Recaro Baby seats fit check
 

Hey guys
My lil bimmerhead just came out. Ive got two questions.

1. We have a Chicco Keyfit 30 for the infant seat. It is a tight fit behind the passengers seat. I can attach it to the inside Latch points and place the base in the center. I have read on some forums that this is not safe since the latch points are too spaced out. But all of this was speculation, anyone have anything concrete as to why I cannot use the latch system? I am a mechanical engineer and it seems fine to me since the resultant force on the latch system will be slightly skewed instead of parallel to the direction of momentum, but I dont see how this is really a bad thing, unless the Latch system is not resilient with lateral forces???

2. Has anyone fit either of the current Recaro convertible seats (ProRide, Performance Ride) in their E60's, Im looking for experience with forward facing and rear facing as well as window seated or center seated.

Thanks!!!

Believe it or not, some police departments have expertise in properly fitting car seats and will show you how to do it. Up here in Connecticut, they offer car seat checks as a public safety thing.

Yes, I think every police department AND fire department will have at least one certified person to check your placement. The newest research says that the LATCH system has a weight limit.. somewhere around 45 lbs ish.. because the new seats are very heavy.

Something else to note.. don't sit on the seat and crank the sucker as hard as you can. That's a no-no.. and a reason why some people can break the latches themselves because they are superhuman. Okay all jokes aside, it's meant to stretch 20% I think it is.. and if you pull it to the max limit, you reduce that. Yes I had both the hospital and the fireman tell me this.. pull it snug.. the seat can wiggle a bit, but you don't want it flopping around.

Yes they say in the middle is not ideal, because the latch is spaced out a little weird. Also, because the middle seat often is part of a raised edge, ie the two sides are more "buckets" so it's not as snug. The E60 is a lot more flat. Looking at a mini, or a Mazda 3, the buckets are very pronounced and your seat won't fit.

My kids all started to get crazy around 2 and they could kick and push the seat (rear facing) So I flipped it forward to forward facing (which then you need to use the rear top strap to secure it).

My 4 year old is in a booster now since she is responsible enough to fit the seat belt properly and not take it off. She's light, about 36 lbs, which is close to the "recommended" limit for a car seat. Honestly, her legs dangle so far on the regular car seat, and she can kick me in the head practically. There's a lot of "guidelines" that I think you'll just have to make those calls yourself when your kid gets that big.

Although I missed out on the Recaro seats when they went on sale.. I have a ton of them for different cars.. the Britax one being the biggest, safest craziest one. It is a monster, and I would not want to fit it in the middle.. you'll see when you place the car seat in.

Since you have an infant, take advantage of the travel systems that snap in. I put it in the passenger side, and backed the seat up, so it's really snug either way. Your shoulders will thank you for not having to drop that car seat in the middle.. it's a stretch when the kid gets heavier.

Congrats!

Couple of things...

Looking at the Owner's Manual, there are tethering points in all three of the rear seat positions. Some car seats have a tether to attach to an anchor on the back deck. So, that indicates that all three back seat positions are ok for car seats. The Manual does not talk about using the two inside LATCH's for one seat in the center, but I don't see how that can be a problem.

But, having had two kids myself, I've got a couple other observations. One is that the center position is more open to flying objects from the front seat that might result from a sudden braking. Another is that the end positions are more convenient from reaching into the back seat from the front seat. If your wife is in the passenger seat, but the car seat behind the driver and that's easier for her to reach the little one. If only the driver is in the car, behind the passenger seat is easier access for the drover to reach back to the little one. My 2 cents.

Here are pics of my son's Recaro ProRide this fits perfectly in my car. I also had the Chico key fit. My son is 4 now and still fits fine in the Recaro ProRide.

Attachment 154259

Attachment 154260

When you do go forward facing, highly consider one of these:

Axiss toddler car seat - Maxi-Cosi

The swivel feature makes life so much easier getting in/out + seat itself is solid and has a great strap clamp mech to ensure tightly fixed in place - It is bulky mind and makes the back seat on my e60 only seatable for one adult

Use a fixed front facer on the second car and getting nipper in/out in comparison is a real PITA (just couldnt justify to get two of these as its a rarely used in there)

Thanks for the pics of the Recaro!! Did you ever have it rear facing in the E60? If so how did it fit?


The Axis might be a good fit for the wifes car since she is only 5"2', I will keep that in mind :)

I never had the recaro rear facing.

I know what my next purchase is going to be!!!

I love the Recaro for my son, but it does suck getting him in and out of it at 4 (he wears size 6). The side bolsters on the Recaro are really good, but being able to swivel it out like that in the Axiss is a God-sent blessing!

Edit:
I just noticed the age range and my son is clearly beyond that. It would have been a good one for when he was younger.

FYI, I had the Recaro rear facing in our 05 Jaguar X-type and it fit just fine in there. The 5 series is much roomier, so I would expect it to fit well.

Unless the manufacturer specifically says you are ok to do so, you should NOT use the middle two latch points to install a car seat in the middle. The wider spacing may allow the car seat to move too much. perhaps more importantly, there is usually a rigid metal bar between the two outer latch points. The middle two are not connected in this way and therefore won't hold up to the same forces. If you want it in the middle, just do a seatbelt install.

We had the Chicco Keyfit 30 in the rear passenger side seat of an E90 and it was no problem. Our E61 has so much more rear seat room, I don't see how this could be a problem. Admittedly, the seat was pushed forward a bit, but an average sized adult could still fit in front of it. The E90 now has a Chicco Nextfit rear-facing in the same position. Again, the front passenger seat is pushed forward a bit, but it is possible to get an adult in there. I'm 5'10" and can get in there for moderate length rides. My wife is about 5'7" or 5'8" and also fits fine.

Here's a good comparison of seats in terms of front to back space they take up. This will help you if you're space constrained, although it really should be OK in an E60/E61. Great site in general also.

The Ultimate Rear-Facing Convertible Carseat Space Comparison ? Size Matters!

If you're not sure, get a certified car seat installer to do it for you. A ridiculous number are installed incorrectly. Probably an equal number are used incorrectly. Don't compromise your kids safety!