Britax Frontier 85 vs Radian XTSL

luisahm · Sep 1, 2010

Hi everyone!

I'm ready to buy two new matching seats. I'm interested to know

1. What is the width difference between the two.
2. What is the sitting area (depth/width) difference between the two, and last but not least
3. Which, in you opinion, is the most comfortable for a child to sit in?

Thanks so much for your help!

wendytthomas · Sep 1, 2010

How old and heavy are your kids? These are two very different seats used for different purposes.

The Radian is 17" wide at the shoulder, 14" at the base. The Frontier 85 is about 19.5" wide from top to bottom.

I don't know the internal width difference. Probably about two or three inches.

Both are comfortable for different kids.

The Frontier 85 is a forward facing only seat with 20" top slots and an 85 pound harness limit, then turns into a high back booster to 120 pounds or 23" top belt guide height.

The Radian XTSL is a convertible carseat that rear faces to 45 pounds and forward faces to 80 with 17.5" top slots.

So if you have a child under four you're going to rear face I'd look at the XTSL. If you have a four year old or older I'd probably look at the Frontier 85. If you have a six year old or older I'd look at a dedicated booster.

Both can be tricky to install, though usually compatible in most cars.

Wendy

luisahm · Sep 1, 2010

Thank you SO much! I have a 4 and a half year old and an almost 6 year old. I was thinking about buying them both a Frontier 85?

wendytthomas · Sep 1, 2010

That's possible. For the 4.5 year old I'd look at the Frontier, Graco Nautilus, Evenflo Maestro, and Recaro ProSport. They're all combination seats that go from harness to booster, though the Evenflo isn't a tall booster and will need another after it.

For the nearly six year old, depending on size and maturity, a high back booster may be a fine option. Does that child need to be harnessed?

Wendy

luisahm · Sep 2, 2010

I honestly don't know if my 6yo "needs" to be harnessed. I just thought it was the safest choice? I would love to get them safe, matching seats

but don't want to overspend if there's no justification, kwim? Thanks so much!

wendytthomas · Sep 2, 2010

You need to harness a child until they can sit properly in a booster 100% of the time, and the seatbelt fits, and they understand the consequences of not doing it. For most kids this is by six years old. Some, like my daughter, need longer (she was seven before I trusted her in a booster full time).

Wendy

luisahm · Sep 7, 2010

Ah, I see. Thanks for all your help. We received our new Frontier 85's this weekend and so far, so good.

Britax Frontier 85 vs Radian XTSL

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