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660 Posts
Hi folks...
Right, for those Maser-owners/parents in need of giving his/her kid the possibility of a nice ride in their PNJ, as in my case
here is the result of 1 month of research into child seats for the Coupe (and guess should equally transfer to the QP, and the new Coupe when it hits the streets...
)
Looked into options from following brands (+ some others on the way, dismissed immediately due to construction/looks/safety compliance)
Recaro (top of my original list)
Britax
Mamas & Papas
Graco
Maxi Cosi
which are the brands most people have looked into anyway.
Recaro (my top choice) went down eventually for 2 reasons : (a) ergonomics for a Group I to III seat; and (b) color cover options. The (a) seems weird as Recaro seats if anything are known for ergonomics, but their Young Sport seat (the one I was looking into) is more of a Group I-II than I-III. The booster section is a bit too narrow to comfortably fit the hips of 8 year olds and above (not that they would not fit, I mean comfortably fit). Option (b) was a killer, as in Europe they do not supply the Tan color cover, which would have been ideal for my car (given that I have Beige hide).
And it was the more expensive of the lot... 50% more expensive, in fact, relative to my choice (see below).
Nothing negative to say about build and materials quality. You would not find a better seat on those departments. Period.
Britax products were a let down. The Evolva 123 is not bad, but does not get great marks in my list, and on top of that it does not fit well on the back of the car (booster too wide to get seatbelt buckle in right position).
Maxi Cosi Rodi XP is, again, an average seat (when compared to the likes of Recaro). It does fit very well, but I was not convinced by the overall quality.
Graco products were the worst of the lot. Nuff said.
So, what about Mamas & Papas? They have a new line (Pro Tour) which looked nice, fits snuggedly (although not drop into the bucket-shaped back seats, so you would need a foam or equivalent filler... but that's true of all seats save the Maxi Cosi, and just...) and is ergonomically balanced: not as narrow booster as the Recaro, not as wide as the Britax. Materials are excellent quality. On top of that, cover reverses on the back and bottom frames so every part of the seat in contact with the hide is, in theory, protected from tearing.
For your perusal, I post links to photos below
1. The seat
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c143/edsalazar/Car Seat/DSC00102.jpg
2. Detail of booster and harness
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c143/edsalazar/Car Seat/DSC00103.jpg
3. Side view
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c143/edsalazar/Car Seat/DSC00104.jpg
4. Bottom part, booster (note the cover wraps around the frame edges, so in fact no sharp parts are ever in contact with the hide...)
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c143/edsalazar/Car Seat/DSC00106.jpg
5. Back (ditto)
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c143/edsalazar/Car Seat/DSC00105.jpg
Will post some photos of the fitting process and looks. BTW, the Burgundy matches the color of my trim, so no problems there (and blends nicely with the Beige hide, and looks very elegant).
For those in the UK, you are looking at 100 Pounds for the M&P, against just under 150 for the Recaro alternative.
Hope this helps,
Ed
Right, for those Maser-owners/parents in need of giving his/her kid the possibility of a nice ride in their PNJ, as in my case
Looked into options from following brands (+ some others on the way, dismissed immediately due to construction/looks/safety compliance)
Recaro (top of my original list)
Britax
Mamas & Papas
Graco
Maxi Cosi
which are the brands most people have looked into anyway.
Recaro (my top choice) went down eventually for 2 reasons : (a) ergonomics for a Group I to III seat; and (b) color cover options. The (a) seems weird as Recaro seats if anything are known for ergonomics, but their Young Sport seat (the one I was looking into) is more of a Group I-II than I-III. The booster section is a bit too narrow to comfortably fit the hips of 8 year olds and above (not that they would not fit, I mean comfortably fit). Option (b) was a killer, as in Europe they do not supply the Tan color cover, which would have been ideal for my car (given that I have Beige hide).
And it was the more expensive of the lot... 50% more expensive, in fact, relative to my choice (see below).
Nothing negative to say about build and materials quality. You would not find a better seat on those departments. Period.
Britax products were a let down. The Evolva 123 is not bad, but does not get great marks in my list, and on top of that it does not fit well on the back of the car (booster too wide to get seatbelt buckle in right position).
Maxi Cosi Rodi XP is, again, an average seat (when compared to the likes of Recaro). It does fit very well, but I was not convinced by the overall quality.
Graco products were the worst of the lot. Nuff said.
So, what about Mamas & Papas? They have a new line (Pro Tour) which looked nice, fits snuggedly (although not drop into the bucket-shaped back seats, so you would need a foam or equivalent filler... but that's true of all seats save the Maxi Cosi, and just...) and is ergonomically balanced: not as narrow booster as the Recaro, not as wide as the Britax. Materials are excellent quality. On top of that, cover reverses on the back and bottom frames so every part of the seat in contact with the hide is, in theory, protected from tearing.
For your perusal, I post links to photos below
1. The seat
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c143/edsalazar/Car Seat/DSC00102.jpg
2. Detail of booster and harness
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c143/edsalazar/Car Seat/DSC00103.jpg
3. Side view
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c143/edsalazar/Car Seat/DSC00104.jpg
4. Bottom part, booster (note the cover wraps around the frame edges, so in fact no sharp parts are ever in contact with the hide...)
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c143/edsalazar/Car Seat/DSC00106.jpg
5. Back (ditto)
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c143/edsalazar/Car Seat/DSC00105.jpg
Will post some photos of the fitting process and looks. BTW, the Burgundy matches the color of my trim, so no problems there (and blends nicely with the Beige hide, and looks very elegant).
For those in the UK, you are looking at 100 Pounds for the M&P, against just under 150 for the Recaro alternative.
Hope this helps,
Ed