Do you LOVE your radian?

HappyMommy · Apr 19, 2010

So I have been recommended a radian car seat. It does have a lot of great features such as really high height/weight limits RF, but I am thinking that maybe it isn't the right seat for me because the more posts I read on this forum, the more I find that although very nice in theory, the radian does not seem to be user-friendly and it seems as though a lot of people are unhappy with the complicated install...etc.
So if you own a radian, do you LOVE it or do you just tolerate it and keep it b/c of the high weight/height limits?
Thanks!

sixmaybemore · Apr 19, 2010

I heart my Radian.

Except for when I'm installing it in the third row of my 2004 Suburban, LBO. Long buckle stalk, gotta twist it, and then invert the latch plate. It's possible there is swearing involved, but I don't want to scare you.

LATCH = Easy Peasy.

L/S install = Easy Peasy.

Installing a 4 yo, or one of two 6 yo's in said seat = Easy Peasy.

I'll put up with the pain in the butt LBO install, for all the rest it does. And I've surely installed other brands of seats in cars that were far more difficult! Heck, once a Graco Comfort made me CRY when I attempted an install in a 2 door Toyota vehicle.

unityco · Apr 19, 2010

I have come to love our Radian.

I didn't realize how much until we outgrew it and moved to the Nautilus full time. I loved its low sides - so easy to lift DS in and out. :thumbsup: We travelled a lot with it, and because of its narrowness, we were able to get almost any 3-across we tried (or two side-by-each if we needed.) It was also great on the plane because of its low profile - DS could use the table tray, and not reach the seat back in front of him.

I carried it through airports on a cart, so we never made use of the folding feature. DS had no complaints about the seat either.

HTH in your decision.

petriescz · Apr 19, 2010

We had a Radian XTSL and used it for about 6 weeks. We have always had Britax seats before that. We got rid of it when it wouldn't work in our new car.

I loved the high weight limit for rear facing. My son is 3 years and 3 months and quite small at only 30 lbs. I got a decent install with latch and used the tether.

Other than the high weight limit I didn't care for the seat.
It is very heavy and awkward to carry. Banging and clanging into my legs.
Difficult to install in our MDX and impossible to install how I wanted it in our pilot. (Others have installed it in their models but I wasn't happy with the install.)
My son could immediately open the chest clip himself.
It was a pain to get the cover on and off after the barf event. I never could get the little plastic pins out of the side. It takes up an incredible amount of room rear facing even with a rather upright installation.

Long story short-I love my Britax seats and really wish they would come up with a higher weight limit seat for RF. We ended up with a Frontier 85 that we love and it installed perfectly with latch the first time and is rock solid.

bree · Apr 19, 2010

I don't love the Radian, and I think at this point that I just tolerate it and keep it because of the higher weight limit for rear-facing. We haven't been using it very long, so maybe I'll grow to like it more.

I have a 35 pound 2.5 year old. I personally would not forward-face a 2.5 year old if I had other options open to me, so I was faced with choosing between a Radian, a My Ride, or a Complete Air in my car to rear-face past 35 pounds. I'm not a fan of the Complete Air. I really like the My Ride; I have one in my husband's car, but I don't like how it installs in my car. So, that left the Radian.

I bought a Radian XTSL. It was a bit of a pain to install. It's very difficult to adjust the harness while my son is in the seat. When I'm in the front passenger seat, it's not very comfortable sitting in front of the Radian; it takes up a lot of room front-to-back in my car. But, it's the seat that works to keep my son rear-facing, so I tolerate it. I've been considering buying one of the new Evenflo seats that should be coming out this summer with a 40 pound rear-facing limit and using that until he hits the 40 pound limit then switching him back into the Radian. That's probably ridiculous, I know.

In the end, the Radian is very comfy for my son and he loves it, and I'm glad he's rear-facing. It has a 45 pound rear-facing limit and a pretty tall shell, so it might be the only seat besides the 80SL that will get my son to 4 years old rear-facing. I'd still say that I'm happy with my choice of the Radian, even if I don't love the seat itself.

sunnymw · Apr 19, 2010

I loved my Radian.

But eventually it would have been a problem b/c it would only install at 45 degrees in my car and as my kids got heavier and heavier the cushiness of the seats caused it to get more and more reclined.

brookity · Apr 19, 2010

I LOVE my radian. For me, it was a cinch to install, fits well RF and FF in my Envoy, and fits my DD extremely well. She has no head slump when sleeping FF and has loads of leg room RF. I also like that it has low head excursion numbers when not tethered because I occasionally install it in DH's 1965 Buick that doesn't have top tethers available. I am thinking of getting another one to replace my TF because I LOVE it so much.

ETA: I forgot to add that the only thing I dislike about it is the harness adjuster but I got used to not adjusting the harness when the TF's adjuster was buried RF so I just don't loosen it when I take DD out.

babygirlsmom1005 · Apr 19, 2010

I have a very passionate love for our radian.

It installs just as easy as any other carseat (Britax Marathon, Recaro Como, TFP, etc...) I have ever put in my 92 Suburban - both FF'ing and RF'ing. I get a great upright install RF'ing with it also.

