# Combi Coccoro?



## stephbrownthinks (Feb 2, 2010)

Hello! Oh look, another carseat thread







My hubby and I are expecting our first baby around the beginning of May. We would like to get a convertible carseat that we can use from birth until at least a few years from now. The way our childcare situation will probably be working out is that one of us will be dropping off the baby, and the other will be picking him up. So, we will need 2 carseats, one for each car. I drive a 2006 Nissan Altima, and he drives '06 Kia Sorento. I wanted to get the same type of seat for both cars. Both cars have a pretty big back seat, but we plan on having more children so I'd like to get seats that aren't too big so they will fit later. Also hopefully seats that will let you still slide the front seats back a bit.

What do you think about the Combi Coccoro? I know they don't have a very high weight limit, but we could always move this child to a bigger seat and use the Combi's for the next baby right?

I really want something safe, but also somewhat compact because we go on a lot of trips and haul a lot of stuff/people/dogs so any extra room is greatly appreciated! My husband loves the Safety 1st Complete Air but it seems HUGE to me! Have you tried rear facing one in an Altima? Is there any room left? I was thinking about a Radian because of the narrow shell, but I keep hearing that rear facing they make it hard to slide the seats back.

Any help would be great. Thanks!


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## mama2soren (Feb 12, 2009)

Coccoros are TINY seats. They fit newborns wonderfully, but most kids will be too tall to rear face in them after 15-18 months. My 21 month old is a peanut at 32 inches long, and he'd be on the verge of outgrowing the seat rear-facing. But, he has well over 4 inches of torso room left in his Radian.

If it's important to you to keep your baby rear-facing until at least 2, which is the bare minimum recommendation, the Coccoro will probably not be the best choice. Even if you have no interest in RF after he outgrows the seat, you will definitely need to buy another FF harnessed seat, since all but the shortest kids will outgrow it by height by 3 or so. $200 for a seat that will last 3 years or less seems too expensive to me. Especially since baby would outgrow this FF before he'd outgrow some seats RF!

Are you talking about the Complete Air? Skip that if you want to use it from birth. It doesn't fit newborns well. The True Fit might be a great choice, since the headrest comes off until the baby is taller (or 22 pounds), making for a very compact seat. Once you need the headrest, your baby will be old enough for you to install the seat more upright, which would take up less front-to-back room.

The Graco MyRide is a popular seat that will keep most kids rear facing until 3. It's a wide seat, but not as tall as the True Fit and Radian, so your passenger might have plenty of room. I can't imagine fitting 3 MyRides in the back seat of any car, but I bet you could fit 2 well when the next baby comes. Bed Bath and Beyond has the MyRide in a cute brown and green pattern for only $99! it's usually $160 at Babies R Us.

If you can get a good install with the Radian, you'll get years and years of use out of it. It fits newborns well, and has a tall shell for rear facing until 4+, and nice high harness heights that will get many kids to a safe boostering age. They fold up for travel on a plane, but they are HEAVY. Is there a store that carries them nearby where you could try one in your car? They are the narrowest seats on the market, which would be nice for when you have more kids. They can be hard to install at less than a 45 degree angle, which can limit the amount of room the front seat passenger has. But, you should try one if you can. I can get a fairly upright install with the seatbelt in our 2004 Corolla, which leaves enough room for the seat in front, but in my larger CRV, the seat is very reclined, and leaves little room for the passenger.


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## mama2soren (Feb 12, 2009)

If you end up with a bigger, heavier seat for daily use, you might consider getting a lightweight seat like the Cosco Scenera for air travel. It has a fairly tall shell for extended rear-facing, it's cheap (like $45!) and it's very light and easy to carry around in an airport. When I travel with DS alone, I don't think I'd be able to cart around his heavy Radian or his Boulevard (plus all the other travel gear!), but it's easy to bungee a Scenera on the back of my roller suitcase or stroller.


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## stephbrownthinks (Feb 2, 2010)

Thank you! I guess what I was thinking was to get the Combi for now, then by the time this baby outgrows it rear facing, buy him a bigger seat and use the Combi for the next baby. So, I'd be getting my money's worth out of it... but if I'm going to end up with a bigger seat later, why not just start out with it now







We would def like to RF as long as possible.

Thanks for the tip about the MyRide at BB&B!

So, the big difference between the MyRide and the Radian is that the MyRide is wider? What is the difference between the different types of Radians (65, XT, 80)? I like that the True Fit headrest comes off... but since its a wider seat maybe it is just best to get Radians...


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## mama2soren (Feb 12, 2009)

I'm with you... if you're going to have to get another RF seat in a year and a half, you might as well just buy that seat from the get go!

Each of the Radians is basically the same. They are the same size, with the same harness heights. The 65 is the more "bare bones" seat. It does not come with the extra infant padding, which would be much more comfortable for a newborn. It has a 40 pound RF limit and a 65 FF limit. Most kids will outgrow the seat in height before 40/65 pounds, except the most chunky kids.

The 80 vs XT: the difference is the XT has headwings. They both have the same infant padding. Both RF to 45 pounds and FF to 80 pounds, though, as I said before, there might be no such thing as an 80 pound kid who would still fit in this seat height wise!

The MyRide is wider than the Radian, but it is shorter and takes up less front-to-back room. The Radians don't fit well in every car, it is important to try it out before committing (buy from a place with a great return policy and free return shipping just in case!). The MyRides typically fit more cars. Check out carseatdata.org. You can enter in your make/model of car and the car seat you're interested in, and get feedback from other users on ease of install/fit who have tried that particular combination.

