RN vs RN XT?

Are there any differences between the seats other than the headwings? Do they install the same? Thanks

Sort of. lol.
The three radian models currently being produced are the 65SL, 80SL and XTSL.

The 65SL has a 40 lb RFing limit, and 65 lb FFing limit.
The 80SL has a 45 ln RFing limit, and 80 lb FFing limit
The XTSL has limits the same as the 80SL, but also has the headwings.

All have the same shell and harness slot heights and install the same. Realistically, the seat will be outgrown by height by about 65 pounds, except in shorter-torsoed heavy/solid kids, so the 65/80 thing may or may not be valuable. The 40 versus 45 RFing limit -again, depending on build of the child..some kids might height out by 40 pounds anyway, so the extra 5 pounds may or may not be valuable.
The headwings are headwings. there are some crash tests that show they really protect well in straight-on side impacts. As to real-world protection? We can't know for sure.

Does that help?

Yes that does help! Thanks. Are there any install differences? I feel like I heard the XT (not the XT SL) was easier to install but I could be wrong.

no, they are all the exact same seat, shell, etc, they all install exactly the same.

you 8might* be remembering that when they first came out, the XT had a slightly different foot and bottom grippy stuff, which did make the install different for some people, but now, all the radians have the "new style" foot, so they're all the same.

Thanks!

bobandjess99 said:

no, they are all the exact same seat, shell, etc, they all install exactly the same.

you 8might* be remembering that when they first came out, the XT had a slightly different foot and bottom grippy stuff, which did make the install different for some people, but now, all the radians have the "new style" foot, so they're all the same.

Click to expand...

All seats made September 2008 and newer have the new foot and grippy stuff, not just the XTs.

So you know how the SL is Super LATCH? What does that mean, exactly? Is there an actual difference in the LATCH or is it just that it can hold up to 45 lbs now RFing?

Pixels said:

All seats made September 2008 and newer have the new foot and grippy stuff, not just the XTs.

Click to expand...

Hence my statement that "but now, all the radians have the "new style" foot, so they're all the same"

Chex said:

So you know how the SL is Super LATCH? What does that mean, exactly? Is there an actual difference in the LATCH or is it just that it can hold up to 45 lbs now RFing?

Click to expand...

Superlatch means that the latch is rated up to the full 80 pounds limit of the seat(or 65 , for the 65sl). Which means in new cars made after??(crap...fall 2005? i forget the exact date, I'm still half-sleep), you can supposedly use the LATCH to instal the seat all the way up to 80 pounds, and NEVER have to use the seat belt to install. Yes, the latch is different, it is a big honking new super-reinforced latch strap and connector.

So even if the vehicle manufacturer says to only use LATCH up to 40 lbs, you can continue to use it to 80 w/one of these seats?

The LATCH on the seat itself was changed. The connectors are different, and look like they are much heavier-duty. The strap is a different color, though I didn't pay enough attention to see if it's different, or just the color.

The LATCH standard for vehicles changed in September 2005. Vehicles manufactured after 9/1/05 must meet the new standard, which Sunshine Kids says is good enough to hold their seat with an 80 pound child. Note that it's the vehicle's date of manufacture, not model year. Most 2005 model year vehicles and many 2006 MY vehicles would have been manufactured by then, and you have to follow your vehicle's LATCH weight limit (usually 40 or 48 pounds).

Chex said:

So even if the vehicle manufacturer says to only use LATCH up to 40 lbs, you can continue to use it to 80 w/one of these seats?

Click to expand...

Welll....that's quite the controversy now, isn't it?
SK says yes.
We had some big discussions about it not long ago whe the SL came out. There are some blog entries specifically on it as well, if you want to go back and read.
It's basically pitting carseat manufacturer against vehicle manufacturer.
SK claims you can use it regardless of what the vehicle manufacturer claims, because the new latch pull standard as of 9/1/05 (thanks pixels, couldn't pull that date out of my behind this morning, lol!) is strong enough to hold 80 pounds, and their new latch webbing and connectors can hold it, so it'll hold.
The problem is....none of the car vehicle manufacturers have updated THEIR rules/manuals, etc...so...ya...?
I believe one of the blog entiries speculates that this might force auto manufacturers to FINALLY do some updating and standardizing to the LATCH systems, but who knows?

Would i personally be comfortable with an 80 pound child in an SL seat using latch? eh..not sure, honestly. for me perosnally, (and for most parents) it's a moot point, since my kids will outgrow the radians by height..probably by or not long after the previous 48 pound standard (dd might make it all the way to 50-53ish, she's solid). i think that is currently in the realm of "parental choice" in terms of who to ignore, the vehicle or carseat manufacturer.

Thanks, bobandjess. Since our cars are newer than that, I'll probably use LATCH above the 40/48 lbs if we ever get to that. I don't think we'll near 80, but we'll most definitely use the seats over 40 lbs. (My kids are tanks.)