The thought has been crossing my mind to get another one, but I would have to part ways with one of my existing seats and I'm not sure which one would make the cut so to speak.

simplychels · Apr 19, 2010

I LOVE my radian! Absolutely adore it! It goes into my car very nicely. Rock solid installs in very little time and I'm quite pleased with the angle I can get it at as well. As far as ease of use, I still love it. I actually find using it to be very similar to what I was used to with my Britax MA.

armywife12 · Apr 19, 2010

I

our Radian XTSL. Caleb has had a True Fit, Como, Marathon, MyRide and XTSL and the XTSL is our favorite so far. It was a PITA to install at first but so are most of the car seats I've had to install for the first time. I just had to get the hang of it and know it's little quarks. It fits nicely RF outerboard in my vehicle and I get a decent upright install. My tall son has oodles of room left in it RF and gobs of leg room. I've only installed it in two different vehicles but it worked great in both.

Pixels · Apr 19, 2010

Depending on the vehicle, I love the Radian. It no longer works in my car because it overreclined. We have it installed usually in DH's car. At the moment, it's in my dad's truck. I just put the other one in what will be SIL's car.

For travel, I lurve it. There just is no comparison to flying with a folded, backpack-strapped Radian. I'm planning on flying soon with DD, by myself, and taking the Radian just to use on the plane. There will be a seat available for DD at the other end, so it's not strictly necessary to take it, but it's worth taking it through the airport to have her strapped in on the plane.

Mingie · Apr 19, 2010

I was also very nervous to install and use a radian but because my dh kept complaining about dd#2's legroom in the MA I thought I would give it a go. And honestly I love it. It wasn't difficult to install in our Hyundai Entourage and I can get it pretty upright. And best of all dd seems to like it a lot. So it has been a hit with us!:thumbsup:

firemomof3 · Apr 19, 2010

Love my Radians

They install super easy/fast in our vehicles, kids love them, can tether it rf :thumbsup:, memory foam, foldable, steel alloy frame...whats not to love?!

Calleiah · Apr 19, 2010

I <3 my Radian. Are there things they could change that would make me love it more? Absolutely. Do I still love it more than any other seat I currently have? Absolutely. Does it sometimes challenge me? Yup. But over all, every seat will have a challenge, some more so than others.

scoutingbear · Apr 19, 2010

I

my radian for C. I didn't so much for A, but I think it was the vehicle it was installed in more than the seat itself. I have only used it really FF (RF only temporary for foster babies; like for a weekend.) But I love that I can get C out easily when he is sleeping. He falls asleep well in it. It is easy to install in my Toyota both with LATCH and l/s belts. He

the radian too because he can move his legs all around when falling asleep (and he sleeps 4+ times per week in the car in it).

We'll see if I continue to

it when I try to install in dh's car RFing for a n00b.

tl01 · Apr 19, 2010

For our cars, we love our Radians. We have buckle stalks that are pretty much flush with the vehicle seat and are almost at the seat bight so we can install the seat quite easily. I love that it is a low profile seat, can be purchased with head wings, that it has a great rear facing weight limit, the narrowness of the seat, and has a tall top harness height. My son is 4, 42 lbs and 42 inches tall and is quite comfy in the seat. He does ride in a Britax Frontier some of the time and we like that seat too... but we do really like the Radian.

myliljunebugs · Apr 19, 2010

I love love love mine!

I have two right now (until SIL needs one). #1 love for me was the fact that DD can RF in it (again, she lost weight), has probably 2 years left FF'ing. I haven't ever had a problem installing it in any cars once I learned it. The first few times were difficult for sure but it is fantastic now!

BudgieStew · Apr 19, 2010

I owned three and loved them.
The only reason I sold two of them was because I had the original Canadian Radian(with a 47lb FF limit) and DS was close to outgrowing them by weight. If I had one of the newer Radian with the higher limit DS would still be using them, no doubt.

I miss the low profile and easy to use buckle and the sleek look. I also loved the fact that it did not leave nasty grooves in my seat leather unlike my other seats with big bases. The only hate I had on it was the fact that I never got a good install in DH Subaru although many here have.

ontariomama · Apr 20, 2010

I love my Radian. I've only had it for a couple of months, but it's been great! I used it RFing in my Grand Caravan and it installs very easily at a decent upright angle. I

the low profile. We used to have a Blvd and I hated how high up it was. It is so much easier to get DS in and out of the seat. I love the high rfing limit, especially because the Canadian Blvd only goes to 30 lbs rfing. I love the tall shell. My DS has quite a long torso and is a tall kid period, so I love that there is so much room to grow. I love how it fits him, yet there is still room to grow and he doesn't look cramped.

So far (after having 3 seats), it is my favourite, hands down!!

NannyMom · Apr 20, 2010

I wanted to love my Radian. I think I did love it....it just didn't love me

It would over recline in the center of my van (the only position I wanted it to go).

I'm still tempted to buy another and use it outboard.

Do you LOVE your radian?

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