southpawboston
New member
a member PM'd me with a signo question and asked whether i'd be posting an update to my "initial" review of the signo. i thought that was a good idea.
after having the signo RF for a couple of months now, i thought i'd present something of a short update. not much to add from my initial review, but a few little tidbits that i've found along the way. i'll also comment on the como FFing.
signo-RF:
1) the legroom is really short. DD2 is 19 months and her legs are seriously cross-legged. this normally isn't a problem, but if she's wearing tall, stiff winter boots, she's uncomfortable and we have to take them off.
2) ingress/egress is significantly harder than with the scenera, her previous seat. this is due to two things: those massive headwings, and the short leg room.
between points 1 and 2, i don't see DD2 lasting until 35 lbs in this seat, in this car. maybe in a van, but not in my small car. getting her in and out is a major PITA for the adult.
3) the harness, while buttery smooth, can be misleading. it's so easy to pull the adjuster, but once you think it's tight, it's not always so. i think it may have to do with all the padding. it may "settle" after you get your kiddo in the seat. i end up tightening, then tugging at the harness up by the chest clip, jiggling DD2 around some, then tightening some more, etc. i suppose this is what people do with a lot of carseats, but with the RYS it was literally one long pull of the adjuster, then boom... done. ALSO, once while tightening the harness, one strap fell right off the splitter plate and popped right out of the seat!
if the seat had been FFing, i would have had to take DD2 out, remove the seat, and rethread the harness. fortunately, being RF, it only took me a minute to fix. i reported the defect to recaro (too large of an opening on the splitter plate) and they report now that that problem has been fixed.
4) the tether adjuster is very "sticky". that is, it can be hard to release the tetherby pressing on the button to generate slack in the strap. the strap just doesn't want to slide through the adjuster. it takes some serious pulling to get it to loosen.
5) the large shoulder pads were initially kind of obtrusive. they seemed too long and stiff to wrap around a toddler's shoulders. but after time, they have softened up and wrap nicely over the shoulder and curve down toward the chest.
6) LATCH has remained rock-solid. after getting it in "shake the car" tight, it has remained that way even after a month. i have NOT tried using a seatbelt, so i can't comment on a seatbelt install.
7) the straps are definitely twisty, and a few times the latchplate has actually reversed its direction on the harness. that's annoying as heck, but it's easy enough to correct it. at least the straps don't fold over and distort at the latch plates like they did on the RYS.
8) DD2 absolutely LOVES the seat. we made a 6 hour drive over the holidays (6 hours driving each way + two 1-hour stops = 8 hours total), and she never protested being in the seat. she routinely rests her head on the side wings, and only rarely flops her head forward. when she does, we reach back and prop it back up, and it stays up. maybe it's because of the 32 degree recline angle?
como-FF:
i am sorry to say, i just don't like this seat. it has some great things going for it with the 35lb RF limit and HWH, SIP, etc. but i just don't like it compared with the signo.
1) impossible to get a "great" tight install with LATCH, FFing or RFing. "good", but not "great". the best i get is 1/2" movement at belt path. FF is slightly better, but about the same. in contrast, the signo installs with ZERO movement FF or RF. since the shells and bases are identical, i assume this must be because of the signo's LATCH bar.
2) shoulder width is narrow. there is no way a broad-shouldered child will last to the weight limit in this seat. it is a full 1" narrower at the shoulder than the signo, because of all that EPS foam.
3) sticky tether adjuster (see signo point #4).
4) FFing is too reclined in my car (37 degrees). no matter how i finagled the installation, i couldn't get it more upright. whenever i see DD1 sitting in it, she just appears to be slouching, even though she is securely and properly positioned in the seat (however, she's never complained about it). when i installed the signo FF, i was able to play with it some and "lock in" a position that was a little more upright than the como. again, probably the LATCH bar is why.
5) EPS foam cracks easily. when i was trying to get a decent install, i must have put too much pressure on one of the sidewings and i heard "CRACK". there was no visible damage to the plastic shell (it seems to bend easily right at the wing area), but there was a hairline crack in the EPS foam.
