In need of help deciding on convertible car seat

BellasMom · Feb 18, 2010

Hi Everyone...I have been reading so many postings and doing so much research my head is going to explode...as of right now its is almost 3 am and I can't sleep with all the questions floating through my head and I need to buy a seat soon before I drive myself crazy...so here are my thoughts...I really like the reviews for the First Years True Fit and the Sunshine Radian XL...I'm in Canada and so far haven't been able to find the older model of the TF online or in stores but I'm going to check Zellers tomorrow...TRU is releasing the new one April 2/10 so I could try and wait for it I guess but not sure how much longer we have...My daughter is on the bigger side about 21 lbs and 10 months old although she has been this weight for about 3 months now and just getting taller...currently she is almost 29" and we have the Graco infant seat that goes up to 32lbs and 32" but right now with her winter coat on the straps are pretty tight...she is our first child so I know there will be more however I figure if I'm getting a seat that goes up to 65lbs then it may expire before she is done with it and then her sibblings wouldn't get to use it anyways...we currently only have one vehicle a 2005 Buick Rendezvous so if anyone has any comments on the Radian XL and TF installed RF in this vehicle that would be greatly appreciated as it appears I will probably have to order them online as I can't find them in any store local to me or at least the Radian isn't ...I'm sure the new TF will be at TRU in april when its released...so I understand that the TF is deaper and wider and more spacious which is good considering my daughter is on the bigger side but on the other hand the Radian even though its skinnier goes up to 45lbs and has a taller shell ? not sure on the difference in the height limits on both of these...well I would appreciate any help you could give me so that I can go back to getting a good nights rest as I need it with my daughter running around...thanks

Lauren

Evolily · Feb 18, 2010

Well, first, take off the bulky winter coat! It's not safe, and in an accident will compress and could lead to partial or full ejection from the seat. Instead you can put her in a polar fleece jacket or polar fleece snow suit :thumbsup: . Since she is still in the infant seat, you can also buy a shower cap style cover for the seat as well as put a blanket over her harness straps. I would actually suggest keeping her in the infant seat until winter is over, as it will allow you to transport her back and forth from the car without bundling her up.

She will outgrow the snugride 32 when she reaches the weight limit OR has less than one inch of shell above her head. My guess is she has many months before that happens :thumbsup: . The key difference between the radian and the true fit is the rear facing weight limit. Although they have different shell heights, it would take a very tall and slender child to outgrow the true fit before the radian. This is because the radian, depending on model, will last 5-10 lbs longer than the true fit.

I would also look at the my ride and complete air- just so you can have a clear picture of what is on the market. I am guessing, though, that she has a great deal of time in her current seat, so I wouldn't rush to buy a new one just yet.

armywife12 · Feb 18, 2010

I have no idea how either seat will work in your vehicle but I have both of those seats and, personally, I prefer the Radian but mainly because my son needs the extra weight limit. If the True fit RF to 40lbs, it might be a differenct story. I think the True Fit is easier to install for first time installers but the Radian isn't bad once you know the tricks needed to install it in your specific vehicle. My first install took at least 30 minutes but took days to really master it. Now I can get it installed rock solid in less than 10 minutes. It just takes more time to learn the quirks of the seat I think. My son is quite large (have to update siggy a tiny bit), he is now 30 months old, close to 39 inches tall and 37lbs clothed. His torso is right around 15 inches now and he fits like a glove in the Radian even with it being a more narrow (or narrower? lol) seat than the True Fit. Both offer ample leg room for growing children and the shells are very similar in height. My son has at least 4 inches of shell above his head in both seats.
My son was 24lbs at 9 months old but stayed 24lbs until just after his first birthday. He seems to gain a lot of weight in spurts instead of gradually over time. He hit 35lbs at 25 months old so he was no longer able to RF in his True Fit. Since the XTSL RF to 45lbs, he will be able to RF for at least another year. It sounds like you might need a seat that RF to at least 40lbs so I would either go with the MyRide, Complete Air or Radians. We also have a Graco MyRide (see pic in siggy...pic a few months old) that my tall son still fits in but would likely outgrow around RF around 3 yrs old and outgrow FF around 4.5-5 yrs old. Caleb has about 2.5 inches of shell above his head in the MyRide now. If I was on my computer, I would show you comparison pics of my son in all three seats (Radian, True Fit, Myride) but I'm on vacation right now and won't be at my computer for a couple of weeks. I can see if I can find some on my online accounts though if you would like.

ETA: I agree with the PP about the winter coat. If it is causing you to loosen the harness then it is too thick and not safe to use in the seat. A good test to tell whether it is too thick or not is to put the baby in the seat with the jacket and tighten the harness lik you normally would. Then take baby out of the seat, take off the jacket, and put baby back in seat. Buckle baby in and see how loose the harness becomes. If it still isn't nice and snug around baby it isn't safe to be worn in the car seat. A thin fleece is best.

