Help me decide - Regent or Recaro Signo...?

[Mami]

Ok mamas, my head is spinning from reading thru all the car seat threads and seat specs I could find :) . I have it narrowed down to Britax Regent or Recaro Signo for my almost (in Sept) 4 yr old, 30#, 41" daughter. As you can tell, she is all height, so I figured I should go with the seat that allows for the most height. I am somewhat turned off by the Regent because of it's size and I don't even know if it would fit into our VW Jetta but also don't know if the Recaro is any smaller...? Anyone seen one? I can't find a store that retails them to go see in person.

So, what do you think? Sould I go with the Recaro? I don't know if I should be a little weary since it's so new and there's not much history available on it. Or are there any other options? I do like the Safeguard child seat a lot, but.... $450 is a little steep. I'd love to hear your opinions mamas! Tia :)

Here are links to the 2 I'm looking at:

Britax Regent: http://www.elitecarseats.com/Britax-Regent.pro?gclid=COOn1bfA6Y0CFRPNggodMTSXzw#specs

Recaro Signo: http://www.elitecarseats.com/Recaro-Signo.pro

[alegna]

The recaro isn't out yet :( So it depends on how urgently you need a seat. Personally at only 30lbs I'd want her RF still so I'd get the recaro if you can wait.

But I think at 4 yrs old the Regent is a good choice too that will last you a LONG time.

-Angela

[Mami]

Hm, thanks for pointing out that the Recaro isn't out yet... found this though: http://shop.mbeans.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=330-MM5A!RECAR&csurl=%2FiStar%2Easp%3Fa%3D29%26search%3D330%26man ufacturer%3Drecar%26
So by September we should be able to get it and I think we can wait that long.

I know all the reasons for rf, but we haven't rf'ed for almost 1 1/2 years and I really don't think my dd would go for it. However, when we get the Recaro (if indeed that's what we're doing) I will try it, she may go for it since it's 'new'.

I also saw that the Signo's widest part is 19", how does that compare to the Regent? I keep going back and forth, I shouldn't be considering the Radian 80, right? Because of the height factor... but I like how narrow it is for our relatively small car. Radian 80: http://www.tinyride.com/Sunshine-Kids-Radian-80-Car-Seat-P1777.aspx We do tend to travel so maybe I should consider it...? I would like for this seat to be the last one we buy for Grace but I guess if she outgrows the Radian we can pretty safely go to a booster of some sort, right? Or should I forget the Radian? Thanks for the help!

[Mami]

Ok, just for giggles, because I don't think we can possibly afford it, the Safeguard: http://www.tinyride.com/SafeGuard-Child-Seat-P1778.aspx

[alegna]

I wouldn't consider the radian in your shoes personally. The recaro has the side impact going for it. The regent has the highest straps on the market... The radian doesn't have any feature that puts it above other seats really... (not that it's a bad seat)

I hadn't looked at the safeguard. I wonder what the top strap heights are? It only goes to 65lbs instead of 70 or 80...

(oh and the radian 80 doesn't have higher straps than the radian 65 fwiw)

-Angela

[Mami]

Thanks for helping me rule out the Radian, I think that's why I opted against it before.

I found some more specs on the Safeguard here: http://www.elitecarseats.com/SafeGuard-Child-Seat.pro Is 19" a good height for the harness straps? I have no clue. Not that I really need convincing to buy a $450 car seat but it does look like a good seat.

[alegna]

19" is the same as the radian and I think the same as the recaro will have.

The regent is 21" I believe.

-Angela

[ilovemyavery]

I don't think there is any real reason to rule out the Radian. The Regent doesn't have SIP either, but it does have the higher straps. The Radian is very narrow, which may be nice. The Recaro will have the SIP but not the Regent strap height. The Regent has those new install instructions which are causing some people serious problems. The Radian can be hard to install too. I would check on car-seat.org to see if people have installed either well in their car. After wrestling with a friends Regent in my van, I am leaning towards a Radian. I can't wait until Sept. for the Recaro and I get a CPS tech discount on the Radian, so it's the logical choice for us. Good luck! I need another seat by the week after labor day and I have spent all summer deciding and I am STILL not sure what I am going to do!

