[DeltaFX1942]

I can tell you that the recaro i have is relatively difficult to install in the f30. The latch anchors are deep in the seat and the plastic surround was difficult to insert the recaro latch. First car with such issues. But eventually it went in. I'll post pictures in a bit. Once it's in though, there's nothing to worry about.

[Arktctr]

Totally agree...in rear facing setup the Recaro Performance Ride is a nice seat, fits decent (passenger side install forcing passenger seat forward several inches...but it works) and a COMPLETE pain to remove and reinstall. Had to install rolled towels to get it to level properly per the instructions. We ended up buying one for each car so we didn't have to bother with this process and am much happier now.

[James550i6spd]

+1 on the recaro. I have the performance ride myself. There was no debate..I got the recaro because of its racing car pedigree (and they happen to be as good as britax).

I'll prolly end up getting a second one for when my F30 gets here.

[chrisny]

Originally Posted by citrixscu

No LATCH for the middle seat in the F30. The seat belt in the middle works fine for securing the seat, but it's a pain to get the seat in-and-out as you'll most likely have to physically get into the car to remove it.

Latch or not, if you're not getting IN the car and putting your weight into it, it's not tight enough!!

[chrisny]

Originally Posted by tunjik

Some other people stated that the Chicco KeyFit 30 is a good fit for the F30. We are going that route for our newborn due in Feb.

We used that one and fit with no issues. We had 2 by the time I got my F30, so it was in the passenger side not middle. We did use the Chicco in my C300 as well though, in the center seat.

[alienranch]

I went through this for some time. I had a Britax B-Safe which was too big to face rearwards in either back set, so I had to use the middle position seat belt (remember, do NOT use the latch in the middle). I did a TON of research and found the Combi Coccoro to be a highly rated seat, and one that fits nicely behind my passenger seat with plenty of room for the occupant. Highly recommended for the F30. BTW - congratulations!

[shivaswrath]

Originally Posted by airweasel

I went through this for some time. I had a Britax B-Safe which was too big to face rearwards in either back set, so I had to use the middle position seat belt (remember, do NOT use the latch in the middle). I did a TON of research and found the Combi Coccoro to be a highly rated seat, and one that fits nicely behind my passenger seat with plenty of room for the occupant. Highly recommended for the F30. BTW - congratulations!

Great recommendations AND timely thread...."we" just had a a 9 week ultrasound this morning, heartbeat strong at 165 bpm, all we could see was a small brain, 2 arm buds, and 2 leg buds; I guess it's time for me to convince my wife that we should start shopping and preping (she'd rather borrow car seats from relatives, I just feel like the safety tech changes so much, i'd rather not?)

EDIT: spoke to soon, recall on Combi Coccoro:
http://www.ibtimes.com/car-seat-reca...get-repair-kit

[thephantastic]

My wife just got a f30 over the weekend and we are using an alpha omega elite car seat that we got from costco. fits perfect. just make sure to put a towel before you put on the car seat. this way it will cover the back and bottem and prevent any scuffs on the leather seats.

[alienranch]

Originally Posted by shivaswrath

Great recommendations AND timely thread...."we" just had a a 9 week ultrasound this morning, heartbeat strong at 165 bpm, all we could see was a small brain, 2 arm buds, and 2 leg buds; I guess it's time for me to convince my wife that we should start shopping and preping (she'd rather borrow car seats from relatives, I just feel like the safety tech changes so much, i'd rather not?)

EDIT: spoke to soon, recall on Combi Coccoro:
http://www.ibtimes.com/car-seat-reca...get-repair-kit

I think every manufacturer has had multiple recalls as new standards are implemented. I'll order the new straps (no charge of coarse), but all new models will naturally come with them. Point being, the Combi is an terrific seat with excellent reviews. Don't let the recall turn you off, as Chicco, Britax, Gracco, etc. have all had them as well. Can't tell you how many of them I put in my car at Buy-Buy Baby and Babies 'R Us before I found this one.

[James550i6spd]

FYI. Recaro is the BMW of car seats. Once your newborn gets out of the travel system, Recaro is the way to go. As far as car seats go, it is over engineered like our BMWs...the way it looks and is put together screams quality.

[ajrettke]

Just wondering if someone can post some pics of their car seats rear facing? That Diono looks nice (I have a F30 EBII as well), but my son just turned 1 and will be rear facing atleast another year! (New guidance is year 2 or even to max weight/height of car seat before forward facing)
http://www.parenting.com/article/car-seats-safety

My son won't be riding too often, but I also don't want to continuously remove and install the car seat!

