The 
Coccoro ’kō-kə-rō is a new child restraint from Combi. It is a convertible seat that can be used rear or forward facing for children 5-40 lbs who are less than 40 inches tall. Rear facing, the seat is rated from 5-33 lbs with a stated height limit of 36 inches. Forward facing, it can be used for children over 1 year old who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs.
The coccoro is compact, measuring just over 15 inches wide and weighing just 11 pounds. back of shell is ~21 inches tall with harness slots at 9, 11, 13, and 15 inches. the lack of a base makes it a good candidate to fit into even the smallest vehicles.
Reading: Combi coccoro car seat reviews
features
The coccoro comes with an insert for infants that is required up to 15 pounds and can be used until the child reaches 20 pounds (rear-facing use only). it is well padded with a thick foam wedge that goes behind the child. makes a significant difference in fit. combi calls it the mommy lap insert to emphasize the cozy way it surrounds the child. it is secured by a cord that is tied through the top slots of the harness.
The cover is soft and well-padded with a waffle-woven fabric. It has storage loops to keep the harness pulled to the side while loading/unloading the child. It also has two storage pockets: one on the side for the lower tether strap and one on the back for the tether, rear-facing lock, and manual. It has a thick tummy pad that surrounds the crotch buckle and long harness pads over the shoulders. Cover can be machine washed on gentle cycle. shown here in strawberry shake and comes in 4 other bright patterns, as well as two neutrals/tans.
There are four harness slots. any rear-facing slot can be used. only the top two can be used to look ahead. the five-point harness has terminal ends (non-continuous loop). there are two sets of back loops and the splitter plate came on the top loop for smaller kids. the tape appears to be thick and not twisted. there are plastic buttons on the bottom so the buckle tongues don’t slide all the way down. the chest clip is immi style. The headgear can be cleaned with mild soap and a damp cloth, but cannot be removed without a screwdriver.
has a puzzle buckle with a tru-safe™ indicator that changes from red to green when the buckle is properly fastened. crotch buckle is 5” from back of shell. however, the infant insert takes up several inches of that.
The front harness adjuster is smooth with a lever-style release. It is located under the front flap of the cover. it is a one pull adjuster. push the lever toward the child to release the adjuster. the end of the adjustment strap snaps onto the cover so it won’t come loose.
There are both backward and forward looking locks. rear-facing locking is for lap/shoulder belts only. it is a separate piece that clips onto the seat belt. There are built-in forward-facing locks. they are slot style with a hinged tab. There are also belt guides on the back of the seat for optional Euro-style routing of the shoulder belt for rear-facing installations. Instead of having both the shoulder and lap portions through the belt path, you can wrap the shoulder portion around the back. For combi, the European method of placing the shoulder belt behind the shell in the rear-facing position allows for better descent during a crash.
The box says tru-safe™ side impact protection. While there are no testing standards for side impact crashes, we do know that they are some of the most dangerous. The Coccoro has deep side wings and the back of the shell is fully lined with EPS foam. there is a piece of epp type foam under the seating area, although this is probably more for comfort.
installation
installation is pretty straightforward once you figure out the rear-facing belt paths. combi helps you by making everything colour-coded: blue for rear-facing and red for forward-facing. There are also stickers with diagrams and instructions for every aspect of installation, including how to engage and remove the latch connectors. Unless otherwise stated in the vehicle manual, vehicle seatback must be fully upright.
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Latch connectors are the common basic clip style. they can only be used in dedicated positions with standard spacing. the borrowing of lower anchors is not allowed. the strap should be stowed away for rear-facing. it is for forward-facing use only and must be used for a forward-facing lower anchor installation. it is optional with a forward-facing seat belt installation, although it is strongly recommended.
rear-facing
Any harness slot can be used for rear-facing. Harness must be at or below child’s shoulders for rear-facing riding. Seat is small rear-facing in weight at 33 lbs. and in height when child’s head is 1” from top of frame. The infant insert should be used for children under 15 pounds and can be used for children up to 20 pounds, or when harness straps become too short.
