The Recaro Young Profi Plus is a rear-facing seat suitable for use from birth to 13kg, or around 15 months. It can be fitted using your car’s existing three-point seatbelt, or Recaro’s own ISOFIX System, which is sold separately for £75. The car seat itself costs £105 in Bellini fabric or £110 in microfibre.
What we love
The moment I put my son in the Recaro Young Profi Plus he smiled – and looked far more comfortable than in any other seat I’ve tried him in. The Young Profi Plus seems roomier and far less squashy than its competitors -any new parent who’s struggled to fold their newborn into a well-cushioned car seat and then wondered if they’re still breathing will know what I mean! If too much space is often your worry, there’s the removable seat-reducer for smaller babies.
The Recaro Young Profi Plus is plush and cocooning, and yet it doesn’t sacrifice safety. It looks and feels sturdy and good quality, has plenty of cushioning in the right places, and large wings on either side of the head for side-impact protection.
The harness is well padded and easy to do up and adjust.
I was pleased to discover the seat covers are easy to take off, wash and replace when the inevitable spills or spit-ups occur!
I’m a dunce when it comes to instruction booklets, but I found the Recaro Young Profi Plus car seat quick and easy to install in my car, both with or without the ISOFIX base. The Recaro website has short instruction videos to help you, too.
Being a Group 0+ seat (as opposed to just a Group 0), this seat takes babies up to 13kg or about 15 months thanks to an adjustable backrest, which extends the height of the seat as your baby grows. This is a major plus that makes the price tag more reasonable.
What to watch out for
At 4.3kg it’s one of the heavier seats in this Group on the market. However I didn’t notice a marked difference compared to other seats, and this wouldn’t be a problem if you left the seat in the car most of the time (as I do).
Although available in a range of colour options, I didn’t think it was particularly stylish – certainly not compared to some of the ‘trendier’ seats on the market – so designer mums might not approve.
The sunshade is little more than a visor and wouldn’t offer adequate protection on a sunny day, in my opinion.
If you want to attach the car seat to buggy to make a travel system, you have three options - it's sold as part of the Maclaren Tecno XLR travel system, and the only other choices are both from Recaro - the Babyzen travel system, launching late 2010, and the Akuna, launching August/September 2010. It’s also worth double-checking with Recaro if the seat fits your make and model of car as it’s not suitable for some.
Who is the Recaro Young Profi Plus car seat best for?
Parents who put a premium on safety, not travel system options.
The Recaro Young Profi Plus offers safety and plush comfort for your baby, over aesthetics. It won’t be one for parents after a wide choice of travel systems, but if you want a car seat just for use in the car, this is a very comfortable, easy-to-use option that's highly recommended.