BellasMom · Feb 18, 2010

thanks for the info...actually we are already transporting her to and from the car without taking the seat out of the car that is why she has been bundled just because even thought the seat fits up to 32lbs when she hit the 20lbs mark and I'm short (5'3") it got to be too difficult for me to carry her in the big seat and I injured my back...The jacket is not super bulky but it is bulkier than a sweater...I've been contemplating putting her in a sweater instead and just making sure I warm the car up first...I cant use a car seat cover as she would freak out right now being confined and winter is almost over for us...my husband and I originally had bought a safety first travel system and playpen however it got recalled and now he is against safety first all together...the my ride I've heard has such a natural recline it can be hard to install in a rigid seat FF and that most older children dont like to be so reclined...I had considered them but I think I've already crossed them off my list...plus I hear the safety first air one is so big that its really hard to put in RF in most vehilces

BellasMom · Feb 18, 2010

armywife12 said:
I have no idea how either seat will work in your vehicle but I have both of those seats and, personally, I prefer the Radian but mainly because my son needs the extra weight limit. If the True fit RF to 40lbs, it might be a differenct story. I think the True Fit is easier to install for first time installers but the Radian isn't bad once you know the tricks needed to install it in your specific vehicle. My first install took at least 30 minutes but took days to really master it. Now I can get it installed rock solid in less than 10 minutes. It just takes more time to learn the quirks of the seat I think. My son is quite large (have to update siggy a tiny bit), he is now 30 months old, close to 39 inches tall and 37lbs clothed. His torso is right around 15 inches now and he fits like a glove in the Radian even with it being a more narrow (or narrower? lol) seat than the True Fit. Both offer ample leg room for growing children and the shells are very similar in height. My son has at least 4 inches of shell above his head in both seats.
My son was 24lbs at 9 months old but stayed 24lbs until just after his first birthday. He seems to gain a lot of weight in spurts instead of gradually over time. He hit 35lbs at 25 months old so he was no longer able to RF in his True Fit. Since the XTSL RF to 45lbs, he will be able to RF for at least another year. It sounds like you might need a seat that RF to at least 40lbs so I would either go with the MyRide, Complete Air or Radians. We also have a Graco MyRide (see pic in siggy...pic a few months old) that my tall son still fits in but would likely outgrow around RF around 3 yrs old and outgrow FF around 4.5-5 yrs old. Caleb has about 2.5 inches of shell above his head in the MyRide now. If I was on my computer, I would show you comparison pics of my son in all three seats (Radian, True Fit, Myride) but I'm on vacation right now and won't be at my computer for a couple of weeks. I can see if I can find some on my online accounts though if you would like.

ETA: I agree with the PP about the winter coat. If it is causing you to loosen the harness then it is too thick and not safe to use in the seat. A good test to tell whether it is too thick or not is to put the baby in the seat with the jacket and tighten the harness lik you normally would. Then take baby out of the seat, take off the jacket, and put baby back in seat. Buckle baby in and see how loose the harness becomes. If it still isn't nice and snug around baby it isn't safe to be worn in the car seat. A thin fleece is best.

pics would be great but dont go out of your way...enjoy your vacation

featherhead · Feb 18, 2010

BellasMom said:
thanks for the info...actually we are already transporting her to and from the car without taking the seat out of the car that is why she has been bundled just because even thought the seat fits up to 32lbs when she hit the 20lbs mark and I'm short (5'3") it got to be too difficult for me to carry her in the big seat and I injured my back...The jacket is not super bulky but it is bulkier than a sweater...I've been contemplating putting her in a sweater instead and just making sure I warm the car up first...I cant use a car seat cover as she would freak out right now being confined and winter is almost over for us...my husband and I originally had bought a safety first travel system and playpen however it got recalled and now he is against safety first all together...the my ride I've heard has such a natural recline it can be hard to install in a rigid seat FF and that most older children dont like to be so reclined...I had considered them but I think I've already crossed them off my list...plus I hear the safety first air one is so big that its really hard to put in RF in most vehilces

About the jacket... I admit to loosening the harness a little to allow room for a jacket. But, I make sure it is not a big, bulky, puffy jacket, and I also make sure to flatten out the jacket as much as possible, and tighten the straps as much as possible.

Anyway, top seats on my list right now for rear-facing are the MyRide and the Radians. To me, it doesn't matter what the MyRide is like for forward-facing, because I plan to keep my kids rear-facing for a long time yet. If I don't like it for forward-facing when the time comes (I hope my kids are at least 4 by that time) I will sell it and buy a different seat for forward-facing. That said, I still prefer my Radian to the MyRide. If you can either find a store that sells the Radian and will allow you to test install it, or find someone who owns a Radian in your area, I would suggest trying it out first.

