Recaro Zero 1 Elite review

from Recaro
Recaro Zero 1 Elite

by Ellie Kirwin-Jones |
Updated on

The Recaro Zero 1 Elite is an innovative all-in-one solution for all journey time with your little passenger. The carrier has a 3-point harness and it's own hero safety system that makes buckling up for the journey ahead easy by preventing the belts from slipping or getting twisted.

How did this product make your life easier?

Amy: The Recaro Zero 1 Elite looks really sleek and nice and on paper, I thought it would make my life a lot easier as it has a 360 design with a removable carry car seat. However, this product is very big bulky and heavy. I would have struggled to put this in my car without help. Also, the removable car seat sits quite upright and id imagine a new born’s head flopping forward when rear-facing. However I did love the fact that it swivels but you could also remove the infant carrier... as this is one thing Iv always been put off about having a 360 car seat from newborn, having to always take a pram/carry the baby.

Hayley: This car seat makes it so much easier as a mum. I can whip the baby car seat in and out no problem at all. The car seat with its 360 turn can turn to face you so it makes it so much easier when you are in a rush or if it's raining outside. I never had used Isofix before and it's just so easy! There will be no turning back for me. The product is also very sturdy so as a mother you can relax knowing your baby is safe. If you need to use the car seat for an older child you can just take the baby car seat out and use ether rear or forward-facing.

Jade: The Recaro Zero 1 Elite makes life easier as a mum because it ranges, from birth up to 4 years old, meaning you don’t need to buy another car seat in between like most. The infant carrier comes out which is handy for getting baby out of the car and into the house etc. and it swivels so you can have the seat rear or forward-facing. The seat is perfect for parents wanting to install one car seat that does all.

Would you recommend this to other mums?

Michelle: I would recommend this product to a fellow mum as it is a safe design for use in the car. I would also recommend it as the baby carrier attaches to the seat so it is great for newborns and when the child grows older.

Jennie: The 360 degrees of rotation of the seat is a big plus point and makes it easier on the back to put the baby in and out of seat. The seat is i-Size (baby height as a guide) which makes you 100% sure the seat is appropriate for your baby, as you don't have to guess about recommended months or have an accurate recent weight of your baby.

Charlotte: I wouldn’t recommend the Recaro Zero 1 Elite seat. I didn’t like the design. I found it harder to use than other car seats. The material wasn’t very soft. I found the seat fiddly to use. Pulling up the headrest was difficult when trying to go between the baby carrier and the older child seat. I didn’t like the controls for turning the swivel seat. I found it more complicated than it needed to be.

Would you choose this product to win?

Paula: As a foster carer this would be the only seat I would need and I wouldn’t need various different size seats lying around the house. The Recaro Zero 1 Elite is easier to remove than it is on a base. It really is as simple as one click to put baby carrier on and one-click to remove. It isn’t a heavy seat like some are and it is easy to carry around with the baby in it. I love the design and style of this seat. The covers are easy to remove for washing and straight forward when replacing. I love that you don’t have to take the straps off to higher them as a simple lift of the headrest adjusts it for you.

Sadie-Jade: It would definitely be one that’s up there, especially with the fact of the newborn insert and how easy it is to take in and out and the straps are lovely and padded. The design is lovely and it looks really smart and the colour is nice and neutral. But the seller is the side impact enhancement. It definitely puts the mind at ease.

Jo: What really made this car seat stand out for me was the very easy installation, and the very well thought through instructions provided. I am also a huge fan of the Isofix, so having a plus testing Isofix seat is a huge bonus. This would make this a very attractive seat for me and would, in my opinion, make this a worthy winner in this category.

What changes would you make to this product?

Charlotte: I would change the material of the seat to a softer material. I also would change the controls for the swivel seat and the button to release the infant carrier. To make it more simple. For me, those few things alone would stop me from buying this seat. The infant carrier within the bigger seat would appeal to some but there are a few fiddly bits within it like the headrest and also the clips. I would worry that if you were using it for 2 children of different ages you may misplace the clips then you would be unable to clip on the infant carrier.

Kim: The number one thing I would change would be the price, it’s far too pricey. The catch to turn the seat also needs looking at, seemed too flimsy and I was scared of breaking it. And there is virtually no difference between the seat being upright and being reclined. There needs to be more range of movement.

Lauren: The seat hardly seemed to recline at all; it had only the one recline position as far as I could tell which seemed to be only a few degrees. In my car, it was already fairly reclined and there was no head lolling whilst using it (with the insert), but this could potentially be a problem depending on angle on the seat. In addition, for high quality and the well-made unit, the button to rotate the seat seemed flimsy and required an awkward action rather than the usual pull handle style.

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us
How we write our articles and reviews
Mother & Baby is dedicated to ensuring our information is always valuable and trustworthy, which is why we only use reputable resources such as the NHS, reviewed medical papers, or the advice of a credible doctor, GP, midwife, psychotherapist, gynaecologist or other medical professionals. Where possible, our articles are medically reviewed or contain expert advice. Our writers are all kept up to date on the latest safety advice for all the products we recommend and follow strict reporting guidelines to ensure our content comes from credible sources. Remember to always consult a medical professional if you have any worries. Our articles are not intended to replace professional advice from your GP or midwife.