Recaro ProSport

Features Overview

This seat is an innovative premium harness to booster child safety seat that received a “best bet” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2011. The seat uses a five point harness system for smaller children, which allows the child to be restrained safely for minimum movement. Then as the child grows, the harness of the ProSport can be removed so the seat can be converted into a high back booster seat to continue to offer the best protection for your child. The ProSport booster seat accommodates children from 20-120 pounds, which is the highest weight capacity available on the market today when used as a belt positioning booster seat. This seat offers the latest safety protection for your child and premium features such as side impact protection, EasyGuide belt guides, EasyAdjust 5-point harness for use up to 90 pounds, EPS foam, SoftTouch cushion, and ErgoShell construction. Recaro seats offer some of the best side impact protection available on a child seat today by protecting the five most vulnerable areas of a child during a side impact collision - the head, face, neck, torso, and the pelvis area.

Compared to the Britax Frontier 85

When looking at both of these harness to booster seats you’ll find they have many similar features, and a few that set them completely apart from each other. Both seats accommodate a child up to 120 pounds, feature side impact protection, LATCH connectors, plush comfortable seating, and seat belt connections to install with ease, easy to adjust harnesses energy absorbing foam, and head restraints to protect from injury in a crash. Both seats are assembled in the USA. Features that differ on the Britax Frontier 85 are the integrated cup holders, armrests, seat adjusts to fit taller children up to 65” tall and harness use up to 85 pounds. The ProSport features a harness that can be used up to 90 pounds, accommodates children up to 59” inches in booster mode, ErgoShell structure for superior comfort, and storage pockets for your little one to store their stuff. We are fans of both seats, but we like the comfort of the ProSport seat and the higher harness weight capacity. The Frontier 85 will also cost you a little more for features that you won’t necessarily need.

Compared to the Frontier 85 SICT

The Frontier 85 SICT and the ProSport combination harness to booster seats have many superior safety features built in to keep your child safe in a crash. To create the Frontier 85 SICT Britax has added some features the original Frontier 85. The Frontier 85 SICT accommodates children from 25 pounds up to 85 pounds using the five point harness and then converts to booster mode up to 120 pounds. The Frontier 85 SICT features an easy adjustment tangle free five point harness, Versa-Tether, True Side Impact protection designed to keep the head and spine in line, deep side walls lined with EPP energy absorbing foam, high density comfort foam lining, HUGS system to prevent forward movement in a crash, integrated cup holders and arm rests. New features added to make the SICT version of the Frontier are Side Impact Cushion Technology that reduces side impact crash forces by 45% and offers protection to passengers seated next to the car seat, an easy to remove washable plush cover. The ProSport booster offers an easy to adjust five point harness that accommodates children forward facing from 20 pounds up to 90 pounds, and up to 120 pounds in booster mode. Features on the ProSport are the ErgoShell seating structure that provides superior comfort that Recaro seats are known for, Side Impact Protection that protects the five most vulnerable areas of the body in a crash, LATCH or EasyGuide belt guides for ease of installation, EPS energy absorbing foam, QuickLift head restraint, storage pockets for juice boxes or snacks, and recline system. We are big fans of the safety and comfort features on both seats, though the Frontier 85 SICT does carry a hefty price tag. We think that the ProSport provides safety and comfort that you’ll appreciate while being able to save some money.

Compared to the Graco Nautilus

The ProSport is a combination harness to booster seat that can be used from 2 years and 20 pounds to 90 pounds using the five point harness, and then converts to a highback booster by removing the harness up to 120 pounds. The Graco Nautilus is a 3-in-1 top rated harness to booster seat that accommodates forward facing children from 2 years and 25 pounds to 65 pounds using the harness, and then converts to a highback booster and then an optional backless booster up to 100 pounds.  The similarities between the two seats are they both feature an easy to adjust headrest, EPS energy absorbing foam, both have been crash tested, and feature recline. The differences are big on these two. The Graco Nautilus is a three in one seat that goes from harness to booster to backless booster. It has built in belt guides, arm rests, cup holder and storage pockets. The ProSport keeps kids harnessed much longer to 90 pounds, accommodates larger weight up to 120 pounds, has a comfortable ErgoShell structure, plush seating, Side Impact Protection, belt guides and LATCH connectors, and easy adjust harness. You may be thinking that you like the 3 in 1 options on the Graco Nautilus, but we do not recommend using a backless booster since many safety experts agree that your child is much safer in a highback booster. We found the ProSport to be sleek and stylish and much more comfortable. The Recaro will cost you more for all of this comfort and style but we feel that you can easily justify the cost since the seat is able to be used for a longer amount of time.

Compared to the Diono Radian RXT, R120, R100

The ProSport and the Diono Radian RXT, R120, and the R100 are very different seats for very different types of parent’s needs and family sizes. The Diono Radian line of combination convertible to booster seats can be used from infancy at just 5 pounds up to 45 pounds, 40 pounds on the R100, in rear facing position. The Radian line consists of the R100 which accommodates children up 65 pounds in harness mode and booster mode to 100 pounds, and the RXT and R120 both accommodate children in harness mode to 80 pounds and booster mode up to 120 pounds. Each of the Radian series car seats fold flat for travel or storage, built on steel alloy frame with aluminum reinforced sides, EPS foam panels on all sides, rear and forward facing positions starting from infancy into the toddler years, holds up to 4 cup holders with one included, adjustable head support on the RXT model, accommodates children up to 57” tall in booster mode, expandable sides, and fits three across for parents with multiple children in car seats. The ProSport is a combination harness to booster that is used forward facing only from 20 pounds to 90 pounds in harness mode and up to 120 pounds in booster mode. The ProSport features a comfortable ErgoShell structure, plush seating, Side Impact Protection protecting the five most vulnerable areas on a child’s body in a crash, belt guides and LATCH connectors, and easy adjust high weight capacity harness to 90 pounds, EPS foam lining, quick lift head restraint, storage pockets, and soft touch seat cushion. Price doesn’t really come into play here since most of the Radians and the ProSport are about the same price with a little variance, though the Radian R100 is offered at a lower price point. But if you are a parent that plans to do a lot of traveling with your seat you might find the Diono Radian’s to be more user friendly for your needs, or if you have a smaller car that you need to be able to fit 3 seats in a row. After comparing these very different seating options, we think that for one or two children that the Recaro hands down is a sleeker, more fashionable, and much more comfortable seating option.

Can the Recaro ProSport be used Rear Facing?

No, the ProSport is a forward-facing harnessed booster and is not able to rear face. If you are looking for a rear facing car seat you'll want to look at convertible car seats or infant car seats. You will also want to check out car seat safety guidlelines online to make sure you keep your child in the safest recommended car seat for their age, weight, and height. 

Is the Recaro ProSport FAA approved and certified for airplane use?

Yes, the ProSport is FAA certified and can be used on an airplane when used in 5pt harness booster mode. The handle on the top of the seat also makes carrying it much more convenient than other seats.