PICS-big 6 year old in Recaro Start

scatterbunny · Feb 24, 2008

I'm going to add some of these to my other thread comparing boosters, too, but a few people have asked me to take pics of H in the Start, so here they are!

The first two were taken four months ago. She's grown about an inch since then, pretty much all in the torso. These photos show how the Start fits her, adjusted to the deepest seat depth.

These were taken today, stats in my signature are current. These were all taken in my living room, with the Start adjusted to the tallest height setting. She has more growing room than I thought--seems to be about 4.5 inches of torso room! Of course, she was slouching a bit, and she may fit differently in the van, so we'll say 4 inches to be on the safe side. I'll need to check her fit in the van soon.

The rest just show measurements that were important to me: seat depth (14 inches), exterior seat width (16.5 inches) and interior seat width (12 inches).

The Start is a bear to adjust, that's my primary gripe with it (but it's not a huge issue, we don't need to adjust it very often). H complains about the shoulderbelt lockoff, a feature I love.

Let me know if I didn't get a shot of something you'd like to see and I'll try to add it.

Gypsy · Feb 24, 2008

Thanks SO much Jenny!

scatterbunny · Feb 24, 2008

You're welcome!

Gypsy · Feb 24, 2008

I was telling Defrost (IRL BFF), that H is darn near the exact same size as my dd, and I really appreciated you showing me how my daughter fits in all those boosters!

With the Monterey coming out, I can't justify the expense of the Start, I DO like that it doesn't expire, but I could buy almost 3 Monterey's for the price of one Start, and who knows what's going to be available in 2-4 years when ds is ready to ride in a booster on occasion

Judi · Feb 24, 2008

So, how do you think Tyler would fit? That one looks like it goes pretty high! I like the depth of the seat too!

scatterbunny · Feb 24, 2008

He's not much longer in the torso than H, so he should fit with plenty of room! I'm pretty amazed at how tall it went. I really thought it was shorter than that. It just took two sets of hands to raise it up that high, because you have to push in two buttons on the back of the seat and raise up the headrest with those buttons still pushed in.

The seat depth is 14 inches, so not as deep as an Air Booster, and not QUITE as deep as what the Monterey is supposed to be (isn't it 14.8 inches? or is that the measurement for when it's used backless? used with the back will take away some of that seating room). But it's deep and most importantly, it doesn't slope down at the knee, so it's very supportive.

She has problems buckling herself because of the shoulderbelt lockoff.

Defrost · Feb 24, 2008

Um, I'm sorry - the Start has lock-offs for the shoulder belt? (I'm in need of something like that.) Are they really lock-offs? I can't tell by looking.

Can you tell me how thick it is, like how thick the back of the seat is? It looks really thick... Better yet, can you just tell me how thick it is, say compared to an Air Booster or a Nautilus?

And 4 inches of growing room would be... 21" to the belt guides?

Judi · Feb 24, 2008

I have to help Tyler every time anyway. Also, if I get an 86Y, I will HAVE to help!

scatterbunny · Feb 24, 2008

Defrost said:
Um, I'm sorry - the Start has lock-offs for the shoulder belt? (I'm in need of something like that.) Are they really lock-offs? I can't tell by looking.

Can you tell me how thick it is, like how thick the back of the seat is? It looks really thick... Better yet, can you just tell me how thick it is, say compared to an Air Booster or a Nautilus?

And 4 inches of growing room would be... 21" to the belt guides?

The lockoffs are different from harnessed seat lockoffs I've seen; they are the black-and-red rollers you can see clamping the shoulderbelt. It's so tight that she cannot wiggle or lean out of position (which I love). I don't have switchable retractors, so the added security of the shoulderbelt lockoff is nice peace of mind on road trips especially.

I'm not sure what you need for thickness; measured from where it would sit against the vehicle seatback, to the point where the child's back rests against it?

When I measure dd's torso height I get 19 inches against the wall, but she fits the Nautilus with about half an inch of growing room, and the Regent with about an inch, so I really think her torso is more like 18 inches, and I think she was just sitting very, very upright against the wall, not at all how she sits in her seats. Her max torso height is 18.5, but again, she did have some room in a Nautilus, sooo... ?

She definitely seems to have more room in this than in the Parkway or Vivo, which were significantly taller than the Air. When I measured from seating area to the bottom of the head wings (because measuring to the shoulderbelt guide means nothing, the way the guide is positioned) in the tallest setting and got 20-21 inches, BUT that's misleading IMO because she definitely fits the Start with more room than the has in the Monarch and Parkway, which I get 20-21 inches for those top settings.

Defrost · Feb 24, 2008

Oh thank you thank you!

