How fast do kids grow torso wise?

Snorris2

New member
DD1 has about two inches of harness room left in her Radian. She will be 4 in January and is around 37 lbs.
How long would you say she has left in that seat? She's pretty tall. I'm about to measure her torso.
I'm looking to get a spare seat which I asked about before, but before that I want an estimate if how long she might be in this seat.
 
ADS

Pixels

New member
Years and years and years. The top harness slots on the Radian don't matter, since you can continue to use the seat with shoulders over the top.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
One way to tell if she's long- or short- or average- torsoed for her size is shirt vs. pants size. Generally if a kid needs a bigger size top than pants to cover the belly, she's long-torsoed; longer pants for the legs than shirt for the belly, she's shorter-torsoed; same size pants and shirts, average. :) Kids who are longer-torsoed often grow more than the average 1 inch per year (and that is after 3 or 4, until then kids are growing faster); shorter-torsoed kids often grow less. :)
 

bnsnyde

New member
Can I ask a question that's been boggling my mind for a bit? :)
Why oh why does the Radian allow the straps below the shoulder FF if every other seat does not?

That just seems...odd to me. I don't think I'd be OK with that, I guess because I don't get why they are the only ones who allow that. Maybe they would slip off, etc. Red flags go up. (And why do they say up to 53 inches?). Doesn't torso come into play? What the heck does 53 have to do with anything?

Hmmm...
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Based on their testing. You can read the chat transcript on this site when an engineer explained that their testing and modelling does not show a danger of spinal compression in kids under the maximum height limit even over the top slots. Presumably, they modeled for even extremely long-torsoed kids at that height, and the way their specific straps and their attachment to the car seat work, they feel that up to that height, it is not a danger.

Interestingly, in Europe other brands allow this as well.
 

bnsnyde

New member
Interesting. I guess since the Frontier85 came out I'd be more comfortable with that once he outgrows the Radian FF, as it will truly fit for a long time with straps above. (And we have the headwings on the Radian anyway). :)

And since dummies don't always mimic real kids (reading from a previous post about neck injuries), I'm just reluctant to chance anything.

Not saying it's not OK, it's just a new concept to me is all. :)
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
They don't just use the dummies, they also use computer modeling.

European dummies are different than ours, too.
 

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