Recaro Prosport and Proride - do they puzzle?

[kld182]

I'm looking to buy a new car seat for my 3.5 year old who is FFing. I'm debating between the Britax Frontier 90 and Recaro Prosport. I was pretty much sold on the Frontier 90 because of the Click Tight technology which makes it look really simple to install. Then we borrowed a Proride from a friend for a few days and absolutely loved it! We used it for my 3.5 year old daughter who looked (and felt) far more comfortable in this seat than any other we've had in the past. So, we're now rethinking whether the Prosport might be a good option for her. She is not a hefty kid (one criticism I've read regarding Recaro being smaller/narrower) and is currently about 36lbs and wearing 4T/5T shirts. She's just about average for height.

We are also looking at replacing my 1 year old son's convertible car seat. We just find it really difficult to use, so plan to keep it just as a spare for a second vehicle. Because we've been so impressed with the Proride, we're thinking that would be a good option for him.

Do the Prosport and Proride puzzle at all (with the Proride RFing)? How easy is it to install the seats using the seat belt (especially the Prosport as my daughter is approaching the weight limit for LATCH)? Anyone install them in a VW Tiguan?

Many thanks for any information you can share!

 

[T4K]

Not sure....but a RFing Britax (not the "classic" models) and a ProSport puzzle well. I was specifically using a Roundabout55 but any of the ones without the huge airbag contraptions should work.

You can see where one of the "wings" of the ProSport nestles perfectly into the Britax.

 

[kld182]

Thank you for the photo - that's really helpful! I'll be interested to hear if anyone else has tried puzzling the two Recaros.

Thirsty4Knowlege - how do you like the Prosport? Is it easy to install with the seat belt? Can your child feel the seat belt under the cushion? Thanks!

 

[T4K]

Oh, and we like our ProSport very much. I have never owned a Frontier but people loooove them.

ETA crossposted: my child was not bothered by a seatbelt install. Recaro will send a foam piece to fill the space between the belt and seat.

 

[Suzibeck]

I have a Prosport and LOVE it. I do not have a Proride but I just wanted to comment that people complain of lack of legroom and difficulty getting baby in and out with the deep sides. I have a friend with one and she does not like it rearfacing at all.

We just got a Tiguan a couple of week ago but I have not put the Prosport in there, we have a SecureKid 400 in that car. I can't imagine that it would not fit. I can try it later if you want though. Any particular location? Seatbelt? Latch? I think dh will be home tonight so I should be able to play then.

 

[kld182]

Suzibeck, it would be really wonderful if you could try the Prosport in the Tiguan. We live overseas and can't test things out, so that would be really nice to know.

Thanks for the heads up about the Proride sitting up high. We still have our friend's on loan, so we'll turn it RFing and test it out! My little boy is all torso, so the lack of leg room might not be as much of an issue as the height of the seat and sides.

 

[Suzibeck]

Our Tiguan is a 2009. The Prosport installs outboard pretty well with seatbelt. Takes a bit of muscle to get it in, but not terrible. Center, I was not happy with the install, but if I had an extra pair of hands I could probably get it in passably tight but it was just me. I only did LATCH outboard driver's side. Once I managed to get it on the inside anchor, it tightened super easy. The angle of that inside anchor seems odd to me, it is right below the center seatbelt and I had a hard time lining it up properly. I don't have that problem with the Secure Kid though so maybe that is just me.

I hope this helps.

 

[athuyghe]

I can't comment on puzzling, but I have a ProSport for my 3.5 yr old and love it. Very comfortable for her and easy to use for me. I'm looking for a convertible for my 1 yr old and naturally one of my first thoughts was the Perfomance Ride (same as Pro Ride). I tried it out at the store (RF in a 2011 Town and Country captain seat) and I HATE it. Very difficult to access. The best thing you can do when purchasing any car seat is try them out in your car with your kid(s) at the store if you can before making a decision.

 

[kld182]

Suzibeck, thanks so much for taking the time to try that in your Tiguan. Ours is a 2010 and I'm pretty sure the seats are identical.

athuyghe, thanks for the input about the Proride being difficult to use rear facing. You're the second person to say that, so it's definitely worth considering. We'll borrow our friend's to try out before buying anything.

 

[kld182]

I appreciate all the great information folks have shared, but no one has been able to address whether the ProSport and ProRide (RFing) puzzle well. Can anyone share experience with this?