And yes, for thickness that's exactly what I need - from where it rests on the vehicle seatback to where the child sits against it.

scatterbunny · Feb 24, 2008

I'll get that measurement tomorrow. :thumbsup:

joolsplus3 · Feb 25, 2008

Mine are in my garage right now, I'll see if I can get any comparison stuff, too. It's by far my 10.5 yo's favorite seat (the depth isn't that deep, but the front lip is curved down nicely so as not to hurt the backs of the thighs). My 10 and 8 yo use the same setting...I guess she's got more torso and he's got more leg?

(oh, here's a useless picture, just for fun... that's when she was shorter in the torso than he was... http://picasaweb.google.com/joolsta...photo?authkey=iEfXTupxXn8#5104594234193084898 )

Kat_Momof3 · Feb 25, 2008

WOW she's leggy. I had no idea teStart wen so tall. Could you please remind me how tall her torso is?

Will you be selling the Start?

Synchro246 · Feb 25, 2008

scatterbunny said:
Again, same order, but I didn't get one of the B510's seat depth.

Recaro Vivo
Britax Parkway
Britax Monarch
Graco AirBooster
Graco TurboBooster
Recaro Start

I have to say that even though the start measures shorter than the airbooster it really looks like it supports the legs better and more comfortably. What do you think?

Synchro246 · Feb 25, 2008

Oh, and after seeing this Start in action and how wide it is it makes me want to consider it when the time comes for my sons to be in boosters. But that'll be years from now. . .I hope.

scatterbunny · Feb 25, 2008

Kat_Momof3 said:
WOW she's leggy. I had no idea teStart wen so tall. Could you please remind me how tall her torso is?

Will you be selling the Start?

Yes, she does seem very leggy, doesn't she? She used to be all torso.

Here's what I posted earlier in this thread about her torso:

When I measure dd's torso height I get 19 inches against the wall, but she fits the Nautilus with about half an inch of growing room, and the Regent with about an inch, so I really think her torso is more like 18 inches, and I think she was just sitting very, very upright against the wall, not at all how she sits in her seats. Her max torso height is 18.5, but again, she did have some room in a Nautilus, sooo... ?

And here's how she fits heightwise in other boosters (adjusted to the top setting, scroll down to second post): http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=36519

I am torn about selling the Start. I love it. When we first got it, dd loved it. When I try to figure out why she doesn't like it now, the only reason she gives me is the shoulderbelt lockoff. So I might figure out how to bypass that and only use it on certain trips, or as a threat if she is leaning out of position.

scatterbunny · Feb 25, 2008

Synchro246 said:
I have to say that even though the start measures shorter than the airbooster it really looks like it supports the legs better and more comfortably. What do you think?

Yes, it really does seem to be at least AS supportive, if not more so, than the Air. It's a super seat, very well-constructed (except for how hard it is to adjust), lots of growing room, extremely comfortable. Someone once compared it to an upholstered chair or vehicle seat, and yes, that's exactly how it feels. No plasticky, cheap feeling at all to this seat (and there shouldn't be, for $350

). It's darn heavy, but the top tether helps me to not worry about that.

Kat_Momof3 · Feb 26, 2008

good... I wouldn't sell it, either.

I mean, it's obviously the deepest booster on the market... and then having the shoulderbelt lockoff... just a great thing.

I know my kids LOVE riding in their daddy's chevy cobalt because of the belts locking at the shoulder. Both of them now do it on their own and without me reminding them (even though they are old enough and mature enough nto to mess with it, it makes me feel better knowing that lapbelt portion is then as snug as I'm used to it being in my van with locking latchplates).

For us, I doubt the Start would work because it would have to go in the third row of my van... but since you can put it wherever you like, it's fantastic.

I hope you CAN bypass the lockoff... it would be great... because I thought maybe it was more for younger riders.

joolsplus3 · Feb 26, 2008

Jenny, dumb question...are you actually locking the lockoff? That's only mandatory for kids under 40 pounds. It does always have to run through the lockoff (sometimes we don't... probably a poor parental decision on my part...

), but it doesn't have to be locked.

At least your pictures don't make me feel bad we never got an Air Booster :thumbsup:

scatterbunny · Feb 26, 2008

What's funny is that the seat depth only measures 14 inches, so it's not really the deepest, but it seems the most supportive to the legs, regardless of actual measurement.

I really think the shoulderbelt lockoff bothers her because it makes it impossible for her to get in and buckle herself. She's gotten SO used to the B510 and how quick and easy she can hop in and get buckled that she doesn't have the patience to deal with the Start. I wonder where she gets her impatience from.

PICS-big 6 year old in Recaro Start

New member

Senior Community Member

New member

Senior Community Member

CPST/Firefighter

New member

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus

CPST/Firefighter

New member

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus

New member

Admin - CPS Technician

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

Admin - CPS Technician

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics