Convertible Car Seat review: Combi CoccoroPrice: $240

Type: Convertible seat.

Limits: 3 to 33 lbs. rear facing, 20 to 40 lbs. forward facing, 40″ tall.

NHTSA ease of use rating: Three out of five stars rear facing and forward facing.

Pros: Small size = good fit for compact vehicles.

Cons: Can be hard to install rear facing. Only works to 40 lbs.

Comments: The Coccoro is a compact car seat (it weighs just 11 lbs.), pitched for parents with small cars. Thanks to its small base size, Combi offers this seat as a solution for parents who need to fit three car seats across the backseat. The top harness slot is 15,” which is impressive for a compact seat that works to 40 lbs. Another plus: the Coccoro has built-in lock off clips, a nice safety feature.

Parent feedback on this seat has been positive, although a few have complained that it is hard to install rear facing. Consumer Reports echoed that view, with a “poor” rating for the Coccoro’s rear LATCH and rear belt installation. That dragged down CR’s overall opinion of the seat, which scored near the bottom overall, even though crash protection was judged “better.” The NHTSA gives the Coccoro an overall three-star rating for ease of use, although again installation in rear facing mode comes in for criticism.

Combi hasn’t changed this seat much in recent years to respond to this criticism, which is disappointing. (That said, Combi hasn’t much changed any of its car seats in recent years).

So it is a mixed review for the Coccoro—this is a good seat if you have a smaller child (and only need a seat with a 40 lb. limit) and/or you have a smaller car. The Coccoro’s biggest fans are those with the smallest vehicles, such as a VW Beetle or Honda Civic. Overall parent feedback on the Coccoro is quite positive. But be aware of possible poor fit and installation issues when in rear facing mode. Rating: B