Can you tell us whereabouts you live? There may be a tech or another member in your area that could help you out.

BellasMom · Feb 18, 2010

featherhead said:
about the jacket... I admit to loosening the harness a little to allow room for a jacket. But, i make sure it is not a big, bulky, puffy jacket, and i also make sure to flatten out the jacket as much as possible, and tighten the straps as much as possible.

Anyway, top seats on my list right now for rear-facing are the myride and the radians. To me, it doesn't matter what the myride is like for forward-facing, because i plan to keep my kids rear-facing for a long time yet. If i don't like it for forward-facing when the time comes (i hope my kids are at least 4 by that time) i will sell it and buy a different seat for forward-facing. That said, i still prefer my radian to the myride. If you can either find a store that sells the radian and will allow you to test install it, or find someone who owns a radian in your area, i would suggest trying it out first.

Can you tell us whereabouts you live? There may be a tech or another member in your area that could help you out.

i'm from st catharines, on ... Near niagara falls

cookie123 · Feb 18, 2010

About the coat in the carseat - check out this video! It shows why it's not safe and alternatives.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM1LJaOIu34"]YouTube- Snowsuits/Winter Coats and Carseats[/ame]

BellasMom · Feb 18, 2010

featherhead said:
About the jacket... I admit to loosening the harness a little to allow room for a jacket. But, I make sure it is not a big, bulky, puffy jacket, and I also make sure to flatten out the jacket as much as possible, and tighten the straps as much as possible.

Anyway, top seats on my list right now for rear-facing are the MyRide and the Radians. To me, it doesn't matter what the MyRide is like for forward-facing, because I plan to keep my kids rear-facing for a long time yet. If I don't like it for forward-facing when the time comes (I hope my kids are at least 4 by that time) I will sell it and buy a different seat for forward-facing. That said, I still prefer my Radian to the MyRide. If you can either find a store that sells the Radian and will allow you to test install it, or find someone who owns a Radian in your area, I would suggest trying it out first.

Can you tell us whereabouts you live? There may be a tech or another member in your area that could help you out.

My Daughter Bella is the same as your youngest daughter she was born April 21/09 and is 20lbs...I notice you have her in the My Ride ?

featherhead · Feb 18, 2010

BellasMom said:
My Daughter Bella is the same as your youngest daughter she was born April 21/09 and is 20lbs...I notice you have her in the My Ride ?

Yup, I do. It's a great seat, but still not my favorite. Kezi fits in it quite nice, especially with the extra padding. It also installs very easily. I really don't like the harness adjuster though. For me it is almost impossible to tighten when I have the straps done up. I much prefer the Radian harness adjuster. I hope to soon be buying a Radian XT, so both my girls will be in Radians. I don't think you could go wrong with either seat. But if you can check them out before hand, you may find that you absolutely can't stand something about a certain seat.

I know we have some people in southern Ontario. In the Canadian forum there is a list of all the techs, you could check there. If I lived closer I'd let you try my Radian, but I'm in southern Manitoba.

BellasMom · Feb 18, 2010

featherhead said:
Yup, I do. It's a great seat, but still not my favorite. Kezi fits in it quite nice, especially with the extra padding. It also installs very easily. I really don't like the harness adjuster though. For me it is almost impossible to tighten when I have the straps done up. I much prefer the Radian harness adjuster. I hope to soon be buying a Radian XT, so both my girls will be in Radians. I don't think you could go wrong with either seat. But if you can check them out before hand, you may find that you absolutely can't stand something about a certain seat.

I know we have some people in southern Ontario. In the Canadian forum there is a list of all the techs, you could check there. If I lived closer I'd let you try my Radian, but I'm in southern Manitoba.

Thanks for the offer...unfortunately my options for the true fit and radian is only online...i can get the snug ride from walmart and they told me they have a 3 month return policy so I could try that one out before I buy it ... the new true fit is coming to toys r us in April so I could order it and return it at the store if it didn't work but unfortunately the Radian which is the one I really want I can't find a local store that carries them and even on the website there is nothing within 200 miles of my postal code

what vehicles do you have the radians installed in ?

armywife12 · Feb 18, 2010

MyRide FF (29 months old and stats in siggy)

True Fit FF (29 months old and stats in siggy)

Radian FF (30 months old and updated stats are 39 inches tall, 37lbs and 14.75-15 inch torso)
View attachment 6500

MyRide RF ( 28 months old and stats about the same in siggy)

True Fit RF (28 months old and stats about the same in siggy)

Radian RF (29 months old and stats same as siggy)

HTH

featherhead · Feb 18, 2010

BellasMom said:
Thanks for the offer...unfortunately my options for the true fit and radian is only online...i can get the snug ride from walmart and they told me they have a 3 month return policy so I could try that one out before I buy it ... the new true fit is coming to toys r us in April so I could order it and return it at the store if it didn't work but unfortunately the Radian which is the one I really want I can't find a local store that carries them and even on the website there is nothing within 200 miles of my postal code

what vehicles do you have the radians installed in ?

did you mean MyRide? I don't think you should have any problems installation wise. It is a very easy seat. Just the harness adjuster that bugs me.