Being shorter, the MyRide will likely give your front seat passengers more leg room. But, the shorter shell means it will be outgrown sooner than the Radian. Still, most kids will fit until 3 rear facing, and 5 or so forward facing. Most convertibles besides the Radian and Complete Air, and maybe the True Fit can't beat that! You may make it to boostering age unless your child is particularly tall. If you don't, you can buy a Nautilus or Frontier when the time comes for another year or two of harnessing.

If you go for the MyRide (which is really a great seat!) you can use one of those 20% off coupons at Bed Bath and Beyond to get it for $80, plus about $10 shipping. You can't use this coupon for an online order, but if you take it with you to the store, you can place an order for your seat with a sales person. It will be shipped to your house. I did this before for another car seat, and I was pleased with the process.


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## klk197 (Apr 24, 2009)

We have the Coccoro and its the right seat for our situation, but I don't think its the best for yours. We don't have a car, but occasionally rent small cars for holiday travel. We needed a small seat to fit in the maximum number of conditions. We also have a very small kid, so he'll be able to rear face for quite a while (at 18 months, he's still got plenty of room and will make it well past 2 yrs rf). You have the advantage of knowing what 2 cars your seat will typically be in, so the suggestions above are more appropriate. You don't have the advantage, however, of knowing how big your child will be!


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

I would do a myride. Very tall children will outgrow it by height rfing between 2-3 years. Most kids can last until 3-4. If you have a long torsoed/tall child who is looking like they are going to outgrow it too soon, then you could do the pass down to the next baby and look into a radian or complete air at that point.

The reason I woudl do a myride over radian initially is because a newborn needs to be at a 45 degree angle and the radian will take up tons of room at that angle. The myride will take up less room. It is also cheaper.


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## alfabetsoup (Jun 13, 2005)

I don't agree with the Coccoro being small--my 19 month old has about 3 inches before she outgrows it RF and my almost 4 yo fits in it FF. It's not as big as some other seats but it's not like you'll be buying another seat when your kid is 6 months old.

In your situation I'd get a bucket seat and 2 bases and then choose a convertible seat once you know what kind of shape your baby is and what seat might fit him/her best.


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## dmpmercury (Mar 31, 2008)

I heard the coccoro will fit rear facing at least 2-3 years. I think it a good one if you plan on other kids because it puzzles well. When it is outgrown rear facing you can get a better seat and hand it down.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alfabetsoup* 
I don't agree with the Coccoro being small--my 19 month old has about 3 inches before she outgrows it RF and my almost 4 yo fits in it FF. It's not as big as some other seats but it's not like you'll be buying another seat when your kid is 6 months old.

In your situation I'd get a bucket seat and 2 bases and then choose a convertible seat once you know what kind of shape your baby is and what seat might fit him/her best.

It really depends on the proportion of you kiddos. My 2 1/2 yo is too tall to ff in the concorro, and no idea when he would have outgrown it rfing, but definitely before 2. You just don't know. So if you do go with the concorro, you have to accept that it might only last 18 months rfing, or it might last 3 years, you never know...


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## alfabetsoup (Jun 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DahliaRW* 
It really depends on the proportion of you kiddos. My 2 1/2 yo is too tall to ff in the concorro, and no idea when he would have outgrown it rfing, but definitely before 2. You just don't know. So if you do go with the concorro, you have to accept that it might only last 18 months rfing, or it might last 3 years, you never know...

Fine, but don't completely write it off as being too small for everyone. It really works for certain situations--it's a fabulous travelling seat, for example. Light and easy to carry, easy install in every car I've tried it in, fits in airplane seats without a problem. Very comfortable for the kids, too! Had mine in the house for a few days and the girls were fighting over who got to sit in it to watch tv.


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## Laur318 (Nov 25, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alfabetsoup* 
Fine, but don't completely write it off as being too small for everyone. It really works for certain situations--it's a fabulous travelling seat, for example. Light and easy to carry, easy install in every car I've tried it in, fits in airplane seats without a problem. Very comfortable for the kids, too! Had mine in the house for a few days and the girls were fighting over who got to sit in it to watch tv.

thank you for this









my ds is 11 months and has been 90-98% since birth. i think he has plenty of room to grow RFing. at least i hope so!
what is the actual RF maximum length? i thought it had to do with the straps. at or below shoulder height is ideal. we're still not on the top levels yet.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Laur318* 
thank you for this









my ds is 11 months and has been 90-98% since birth. i think he has plenty of room to grow RFing. at least i hope so!
what is the actual RF maximum length? i thought it had to do with the straps. at or below shoulder height is ideal. we're still not on the top levels yet.

There needs to be 1" of hard shell above their head. This is the rule for any rfing seat.


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## natashaccat (Apr 4, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alfabetsoup* 

In your situation I'd get a bucket seat and 2 bases and then choose a convertible seat once you know what kind of shape your baby is and what seat might fit him/her best.

ditto!


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## Pinoikoi (Oct 30, 2003)

My just turned 5yo was within the weight and height limits for the coccoro for front facing.. but I have petite kids. I didn't want to risk not being able to rear face the new babe for the full two years, though, so I sent it back and got a TrueFit. It has a removable headrest so it becomes a bit shorter in the rear facing position..

BTW, the coccoro is not $200. I paid $170 TOTAL (including shipping which is always pricey for me) from sears..


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