Brio Zento Review **Child Safety Seat**

Brio Zento Review


Photo courtesy of Brio New Zealand

Main info:

Manufacturer: Brio
Model: Zento
Manufacturers website: www.briocarseats.co.nz or www.brio.net
Date of manufacture: October 2007
Seat type: 3-in-1 (rear-facing, forward-facing, booster)
Safety Standard: ECE R44/04 (European Safety Standard) as well as the Swedish "T" approval
RF weight limit: 0-25kg (0-55lbs)
FF weight limit: 12-18kg (26-40lbs)
Booster weight limit: 15-25kg (33-55lbs)

Brief introduction:

The Brio Zento is a 3-in-1 child safety seat made by Brio, Sweden. The design of the BRIO Zento is based on more than 20 years of research into child safety. BRIO Zento fufills the latest safety requirements according to ECE R44 rev 04 - the European standard for children's car seats - as well as Swedish "T" approval. The Swedish "T" approval is one which only seats that show very low force on the head and neck in a collision get. Very few seats have this approval.

The Brio Zento is the first of its kind in this country and it's arrival has been long awaited. As of 22.02.2008 the Brio Zento is sold exclusively through Baby On The Move retailers around the country for approx. $549NZD.

Measurements:

Please remember these measurements are approximations and may not be totally accurate.
Bottom slot: 19.8cm (7.8 inches)
Top slot: 36cm(14.2 inches)
Shell height (from seating position to top of seat): 57cm (22.4 inches)
Please also note that although the top slot height does appear to be quite low, the Brio Zento can be used until the tips of the ears/eye level is aligned with the top shell of the seat.

Features:

EPS Foam: The Brio Zento has a great amount (and might I add, rather thick!!!) encasing of EPS Foam around the back and sides.



If you don't know much about EPS Foam and it's benefits, you may find the following threads informative:
http://car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=25317
http://car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=30226


Blow moulded shell:

The Brio Zento has a blow moulded shell (as opposed to a single cell shell) which provides a double wall of plastic and air for enhanced side impact protection.       




Innovative locking clip:

One of the features of the Brio Zento that I found particularly interesting was the "locking clip". Although it appears to look relatively similar in shape and composition to your regular locking clip, it's actually bolted to the frame of the car seat by way of a strap to prevent it becoming a projectile in the event of a motor vehicle collision (was going to say accident but we're not allowed to call them "accidents"! LOL).




Instruction labelling/booklet/DVD/vehicle compatibility list incorporated in to head rest:

Another feature I thought was quite smart was putting a huge label on the underside of the head rest to demonstrate how to use the seat (if of course, you left the manual at home or temporarily misplaced it). In the head rest is an actual POCKET where an instruction/demonstration DVD, instruction booklet and vehicle compatibility list are stored.



The instruction manual is 8 pages (including the front and back page) even with very few pages I found it quite informative.
The DVD was quite interesting, you'd have expected that it would have voice over instructions. However, it did not. Even still I found the visuals quite good and as most people are very visual I think most people could understand the DVD quite easily.
And something you'd almost never see on any seat (though I did get one with my Britax Two Way Elite) is a vehicle compatibility list. Which is as it sounds, a list with a whole lot of vehicles the Brio Zento is compatible with, what a marvellous idea!




**Rear-facing tethers**

I felt the rear-facing tethers section deserved to have its very own post so please read on to the second post in this thread - Thanks!


"Rubber" type backed harness shoulder pads, car seat "heels" and rubberised arm rests:

Pretty self explanatory really. I couldn't say for 100% certainty why the harness shoulder pads are rubber backed but some on here have theorised that this helps keep the harness firmly on the shoulders (much like a chest clip). As I said though, I'm not completely sure why they are "rubber" backed but I will endeavour to get this information for a future update of this review.

**UPDATE** After contacting Brio New Zealand I received this info about the rubber backed shoulder pads:

"...the rubber backed shoulder pads are supposed to help in keeping the harness in better position since rubber has got quite a good grip."



As above, the Brio Zento also has rubberised "heels" and arm rests. I'm not sure if there is a reason behind the "arm rests" being rubberised, however one would assume that the "heels" are rubberised to provide further stability? Hopefully I can get more information on this for a future update.

**UPDATE** After contacting Brio New Zealand I received this info about the rubberised heels and arm rests:

"the rubber blocks on the heel are to prevent the Zento slipping on the vehicle's seat. The armrests however - not really sure if there is a good reason for that - maybe more comfy than just straight plastic that can get a bit sweaty and uncomfortable"




Other features:

For sure there are many other magnificent features, as you can see. The cover is nice and durable, suede, very pleasing to the eye. As of 22.02.2008 available in New Zealand are colours "Gray", "Red", and "Black". If you see anything in the pictures I've yet to explain, please PM me so I can update this review with anything I might have missed!