[Mary-Beth]

I don't know what seat to suggest but the Regent so so BIG.
It is comfortable for dd and will last a long time...but it drives me nuts.
It's hard to see over the top of it when I'm backing up. It takes up so much room. I only have space for it and 1 other car seat- no body else can sit in the back now. I wish I went with a seat that isn't so wide. I'll be in the market again soon as dd2 is almost outgrown her Britax Roundabout.

The Regent doesn't fit in our Ford Focus at all.
I have trouble installing it and need a professional to do it. Even the firefighters had trouble. I can't ever take the seat out to clean under it or wash it or if the car is going to the shop for work...etc. The seat is so heavy too.
Basically I wish I didn't spend all that $$$ on it and got another 5 point harness seat that was easier to manage.

[angie3096]

I vote Recaro.
We have a Safeguard in DH's civic and while I do love it very much (way comfy, way user friendly), the seat is VERY narrow. Narrower than the Marathon was. So I don't know how long it will continue to be comfortable in the hip area.
We have a Regent in the CRV and it is SO FREAKING WIDE. I also find it hard to install. It's just so BIG. It's like trying to fit a mini lazy boy in your car. I am going to get a Recaro myself and put the Regent in the closet for a couple of years.
I would rule out Radian because it only has 17" top slots. Taller than an MA, but not as tall as Recaro, Safeguard, or Regent. You want something that will last a LONG time, and a Radian is not it.
People who have called Recaro have reported back that it is only about an inch or so wider than a Marathon. Sounds MUCH more manageable than a Regent.

[Mami]

Ok, so I think I have officially ruled out the Regent. I wouldn't be too worried about the width on the Safeguard, my dd can still wear some of her 18mo. shorts because she's so narrow. Still, I don't really want to buy a $450 car seat unless someone can come up with some really compelling reasons :lol .
Although I think the Radian is probably fine I just don't want to have to buy another seat in a year or two. So... it looks like Recaro it is. I just hope they don't delay the release any further. I wish there was a way to know for sure when they'll ship. Also, no one thinks that it's risky to buy a car seat on it's first release...? I just don't know.

[Azuluna]

I love my Regent. DD is quite tall (not sure how many inches) at 5.5 yrs, and she still has plenty of room to grow in it. I am 5'8" and sperm donor was 6'3" for reference.

I have it in a 97 Dodge Neon, and it fits fine in the outboard position. The belt was not long enough and the fit was bad in the center position. I would recommend the Regent to pretty much anyone.

[angie3096]

I don't have a problem buying a Signo without seeing one first. If Recaro were a new company that didn't have a reputation, it would be different. But Recaro has been around for years, they make seats for racecars and they have been making carseats for quite a while, too. Nobody local to me carries the Young Sport but I hear they are ultra nice, most say better than Britax. It's just a bad design, as it only faces forward and only harnesses to 40 pounds; that's why the YS is not very popular. So this is a proven company that is just putting out a new design, so personally, I don't find it risky.

[rere]

I just got my daughter a Regent for the strap height.It's been great.I found it really easy to install and my gal finds it very comfy.Plus she has a ton of room to grow.

[True Blue]

My son is tall, so we have a Regent, and I'd buy another, for the simple fact that he can use it for 2 more inches!!! I've considered a Signo for DD, but really, I'd rather have the versatility of a seat that can go for a long time for both kids to use if needed. Plus, the Signo is on a base that is not removable, so the child will sit higher than in the Regent...so I'm guessing it will be as tall installed as the Regent. Also, that base makes it seem like more of a "baby" seat when you are trying to convince a big kid to use it. As for installation, I had some trouble the first few times, but once I figured it out, it's a piece of cake. No more trouble than any other seat, IMO.

[Mami]

TrueBlue- what do you mean the regent gets 2 more inches? Isn't the Signo rated to 60" and regent to 53"?

Angie- Thanks for clarifying about recaro's reputation, that makes sense.

So, I just realized that we may not be able to wait for the Signo since I'm not really confident with their ship dates and my dd really does need a seat quick. I'm debating whether I should go with the Como, it's supposed to be available mid Aug. Hm, I may see if I can get more specific info directly from recaro. Has anyone preordered and gotten any kind of shipping/tracking details?

