Which small convertible would you choose?

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador

• Nov 23, 2015

• #1

Combi Coccoro or Scenera Next?

Let's take cost out of the equation, since the costs are wildly different.

Let's just assume you need a light seat that will get your kid to 2 years old RF (after having outgrown a bucket seat) and take up the absolute least amount of space possible. Which seat would you choose?

The seat would be used daily, including on long trips.

ETA: if there are other small, light convertibles, I am open to alternative suggestions. I just figured these two would be the smallest and lightest.

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gigi

New member

• Nov 23, 2015

• #2

CCO as long as installation was good in the vehicle. I LOOOOVED that seat. Loved!

 

creideamh

Well-known member

• Nov 23, 2015

• #3

CCO

 

aept

New member

• Nov 23, 2015

• #4

I had trouble with the cco installation in both my van and our Prius. The van install would have been awesome if it allowed RF tethering - dumb dodge. Waah. The grape was so pretty!

So I will be going for a scenera next if I need a smaller convertible. I haven't tried one yet but we had a scenera (was probably 2008 DOM?) and it was adequate. The colors and patterns the next comes in are pretty cute, at least!

 

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lgenne

New member

• Nov 23, 2015

• #5

Sigh. Neither?

If the SN had harness pads, that would tip me towards it. It has the super easy install in its favor, and the new fabrics are really nice. But I wouldn't want to do long trips in it.

The CCO has a (frequently) gross install, especially when you can't RF tether it. And it doesn't allow a more upright install. For its size, it takes up a remarkably large amount of space.

It also has dumb requirements about the infant insert. And a dumb infant insert. And a terrible manual.

I love it in the 3rd row of my Mazda 5, tethered to the 2nd row where I don't have to worry about advanced airbags, with Euro belt routing, which actually gets the shoulder belt out of my way. We're still half a pound shy of the 25 pound weight where you're supposed to ditch the infant insert. I've been using it without the insert for more than 6 months, though. Parental choice for intentional misuse!

For general use, I'd rather get a clone or a Roundabout.

 

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador

• Nov 23, 2015

• #6

lgenne said:

The CCO has a (frequently) gross install, especially when you can't RF tether it. And it doesn't allow a more upright install. For its size, it takes up a remarkably large amount of space.
...
For general use, I'd rather get a clone or a Roundabout.

Click to expand...

Are you sure that the Coccoro can't be installed more upright? I had thought, based on this video, that older babies are allowed to sit more upright.

http://youtu.be/LCFq0s1BQ2g

Clones don't fit well in this situation. Roundabout is too big too -- are you saying that the Coccoro is as bulky as these seats? I had thought it was more compact than that. I already know that the NEXT fits well.


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abigaylebelle

Active member

• Nov 23, 2015

• #7

I like our cco but I haven't tried a scenera next. I think the cco takes up a lot less room rf than our britax seats. I also like the cco ff (my three year old can be rf or ff in it).

 

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gigi

New member

• Nov 23, 2015

• #8

It all depends on the shape of the vehicle seat.

 

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lgenne

New member

• Nov 23, 2015

• #9

Nedra said:

Are you sure that the Coccoro can't be installed more upright?

Click to expand...

Yep. From the manual:

 

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador

• Nov 24, 2015

• #10

lgenne said:

Yep. From the manual:

View attachment 27900

Click to expand...

Hmmm...I'm wondering what response you would get from Combi directly. The carseatblog review also says that it can be more upright for an older baby: http://carseatblog.com/1750/combi-coccoro-review/

The review was written in 2009, but it looks like the "MUST" language was in the manual back then too, but it was confirmed with the Combi rep that the seat could be more upright for older babies.


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gigi

New member

• Nov 24, 2015

• #11

Combi customer service will tell you all sorts of different things depending on who answers the phone.

I went by the manual on installation but I did disregard the MUST language on the infant insert. It says MUST use the insert for a child under 25 lbs but the fit with the insert was awful for my tall, very slender 1 year old. I took it out. She was probably under 20 lbs but 29" tall. The fit without the insert was amazing.

 

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador

• Nov 24, 2015

• #12

gigi said:

Combi customer service will tell you all sorts of different things depending on who answers the phone.

I went by the manual on installation but I did disregard the MUST language on the infant insert. It says MUST use the insert for a child under 25 lbs but the fit with the insert was awful for my tall, very slender 1 year old. I took it out. She was probably under 20 lbs but 29" tall. The fit without the insert was amazing.

Click to expand...

Yeah, this is what I have heard. The infant insert, the recline line, and whether or not the 1" rule applies are all areas where I have read about manual/rep disagreement...


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gigi

New member

• Nov 24, 2015

• #13

My manual did include a 1" rule. It was buried in there, but it was there.

 

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gigi

New member

• Nov 24, 2015

• #14

It has quirks but wow the seat is so adorable and great to travel with and great to use in a low car. It was like butter installing in our Impreza, with Euro routing and TT. I felt like my DD was doubly protected. I LOVED IT. In my Tribeca, I had to use latch install because I could not get it installed properly with the belt.

I went for the G4 when my DD outgrew the CCO and that takes up a similar amount of room in the Impreza. In my car the G4 actually took up less room front to back, but those seats are very flat. The CCO sinks deep into the Impreza's angled seats and really took up the smallest amount of room I can imagine a RF seat taking.

I wouldn't get a Scenera because there is no rebound management. And, to be honest, I prefer the higher end finishes on my seats (fabrics, buckles, straps, latch hooks, etc).

 

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador

• Nov 24, 2015

• #15

Gigi, can I ask what position you installed the seat in your Impreza? Did you have it in the middle with the Euro routing or did you have it on the side and just load kiddo around the shoulder belt? Did you have anything else installed next to it? What year is your Impreza? We have a 2010. The Roundabout was a little too big behind my husband's seat, so I am hoping the Coccoro would be small enough, or that we could install it in the center next to our Nextfit behind the passenger seat and then have nothing behind our driver's seat.


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gigi

New member

• Nov 24, 2015

• #16

2012 Impreza. Installed it behind the passenger. My husband is 6'2" with long legs...he wasn't comfortable in front of it but I was. I loaded around the belt. My son's booster was behind the driver. If we had another adult with us, I sat in the middle.

Honestly I kind of doubt the CCO would install well on a hump in the middle of a backseat. If I needed a kid in the middle I would do the CCO outboard and something up on a base like a Britax in the middle so the CCO could puzzle underneath the middle seat.

 

Cnidaria

New member

• Nov 25, 2015

• #17

I've never used the Coccoro but I really like our Scenera NEXT. It takes up sooooo little front to back space. I considered getting a CCO at one point, but with the installation issues and weird 25 lb insert issue, I'm really glad I didn't.