumbsup:

kathysr98 said:

Is it possible you could remove your harness & measure the sections, and ask some others here to do the same for comparison? If you had measurements, you'd have hard facts to complain about instead of a generic 'the harness is too short & my kid's little'.

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I think I'll have to try that. I have no comparison and won't anytime soon. I'll get pics tomorrow of her in it. I'm baffled.

Jools-the Signo was her all time favorite seat back in the day but the big base annoyed me. Then I heard big bases can increase head excursion and she was so little then I opted for a baseless seat. I have no idea if there is any truth to that. Do you think a Signo would be too "high" in the 3rd row of a Dodge Grand Caravan? That's where she is going in a few months. It was pretty darn high in the captains seats and she couldn't climb in herself. Granted that was probably 8 months ago. Hmmmmmmm

The CA is another option. I never tried one but I think she'd love the headwings. Are the straps twisty?

I only need the seat to last maybe a year. I always intended to start booster training around 5, and probably be in a booster by 5 1/2. SHe is gaining about 1-2lbs per month and they anticipate her being 35-38 lbs by age 5 which I'm fine with.

I'm not worried about the base from a testing perspective (inconvenience, maybe... a little footstool might help with kids climbing in, we even needed one for the TF!). Seats with or without bases all have different head excursion numbers, I'm not sure the base is a factor in that

fyrfightermomma said:

Do you think a Signo would be too "high" in the 3rd row of a Dodge Grand Caravan? That's where she is going in a few months. It was pretty darn high in the captains seats and she couldn't climb in herself. Granted that was probably 8 months ago. Hmmmmmmm

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C couldn't climb into hers in the capt's chairs (short legs at the time) but in the 3rd row she would climb on the seat and then climb into the Signo.

What about your start w/shield?

i have an email of a customer relations lady at Recaro USA who has been VERY good to me if you want to try that, it took a lot of persistance but i have had very good results with this particular rep and her supervisor

melniemi said:

What about your start w/shield?

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Doesn't work with her feeding tube. It pushes too hard. Otherwise she would have been in that this whole time

Louisa+3 said:

i have an email of a customer relations lady at Recaro USA who has been VERY good to me if you want to try that, it took a lot of persistance but i have had very good results with this particular rep and her supervisor

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Sure if you want to PM it to me. I emailed just the general address and was told the seat was outgrown if there was no harness left.

OK, so I finally got some pics of dd1 in the YS. She still fits in the harness by height but is 46lbs. so she has outgrown it by weight. She had on a long sleeve pajama top and a zip up fall jacket. The harness wasn't even tight and there was still 4" of harness left.

Then somethings wrong with mine. She's on the top "slots" but her head is not even close to where your kids is. Her shoulders are well below the belt guides where as your daughter is kinda smack dab on them. She has less harness left than that and she is definately much smaller. I am starting to wonder if they changed something on the new ones. It's not caught up anywhere. It's just how long the harness is. I looked and mine was March 09.

Thank you for the pics! Definately helps!

The dom of mine is August/09
I would definitely say something is wrong with yours, what has customer service said?