Question When did your child outgrow the Radian FF?

bella_1818

New member
For those with big kids and some BTDT perspective, please offer some advice to a car seat neurotic mom :)

DS is ERF in a Radian XT. He's almost 4/34lbs/40 inches/16 inch torso. I suspect he'll outgrow the Radian RF by height in the very near future.

I'm trying to decide when it's FF time if I should keep the Radian or replace it with another Frontier 85 (he already has one in DH's car).

I don't love the Radian as a FF seat, but I could deal with it if there was no reason to buy another Frontier.

I know the Frontier will give him about 2 more torso inches of harness time, but I'm having a hard time predicting if he'll need that harness time. (Example: If we're talking harnessed to 8yr vs 6 yrs then I'd want the Frontier, but if we're talking harnessed to 14 yrs vs 12 years then it wouldn't be so important to me).

Pretty please chime in with advice :D
 
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bnsnyde

New member
My son is almost 5 in his FF Radian XT. He is 45.5 inches and 45 lbs. Torso about 15.5. He is on the top slots and has room to grow. I don't expect to change him to his Frontier 85 (in the spare car) for at least a year or two, who knows!

But I'm loving the Cybex X-fit + Booster we have, that no one uses yet. Once he outgrows the Radian (at 6 or 7?) I am thinking of using that.

The Frontier85 didn't impress me with its side impact protection as much as the Cybex. So I'll probably keep the Frontier85 as a spare. And we have 3 more kids who can keep using it for a long time as a spare anyway. :)
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
My almost 8 year old can't fit in the radian comfortably. I think he'd be over the top slots as well right now. My 4.5 yo is on the top slots and has a couple inches to go.
 

monstah

New member
How many slots does he have to grow in the FR85 you already own? I'd wait until he outgrows the RN RF, install it FF and reevaluate then.

Maybe move the RN the the least used car.

My DS is currently using a RN over the top slots (he's 57 pounds and 5.5) I believe he would have a bit of room to grow in the FR85. But he is a tall, solid guy. His head was over the RF RN shell before 3.5 years old. I posted pictures here ages ago but have since deleted them.

Sent from my Nexus One using Car-Seat.Org
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
almost 4... he could outgrow it at 4... my daughter outgrew it at about age 5.25 (LONG torso... she's petite), but I was comfortable with her using a booster the once a month or so she'd need to there.

I would get a frontier (assuming it's doable budget-wise) and not think twice about it.... also because the frontier becomes the tallest booster... and that kid will need a tall booster, not just the tall top slots.

ETA - Jeffrey, on the other hand, outgrew the Radian at about 6.25yrs (long torso, but not as long proportionately as his sister's)
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
My 5 year old has an 18.5 inch torso. She's still comfortable in the 80/65 (over the top slots by about half an inch, which the Radian allows if under 53" tall) but not in the XT/XTSL (headwings get in the way.) She has maybe an inch to grow before her eyes/ears reach the top of the shell; it will definitely be before 53" for her, but I doubt she'll be comfortable that long.
 

carseatfreak

New member
When we bought them for the babies my oldest was 1 month shy of turning 7 and approx 48" and 49-ish lbs and her shoulders were even with the tops slots. I was AMAZED.
 

Mylilboyblue

Active member
My almost 4 year old still fits on the top slots with quite a bit of room left. If I have to make a guess I would say he will probably still fit for another two years or so. The seat is an original 65.
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
DD1 was 4, I am assuming DD2 will be 5. She has about an inch of room now at 4.

Posted by a robot and susceptible to unrelated and potentially inappropriate AutoCorrects.
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
With a 16 inch torso he should have lots of room RF!

Posted by a robot and susceptible to unrelated and potentially inappropriate AutoCorrects.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
Going from memory, DD1's shoulders were above the top shoulder harness slots in our Radian80 when she was a few months past her 6th birthday. Technically she could have continued using it that way FF until her ears reached the top of the shell as she was considerably below 53" tall overall at the time, but comfort posed an issue and we switched her back into a Regent she had used prior to getting the Radian instead. DD2's shoulders were above the top slots in the same Radian80 earlier this spring at age 5.75, and she's currently riding in a Frontier85, Nautilus, or booster depending on the vehicle.
 

bella_1818

New member
With a 16 inch torso he should have lots of room RF!

Posted by a robot and susceptible to unrelated and potentially inappropriate AutoCorrects.

The top of his head is touching the Sunshine logo. I'm not turning him right now, but I know the time is coming.
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
bella_1818 said:
The top of his head is touching the Sunshine logo. I'm not turning him right now, but I know the time is coming.

Wow he has more room than I thought! That's several inches of shell height from te logo :)

Posted by a robot and susceptible to unrelated and potentially inappropriate AutoCorrects.
 

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