Regent or Radian - please help!!

Z

zayahsmom

Guest
My son is 5years 3months, he is 49lbs and about 44inches. I have had him in a marathon, untill three weeks ago when his shoulders were above the top slots. I own 2 Parkways, but, with the deep wings {that I love and they don't bother my son} he will lean his head out to see the tv in the car. We travel alot so being in the seat safe and keeping him happy really matter. I bought the new Compass B510, its great, but everytime I look back and see him {not in the middle seat} with just a seat belt, I have to stop and pray God will keep him safe. I HAVE to get him a new, bigger seat with a 5 point harness. I have read everything about the Regent and Radian, please tell me what you think the best seat for him would be. Money is no problem, I know the radian is less but that really does not matter, I just want the safest, our major crash last year when a teenager hit our stopped car @ 50+mph made me happy to have spent the money on his Britax seat.
Also, my Odysee does not have a center seat in the second row, but the side seat moves to the center. Is it safe to use the booster in that seat, I tried it and it seems like the booster tips too easy.

Kristy
Mom to Isaiah 10/19/2001 Marathon 10/02-12/06 Compass 12/06-current
Parkway in Grandparents car.
 
ADS

AdventureMom

Senior Community Member

Waterlily

New member
regent

I have both sitting in my foyer and my 3.5 yr old DS has a major preference for the regent (he was REALLY upset when I moved it into another room....he thought I was taking it back...he got all teary and said he liked his new BIG seat lol)
 

scatterbunny

New member
regent

I have both sitting in my foyer and my 3.5 yr old DS has a major preference for the regent (he was REALLY upset when I moved it into another room....he thought I was taking it back...he got all teary and said he liked his new BIG seat lol)

Aww, that's so cute! :D My dd had a Husky (same as Regent, older version) from the age of 2 years, 8 months to 4 years, 3 months and LOOOVVVEED it, too. We sold it and got a smaller harnessed seat but she's about to outgrow that now at 5.5 years old so we're getting the beloved Marina blue Husky again, and we're both ecstatic.

We've owned a ton of seats (6 harnessed seats, 3 booster seats, 1 Britax Laptop--don't know how to classify that one--and another booster seat on the way) and the Husky/Regent is our favorite, by far.
 

granolamama

New member
My 3yo and 6yo both love the Regent, partly because the fabric is soft and they have a place to lay their heads when they want to rest or sleep. They also feel safer in their "harness seats". I think my 6yo is a worrier like me.

I have them installed in the 2nd row captain's chairs of our Odyssey. They are very sturdy and secure, and I feel safe with them in those seats. I don't have a booster in the 2nd row, but I can imagine how that could be tippy if the seat is slid over toward the center, since the shoulder belt comes out of the side of the car instead of the seat. If you installed a Regent there, you might have problems with access to the 3rd row, unless the other captains' chair slides forward a bit to allow access (I can't remember if it does or not).

-Helen
 

canadianmom2three

Active member
FWIW, my DS loves his Radian - he was in a booster for a while, and did NOT want to move back to the seat, I tried him in a couple of others and he said they were all 'baby seats' and thought the Radian was cool like a race car seat (maybe because of the slender profile and low seat). I do think the bulkiness of the regent would make it more comfortable and safer, but having never seen one irl, I'm not sure, and DS is very happy with the Radian, and I am too having him happlily harnessed.
 
V

VaMomThree

Guest
I was looking at the Regent or Radian, but then measured my daughter and she's 50" and 50 lb. Problem is we have a '96 Ford Explorer and three girls. Oldest is almost 11yo, 70 lb, and sits by window on a backless booster with vehicle head rest. Other two girls are twins, so one twin (50" and 50lb also) sits by other window using a Brevarra Contour booster using lap/shoulder belt. That leaves the middle position for the third child. There is no headrest and it's lap belt only so I need a seat with a harness. I am waiting for Ford to call back to see if a tether anchor can be installed for the middle seat. I don't see any way to re-arrange the kids, either. The problem is with the height limit for the middle position.
Radian65 - max height 49"
Radian80 - max height 51"
Regent - up to 53"
Ride Ryte booster w/E-Z-on harness - up to 54"
I am looking into the 86Y harness, but a little doubtful of that product because the site shows a child using it with no support behind his head: http://www.ezonpro.com/products/familyVehicle/86yHarness.shtml