Pics great appreciated!
Aaron

[MikeVictor]

Originally Posted by Vitoco

The biggest problem is that the rear seats are deeper than in most cars, this tends to tilt the baby seat up making the babys head drop forward when u accelerate or even when its just sitting there since it cant hold it up. My wife always sits next to our kid and the first months she had to litterally hold his head up the whole time or at least have the hand there just in case.

Rear facing seats have been suggested for children for as long as practicable, with 2 yo being the minimum suggested for the very reason you mention in your post.

[E92 M2530Z]

Lots of good info PAMidge..question for you though--where did you hear/read this?

Originally Posted by PAMidge

Also BMW does not recommend the child seat for the middle bitch seat, so make sure it is solely on the passenger or driver's side.

Is this all BMWs, or just newer cars? I thought that the rear center seat was the safest in the car, so I installed our Britax B-Safe in our 2002 E39 530i in the center seat (using the lap belt as there's no LATCH in the center).

FWIW, going back to the original purpose of the thread, the Britax B-Safe and B-Agile stroller have worked great for us and fit well in the E39 and even our E92.

[Professor///M]

I misspoke. They do not recommend the use of the LATCH system for the center seat - meaning the two connecters at the bottom locked to the chassis. The LATCH connectors are too far apart, and they do not recommend it due to limitations of the LATCH system.

So you can put it in the center seat, just using the belt, not LATCH. Sorry for the confusion

I agree with the B-Safe and B-Agile as well for these vehicles.

[James550i6spd]

Originally Posted by ajrettke

Just wondering if someone can post some pics of their car seats rear facing? That Diono looks nice (I have a F30 EBII as well), but my son just turned 1 and will be rear facing atleast another year! (New guidance is year 2 or even to max weight/height of car seat before forward facing)
http://www.parenting.com/article/car-seats-safety

My son won't be riding too often, but I also don't want to continuously remove and install the car seat!

Pics great appreciated!
Aaron

We put him in a forward facing as soon as he had good head strength to keep upright..which was right after a year. The same rule applied to riding bikes/etc.

Keep in mind those same studies also want your kid to be in a harness or booster until they are 90lbs or about 10 years old. Good luck with that.

[E92 M2530Z]

Originally Posted by PAMidge

I misspoke. They do not recommend the use of the LATCH system for the center seat - meaning the two connecters at the bottom locked to the chassis. The LATCH connectors are too far apart, and they do not recommend it due to limitations of the LATCH system.

So you can put it in the center seat, just using the belt, not LATCH. Sorry for the confusion

I agree with the B-Safe and B-Agile as well for these vehicles.

ah, no worries, thanks for clarifying.

Does anyone know if the center rear seat is the safest for passengers? I don't remember where I heard that, but I guess that makes sense since it's the most insulated position from front/rear/side collisions.

[jtuds]

Man you guys rhyme off makes and models of child seats the way you talk about cars.

[Kafkaesque328]

We got 2 Recaro's as gifts when our daughter was born. Just moved the convertible Recaro to the wife's car and I have the EvenFlo rear facing until she is FF at which point she'll have black with red trim Recaro sport pro FF. Latch is the way to go and she is in the center in both vehicles. We plan to move her to FF at 1 year. She's 8 months though and only 20lbs so she's petite so it may be a little while but the whole rear facing thing is a drag.

[James550i6spd]

Just picked up the new recaro pro ride. Have the '10 model in blue for the other car and son loves it. The new model is even nicer... Ordered it sight unseen but both son and daddy love it. Matches my melbourne red scheme perfectly and it is small enough that the rear center console still can come down

Tip: sit on it to install it...the latch anchors have to come in almost at a flat angle rather than from the top so you got to make sure the seat is really pressed down to give you more slack

[btinl]

My wife and I are also expecting our first in June. I picked up a Diono Radian RXT last week. I think I will buy a separate infant seat though.

[shivaswrath]

There's a wicked sale going on right now for the B-Safe, I'm actually going to pull the trigger and get 2 bases (one for the BMW, one for the RDX and one for the in Laws), so we can just drop the carrier in...
$125 is a great price for the seat!
http://www.diapers.com/p/britax-b-sa...t-black-557589

[btinl]

Originally Posted by shivaswrath

There's a wicked sale going on right now for the B-Safe, I'm actually going to pull the trigger and get 2 bases (one for the BMW, one for the RDX and one for the in Laws), so we can just drop the carrier in...
$125 is a great price for the seat!
http://www.diapers.com/p/britax-b-sa...t-black-557589

The Britax is a pretty large seat and may not fit well in the back of your bimmer without significantly moving your seat forward. I've heard the Chicco Keyfit 30 works well in our cars.