Bigger Kids in Radian

tl01 · Nov 1, 2009

How do bigger kids who are FFing usually feel about the depth of the seat? Do they find that it isn't deep enough to provide support once the child is using the last harness slot... or close to outgrowing the seat?

unityco · Nov 1, 2009

DS's at the end of the Radian right now, and I would guess that he still finds it more comfortable than his Nautilus (he complains about his legs falling asleep on long trips in the Nauti.) Granted, DS is young and so perhaps his limb-to-height ratio is a bit off (meaning his legs may not be as long as an older child his height,) but I think he has plenty of thigh support. :twocents:

*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue* · Nov 1, 2009

When Michael was close to outgrowing it, he said it made his legs hurt and it was too smooshy(Small).

Logan is teeny for an almost 5 year old and says it is not comfy and likes his Graco Nautilus better.

ketchupqueen · Nov 1, 2009

My daughter has long legs and when she was FF she complained of her legs hurting and "tingling", or put them up on the seat in front of her.

Of course, now with the higher weight limits, she can RF again and her legs don't fall asleep any more.

WhatAboutPuppy · Nov 1, 2009

I've only asked general questions to DSS1 who is like on his way out of the seat height wise. He says it's more comfortable than his frontier (well, once we solved the problem of the nasty mesh shoulder comfort pads that he didn't like on the radian). I just posted a pic of him in it in another threadhttp://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=103669 It's not the best but he sits pretty low in it, he's probably got about 2 inches below his feet to the ground in the Element and his knees seem to come right to the end of the seat (almost perfect). He says his bottom is very comfortable in it. Fell asleep last night and his head didn't move... This was without the recline piece extended too. With the large chest clip I noticed it's at a much better space at each side of his neck than in the Frontier.

ketchupqueen · Nov 2, 2009

Wow, I guess my daughter's legs are longer than his!

Hers hang about 1.25-1.5 inches over the edge (space between edge and back of her knee.)

WhatAboutPuppy · Nov 2, 2009

ketchupqueen said:
Wow, I guess my daughter's legs are longer than his! Hers hang about 1.25-1.5 inches over the edge (space between edge and back of her knee.)

he's only road in it a couple of times but like last night... I asked him how he liked it, he said it was more comfortable than "his" seat (frontier) and then with 10 minutes had fallen asleep. lol Sooo... yeah. I also noticed he didn't prop his feet up on the seat in front of him like he usually always does... he road in it while we ran errands today.

monstah · Nov 2, 2009

My DS is on the verge of outgrowing it and he finds it very comfy. He always picked it over his GN. (When we had one.)

joolsplus3 · Nov 2, 2009

That wasn't on the list off DD1's complaints about our RN, the leg support was plenty deep for comfort (comes to the front edge of our captain's chair, actually...) http://picasaweb.google.com/joolstag/LeahInCarseats#5356813923758656946

skipspin · Nov 2, 2009

My 6.5 yr old loves her Radian. She sits in the middle so she sometimes puts her feet on the back of the center consul, but she has been known to choose her RN over her Parkway when given the choice.
(She's 44ish in tall and 48 lbs or so- still has planty of room height wise.) She fits in it about like Julie's Bitsy in that photo, but with shorter legs.

Morganthe · Nov 2, 2009

DD was just over 48" when she outgrew it in August. Comfy to the end until her shoulders were over the harness slots. Then the straps pressed down too much and it bothered her.

She never rf'd in it & never had any problems with leg pain while sitting. :shrug-shoulders:
For sleeping, it helped when I used the head pad from the "princess" cover set. She'd just lean her head & fall asleep. (Otherwise, she'd wake herself up with painful head bobbing)
Since I tied the pad to the Safe stop holder loop, she'd just flip it back for normal riding.