Any other ideas besides $1000 specialty car seats?
Appreciate any/all help.
 

nursekori

New member
We recently installed our new Regent and my dd loves her new "big girl" seat. I sat her in a Radian at a local boutique and it was very narrow for her. I think it is a matter of comfort for the child. The Regent looks like a comfy lazy boy sitting in our back seat. I wish *I* had one for the front! :D The install was a little tricky, but dh and I managed to get it nice and snug. I love that dd has PLENTY of room to grow with the Regent. I just have a love for Britax now that we have one and we are getting ds a BV next month. Just my two cents worth!
 

scatterbunny

New member
I was looking at the Regent or Radian, but then measured my daughter and she's 50" and 50 lb. Problem is we have a '96 Ford Explorer and three girls. Oldest is almost 11yo, 70 lb, and sits by window on a backless booster with vehicle head rest. Other two girls are twins, so one twin (50" and 50lb also) sits by other window using a Brevarra Contour booster using lap/shoulder belt. That leaves the middle position for the third child. There is no headrest and it's lap belt only so I need a seat with a harness. I am waiting for Ford to call back to see if a tether anchor can be installed for the middle seat. I don't see any way to re-arrange the kids, either. The problem is with the height limit for the middle position.
Radian65 - max height 49"
Radian80 - max height 51"
Regent - up to 53"
Ride Ryte booster w/E-Z-on harness - up to 54"
I am looking into the 86Y harness, but a little doubtful of that product because the site shows a child using it with no support behind his head: http://www.ezonpro.com/products/familyVehicle/86yHarness.shtml

Any other ideas besides $1000 specialty car seats?
Appreciate any/all help.

If you can get a tether anchor installed, I'd go with the Ride Ryte/EZOn harness. The Regent will be too wide to fit other carseats/boosters around it. The Radian won't offer enough height room. The Radian 80 is identical to the Radian 65, same top slot height, so kids will outgrow them heightwise around the same time. With the 86Y there needs to be vehicle head support at least to the tips of the ears.

The only other option is to put one child up front.
 

Schwa

New member
To the OP's question--we have both seats, and I doubt your DS would fit in the Radian height-wise (or if he did, it wouldn't be for long). You will have to use the seatbelt (not LATCH, because of DS's weight) to install the Regent, so you will have to put the seat by the door or deal with the belts blocking the 3rd seat access. I am getting ready to do the seatbelt installation instead of LATCH in our Odyssey, and I am comfortable with having DD by the door. The Regent is a big, protective seat that looks like it is built into the captain's chair.

I am not familiar with the Jane Indy booster, so please someone else chime in with more info, but I believe it uses LATCH to secure it to the seat? Can this be used for higher-weight kids? Could this be a solution to keep the poster's son in the middle with a booster?

HTH,
 

scatterbunny

New member
The Jane may or may not fit in a row with two Regents, and the center spot is a lapbelt-only spot, so a booster can't go there.

A 1996 vehicle does not have LATCH.
 

canadianmom2three

Active member
FWIW the Radian has changed their height limits somewhat, so that the child can continue to use the seat even if their shoulders exceed the top slots, as long as their ears are still below the seatback, or up to a maximum height of 52" I believe, which is not too too much if the child is already 50", but from what I have heard it does take a long time to grow 2" in torso, and the radian is so narrow it would fit nicely in the middle...

Oops just double checked sk - it is 51" not 52.....probably not enough for the 50" child...
 
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V

VaMomThree

Guest
VaMomThree back again! I'm going to go with the Ride Ryte car seat with either the E-Z-On Kid Y Harness or 86Y harness. Am finding it hard to locate. ShowerYourBaby.com does not appear to have the 86Y. Ebay Store has both harnesses but out of full back Ride Ryte. E-Z-On Pro's local distributors haven't responded to emails.
Anyway, my next question is, now I need to figure out what will work in our other vehicle - 2002 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab. Appears they provide an anchor strap and ring behind the top of all 3 back seat positions. I'm guessing I can move the top-tethered Ride Ryte from middle back seat position of my '96 Ford Explorer and tether it to the provided ring in the middle back position of the Dakota. Will it be that easy or should I get a harness for each vehicle? I'm thinking I'd have to adjust the tether each time I move the seat to the other vehicle, which we do between 1-4 times/month.
 

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