Red:



Gray:


Photo courtesy of Brio New Zealand

Black:



Please note:Colours of seats in the above pictures may not be "true to life".

Overall impression:

To be honest I am astounded by the attention to detail and quality of this seat, it is by far the best car seat I have had the pleasure of "playing" with let alone owning! Whilst some of the installation can appear to be daunting at first, I believe this is because it's not exactly conventional to what we have available right now so of course anything you're not used to is going to seem completely foreign (which technically it is really!).

The only cons I could think of that it is slightly heavy, especially because of it's thick blow moulded shell. The "upper tether" "hook" looking attachment can be a bit annoying to reconnect to the metal ring at the back of the seat however unless you're constantly switching this seat from RF to FF or repeatedly washing the cover, you're probably not going to care.

I've also yet to try to use it as a belt positioning booster and although it's marvellous to have a seat that can be used for multiple purposes, I feel that I would probably rather use a dedicated booster seat. The reasons for this are a) It's not going to be the only seat you ever need (nor is it even advertised to be) because it's simply just not tall enough to be used as a booster until transition from booster to adult only belt. You're definitely going to need to buy a belt positioning booster after you finish with this seat, but don't let this put you off. b) There's no shoulder belt adjuster? There's nothing to bring the shoulder belt on to the right position on a child, no strap, no guides in the side of the seat, nothing which is another reason I'd personally prefer a dedicated BPB.

**UPDATE** After contacting Brio New Zealand I received the following info about the Brio Zento used as a booster and my above "concerns" about a lack of a "belt positioning strap":

"under the latest ECE standards you are not allowed any loose bits, hence locking clip bolted on and head pillow permanently attached. If the seatbelt does not end up sitting correctly on a child when used as a booster the child is too small to use it a s a booster and should remain in the rearfacing position. To get a better idea as a distributor, I have tried both a 4-year old (weighing 19 kg) and a 5.5 year-old weighing 22kg, and on both of them the seatbelt sat in the perfect place - close to the neck - (not across it) - and close to the body - but not too far out on the shoulder."

Not exactly a con, but rather something I would change is giving it a higher shell. I believe the majority of children with "average" height torsos would most probably get till at least five years of age in this seat. However, children with abnormally high torso's would be fortunate to get till five in this seat. Even so, in my personal opinion this by far supersedes any RF child safety seat available in New Zealand, currently. In the sense that it offers much more longevity for RF children.

So all in all I'm left feeling incredibly impressed and then some. I already own a "Swedish" RF seat (Britax Two Way Elite) which I am still very happy with and when I got that seat it blew me away and when I got my Brio Zento I was even MORE amazed. I wish everyone could have one of these seats!

I hope you've found this review informative thus far.. Cause it's not over yet! Please see "Part 2" of the review in the next post a few below.



Edited by CRS

Katherine wrote: My God, that is fabulous. Bonnie, have I mentioned lately how much we adore you and your safety-conscious brain? Keep 'em coming!!! :)

LOL hello hello! And thank you!!!!!

I still haven't finished yet though.. give me time woman! hehehehe

Brio Zento Review - Part 3

Please note that this information and following pictures are in no way meant to replace those provided by Brio, distributors of Brio, Safe2Go or Child Passenger Safety Technicians. This review is merely meant to inform you of the features of the Brio Zento as well as tips and tricks on installation, it is not a replacement of your user manual.


Rear-facing installation:

Just a note before I start. You can (and it's also common practice in Sweden) install a Brio Zento in the front passenger seat. However, you must never install this seat rear-facing in the front passenger seat where an active air bag is present. Often you can actually tether to the vehicle seat it's sitting on. I, as a Technician believe that the back seat is the best seat for most children in the event of a motor vehicle collision. However, I am also obligated to tell you that you may also install this seat in the front, as instructed in the user manual of the Brio Zento. I also wont be explaining how to use the rear-facing tethers as I have already done this, please refer to the above post on how to tether the Brio Zento when in rear-facing position - Thanks!
There are two ways you can install this seat rear-facing either:

a) with the foot folded up - or




b) with the foot folded out/down




At the bottom of the Brio (where the child's feet would usually rest) there are two holes on either side, this is the belt path for rear-facing:



This isn't too different a belt path for most rear-facing seats out there so it's relatively simple and most people should find this pretty easy.

As below, you feed the seatbelt through one hole, then through the other hole, then you buckle the seat in. Depending on your seatbelt system (whether you're using a lap belt and your latch plate locks, whether your retractor locks or whether your seatbelt locks in emergency only) will depend on whether or not you need to use the provided locking clip for your Brio Zento. I'll explain this more in depth in a future thread. Please note that you would normally put the seatbelt UNDER the cover NOT ABOVE the cover however for the purpose of demonstration only I have shown the seatbelt over the cover so you can see where the seatbelt goes:



If you need to use the provided locking clip, then it will probably look similar to the picture below:



Of course some vehicles with ELR (emergency locking only retractors) and long seatbelt stalks may make it difficult or near impossible for you to install a locking clip. A remedy for this may be twisting the buckle stalk. You may rotate the seatbelt stalk no more then 3, 360 degree rotations. Doing so will shorten the buckle stalk, leaving you more room to install a locking clip by the latch plate. Please see the demonstration in the picture below. This is *not* in the Brio Zento user manual, this is a possible solution offered from myself as a Safe2Go and Child Passenger Safety Technician.