I have a 2003 Chevy Malibu. The Radian installs very well. We do have a Radian successful install thread where you could search for your vehicle. What are the seats like? Are they sloped down toward the seat back at all? If they are you are more likely to be able to get an upright install with the Radian.

BellasMom · Feb 18, 2010

it seems like from the pics that your son has the most leg room in the my ride ? the my ride has to be rethreaded to adjust the shoulder straps right ? I know the true fit doesn't need to be rethread but what about the radian ?

I've also looked in the threads and there is not really anything that would help me with a Rendezvous install ...if you know different let me know or paste the link for me thanks

armywife12 · Feb 18, 2010

BellasMom said:
it seems like from the pics that your son has the most leg room in the my ride ? the my ride has to be rethreaded to adjust the shoulder straps right ? I know the true fit doesn't need to be rethread but what about the radian ?

I've also looked in the threads and there is not really anything that would help me with a Rendezvous install ...if you know different let me know or paste the link for me thanks

You're not the first to say this but that was when they were looking at only the True Fit and MyRide. Out of the 3, he has much more room in the Radian. Between the MyRide and True fit, it is really close and since it is so close it is nothing I would really worry about and definitely wouldn't be a decided factor for me. I've measured the seat depth of both seats but can't remember what I measured lol. You could find that information on the convertible car seat measurement spreadshee though.
The MyRide and Radians both need to be rethreaded. I find the MyRide easier to rethread than the Radian but that is because the Radian harness seems more stiff and thick, which I feel is better so it doesn't bother me all that much.

I have no idea how any of these seats install in a Rendezvouz but hopefully someone will.

DahliaRW · Feb 19, 2010

FWIW, the Complete Air takes up less room front to back than the radian in most vehicles.

BellasMom · Feb 19, 2010

I guess I just dont want to get something that isn't going to fit as well and then be tempted to turn her FF before I have to just so someone can comfortably sit in the front passenger seat

emandbri · Feb 19, 2010

Is she close to moving to the next slots?

I had problems with my dd fitting in her safe seat (same as the snugride 32). She was 8 months and very chunky and the straps seemed too short. When I moved the straps up the straps were long enough.

Here is the thread
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=13558&highlight=safe+seat

Here is a picture of her in it.
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=11625&highlight=elizabeth

She fit in it until around 18 months when she got too tall.

armywife12 · Feb 19, 2010

The true fit and myride you'll probably have no problems fitting into your vehicle. I've had both in our neon and my sisters lancer without a problem. Since she is 10 months old now, she can sit more upright in her seat so you shouldn't have much of a problem with having enough space for one of these seats. The main issue with the Radian is the actual install of it. It can sometimes be a really difficult seat to install both rear and forward facing.
The Radian seems to install the best in vehicles with sloped seats and short buckle stalks. It doesn't do well in seats that are really flat and that have rigid or long belt stalks. Our Radian is installed overboard passenger seat in my Mazda CX-7 and there isn't much room back there. It fits in the middle but is at a more reclined angle in that position.
The complete air is an easy seat to install more upright so its a good one for small spaces

BellasMom · Feb 19, 2010

emandbri said:
Is she close to moving to the next slots?

I had problems with my dd fitting in her safe seat (same as the snugride 32). She was 8 months and very chunky and the straps seemed too short. When I moved the straps up the straps were long enough.

Here is the thread
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=13558&highlight=safe+seat

Here is a picture of her in it.
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=11625&highlight=elizabeth

She fit in it until around 18 months when she got too tall.

the straps are in the highest slot and they are still lower than her shoulders...I just moved them up recently when we started to realize everything was getting tight on her and that we needed to start researching what seat we wanted to buy for her...that is what seems to be the issue for us as well is that straps are not very long and everything is on the max...she still has about 2-3" before the top of the shell...since over the last 2 months she hasn't gained any weight and is just getting taller ... I'm not sure what to expect at almost 29" if she continues to grow 0.5"/month as she has been then we will have a couple of months still in this seat...but I'm looking for sales and I want to be prepared to know which seat I want and if I have to order it online I dont want to need it and have to wait for it to ship to us

In need of help deciding on convertible car seat

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