Radian XTSL harness pads and tightening tips?

I'm sorry, I can't find any newish info on this, maybe I'm searching stupidly.

I have a new XTSL (DOM 5/2011, return from CSN, but arrived with all tags and smelly: I thought it was never unpacked). It has those giant velcro harness pads that go above and below the chest clip. They're one piece from the kid's shoulders to his hips. I've seen photos of those here somewhere, but they aren't on the photos on the skjp website or amazon. Should I assume they're normal? They aren't pictured in the manual, and I have no idea how you'd use them on an infant. I was kind of surprised by them.

They seem comfy, but I'm having a terrible time getting the straps all the way tight. Tightening the XT was already hard in the Honda (I usually push down the car's seat under the splitter plate, which is awkward but it works), but the XTSL seems really seriously terribly hard, and since it's a seat belt install (1996 Accord) it's causing some tipping.

Am I missing something? Are those pads getting in the way? Are those pads even supposed to be there? I see no photos of them on shopping sites and I'm getting suspicious...

Thanks!

Wow!

Can you post a pic please because I am having a hard time figuring out exactly what is going on with this seat?

I'm going to try for a photo, but I might have to wait until tomorrow because of light and computer being at the office. I've seen photos of these pads on here before, but now can't find them... And seriously, I can't find a photo on diono or amazon...

View attachment 11795
Harness pads. They're maybe 2 cm thick on the kid side, probably a foot long. Cushy, but weird.

Also, while I'm complaining, there's a sticker on the side that reads "WARNING use seat belt for installation for child over 48 lbs." So Super LATCH ain't so super? The box says "Install with LATCH up to 80 lbs." (I'm never going to use it with LATCH, so I don't really care, but confusing, much?)

ETA: ack, it's sideways! I'm no computer genius!

I just got a new Radian today (man. 01/11) and it has the same pads! I also have a Premier and XT that do not have them (they just have the regular small shoulder pads)

Skjp will send you the smaller harness pads. As far as the latch limit I'd call.

callaroz said:

I just got a new Radian today (man. 01/11) and it has the same pads! I also have a Premier and XT that do not have them (they just have the regular small shoulder pads)

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OK, then they're normal for 2011 seats I guess. Good to know. Is anyone using them successfully? I know I like straps tighter than 99.9% of the population, but I wonder if I'm missing something.

Jessica61624 said:

Skjp will send you the smaller harness pads. As far as the latch limit I'd call.

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Oh, that's good to know. I have other pads on my XT: I could call and get the go-ahead to switch them. I don't dislike the new pads, I just don't understand how they're supposed to work--I had a 4 month old in my XT and I don't think his torso was physically long enough for them to work!

I'll mention the silly sticker if I call, but they were kind of dolts when I called about my XT's stickers coming off, and then they sent me a set that must have had stickers for multiple seats because there were too many with no description of where they went.

KaiLing said:

OK, then they're normal for 2011 seats I guess. Good to know. Is anyone using them successfully? I know I like straps tighter than 99.9% of the population, but I wonder if I'm missing something.

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I'm the same way, I probably like my straps tighter than most. Compared to my other seats, I find I have a more difficult time getting the straps as tight as I'd normally like, and now with the new harness pads it makes it even more difficult. Is it not a safety hazard? They are so thick and I have difficulty tightening the straps enough so that they compress. In accident wouldn't this cause the straps to be too loose when the pads compress? I'd like to hear some other thoughts/opinions on these. I think I'm going to go ahead and get the old smaller shoulder pads.

The seat was tested and passed with the pads. You don't have to compress the pads as you are tightening, just pass the pinch test as usual.

We've been using them with moderate success. I'm not compressing the pads, and the kiddo likes them (and likes mucking with the velcro--blah! Not taking them off just undoing and redoing velcro). The issue for me is where to do the pinch test. With an RF kid I'm pinching at the back of the seat, and that's fine for me, but I'm not sure how you'd teach someone to do a pinch test on a FF seat. And I'm certainly not letting any secondary care giver buckle him in without a Radian-specific seminar.