[PatchyMama]

I believe that Trueblue was talking about harness heights. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but the height measurement that is most important is the height from the seat to the harness slots and also from the seat to the top of the seat. The overall height limits can be deceiving because some kids may have short torsos and even tho they are past the limit may still fit fine in the seat because of the short torso. The Regent has a 21" measurement from the seat to the top harness height, the highest on the market. I think that is the safeguard that has 19" harness height tho, not the Signo. I couldn't find their harness height on the website.

We have a regent and love it. It is wide (20 inches I believe) but I fit it in my center position with a lap belt and squeezed my marathon rear facing next to it (my 2 year old is in the marathon). I just barely have room for another person on the side, but it would have to be a little one or a narrow seat belt booster. I prefer to have both outboard but I thought I would see if I could do it last time I installed them.

I have taken out and reinstalled my regent (and marathon) many times. IT is heavy, but I don't find it any more difficult than another other seat. Oh I have a Saturn sedan if it matters.

Unfortunately if you think height is going to be an issue and you can't wait to check out the signo I think that the Regent may be your only option. There just aren't any other seats that harness nearly as high. The Marathon/Boulevard/Radian/etc only go to approx. 18". The Cosco Apex harnesses to 65lbs then turns into a booster but it only has 17.5 inch harness slots (maybe 18 if you get a certain cover).

For reference, My 6.5 year old still fits in a Marathon in the top harness slots but she is short for her age.

ETA - I just read on another forum that the Recaro is only giving their seats a 5 year expiration date. That is just nuts on a seat that is supposed to last from 5-70 lbs. The seats would expire before most kids would ever outgrow it.

[Mami]

I see about the harness height vs. recommended height... what a pain, there's so much confusion. Thank you for spelling out my options as far as best choices for height. I think if I put a Regent in our car, there will be no room for anyone in the back seat since I have her in the middle... that would suck. It's bad as it is and the Rgent is massive. The expiration date on the recaro's does seem silly for a seat that's supposed to last more than 5 yrs by spec definition. Well, my head is officially spinning and I think I need to sleep on it all now. :dizzy:

[alegna]

I'd be interested in seeing something official on the recaro expiration dates.

-Angela

[PatchyMama]

I'd be interested in seeing something official on the recaro expiration dates.

-Angela
yeah it would be nice. The 5 year date came from Recaro customer service tho, but nothing more official than that has been said. Originally they were saying it was 5-7 years, but when people pressed asking if a seat failed at 6 years if they were going to still support it or say it was expired, customer serviced changed to saying it was only 5 years.

[angie3096]

She's right, you do get 2 more inches with the Regent. Recaro Comos and Signos reportedly have 19 inch top slots, Regents have 21 inch top slots. Britax gives you much more realistic estimates of when your child will outgrow the seat, but it is just an estimate. Some kids will hit the top slot at a shorter height than other kids, it just depends how your kid is built and whether they're all legs or all torso. Take the Safeguard, for example. They say it will harness a kid up to 59 inches. Those are 19 inch top slots, people! That would have to be one strangely built child. Possible, maybe, but very, very unlikely. DD has much more growing room in her Regent than in her Safeguard.
As far as Regent vs. Recaro, it's a tradeoff. You can get the one that will last the longest, or you can get the one that is the easiest to maneuver. Only YOU can decide which you want! Personally, I don't want the mini lazyboy taking up all the space in my car just yet. Yes, someday, it will be necessary, but not now! But that's just me!

[grisandole]

moving to the new family safety forum :)

[Brilliantmama]

If it was me, I'd get the regent.

We are planning on getting a marathon when G is out of her infant seat, and if A ever weighs enough to FF (she is *almost* 24 lbs!) then we will do the shuffle between a regent and marathon, so everyone can RF as long as possible and be harnessed until they outgrow regents-maybe high school for A! :)

[elmh23]

We have a 2005 Dodge Neon with a Regent and a RFing Roundabout and we're tapped on space, but it's doable. The reason we choose the Regent was because my dd is soooooo tall (outgrew the Roundabout at 2 by height.) The seat is a monster, but it's not that heavy (just bulky) and dd is very comfy in it! When ds outgrows the Roundabout, we'll be buying another Regent. He's a very tall little guy (at 4m, he was the same size as my daughter was at 9m!)

[Mami]

Ha, I didn't even know there was a family safety forum :lol

I just found this entry: http://spillingthebeans.net/?p=540 In the last post the person states specs direct from recaro and it says the highest harness slot position is 26", that would make more sense for the 60" height range. Does 26" even sound possible though...? Or are they confusing it with the seat back height?