The coccoro manual and decals on the case indicate that it should be installed with the recline reference line horizontal (45 degrees) for rear-facing. I confirmed with the Combi rep that while 45 degrees is required for infants, older children with good head control can stand a bit more upright. older babies and young children can usually stand as upright as 30 degrees (when measured from vertical). the proper angle should be easy to achieve by mounting on most vehicles due to the lack of a base. If necessary, a tightly rolled towel or blanket or a firm piece of foam (such as a pool float) can be used to achieve the proper rear facing angle. be careful when pushing down to tighten the safety strap or seat belt. it is easy to change the angle by pushing down to the front or back. however, it’s also easy to sit it too upright or inadvertently recline it using the same method. As long as the vehicle allows it, the coccoro’s shell can touch the vehicle seat in front of it, as long as it’s not tight.
The rear-facing belt path is accessed by lifting the front of the cover. there are two plastic hooks and a snap on each side of the cover to help with that. it’s an open belt with arms instead of closed slots, much like infant seats that can be installed without a base. for seat belt installations, only the lap portion goes under the arms.
I’m going to go over rear-facing seat belt installations because, while the drawings and instructions are clear, it can seem intimidating at first. unhook the cover and pull back the flap. follow the blue trails. the lap belt goes in front of the crotch buckle (farthest from child) and over the part of the holster that remains when the flap is folded back. if it is just a seat belt, tighten the belt for a secure installation. check fit and replace cover flap. the manual encourages users with locking closure plates to flip the male end 180 degrees if the lap portion does not stay tight (with full illustration).
if using a lap/shoulder belt, make sure only the lap portion is under the arms of the rf belt path. Attach blue rear-facing clip to shoulder only with arrow pointing down. Squeeze the lap portion and slide the latch down until it just touches the latch plate. route the shoulder portion behind the seat following the marked belt guides. the seat belt passes over the nearest lower belt guide and through the farthest upper one. it is not necessary to switch a locking retractor to locked mode at this point, but it is acceptable. however, a locked shoulder belt can cause the rear-facing coccoro to lean. if the shoulder belt is not long enough to go through the rear of the shell, it can be left against the back of the vehicle.
forward-facing
The coccoro can be used facing forward for children at least 1 year old and 20 lbs. the infant insert should not be used facing forwards. only the top two harness slots can be used. The harness must be at or above the shoulders of the child facing forward. is small forward-facing by weight at 40 pounds or by height when the top of the child’s ears are above the top of the carapace or the child’s shoulders are above the top position of the harness.
Installation is simple with both the latch and the seat belt. use the red belt route. The red lock for forward-facing is built in, unlike the one for rear-facing. It is a one tab style of slots, much like the older (and preferred) Britax style. push the red tab forward, slide the shoulder portion in, and allow the tab to rotate back into position. It seems to hold the belt tight and I couldn’t get it to slip off. As with rear facing, it is acceptable, but not necessary, to lock a shoulder retractor in addition to using the lock. to ensure proper angle, both rear-facing belt guides should touch the vehicle seat back.
impressions
the coccoro is light and compact. seems to suit small babies well. It would make a great travel seat or alternative to a baby bucket. combi marketing proudly proclaims that three can fit in most vehicles. I don’t doubt it though, that’s not a really practical application. most families that need to accommodate three passengers in a row do not have three children young enough to ride in the coccoro. More importantly, how does the coccoro fit alongside other common seats?
My experience with that question is that with a few twists of the buckle stem and a well-placed knee, I can fit the Coccoro rear liner to the center of my Subaru Outback. Plus, I can fit it next to a forward-facing marathon. In a pinch, you could install it between two marathons facing forward (with less than an inch to spare). Instead of the second marathon, a Scenera Front Seat or Fisher Price Safe Travel Booster fit even better. Although it may look unimpressive on many vehicles, this is truly a glowing review. The only seat I’ve been able to fit rear-facing so far in my center position is a Chicco Keyfit. it’s a great seat in its own right, though not as versatile as a convertible.
Coccoros also adjust rear-facing in any outboard position in an infant recline with the front seats fully rearward. Again, that’s absolutely amazing because no other convertible can claim that. Sure, it could fit a marathon upright enough for a toddler with the front seat almost all the way back… but that just wasn’t possible for a newborn. I would imagine that without a base it would fit well on the heavily sculpted seats of many two-doors.
