After researching the plethora of car seats to move our baby up into, we decided to take a chance on Recaro's excellent reputation for safety and try the Como. We are not sorry.

The unit itself is extremely well made, none of that flimsy plastic that we had with our infant carrier (even though it was "the best")and the padding and fabric is tightly sewn, substantial and not just thrown on the carseat. The Latch system is really nice and the only drawback is that there isn't enough extra belt material on each of the latch straps which made the installation into my Volvo XC90, ahem, challenging. Let's just say that my neighbors now know just how much I curse. But that seat is in there TIGHT. It doesn't move.

My baby is a big 7 month old who grew out of her infant carseat at 5 mos. She screamed, consistently and reliably in the car until we got this seat. She regularly falls asleep and seems incredibly comfortable. I like the SIP pillows on each side and she just leans forward slightly if she wants to see anything. But, if your kid doesn't like them, you can remove it.

I love the Sand color. It is plush,neutral and so far, pretty forgiving with stains (our girl is a spitter). It isn't ugly and juvenile and doesn't get so hot on warm days. My only complaint is the straps occasionally twist around in the buckle which can be painful, but not enough for me to discourage anyone from buying it.

It is tall. I couldn't install it in the center seat, but rather on the side. I am assuming this wont be such an issue when we turn her around.

All in all, I love this seat. I ordered the Signo in Sand and if I am feeling particularly suicidal I might actually endeavor in moving my Como and putting the Signo in my car. The difference between this seat and the other high end convertibles is vast in terms of quality and feel.

After spending countless days, and hours researching car seats, I arrived at the Como presenting the best overall attributes. Here are my pro's and con's.

Pro's:

1. Very easy to install and remove using the LATCH method. Simply clamp LATCH connectors on to LATCH connecting points to install. The connectors are rigid, so it makes getting them on very easy--removing is done by simply pressing button. Tightening down the seat is done via a one way locking mechanism by simply pulling the LATCH straps at both sides--no belts to adjust.

2. Build quality--this is a substantial seat in terms of the amount of padding, and seems to be of built of extremely strong plastics(no flimsy plastics).

3. The seat can be used from 5-70lbs--and up to 35lbs in a rear facing position. This is very, very important considering the LATCH connections combined with the 5-point safety harness far exceed the safety and reliability of the cars 3-point seatbelt.

Con's

1. The biggest draw back to this seat is accessing the strap to tighten down down the 5-point harness when in a rear facing position. I simply can not at it when the seat is installed. I solve this problem by loosening the entire seat base straps, and sliding it back a bit; then I tighten the 5-point harness followed by the seat base. This is bothersome since it has to be done with my son already in the seat.

After surviving a bad roll-over wreck at 65 mph with my 3 year-old several years ago, I really wanted the most substantial car seat I could find for our baby. After researching, I selected the Como Car Seat by Recaro. I wanted the side impact protection and the ability to use it front or rear facing. The pros with this car seat are that it seems to be very solid and well-made. It also seems to be very comfortable. It is well-padded and our baby has fallen asleep in it easily from the first time we used it. Under the square fabric patch in front is a metal latch that easily adjusts the straps. This is very convenient when you need to do minor adjustments depending on the thickness of your baby's clothing from day to day. We removed the top head cushion because our baby couldn't turn her head and fussed to be so confined. The manual says removing the extra padding does not affect the safety of the seat. I could see where the padding might be useful for a smaller infant. The base is taller than the Century and Graco seats that we owned previously and in the forward facing position, she can see out the windows. The incline of the seat is easily adjustable which will be a nice feature in the forward facing position. One other thing I really like is that the outside edges of the seat are padded. I've sat next to the Recaro Como in the back seat on long trips and its very comfortable to sleep against. The padding might afford some protection to the occupant sitting next to the car seat so they aren't smashing their head on a hard, plastic car seat in the event of a crash. Here are the cons: We have a 2003 Toyota Corolla and with the car seat in the rear facing position, it is a bit awkward to get the baby in and out. The height of the car seat in the rear facing position also substantially blocks the view in the rear view mirror and I have to use my side mirrors more when driving. This is not a problem when the seat is forward facing. The Como is very stable & secure in the car, more than any car seat we've owned, but it takes a lot of effort to install and remove it from the car, and we're talking about getting a second car seat for our other vehicle. Would I buy it again? Yes! The price is high, but after surviving a rollover, I know the unthinkable can happen and quality counts.