RF installation with foot up:

Installing the Brio Zento with the foot folded up allows the person seated in the seat in front of it to have more leg room. Folding the foot up also allows you to get a better recline angle for infants.







RF installation with foot extended:

When installing the Brio Zento in the rear-facing position with the foot extended so you can give your child more leg room (as well as make the seat more upright) you can have the rubberised hells along the "edge of the front of the vehicle seat" i.e. the heel *just* over the edge. If you have the heels too far back so much so that they're literally "hanging" off the edge then the seat would not sit firmly nor would it provide an adequate and possibly safe installation.

The belt path is the same as in the above posts, the only difference is that you pull out the foot and wait for it to "click" before you try to install the seat.






This is all I've got for now. Over the next day or two I'll add pictures and information on forward-facing installation as well as use of the Brio Zento as a belt positioning booster.

Enjoy!

kebakat wrote: Good god that is alot of information

And I'm not even finished lmao, only one post to go but need to work on it hehe. But then that's me, thorough LOL

I didn't see this review earlier but we got one last week and I love it - just took it down to Taupo.

I'll definitely be hunting this out when the time comes to forward face it.

Cheers!

Even so I would definitely still have a look at it if you can, that is, if you're interested. I'd say for children who have ABNORMALLY tall torsos. You'd still more then likely be able to rear-face in it for some time, at least more then any other seat on the market in New Zealand. Pretty cool seat any way, hope you like the review!

We are tracking above the 75th percentile.
We got a Safe and Sound Royale- I hope that that seat is still a "good" seat.

What a fantastic review Bonnie! Thank you so much for all the detail. I have several questions, and hope you can help.

Our son is nearly one and in a Meridian AHR, which at the time of purchase seemed to be one of the safest seats on the market. He's very happy in it, and we really like it, but only RF to 12 kg (which will be about 15 months). He has just fallen below the 75th centile on height and weight.   

So ...

1. How much leg room is there for the passenger with the Brio installed in the two RF positions?

A major issue for us is legroom - I am 5'7, husband is 6'1. We have big vehicles - a Toyota Landcruiser and a Subaru Legacy wagon, yet find legroom problematic (it was hopeless when he was in a capsule!). Even in the Landcruiser, my husband and father-in-law are pushed for legroom with the AHR behind. We haven't had it in the Legacy yet, but don't expect it to be any better!

2. How does the Brio compare to the AHR for overall safety and protection, setting aside the benefits of RF?

I understand the Swedish T standard expires this month as members of the EU are no longer allowed country specific standards - they all have to use the ECE standard. I believe AS/NZS1754 '5 ticks' is one of the most rigorous standards, as it tests for impact safety in 5 areas (front, rear, side, inverted, genital). The ECE R44.04 standard only tests for impact safety in 2 areas (front, rear impacts). One of the reasons we didn't buy the US Cosco Scenera (RF 16 kg) was that it was tested for front impact only.

3. When RF, are older toddlers/children able to climb up into it themselves? Or do they need to be lifted? (I have a dodgy back ...)

4. One of the benefits of the Brio is supposed to be its ease of transfer between vehicles as no anchor bolt needed. But your description above sounds like it actually still takes a bit of fiddling, so we wouldn't want to be doing it on a daily or weekly basis - is this right?

5. I'd like your suggestions on best solution here:
In the next few weeks we need to buy 2 more seats, one for the in-laws car when they care for him, and one for our Legacy in case of emergency pickups from preschool. (Either that or be swapping all the time which just won't work). We're rural and work in city so most traveling is open road. $$ are tight. I totally get the benefits of extended RF but I'm not convinced the Brio will actually fit, and its a lot of $$$ to part with when our AHR is only 6 months old. I am looking for the best and safest option for 2 more seats that are only for occasional use (1 day a week for 1 and even less for the other). Primary day-to-day seat will be the AHR (or Brio if convinced?!) Your thoughts?

many thanks
Trillian

Thanks for that.
I managed to borrow one and try it in our car and the in-laws, and sadly it's just not going to work - theres just not enough leg room for hubby or FIL to be passengers.
Its a shame, we like the concept, and the style, but its got to fit!   So be it, we'll get another safe n sound for the in laws car.

We're looking at these, they look fantastic. We've got a Ford Territory - is that one of the vehicles it's compatible with?