Reviewed: Recaro Monza Nova car seat

Being an active advocate of using car seats, I have heard varied accounts of how my friends’ kids would reject their car seats. It seems to be an impossible task to entice/force/coax the little ones to climb onto one. Parents need all the help they can get, and luckily, we discovered that the amazing Recaro Monza Nova car seat can make our lives much easier.

Aiden weighs around 20kg and is tall for his age, which meant that he has to use the booster seat (group II/III). For quite some time, he was using the Maxi Cosi Rodi Airprotect. We loved it for the sleekness and relative comfort, and above all its speed of installation. It was the Volkswagen of car seats - nicely designed, comfortable and quick.

When Mums & Babes sent over the Recaro Monza Nova car seat for a long term review, little did we know that it was the Rolls Royce of car seats! Just go through the list of features and you will understand why.

• Extra-stable anti-static side pads reduce crash-generated forces to the head, neck and shoulders by up to 30%
• Additional foam padding protects the side and head areas
• Special crash and ventilation slots in the side wings
• Extra-firm armrests for even greater protection in the event of a side impact
• Seatfix locking arms anchor to the car’s Isofix holders
• Depth-adjustable headrest prevents the child’s head from falling forward while sleeping
• Ventilated foam for excellent seating ergonomics
• Innovative Recaro Air Circulation System ensures that air always circulates freely, ensuring a pleasant seating climate.
• Recaro Sound System with integrated speakers and MP3 player pocket
• Eleven-point height-adjustable headrest

At this point, you should be doing a double take of the list and saying “What???? MP3? Integrated speakers?!?!”

Yes, the Recaro Monza Nova allows you to connect your kid’s entertainment devices and play the audio through the seat’s integrated speakers at a safe volume that is just loud enough for them. Yes, you no longer have to sing along to Barney’s “I love you, you love me…”, because you can’t really hear it from the driver’s seat.

Although it is quite a hassle to install it, even with isofix (the car seat is quite hefty), you would love the solidness of the car seat. One tip would be to get a seat protector or place a small towel underneath the car seat to avoid permanently damaging your seat leather. Recaro is a brand that is synonymous with highly supportive racing seats, and you could see that they put their expertise into good use here. The headrest height is highly adjustable, and the side protection is thick but non-intrusive. With the Maxi Cosi, I always have to worry about Aiden dozing off in the car, as he will often lean excessively to the sides or even to the front. Comparatively, it is never a problem with the Recaro Monza Nova. The side cushion keeps him in the right place/position.

If you ask the little ones, they will love it for the comfort and high seating position. I think the combination of the materials used and the innovative air circulation system makes the Recaro Monza Nova a super comfortable place to be, even for an active/always sweating boy like Aiden. The relatively high seating position also makes it easier for kids to look out of the car. Not that they need the extra distraction from outside though. They are probably busy singing to the music coming out of the car seat anyway. Or busy catching a nap!

The Recaro Monza Nova car seat is available at Mums & Babes and retails for $568 (promo price).