Anyway, considering that I may not be able to wait for the Signo or the Como if it takes until Sept, I am now reconsidering the Radian again. I know it doesn't have the best height rating (49-51") with the highest harness height being 18". If the Recaro really is 26" then that's obviously a substantial difference but I think I can live with it if it's my only option. I do appreciate those who have come out in favor of the Regent but I just don't see it fitting in our car, considering that occasionally we have more than just the 3 of us in the car.

We do also travel about once a year and it might be handy for those purposes to have the foldability of the Radian. Anyway, if I get it and hate it I figure I can always resell it and get the Recaro when it does become available, right? I'm just kind of thinking out loud here... I'm also not quite sure I see the difference between the Radian 65 and the 80. Is it just the padding? Maybe I'll see if I can find a retailer that has them in stock to go see in person.

I'm still open to your opinions if you have any :) .

[PatchyMama]

yes, they are getting it confused with the seat height. If you check the recaro page it lists the inside seat height between 25.5 to 26.6" (http://www.recaro.com/index.php?id=3321&region=3&L=2)

ETA - I was just reading that blog you linked. She has the width of the REcaro as 19" wide at its widest , thats only 1 or 2 inches less than the Regent so you may want to take that into consideration.

[angie3096]

I own both a Radian 65 and a Radian 80.
The only difference I can see when I sit them side by side is the infant insert. And when you take the infant insert out, the Radian 80 has these gaps in the sides where the pillow was sticking out. My daughter is four and of course too big for the insert, so at first I was like, "WTF? My $220 carseat has HOLES!" But then, I went to install it (we don't have LATCH). The gaps give you way better access to the belt path than you get with the Radian 65, which for me, made the install WAYYYY easier. It cut down on my stress level and my profanity a LOT. Well worth the extra $20, IMO.
FWIW, the Radian is very popular for travel. It's narrow, so it doesn't squish the occupant of the next seat, it's low enough that you can get the tray table down, and it installs (and more importantly, uninstalls) without a belt extender. I hear it's a breeze on planes, compared to the MA. (Althought we've never flown with DD, I'm just repeating what I've heard.)

[Yooper]

I am in the exact same boat as the OP right now. My 4 yo dd is in a Roundabout! She still fits all of the specs but will be outgrowing the slot height any second now. I need something different soon! We travel a lot and we also need to use all 5 seatbelts in our car on a regular basis. The Regent is just too big.

I have a question that has not yet come up......

Which of the four possibilities being tossed around here (Regent, Recaro, Radian, Safeguard) seem to be the most comfortable? Or more importantly, do any of them seem to be especially uncomfortable? We go on long trips frequently.....

[Yooper]

Another question!

Is there any point in buying the Radian 80 over the Radian 65 if you know your kid is going to max out the height before either weight?

[alegna]

Another question!

Is there any point in buying the Radian 80 over the Radian 65 if you know your kid is going to max out the height before either weight?

Apparently the belt path as listed above ;) but beyond that, no.

-Angela

[RachelEve14]

Which of the four possibilities being tossed around here (Regent, Recaro, Radian, Safeguard) seem to be the most comfortable? Or more importantly, do any of them seem to be especially uncomfortable? We go on long trips frequently.....

We have 2 radians and my girls are fine in them. They say they are comfortable, and they do fall asleep in them. Sometimes I wish they had a recline like my cheapie evenflo, but the girls don't seem to mind. They are both built pretty slim (which I'm assuming your daughter is also if she's 4 and still in a roundabout). I didn't find them any harder to install than any other seat. I've never used a britax, the $100 price difference was enough to sell me on a radian instead of a marathon and I have no regrets.

HTH

[angie3096]

Which of the four possibilities being tossed around here (Regent, Recaro, Radian, Safeguard) seem to be the most comfortable? Or more importantly, do any of them seem to be especially uncomfortable? We go on long trips frequently.....

I own a Regent, a Radian 65, a Safeguard, and a Radian 80.
The Safeguard is DEFINITELY the most comfortable. No contest. You get what you pay for.

[Mami]

Huh? Is there a reason that I'm not getting notification of replies anymore since the thread was moved...? Mods - is there any way to remedy that?

