Editor's Note: A photo was removed from this review due to improper buckling.
Disclosure: I received the Combi Coccoro at no charge in order to facilitate an honest review.
Disclosure: I received the Combi Coccoro at no charge in order to facilitate an honest review.
Wow, has it almost been a year already? My baby girl is still pretty little, but it was definitely time to upgrade her car seat. The infant car seat she was in getting too heavy to carry her around in, and at almost one I needed to stop carrying her around in it! Not only that, but the handle kept catching and worried me that it wasn't completely locked. So I went to the Internet to find her a safe, compact, convertible car seat that wasn't going to cost an arm and a leg. That's when I discovered the Combi Coccoro.
The Coccoro comes in four delicious colors: chestnut, keylime, cherry pie, and licorice. Each one is bright, colorful, and gorgeous!
We were sent the Combi Coccoro in Cherry Pie to review:
We were sent the Combi Coccoro in Cherry Pie to review:
I have a smaller car (a Mazda6) and three kids in the backseat. So it was imperative for me to find a car seat that would leave the 7 year old some room when she was in the car. At only 15 inches wide, the Combi Coccoro takes up very little space and I was excited to see how it worked for the other kids.
But first, the details. The Coccoro features a five-point-harness with a puzzle buckle. My favorite part of the buckle is that the indicator turns from red to green to let you know it is fastened securely. No more guessing and pulling to make sure the clips aren't going to pull out when you're driving down the road. The shoulder straps have removable harness pads for extra comfort, and there is an additional Tummy Pad to protect your little one from pinches and rubbing. This is a great feature, as I can see it being helpful to keep hot buckles off of sensitive skin in the summer.
There is a small downside to this buckle though - it takes a little longer to buckle in a squirmy infant who wants to yell and throw her pacifier at your head while you're trying to get her stubby little arms through the arm straps. That's when the Tummy Pad really comes in handy - I'm always so worried I'm going to pinch her little thighs in a car seat buckle, but I don't have to worry about that with the Coccoro.
The Combi Coccoro also has a removable headrest insert that simply ties into the top harness slot. Doesn't it look comfy? Kaya agrees - she'll snuggle her little head in once I get her all buckled up, and usually falls asleep right away.
We've had this car seat for about three weeks now, and I've gotta say - the Combi Coccoro rocks. Not literally, as it's been one of the most stable car seats we've ever used. I live in the mountains, with lots of curvy roads, and I'm happy to say that after I installed this seat it hasn't budged.
And I've put it to the ultimate test - we've already been on two road trips with this car seat and by the time we've gotten home, the seat is still in place, with the little blue level line still parallel to the ground. I worry about car seats that wiggle, and this one has a sturdy bottom to it that makes sure that it isn't going anywhere when properly installed.
One of the only car seats available in America with a tether attachment strap for rear facing installation using a top tether, the Coccoro has premium push-button LATCH connectors and even a hand little pouch for when the LATCH system isn't being used. I used the seat-belt installation method, but the more I read about the LATCH installation method, the more I think we're going to switch. Either way, I feel like her car seat is safe and secure using just the seat belt.
Here's why: The bottom padding of the seat lifts up and the lap belt fits into the actual car seat itself, rather than sitting on top like most. Once the lap belt is secured, the shoulder belt wraps around the back of the car seat in a diagonal and fits into the designated holder on the back. I was worried that the actual seat belt wasn't long enough to wrap around the back of the car seat, but it fit and locked the way it's supposed to.
I've been using the Combi Coccoro for about 3 weeks now and here's a list of my pros and cons for this car seat:
Pros:
- Designed for comfort - the extra padding and infant inserts make sure my little girl is comfy and relaxed for those long rides
- Extra safe - Tru-Safe® side impact protection with deep side walls and a layer of energy absorbing foam to distribute crash forces away from your child’s head, neck and spine, as well as a five-point harness with a color indicator to ensure the harness is securely buckled.
- Compact - narrow enough to fit three car seats in the backseat of a small car
- Machine-washable cover
- Lightweight - weighs in at around 8 pounds
- Perfect for smaller babies - The Coccoro accommodates children rear facing from 3 to 33 lbs and forward facing from 1 year and 20 lbs up to 40 lbs. The infant insert makes sure that they don't wiggle into weird positions (had this happen with a different car seat) and their head isn't going to flop around in transit.
Cons:
- Height - It's pretty tall for my small car, so getting her in and out can be a hassle. I have bumped her little noggin' on the door frame on a couple of occasions (poor baby!) but I think it you have an SUV or minivan it wouldn't be a problem.
- Complicated buckle system - Ok, this one is probably just my own preference, but I think the buckle takes way too much time to get it all pieced together and plugged in. Part of it has to do with the infant insert, and the difficulty I have trying to make sure that the shoulder straps aren't caught on the headrest. Then, you have to fit the puzzle buckle together and get it inserted into the latch and make sure it turns green. One thing's for sure - I know when she gets bigger, she wont be unbuckling herself.
Honestly though, the Combi Coccoro is awesome. I've very happy that we were able to review it, and I know we'll be using it for a long time.
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Disclaimer: I was provided the Combi Coccoro in Cherry Pie free of charge in order to facilitate an honest review. All opinions are my own and may differ from yours.
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