I miss the darned thing for travel & rental cars. :crying: Next year, I'll have to deal with a booster seat instead. (sigh)

Jeanum · Nov 2, 2009

Our experience with the Radian has been similar to previous posters. DD1 liked her Radians and nary a complaint about leg comfort or lack thereof, but she did protest when her shoulders were taller than the top shoulder harness slots. She used a Radian 65 FF for about six months, then a Radian 80 FF for another 6 months to a year, until she maxed out the top slots with her shoulders. Then she complained her shoulders were uncomfortable and we switched back to her Regent in DH's car. She was about 6.5 years old, approx. 48-50" and around 48-50 lbs. at the time. DD2 also has used the Radian 80 FF only, and hasn't complained about comfort. She's using the top slots and has another year or two of growing room heightwise before her shoulders go above the top slots, I'd say, based on how she currently fits and how her stats are pretty similar to DD1's at comparable ages.

Jan06twinmom · Nov 2, 2009

My DS expressed a preference for the Radian over the Britax Decathlon when he was just about 4 years old. He still likes the seat and doesn't complain about how it fits him. He's on the last harness slot with maybe an in of torso growning room at 4 years and 10 months old. He's about 51lbs and 46in tall.

Melanie

christineka · Nov 2, 2009

Sorry, my ds just hates being harnessed in general. He doesn't complain about his legs, but then he never did in any other seat either. He complains about the harness and the chest clip. (He has the new one, so I'm sure he'd complain about any chest clip.)

tiggercat · Nov 2, 2009

Megan is 4, and in the top slots, and she seems to be fine for leg support. She is pretty young though, and is more torso than legs.

kandamom · Nov 2, 2009

tl01 said:
How do bigger kids who are FFing usually feel about the depth of the seat? Do they find that it isn't deep enough to provide support once the child is using the last harness slot... or close to outgrowing the seat?

We bought a radian65 for DS2 this summer. DS1 is (now) just a little above the top slots when the seat is installed ff. There was one occasion when I wanted/needed ds1 to use the radian. The edge of the seat only came halfway to his knees, if even that far. There is no way ds1 was going to sit in that seat. In comparison, the frontier and regent have plenty of leg support for him. (DS1 seems to be a leggy child, though, since he typically outgrows the seat depth long before the harness or booster height.) I'm pretty sure he would have been perfectly comfortable in the radian until at least age 5 or so, and it seems deeper and more supportive than our marathon when used ff.

canadianmom2three · Nov 2, 2009

DS rode in it until he was about an inch over the top slots and 60lbs. He prefered it to the parkway we got him to replace it. We squeezed him back in it for 2 long trips after we had gotten the parkway, and he was happy to have it back. We had tried the nautilus (he hated it - couldn't define why) and the apex (I hated it).

Here is a pic of his legs when he was done in it at 6 years and about 60lbs. He rode in it a couple more times for long drives (one was 24 hour one way drive to FLA) and he was happy. He would cross his legs or just let them dangle.

Here were his shoulders at the same time - they were actually over the slots when it was installed

BookMama · Nov 2, 2009

My 8.5YO DS is in a Radian in both of our cars (for ease of 3-across buckling). He's about 49" and 49 lbs., and his shoulders are about 1/2" above the top slots. He's quite leggy, but he loves the Radian - says it's very comfortable. He also has plenty of shoulder room. This summer, when he had his choice of Regent, Radian or Nautilus, he nearly always chose the Radian.

3plus2isme · Nov 2, 2009

BookMama said:
My 8.5YO DS is in a Radian in both of our cars (for ease of 3-across buckling). He's about 49" and 49 lbs., and his shoulders are about 1/2" above the top slots. He's quite leggy, but he loves the Radian - says it's very comfortable. He also has plenty of shoulder room. This summer, when he had his choice of Regent, Radian or Nautilus, he nearly always chose the Radian.

Ditto this besides the stats. He loves, loves, loves this radian. We use it for (soon to be) ease of 3 across but also because he hearts it so much.
He's about 1/2" below the top slots.

emandbri · Nov 2, 2009

Benjamin hasn't complained about it, but I'm sure if I asked him he would say the booster is more comfortable but that is just because he wants to move to a booster.

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