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Recaro Zero.1 elite ?

2 replies

Lucyg3586 · 05/11/2019 15:04

Hi,

Does anyone have the/have any experience with the Recaro Zero.1 elite?

www.recaro-kids.com/zero-1-elite-i-size.html

Its ticking all my boxes – 360 Swivel with a removable infant carrier and very lightweight but it’s a German brand and I can’t find many UK reviews on it.

Its pretty expensive – I am happy to invest in it if it's worth it but worry it might be a little too good to be true.

Thanks,

Lucy

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BertieBotts · 06/11/2019 10:20

It doesn't go onto the standard pushchair adaptors, if that would be a problem for you.

Have you been to a shop and tried it out in person? Some of the reviews say that the method for connecting it into the bigger seat is cumbersome. I'd want to check that out. I'd also want to know how it fits in your car. It may block some of your rear view - larger 360 seats tend to. Not a huge problem but worth being aware of.

Do you plan to only have one DC? I don't think the baby portion is installable separately with a seatbelt, which means you'd need to buy a second seat for DC2 if you plan to have two. Whereas if you have a totally separate infant and then toddler seat, you can put them in one each and cycle through as they grow, getting more value from each seat.

Cybex also do a rotating base compatible with a baby seat, which might be worth a look. However personally I don't see the utility in a rotating seat combined with an infant carrier. You tend to put them into the seat in the house, so you can have it facing whatever direction you want and then just carry the seat to the car. Even if you put them into the seat in the car, you can just place the seat perpendicular on the base while you get them into it - OK, it's not that stable, but it's also not a problem (360 seats tend to swing around in the side position, anyway). It's useful in the fixed seats that stay in place all the time, but I don't know that I'd pay extra to have it as part of the infant seat.

Worth a note - there are two sizes of toddler seat. Up to 18kg, and up to 25kg. This is the smaller size. If your DC turns out to be big for their age, they will outgrow the toddler seat by around age 3, possibly before. If you're not happy with them in a booster seat at that age, you will be looking at purchasing a larger harnessed (and/or rear facing) seat up to 25kg. These 25kg seats can be used immediately after the infant seat, so it makes sense in many ways to buy a standalone infant seat and then see when they are close to outgrowing it whether you want to get the larger or smaller size of toddler seat for them, to save buying the smaller (more common) kind and then having to source the larger one as well later. The exception is if you will have 2+ DC and as mentioned before, plan to cycle the children through the seats in turn.

Lucyg3586 · 07/11/2019 09:25

Hi BertieBotts,

Thank you! That was a really helpful answer and you have certainly made me think a little differently.

I know I do want a 360 Swivel seat at some point, due to a very tight parking space, but maybe I am thinking about it too early on.
Also, I’m so focussed on this first DC- I hadn’t thought about the practicality of the Recaro seat (when hopefully) a second DC comes along.

I am now going to research a standard, lightweight infant carrier and then look at upgrading to a 360 swivel that just stays in the car, at a later date.

I do really appreciate your advice.

Thanks again,

Lucy

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