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My daughter is 15lbs 24″ at three months. the coccoro fits him well, both with and without the insert. she has about 6 inches of growing space before she outgrows her rear-facing height. Although the manual encourages extended rear-facing, I think it may be pushing for most children to reach the new recommended minimum of two years. the 33lb limit is a bit behind the rest of the market, but I find it adequate since most kids will reach the height limit first.
My four-year-old, facing forward, was comfortable, but only slightly above the top slot of the harness. he is slim, but has an average height of 41″ with an estimated torso height of 15″. he just hovers under the 35-pound limit of most other convertibles, so he’s outgrown forward-facing when technically he could still be rear-facing in a taller-decked convertible.
I’m a big fan of both lock styles. You might even be tempted to use the separate rear-facing lock with other seats. Well, not really, but I like it. Simply fasten the seat belt, grasp the latch, pull up on the lap portion, and slide the latch down. In terms of the coordination needed, it’s much easier than a true clip-on lock or the Britax and Recaro rear-facing locks (although no match for the one on the KeyFit base). I like the forward-facing one because it’s similar to the old Britax style, but seems to be reliably functional, unlike the current Recaro version. I’ve heard that the upper blue belt guides also work as locks. however the manual does not state this in any way and my observation is that the belt slides freely inside them.
The harness adjuster is smooth as butter. Easily pull to the proper tightness with a single pull. Even though the lever says push and it’s the same action my infant seat requires, I intuitively want to pull to release. I think it is due to the curved and inclined shape of the lever.
the manual is well written and detailed. It includes important points, such as several statements encouraging extended rear-facing and a note about not using cargo hooks as tether anchors unless specifically permitted by the vehicle. It also has illustrations on properly placing the harness on the splitter plate, flipping a locking latch plate, and testing for movement during installation.
Now, it’s not all blind love for the coccoro. As I mentioned earlier, it will be outdone long before most other convertibles. the harness covers seem to be a couple of inches too long. there’s barely enough room for the chest clip to fit properly under them at my 95th percentile 3 month old. not sure if they would fit a tiny newborn. the cover has a noticeable chemical odor that is still strong 7 days after unboxing. luckily, it’s machine washable, which is my next order of business before traveling alongside it for 700 miles.
I can’t seem to get the latch strap to stow in the side pocket without it looking bulky and bulky. I would imagine it could possibly interfere with some tight installations next to each other. I would prefer a quicker install and release method for the infant insert. straps with plastic buckles or an elastic loop and toggle system would make more sense than a lacing cord. The cover crinkles up in a weird way every time I have to fold it down to access the rear-facing belt path (which I can also see getting boring). I’m afraid after too many more installs it won’t work again. That being said, I think I prefer an open belt to running my hand through a narrow, closed one.
European routing of the shoulder belt makes it cumbersome to load/unload a rear-facing infant, except when using the center position from the driver’s side (ie, the side opposite the retractor). that routing is optional, but I see it as a security feature. We know that anything that limits side-to-side movement offers improved safety, particularly in side impacts. it also offers the benefit of reducing downward rotation in the most common frontal impacts.
reportedly there will be a stroller to be used with the coccoro, something of an instant frame for child seats. while that’s a nice concept (and probably much more affordable than the orbital system for toddlers), I can’t imagine repeatedly installing and uninstalling with a child strapped in. again, euro routing makes it a bit tricky. It takes every bit of my center shoulder belt which means the ALR is on and it can be kind of hard to uninstall the seat. the manual says to press down on the front of the seat to uninstall. I can see myself turning my baby over on his stomach as I try to remove the seat. It would probably be a little easier with the latch or even leaving the shoulder belt in front, but I like the idea of the seat belt going in the back.
The Coccoro seems like it will be fantastic for three across and is very portable. However, unless you are planning to use two convertibles for one child in order to achieve extended rear facing, the Coccoro is probably not a practical option. Overall, I’m pleased with my purchase. It is now the primary seat for my infant daughter and I can’t wait to take it on trips with us. It’s definitely a niche seat, but it fills that niche very well.
the coccoro is certified for use on aircraft. It is made in China, has a 7 year shelf life, and follows the NHTSA guidelines for replacement of crashed fastener systems. the msrp is $199.
the website of the combi coccoro: http://www.combicoccoro.com/
for more information on child passenger safety, visit:
http://www.car-seat.org
http://www.car-safety.org
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