Which Radian?

featherhead · Apr 23, 2010

DH gave me the ok to order a Radian (I've been saving money for a while). I'm just not sure which one I want. I definitely want an 80SL or XTSL for the 45 lb limit. Here are my options...

-my favorite cover is Ventura, though some people don't like the feel of the fabric. I've never seen it in real life, so I'm not sure.
-the other XT cover I would get then, if not Ventura, would be Bentley. It looks nice and soft.
-then there's the headwing issue, not sure how I feel about that. The seat will be used mostly rear-facing. I'd love to go straight from rear-facing to a booster, but dd1 will only weigh 40 lbs by age 6 or 7 I'm sure, and I probably won't keep her rear-facing that long.
-if I decide against the XT because of the headwings, I would go with the Metro.

So, which one would you get??

emandbri · Apr 23, 2010

Granted I've only used it one day but I am liking the headwings on the XTSL. They are much sturdier than I thought they would be and feel better about having her outboard.

I haven't washed the Ventura cover yet maybe it will get softer when I do.

HappyMommy · Apr 23, 2010

I am a little confused, you say DD1 will be 40lbs by age 6 or 7 and you won't be RFing her that long, so why do you need the 45lbs limit for RF? Is it for DD2? Do you expect she will be a lot bigger than her sister? Because, if she won't, maybe you would do fine with a radian 65 SL.
Also, will the seat be in the middle or outboard? If outboard, it would make sense to get the XTSL, if in the middle, you should be fine with 65SL or 80SL.

bree · Apr 23, 2010

I went for the Bentley XTSL. The cover is really nice and soft, and DS seems to really like it. I do worry about the headwing issue when forward-facing, because I've seen some threads on here where the headwings are too high for forward-facing because of where the straps need to be, but I figured I needed the seat that would last the longest rear-facing and that the wings would be nice for him to rest his head on to sleep while RF. I do have a Frontier and a True Fit that I like for forward-facing that I could pass down when the time comes (or buy a new seat

), so I decided even if I don't wind up liking the XTSL FF, I did want the headwings for RF.

featherhead · Apr 23, 2010

HappyMommy said:
I am a little confused, you say DD1 will be 40lbs by age 6 or 7 and you won't be RFing her that long, so why do you need the 45lbs limit for RF? Is it for DD2? Do you expect she will be a lot bigger than her sister? Because, if she won't, maybe you would do fine with a radian 65 SL.
Also, will the seat be in the middle or outboard? If outboard, it would make sense to get the XTSL, if in the middle, you should be fine with 65SL or 80SL.

lol, yeah, dd1 is a peanut. dd2 is definitely bigger than her sister. I'm not sure if she will need the 45 limit or not, but I'd rather have it just to be safe. And we'll most likely have a 3rd child someday, and the Radian should not be expired by then.

We just have a car, so one child has to be outboard. Right now I have the MyRide outboard, and Radian center. I would most likely be putting them both in Radians for the time being until they both reach 30 lbs (my other Radian has a 30 lb rf limit).

HappyMommy · Apr 23, 2010

Is the radian you currently have an XT? Because if it isn't and you want two radians in the same car, then it would make sense to get the XTSL and you would put the XTSL outboard and the other radian in the middle.

featherhead · Apr 23, 2010

HappyMommy said:
Is the radian you currently have an XT? Because if it isn't and you want two radians in the same car, then it would make sense to get the XTSL and you would put the XTSL outboard and the other radian in the middle.

Yeah, I'm leaning toward this. The Radian I have is just a regular 65.

HappyMommy · Apr 23, 2010

featherhead said:
Yeah, I'm leaning toward this. The Radian I have is just a regular 65.

Sounds like a good plan. Plus, when DD1 is ready for FF, then you would put her FF in the radian 65 that you currently have in the middle while DD2 stays RF in the XTSL outboard. That way, you don't have to worry about the headwings FF and the FF child is in the middle position which is best b/c FF being less safe than RF, the FFing child should be in the safest position in the car, i.e. the middle.

AtTheSouthDam · Apr 23, 2010

HappyMommy said:
Sounds like a good plan. Plus, when DD1 is ready for FF, then you would put her FF in the radian 65 that you currently have in the middle while DD2 stays RF in the XTSL outboard. That way, you don't have to worry about the headwings FF and the FF child is in the middle position which is best b/c FF being less safe than RF, the FFing child should be in the safest position in the car, i.e. the middle.

I like this. If you are only using it for RF I would go with the XT. Since I did get mine for FF originally (for DD1 who outgrew it in no time) I found the head wings to be too much trouble! I really do like the the 65/80 as FF seats though.

ceruti82 · Apr 23, 2010

I got Bella an XTSL because I like the wings, and i LOVED the Flora cover.
And now having it for a few months, I cant imagine NOT having wings.. She leans on them when she sleeps, and seeing RN's without wings look like something is missing, haha.

