Our Recaro Zero 1. Elite “Sneak-Peak”
Yesterday we took a drive down to Berkhamstead! (Fun fact – we used to live in Leighton Buzzard! hehe) It was a trip down memory lane. I had no idea the car seat demonstration was so close to our old home.
Anyway… so we took a drive down. The demonstration was at Groovystyle Baby Equipment in Berkhamstead. Very nice little store, friendly people.
We were contacted over Facebook and told about the Recaro Zero 1. Elite car seat demonstration and I just couldn’t miss it. I didn’t get to go to Cologne – so I missed it then. I was definitely not going to miss it now! It’s important to keep up to date in the industry and also I had the chance to play around with several other car seats from different brands, seats I had until today, only been able to advise on in theory as I had never actually seen them. It felt very nice to be able to touch and install – get a good feel of the seats. It really helps when advising parents. :)
The infant car seat plugs on just like ISOfix – the plastic adaptor comes with the seat and is snapped on the “ISOfix” (left) – when you take the infant seat off and start using the seat without the infant seat – the “ISOfix” folds back into the seat, away from the child’s arms and torso, and the fabric is placed over (right).
The instructions for use are located in a storage compartment on the back of the child seat. They should always be returned to the storage compartment after use.
In order to improve safety in the event of an accident, activate the child seat side impact protection.
To unlock the rotating function first push down the switch in the centre of the release lever for rotating function and then pull the release lever outwards.
Installation indicators. If all is green you are good to go! If anything is red – you need to recheck the install!
Henry in the Recaro Zero 1. The Zero 1. Elite was not safe to put a child in as it was purely a demo seat.
All in all, I thought it was a really interesting car seat. Hubby really liked it. It’s quite posh though and with a price tag of £495 it would be out of the budget for many, but considering what is in the box it’s really not that bad…
Tom’s demonstration was really good and efficient. Both me and hubby were very happy with the service. It’s always nice to be able to share stories and experiences with other car seat experts in the field. There’s always something new to learn!
While we were in the showroom there were a few other seats I had to play with. Some I had never had my hands on in real life as I sadly live too far away from my “local” ERF retailers. It’s just not possible to go for a 1h + drive with all the kids just because I want to play hehe. (But it does happen…just not often. )
- Base width – 47cm
- Seat height – 74cm
- Seat depth – 41cm
My darling Axkid. :)
In the car, at the moment I have a sister seat of this – which is the Axkid Duofix. This here is the Axkid Minikid in the colour ‘Petrol’ – and I can tell you right this minute that it’s the favourite colour for a car seat I have, hehe. It’s really pretty. Sadly spare coloured covers cost and arm and a leg don’t they – so I don’t have it, but alas I shall drool silently for a few moments…..
Moving on…
The Cybex Sirona M2
As with many other car seats with ISOfix that swivel – legroom is not the best once the child gets older. It’s not a safety concern, though – so it’s not something I personally tend to mark down on.
Comparing this Sirona M2 to the “old” Sirona – the M2 was a dream. I would def. have gone for the M2 over the Sirona. There really is far more room in the M2, the headrest is also different and I felt the design was improved. Henry was quite happy in the seat. The recline is also quite good as well as offering a nice upright position for an older child (aka. Henry). He tends to get distressed now if the car seats have a high recline. I’m not sure exactly why, but then again – the older the child the less reclined you should have them.
The BeSafe izi Modular system
What do you think of the new Recaro Zero 1. Elite? Would you say it was worth £495?
Therese has completed the ‘Advanced Child Car Seat Training Course’ at TRL (Transport Research Lab) and is a CPD accredited car seat expert. She blogs about in-car safety, car seats, tips, reviews, giveaways and advice. She’s a mum on a mission to change the law and raise awareness. She is also a breastfeeding advocate and gentle parenting promoter who loves cloth nappies, baby-wearing, BLW and co-sleeping/bed-sharing.