Ok, no time to write more at the moment but thanks for all your thoughts.

[Peony]

Well, DD1 hasn't sat in a Recaro yet but she loves her Regent. She crosses her legs in it, and calls it her couch. :lol I'm pretty small myself, and can sit in the Regent although I'm too tall for the harness slots, and it is very comfy, nice and padded. DD1 didn't like the Radian as much, it was narrow and she complained because it was harder for her to cross her legs.

[an_aurora]

Another question!

Is there any point in buying the Radian 80 over the Radian 65 if you know your kid is going to max out the height before either weight?

Yes. The Princess cover. :loveeyes:

Seriously, that's why we chose the Radian80 over the 65.

[Yooper]

Yes. The Princess cover. :loveeyes:

Seriously, that's why we chose the Radian80 over the 65.

Oh my. Does that involve pink?

I always wondered how people with the pink or cow print carseats keep them clean. I am always thankful for dd's dark gray seat when she spills whatever on it........ In four years, we have never washed the cover:) Just tip it upside down once in a while to dump the crumbs......

[Yooper]

I was reading reviews on the safeguard seat. One complaint that keeps appearing is that the straps twist. Anyone have that experience?

Also, how long does it take a small child to grow an inch of torso height? The million dollar questions:)

The Regent would be the answer to all of my needs except I need to use the other two seats in the back of my CR-V. We can barely do that with our Roundabout now. The Regent is 3.5 inches wider!!!!!!!!

[angie3096]

Are you referring to the Safeguard Child Seat (the $450 one) or the Safeguard Go? The Safeguard Child Seat, the spendy one, absolutely does not have twisty straps. In fact the seat is pretty much flawless, except that the seat is a bit narrow in the hip area and would not be comfortable for a chubby child.
The Safeguard Go, the $200 one that turns in to a booster, has some significant issues. Run far away from it. That's my personal advice. You can do a LOT better for $200.

I also drive a CRV. We have a Regent in there. I once tried to get the Regent, an MA, and a Radian (all FF for older kids) in there at once and it could not be done. I currently have a Regent on the back passenger side and a Radian behind the driver and there is not even enough room for me to sit between them. So if you need 3 across in a CRV, do not get a Regent. It won't work.

[an_aurora]

Oh my. Does that involve pink?


Oh, yes. I'm not a girly girl but my DD definitely is, and she loves her pink carseat. Since it's brand new, we've been very anal about wanting to keep it clean, but it's actually not showing dirt too bad. It's really plush too, and it cleans easily with a baby wipe. :wink

[Jenns_3_babies]

I"m going to jump in here. I need to get 3 across in a camry pretty soon. I currently have 3 across in a 2 door cavalier...yes, it can be done. I have a radian 65, Scenera, and evenflo carrier back there now, but am currently looking to get another radian. I was leaning towards getting regent based upon what I've been reading, but it's not recommended for when you need to get 3 across?? My DD is 42 1/2 inches tall and she just turned 4yo! She's in the radian 65. I was looking to get a carseat that has height limits higher than 49inches, but now I don't know where to turn.

[PatchyMama]

I think you could get three across if the one in the middle was rearfacing, but its hard to say for certain.

[Peony]

Three across with a Regent is going to be very difficult. I honestly could not imagine how it could work, they are so HUGE! We have two Regents, one in an Audi wagon and one in a Toyota Sienna third row. I can only fit one other seat in both of those cars, the Regent takes up a good portion of the center seat space.

[PatchyMama]

Three across with a Regent is going to be very difficult. I honestly could not imagine how it could work, they are so HUGE! We have two Regents, one in an Audi wagon and one in a Toyota Sienna third row. I can only fit one other seat in both of those cars, the Regent takes up a good portion of the center seat space.
I could fit three across in my saturn LS. But one of the seats has to be rearfacing and in the middle to do it. Or I think 1 regent and 2 radians would fit three across. But it is going to vary depending on your car....

Someone was able to get three across in a truck (one being a regent, all forward facing) here: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=20195&highlight=regent

There are also some three across pics here (as well as some safeguard pics): http://britaxcarseats.blogspot.com/

and finally, for the OP and others I found this and thought it may be useful. I think this is a pic of a Regent, Radian, and The Safeguard seat
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/147/361929080_5f6525594e.jpg