I say, if you dont NEED the weight limit, and dont NEED wings, go for the cover you LOVE

bella had a couture marathon cover, and that looked like the same fabric as the ventura (in pics~ have never seen IRL) and tho it looks rougher than a plush fabric, it softens~ especially after a washing.

go for the color if thats your deciding factor

Pixels · Apr 23, 2010

HappyMommy said:
Sounds like a good plan. Plus, when DD1 is ready for FF, then you would put her FF in the radian 65 that you currently have in the middle while DD2 stays RF in the XTSL outboard. That way, you don't have to worry about the headwings FF and the FF child is in the middle position which is best b/c FF being less safe than RF, the FFing child should be in the safest position in the car, i.e. the middle.

I understand why you would give the outboard child the headwings. I'm not sure what I would do in that situation, personally.

Statistics say that rear facing is approximately twice as safe as forward facing. Center is 15-40% (depending which study you look at) safer than outboard. That means that the forward facing child in the center is at more risk than the rear facing child outboard, and therefore the child in the center "should" be the one to get the headwings.

However, I do understand and empathize with the gut-feeling that it's the outboard child who should have the headwings, regardless of the direction they are facing.

In the end, it is the rare vehicle that can actually fit a rear facing Radian outboard.

featherhead · Apr 23, 2010

Alright, I've decided, I'll go with the Ventura!

SafeDad · Apr 23, 2010

Pixels said:
I understand why you would give the outboard child the headwings. I'm not sure what I would do in that situation, personally.

Statistics say that rear facing is approximately twice as safe as forward facing. Center is 15-40% (depending which study you look at) safer than outboard. That means that the forward facing child in the center is at more risk than the rear facing child outboard, and therefore the child in the center "should" be the one to get the headwings.

However, I do understand and empathize with the gut-feeling that it's the outboard child who should have the headwings, regardless of the direction they are facing.

In the end, it is the rare vehicle that can actually fit a rear facing Radian outboard.

I think a lot of the studies on seating position and side impacts are quite obsolete. They survey much older cars, before the trend in the last decade to design models with better side impact crash ratings, before the proliferation of side curtain airbags and before side impact features on child seats became more common. Plus, most surveys are the general population, where fatalities and serious injuries are dominated by kids who are unrestrained or incorrectly restrained. For many people reading this forum who generally have their kids pretty well restrained, perhaps only with a minor misuse or two, many of the numbers from such studies are almost completely worthless.

I have little doubt that the center is somewhat safer than outboard positions, but compared to simply having your child correctly restrained in any suitable rear seating position, I suspect the differences are pretty minor in newer vehicles, with newer carseats.

Also, I don't know which particular study you are referencing, but some studies deceptively compare near side impacts to the risk of the center seat. They neglect the equal chance that an outboard seated child could be on the far side, which offers even greater protection.

If one child is RF and the other FF, I would tend to put the RF child outboard with headwings or other side impact protection features. I'd put the FF child in the center. Many side impacts have a forward component, so the head comes forward of the wings in a FF seat anyway.

fyrfightermomma · Apr 23, 2010

I'd skip the headwings if you ever intend to use the seat FFing full time. I loved this RFing. It was my all time favorite seat. I've now turned my youngest DD forward facing in her dad's car and the wings are a PITA. They don't completely protect a child's head most of the time and many people have had issues with them

So if you are only gonna use it RFing, I'd get the XT if you can swing the money. If you intend to use it just FFing down the road, you may get irritated with it like many of us

featherhead · Apr 23, 2010

fyrfightermomma said:
I'd skip the headwings if you ever intend to use the seat FFing full time. I loved this RFing. It was my all time favorite seat. I've now turned my youngest DD forward facing in her dad's car and the wings are a PITA. They don't completely protect a child's head most of the time and many people have had issues with them

So if you are only gonna use it RFing, I'd get the XT if you can swing the money. If you intend to use it just FFing down the road, you may get irritated with it like many of us

I'm thinking I can work it out so I don't have to use it FF (unless the headwings line up nicely at that point). It should get lots of rear-facing use

hrice · Apr 23, 2010

featherhead said:
Alright, I've decided, I'll go with the Ventura!

I have had my XTSLs for a week and love them. I have Ventura and the fabric is very soft. I have had no issues with the headrests.

HappyMommy · Apr 23, 2010

featherhead said:
I'm thinking I can work it out so I don't have to use it FF (unless the headwings line up nicely at that point). It should get lots of rear-facing use

My thoughts exactly

Which Radian?

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