Help Please - Still Can't Decide Which Seat

[katieinqc]

I have posted before and gotten some opinions, but still can't decide on which seat to get for my big 21-month-old. He is currently 34 pounds (max, clothed and all) and 35+", about 22" of which is seated head height. I made this table to help me decide, but it came out a wash:

*The table doesn't work, so I hope this is understandable*
( RN65/ RNXT/ CA)
Cost +/0/ -
Additional SIP 0/ +/ +
Documented 40lb Limit -/ -/0
Front-to-back room -/ -/0
Shell height 0/0/ +
Harness top slot +/ +/0
Strength +/ +/0

In case any of the above are not clear/self-explanatory:
1) Cost of RN65 is $187 at Hip Monkey, RNXT is $238 at Hip Monkey, CA is $264 at BRU B+M or $280 shipped (unless someone can point me to a BRU 15% coupon I swear I read about).
2) RNXT has EPS headwings and CA has air protect headwings.
3) No documentation showing RN can be RFed to 40 pounds, and can't wait the 3 months people have heard it will take to get ones that have it.
4) RNs take up a huge amount of room RF, will fit in our Sienna but not other cars and will prevent my tall dh from sitting in front passenger seat where the seat will most likely be installed behind.
5) My son has 3-4" left RF in a Radian so could outgrow it RF by height before hitting 40 pounds; CA has 2" taller shell AND can be used to the top, so 3" longer.
6) I believe RN's top slots are about 1" higher than CA's
7) Radians have steel frame and can withstand a collapsed parking structure!

The above are probably listed about in the order of importance for us. So, what do you think you would get if you were me? And why, if you don't mind? Thanks!

[Spam]

Out of those 3, I would go with the XT, mostly because of the steel frame. If you want to give the CA a try, you'd probably get more growing room out of it because it is taller :)

[ookpix]

I LOVE my RN's! (Haven't played with a CA yet... so I am a bit biased towards the RN still right now). Can you not put it in the middle seating position? That has always worked well for me RF. IME I have also been able to get my RN in behind the front seats without much problem - but I have a Grand Caravan, so it's more roomy than most. Have you tried it in your car yet?

[christineka]

Babycatalog.com has the radians on sale. There is a 10 percent off code somewhere.

If you are really looking for a deal you can call diapers.com to pricematch with babycatalog with their 10 percent off coupon plus buy some diapers and use a diapers.com coupon. Not sure what else. I think this is all on babysteals or something like that. (I don't understand it.)

I'd go for whatever. I like radians.

[katieinqc]

Thanks to everyone so far for your input!

I LOVE my RN's! (Haven't played with a CA yet... so I am a bit biased towards the RN still right now). Can you not put it in the middle seating position? That has always worked well for me RF. IME I have also been able to get my RN in behind the front seats without much problem - but I have a Grand Caravan, so it's more roomy than most. Have you tried it in your car yet?

The big guy is soon to be a middle child. When that happens, I was planning to put my FF daughter in the middle of the back and the baby in the middle of the middle (and currently I have my daughter in the middle of the center and my son behind the passenger). I had 2 reasons for this plan, the first being it will be easier to do his harness if he's on the side, and I'll just be able to snap the baby's bucket in the middle. The other reason being the idea of putting the least protected children in the safest positions. But neither one is really a big difference, so you're right I could switch him with the baby if behind the passenger doesn't work. And I haven't tried it yet, just guessing. My husband it pretty tall and, while he fits in front of ds's RF AO, he did ask if he could move the seat back more, so I'm thinking moving it forward at all might not leave enough room for him. But I've also read that people have been more successful with RFing the RNs more upright with the newer foot, so I guess with all that, the front-to-back room of the RN is not too much of a concern. Thanks!