6) as much as i dislike the como, DD1 LOVES it. she loves it more than the RYS (i think because she can see better out the window). she also never once complained about discomfort, even on the 8-hour trip.
conclusion:funny how two similar seats can be so "different". i still really love the signo and will recommend it, but i just don't feel like the como is a smart less-expensive alternative. given the price of the como, i don't think i would recommend it. for $40 more, the signo just seems to be so much better despite appearing very similar.
after having the signo RF for a couple of months now, i thought i'd present something of a short update. not much to add from my initial review, but a few little tidbits that i've found along the way. i'll also comment on the como FFing.
signo-RF:
1) the legroom is really short. DD2 is 19 months and her legs are seriously cross-legged. this normally isn't a problem, but if she's wearing tall, stiff winter boots, she's uncomfortable and we have to take them off.
2) ingress/egress is significantly harder than with the scenera, her previous seat. this is due to two things: those massive headwings, and the short leg room.
between points 1 and 2, i don't see DD2 lasting until 35 lbs in this seat, in this car. maybe in a van, but not in my small car. getting her in and out is a major PITA for the adult.
3) the harness, while buttery smooth, can be misleading. it's so easy to pull the adjuster, but once you think it's tight, it's not always so. i think it may have to do with all the padding. it may "settle" after you get your kiddo in the seat. i end up tightening, then tugging at the harness up by the chest clip, jiggling DD2 around some, then tightening some more, etc. i suppose this is what people do with a lot of carseats, but with the RYS it was literally one long pull of the adjuster, then boom... done. ALSO, once while tightening the harness, one strap fell right off the splitter plate and popped right out of the seat!
if the seat had been FFing, i would have had to take DD2 out, remove the seat, and rethread the harness. fortunately, being RF, it only took me a minute to fix. i reported the defect to recaro (too large of an opening on the splitter plate) and they report now that that problem has been fixed.4) the tether adjuster is very "sticky". that is, it can be hard to release the tetherby pressing on the button to generate slack in the strap. the strap just doesn't want to slide through the adjuster. it takes some serious pulling to get it to loosen.
5) the large shoulder pads were initially kind of obtrusive. they seemed too long and stiff to wrap around a toddler's shoulders. but after time, they have softened up and wrap nicely over the shoulder and curve down toward the chest.
6) LATCH has remained rock-solid. after getting it in "shake the car" tight, it has remained that way even after a month. i have NOT tried using a seatbelt, so i can't comment on a seatbelt install.
7) the straps are definitely twisty, and a few times the latchplate has actually reversed its direction on the harness. that's annoying as heck, but it's easy enough to correct it. at least the straps don't fold over and distort at the latch plates like they did on the RYS.
8) DD2 absolutely LOVES the seat. we made a 6 hour drive over the holidays (6 hours driving each way + two 1-hour stops = 8 hours total), and she never protested being in the seat. she routinely rests her head on the side wings, and only rarely flops her head forward. when she does, we reach back and prop it back up, and it stays up
. maybe it's because of the 32 degree recline angle?como-FF:
i am sorry to say, i just don't like this seat. it has some great things going for it with the 35lb RF limit and HWH, SIP, etc. but i just don't like it compared with the signo.
1) impossible to get a "great" tight install with LATCH, FFing or RFing. "good", but not "great". the best i get is 1/2" movement at belt path. FF is slightly better, but about the same. in contrast, the signo installs with ZERO movement FF or RF. since the shells and bases are identical, i assume this must be because of the signo's LATCH bar.
2) shoulder width is narrow. there is no way a broad-shouldered child will last to the weight limit in this seat. it is a full 1" narrower at the shoulder than the signo, because of all that EPS foam.
3) sticky tether adjuster (see signo point #4).
4) FFing is too reclined in my car (37 degrees). no matter how i finagled the installation, i couldn't get it more upright. whenever i see DD1 sitting in it, she just appears to be slouching, even though she is securely and properly positioned in the seat (however, she's never complained about it). when i installed the signo FF, i was able to play with it some and "lock in" a position that was a little more upright than the como. again, probably the LATCH bar is why.
5) EPS foam cracks easily. when i was trying to get a decent install, i must have put too much pressure on one of the sidewings and i heard "CRACK". there was no visible damage to the plastic shell (it seems to bend easily right at the wing area), but there was a hairline crack in the EPS foam.
6) as much as i dislike the como, DD1 LOVES it. she loves it more than the RYS (i think because she can see better out the window). she also never once complained about discomfort, even on the 8-hour trip.
conclusion:funny how two similar seats can be so "different". i still really love the signo and will recommend it, but i just don't feel like the como is a smart less-expensive alternative. given the price of the como, i don't think i would recommend it. for $40 more, the signo just seems to be so much better despite appearing very similar.
