Safety 1st Go

Tell me everything... I'm interested in the one in swap and couldn't find much when I searched. Is it really awful for an everyday seat? I am in need of a 3 across soon and I don't love my radian. The seat would hopefully go in the middle (so no LATCH) for B to use. She is about 53ish lbs and is almost even with the top slots on the XTSL. Will she have any room? How does it puzzle with other seats? Would you use it as an everyday seat? How hard is it really to install with a seatbelt?

jsta1005 said:

Tell me everything... I'm interested in the one in swap and couldn't find much when I searched. Is it really awful for an everyday seat? I am in need of a 3 across soon and I don't love my radian. The seat would hopefully go in the middle (so no LATCH) for B to use. She is about 53ish lbs and is almost even with the top slots on the XTSL. Will she have any room? How does it puzzle with other seats? Would you use it as an everyday seat? How hard is it really to install with a seatbelt?

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Seatbelt installs are rumored to be rather difficult. Installing with a seatbelt also supposedly causes you to lose some harness height. (I say "rumored" and "supposedly," because although I have a Go--the SafeGuard model--I've never attempted installing it with a seatbelt. I do believe the people who claim it, though.)

I honestly don't know how much, if any, harness height a kid would have if she's even with the top slots on the Radian. Maybe a little, but again, you lose some height with a seatbelt. Supposedly.

I think it would be fine for an everyday seat, although I'd probably prefer something with a hard shell. Not something I'd lose sleep over, though.

In my limited experience with it, it's not as narrow as one would expect. The contours made it not puzzle well, either. I forget what combination of seats I was doing, but the Go didn't work next to whatever I had (probably a Nautilus) so I had to switch things around. That was only trying it next to one seat in one car, though, so I'm sure other people's experiences may vary.

A RideSafer Travel Vest might be another option for you to look into.

I've found it a pain to install with the seatbelt (reverse path through loops). The top slots are about the same on the Radian, maybe less, maybe more, depending on how it installs in your car. The top weight on the harness is 60 pounds, then it becomes a backless booster.

Wendy

I had one and have mixed feelings about it. I'm not sure I would want to use it as an everyday seat, but that is a personal preference because I like the more "solid" feel of my other seats.

I have one and like it as a travel seat. I'm not sure I'd want it as an everyday seat. DS1 doesn't like sleeping in the seat bc the headrest doesn't support his head well.

I definitely would not use it everyday as a seatbelt installed seat. If they didn't change it from the Safeguard model, you loose harness height and it becomes very uncomfortable with the seatbelt install. We had to use the seatbelt install once in BIL's car for DD and did a 5 hour trip, the seatbelt pushes the butt forward because it's routed in front of the armrests but behind the back of the seat so there is no back support (we ended up putting some blankets or something in the gap to make DD more comfy - don't worry, it didn't affect the harness at all, she was already buckled in tight and we just filled the gap.

So it's great for a travel, less used seat. Also, I think the harness would probably be lower than your Radian even with the latch install, I'm thinking it's about 17" (and it varies a lot depending on how sloped your seat back is).

I used an original (1st Gen) Go model with seatbelt install in the center of DH's 2000 Accord. It was the only harnessed seat that allowed us the ability to have 2 older kids (12) in the outboard positions *comfortably* with DS2 (then 4 and 40+ lbs) properly restrained in the center. Having the Radian in the center gave the big kids zero shoulder room and made them very unhappy for the 30+ minute drive to and from baseball practice.

I have ZERO experience with the new Dorel version but I can tell you that seatbelt install was definitely a challenge with the SG model in this particular vehicle (3-pt belt, switchable retractor). It did actually move more than 1" from side to side despite my best (and repeated) efforts. But the belts in that vehicle gave me a hard time with Radian installs too. With the Go, it wasn't a horrible install and the belt was really tight and I chose to accept that that was as good as it was going to get. I wasn't happy but I didn't lose sleep over it either. It was the only seat that was going to allow us to get 3 kids in that backseat comfortably and keep DS2 harnessed.

For a kid who doesn't nap in the car often - it's probably fine for an everyday seat. I think lack of good head support while sleeping is the main issue.

HTH!

It's RIDICULOUS as a seatbelt install. I mean, just almost totally useless, especially with lap-shoulder. You're basically threading the belts through these fabric loops, and no matter how tight you get the belt, it never ever feel secure. Plus a lap-shoulder belt install cuts almost a good two inches off the top harness height.

That said, with a LATCH install, it's super easy to get secure, and makes a versatile, easy to adjust seat. My mom loves it for her car because it can accommodate her three oldest grandkids (ages 3-6) and is so easy to adjust for various heights.

I personally wouldn't use it as an everyday seat, and if the only option was a seatbelt install, I would cross it off my list immediately.

Kecia said:

I have ZERO experience with the new Dorel version

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The one my mom has is the original Safeguard version as well, but from what I understand, the only thing Dorel did when they bought it is change the shape of the seatback and headrest a bit and embroider a logo on when they renamed it. AFAIK, it's almost the exact same seat.

Seat belt install is not fun. You have to go up around one armrest, then back through the fabric loops, then up and around the other armrest to the buckle. I can get it in just as tight as any other car seat with the seat belt, no movement at all. It does do something wierd right behind their back though where the seat belt is. The one I have is only used occasionally and fairly short trips so the kiddo doesn't complain. I don't think it would give you more room than a Radian. Probably less.