RECARO Child Safety Seats FAQ will give you feedback and advise on questions that come up while you search for your child’s safety seat.  We provide answers to general questions of the child safety seat market but also answers to specific RECARO product questions.  The answers are written by RECARO staff, including our customer service representatives and sales managers.  If you have any further questions, please send us an e-mail: childseats@recarousa.com.

• What type of child safety seat do I need and what seats does RECARO offer?
• How long does my child need to stay rear-facing?
• Where is the safest place to install a car seat in my vehicle?
• What is FMVSS?
• What is EPS foam?
• What is a latch system?
• Is there a weight limit for the use of a latch system?
• What is a top tether?

What type of child safety seat do I need and what seats does RECARO offer?

Child Car Seats are divided in four different categories:

• Infant Car Seats
• Convertible Car Seats
• Youth/ Toddler Car Seats
• Booster Car Seats

Newborns will start out in an Infant car seat. Infant car seats normally have a minimum weight requirement of 5 lbs. in rear-facing position and maximum weight limit around the 20 - 30 lb. mark. 

From an Infant car seat, your child will either move into a Convertible or a Youth/Toddler seat. 

• Convertible seats normally have a minimum rear-facing weight requirement of 5 lbs. and a minimum forward-facing weight requirement of 20 lbs. Maximum weight limits range from 40 to 65 lbs; however RECARO products have a maximum weight limit of 70 lbs.

RECARO offers two Convertible Car Seats, the RECARO Como and the RECARO Signo (weight range for both seats: 5-35 lbs in rear-facing position and 20-70 lbs in front-facing position).

• Youth/Toddler seats cannot be used rear-facing and normally have a minimum forward-facing weight requirement of 20 lbs and age requirement of one year. Forward-facing, these car seats can generally be used up to 40 lbs. with the 5-point harness or without the 5- point harness as a belt-positioning booster up to about 80 - 100 lbs. 

RECARO offers one toddler seat, the RECARO Young Sport with a weight range from 20 to 80 lbs and a harness limit of 40 lbs.

From a Youth/Toddler seat or from a Convertible seat, your child will move into a Booster seat. 

• Booster seats have minimum forward-facing weight requirements starting around 30 or 40 lbs and can be used with a child up to 80 - 100 lbs. 

RECARO offers three different High-Back Booster seats, the RECARO Vivo and Vivo lite (weight range for both seats: 30 – 100 lbs) and the RECARO Start (weight range: 30-80 lbs).

How long does my child need to stay rear-facing?

It is recommended that all children remain in the rear-facing position until they reach 20 pounds and 1 year of age. This is even incorporated into most state car seat use laws. However, it is safest for your child to stay rear-facing as long as a car seat will allow. Look for seats with higher rear-facing maximum weight limits.

Where is the safest place to install a car seat in my vehicle?

The safest place in the vehicle to install a child safety seat is in the rear bench, in the middle/center of the back seat.  This position is furthest from active airbags and any possible point of impact.

What is FMVSS?

FMVSS stands for Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. These are the standards put into place by the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration). The NHTSA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation. All car seat manufacturers must test their car seats to ensure they meet FMVSS for safety.

What is EPS foam?

EPS foam means Expanded Polystyrene foam which is a material that is used in bicycle helmets and car seats, among other things. This material absorbs energy “cushioning” outside forces during an impact. 

What is a latch system?

Two leading safety organizations define a latch system as:

According to carsafety.org: “LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children.  LATCH includes two lower anchor attachments AND a top tether.  The term is often used generically to refer only to the pair of fixed lower anchors built into the bight or crack between the seat back and seat cushion.  These anchors are specifically designed for car seat installation.  When used, seatbelts are no longer necessary to install the car seat.  The idea is to make it easier to install car seats safely, and to make it more universal among car seats and vehicles.  LATCH will be found on infant seat bases, rear-facing, front-facing and combination booster seats that have an internal harness.  Car beds, Infant seat carriers, booster-only models and vests are exempt and may not have LATCH.”

According to NHTSA: “upper tether attachment improves protection by attaching the top of the child safety seat more securely to the vehicle. Older model vehicles may require special hardware installation. Lower attachments make installation easier by allowing the child restraint to be attached to the vehicle without using the vehicle’s belt system.”

LATCH is required on all vehicles manufactured after September 1, 2002.

Is there a weight limit for the use of a latch system?

Most vehicle manufacturers set an upper weight that may be used with their vehicle latch anchors. These limits differ by vehicle manufacturer and vehicle model; please see your vehicle owner’s manual for details of limits for your vehicle.

What is a top tether?

According to carsafety.org: a top-tether is simply a strap that connects the top of the car seat to an anchor mounted in the vehicle at a location behind the car seat, usually the parcel shelf or a point on the floor of the cargo area.  It is designed to prevent the forward movement of the top of a forward-facing car seat in a frontal crash.  This reduces the head excursion of the child, and can reduce the chances of injury.  

Vehicle owner's manuals often detail the locations of these anchors.  They can be on the bottom of a seat, in the floor, on the rear deck of a sedan/coupe, in the cargo area roof of a wagon or SUV, and may even route through a fabric loop in some pickup trucks.  

Top-tethers MUST NOT be used with rear-facing infant or convertible seats, unless it is SPECIFICALLY mentioned in the owner's manual.