Recaro Signo G2 Convertible Child Safety Car Seat Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We've tried our Signo G2 rear-facing in the center position in a Civic (compact), Prius (midsize), Frontier (4-door truck), and Murano (crossover SUV). Our 15 month old is 31" tall and 22 lbs; a bit smaller than "average."
CONS:
*He has no leg room in the rear-facing position in all of these vehicles; knees are always bent too much.
*Due to the huge base, the seat sits very high, so it's hard to get him in and out without hitting his head in the Prius. Couldn't even get him into the seat in a Civic.
*Belts get twisted (for my wife) and are hard to smooth out while trying to get him strapped in. After removing the child, straighten the belts and use the convenient belt-clip pockets.
*Need to place a rolled up towel under the base (per the manual) in an attempt to get more leg room, or create a safe angle.
*Hard to get more slack in the Latch belts when moving the seat from car to car.
PROS:
*Latch straps are permanently attached to bars on each side of the seat. You can't appreciate how convenient this is until you get frustrated with the stupid design on the Sunshine Kids Radian 65SL. But that's another review.
*Shoulder strap height is adjusted by turning knobs on the back of the seat. Also 100 times better than the Sunshine Kids' complicated system.
*I've read that it's the safest seat out there (German design?).
*Very plush and appears to be very comfortable. Much more padding and head protection than the Sunshine Kids.
*So snug, it feels like part of the vehicle. (Sunshine Kids has a little too much play).
*Easier to choose this model than going through the 20 or so Britax options. With Britax, every seat is missing something you need, until you get to the most expensive model. The Signo G2 seems to have everything that the most expensive Britax has. No "pick your options" games with Recaro.
*The huge base does keep all the belts neat and tidy (Sunshine Kids has belts hanging all over the place). This larger base also allows him to see out the windows.
ONE MORE PRO: If you don't think customer service has a place in a product review, skip this last one:
*Recaro's customer service is Excellent! I found a toll free # (not the one in their manual). There was no menu to navigate through, and the call was answered within 2 or 3 rings. We purchased the original Signo, there was a slight problem, they again answered the phone promptly and sent a new G2 immediately. Alternately, I emailed Sunshine Kids a relatively simple question; they never responded.

**Update, 1/20/10: I've increased my rating from 3 to 4 stars after seeing many other cheap plastic seats that seem to weigh about 5 lbs. The Recaro is heavy, sturdy and secure. Switching to forward-facing solved the "no legroom dilemma," but it's still hard to get him in and out in any vehicle since it sits so high. The belt system is awesome compared to the mangled web of belts on the Sunshine Kids, all of which are difficult to adjust.

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