RECARO Performance Rally

The RECARO Performance Rally convertible car seat is touted as safe, comfortable and convenient. And I can’t think of three words to better describe it!

Safety is obviously top priority when it comes to a car seat. The Performance Rally has Full Body Side Impact Protection. It also has protective and comfortable foam in the headrest, which is a great safety feature and also makes the seat seem more comfortable for the rider than some of the others we’ve used. It’s obvious from the design elements, that safety is the No. 1 priority for RECARO.

Although safety is our No. 1 criteria when choosing a car seat, too, convenience is a close second. As busy parents of four kids under the age of 7, we don’t have a lot of time to spend learning how to use and install a new car seat. The Performance Rally delivered on its promise of convenience. The instructions were easy to follow for installing both rear- as well as forward-facing.

I particularly love the EasyAdjust headrest and harness. One of my biggest complaints about the other car seats we’ve used is the need to re-thread the straps every time it needs an adjustment. That’s not the case with the Performance Rally … adjusting it to fit either my infant or my toddler is easy-peasy. Can’t beat that! I also like the LATCH system which makes installation a breeze.

Although it’s not always easy to tell how comfortable a seat is for babies and toddlers, this seat seems to keep them happy. The twist resistant straps are not only comfortable for the seat’s occupant, but they’re also a stress relief for mom and dad who, with the other seats we’ve owned, have spent more time than we’d like to admit trying to figure out WHY and HOW the straps always seem to get twisted. The padding on the seat is nice and thick, and the headrest seems quite comfortable, helping to prevent the sleeping passenger’s head from flopping too far to one side or the other.

The price point is fair, I think, especially when you consider that the seat works for children from 5 to 65 pounds; it’s unlikely you’ll ever need another seat, so you’ll definitely get your money’s worth out of it.

We have been very pleased with everything about the Performance Rally car seat. The only challenge we faced was when we very first received it. The release button for the harness wasn’t obvious, and after I found where it was located in the manual, I still couldn’t press it in order to release the harness. It took a few minutes before I figured it out. There’s a good chance this is just user error (because the release button works differently than the other car seats we’ve used), but it could be beneficial to include some more detailed instructions in the owner’s manual on how to release the harness in case there are other challenged folks like myself out there.

All in all, this is a great seat; one that I’d definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for a convertible car seat that can grow with their child.

Price: $300

Where to buy: Amazon.com