Thanks for the Great Info - I've settled on Radian and Regent

I registered mainly so I could post a BIG thank all the folks who post helpful information on this site. THANK YOU!!

I wish I had discovered this site earlier! I'm expecting #2 and it is getting harder for me to lift DS (2 yrs. 8 months 32 lbs.) and put him into his Roundabout because of the elevated platform and the higher minivan (Odyssey) seats. (Or it may be because I am just weak!) So I started thinking about getting him one of those platformless car seat-convert-to-booster seat options - the first that caught my eye was the Safeguard Go. After reading all that I can here over the past week I've decided we want the Regent and the Radian. The Regent is my first choice because it looks so roomy and DH and I want to keep DS in a 5 point harness as long as possible. But we love to travel and I'm bummed we can't fly with the Regent. So the Radian will be our spare - either for the Saturn or for trips. It does seem very extravagent to have a second when we really only use the Odyssey when we need to transport DS, but I need a car seat that is FAA approved!

Anyway, my next quest is to find an online store that actually carries it as we're in a small town -- no store around here carries higher end brands -- and every online store I've checked so far is backordered on the granite Radian 65. If I can't find a store in the next day or so I'll probably go with Target -- I just don't feel up to waiting weeks! I don't understand what happened; how did Sunshine Kids get so behind on the orders?

Like the Regent, I think there's been a huge uptick in sales of higher weight limit harnessed seats in general, spurred by the whole Kyle Miller YouTube tribute video. There's a sticky thread about the video in the Coffee Break forum and a link to the video if you're curious. Have some tissues handy if you watch the video because it's a real tear jerker.

Scotch said:

Anyway, my next quest is to find an online store that actually carries it as we're in a small town -- no store around here carries higher end brands -- and every online store I've checked so far is backordered on the granite Radian 65. If I can't find a store in the next day or so I'll probably go with Target -- I just don't feel up to waiting weeks! I don't understand what happened; how did Sunshine Kids get so behind on the orders?

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Here's one
http://carseats.babycatalog.com/infant-to-toddler-convertible-car-seats/radian-car-seat/radian.html
hope that helps!

We got a Husky (same as Regent) for my dd when she was 2.5, 38 inches tall and 33 pounds. It was an awesome seat. We only got rid of it due to a new vehicle incompatibility, but we'll be getting her a Regent soon!

Don't think of buying an extra seat as extravagant at all--it's so nice to have more than one. There's so many times spare seats have come in handy for me. MOstly transporting dd's friends, because their parents do not transport them safely, so don't send boosters or carseats when they ride with us. But also because dh's vehicle is smaller (a single cab pickup) and fitting a seat like the Husky/Regent in there along with dh and myself would be almost impossible.

I only have one child and right now we have 3 seats she uses.

I checked that Babycatalog site -- called them and I was told it was backordered and they don't know when they'll get a shipment. I went down the list of all authorized online dealers on Sunshine Kids' site several times the past few days and finally found a place! Go-baby.com just got a shipment yesterday and had my granite color in stock. $199 plus free shipping. I was told it will ship today. I am a happy camper as we'll get this in time for our upcoming winter trip to Florida -- we're flying out on December 16.

Now I've got to find the onyx color Regent. I've looked at several sites now and they are all saying it'll be instock in January! Ugh. I'll have to spend more time tonight and see if I can track one down sooner than that. Otherwise now that I have the Radian I can wait a bit for the Regent.

I finally did get around to viewing that YouTube clip last night. I was in tears. I must say after I thought about it awhile I'm not sure having a 5 point harness would have necessarily helped that poor boy in that instant -- wouldn't the carseat have come loose anyway? And if the impact was so hard with the flip that he flew out car wouldn't the carseat have followed him? That aside, there is no question in my mind that having a 5 point harness in a securely installed carseat for DS is preferrable to having a regular lap/shoulder belt with a booster for DS.

scatterbunny said:

I only have one child and right now we have 3 seats she uses.

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Wow! I feel better. By the time my #2 is old enough I'm sure we'll end up having 4 seats for the two of them with two FAA approved.

Re: Kyle video/5-point harnessing

Scotch said:

I finally did get around to viewing that YouTube clip last night. I was in tears. I must say after I thought about it awhile I'm not sure having a 5 point harness would have necessarily helped that poor boy in that instant -- wouldn't the carseat have come loose anyway? And if the impact was so hard with the flip that he flew out car wouldn't the carseat have followed him? That aside, there is no question in my mind that having a 5 point harness in a securely installed carseat for DS is preferrable to having a regular lap/shoulder belt with a booster for DS.

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Yes, it certainly does appear to have been an issue of a rare seat-belt malfunction, and not a car seat issue. However, keeping young kids in a 5-point harness longer is certainly a good thing, regardless. I have a Regent for my big 3yo, and wish I had one for my 6yo as well. Also, in a bizarre twist of fate, there was another similar accident at the same intersection as the Kyle accident, and a harnessed child was ejected from the car still in her car seat, and didn't sustain any major injuries. Was it because she was in the car seat still, or just really good luck, or a combination of the two?

-Helen

I think the other accident you're referring to at the same intersection involved a younger child/infant in an infant seat, and thus probably more protected by the infant seat harness system and shell.

It sounds to me like that particular intersection needs to have some safety improvements made, like a four way traffic light and/or decreased speed limit, yikes.

I just got my Radian 65 in Granite - took only 1 DAY! If you call babyant they will take a phone order and ship it from the store - it's out of stock online - but not in the STORE! (It will cost a bit more - b/c they don't have free shipping -but they ship asap!)

Here is the number: 866-609-0410

and the website: http://www.babyant.com/

I just got my granite Radian 65 from www.Healthchecksystems.com It took 5 days from order until arrival, $189.95 including shipping.

Their phone number, in case you would like to verify that they are in stock, is 888-337-4684, or direct to the store is 718-339-6212.