Radian question

Misty-Bug · Jul 18, 2007

so I was at the local CT stores and they only have the radians that go to 40lbs FFing. I think they are trying to get rid of old stock still.
I had read about a lot of people needing modifications. Now I hope this post makes sense.
IF I get the seat......
How do I get the one that goes to 65lbs and is stickered for that here in canada?
How do I go about getting the proper tounges that fit the harness and are not the small ones that could cause fraying?
Is the belt really that uncomfortable for children?
What does it RF till?
I have an AOE. Is that a good seat until I have to turn him FFing? If the radian goes longer then I will look into that instead. It looked uncomfortable though. I was able to fit the radian next to the AOE though in my 1996 Ford taurus station wagon.
Is there anything else that is recommended or is it a good seat despite the pitfalls I hear some of you talking about?
also does it HAVE to be at a 45 degree RFing angle?

snowbird25ca · Jul 18, 2007

Misty-Bug said:
so I was at the local CT stores and they only have the radians that go to 40lbs FFing. I think they are trying to get rid of old stock still.
I had read about a lot of people needing modifications. Now I hope this post makes sense.
IF I get the seat......
How do I get the one that goes to 65lbs and is stickered for that here in canada?
How do I go about getting the proper tounges that fit the harness and are not the small ones that could cause fraying?
Is the belt really that uncomfortable for children?
What does it RF till?
I have an AOE. Is that a good seat until I have to turn him FFing? If the radian goes longer then I will look into that instead. It looked uncomfortable though. I was able to fit the radian next to the AOE though in my 1996 Ford taurus station wagon.
Is there anything else that is recommended or is it a good seat despite the pitfalls I hear some of you talking about?
also does it HAVE to be at a 45 degree RFing angle?

The rf'ing weight limit on the radian in Canada is the same as all other seats currently being made and sold - 30lbs.
The ff'ing weight limit for the ones Canadian Tire has is actually 48lbs.
If you want one stickered to the higher limit, you'll need to buy from TJ's or safetysuperstore or a local boutique if there's are stickered to the higher weight limit. CT at present isn't planning to resticker their stock.
Russ is mailing people new buckle tongues if they request it after receiving their seat.
The Radian does not HAVE to be at a 45 degree angle when rf'ing. It has the same rules as other seats in regards to angle - it's just difficult if near impossible in many vehicles to get it more upright than that because of the rf'ing boot that's mandatory for rf'ing installations.
Some kids find the straps bother them, some don't. SK has ok'ed using Britax styled chest clips instead of the one that comes with it.
I really like the Radian and it will be the seat we buy when ds outgrows his SS1. I owned one briefly before deciding to get him the SS1 to have the convenience of a carrier for hopefully part of this next winter. I returned it so that I could buy a newer one with hopefully the higher weight limit when we actually need it.
I can't say how it'll fit in your car - have you looked in the radian install thread?
One other thing, depending on the DOM of the Radian you get, you may immediately get a new safe stop sent. There was a recall a few months ago and the new safe stops were shipped mid June. I'm not sure if all retailers will have replaced the safe stops yet or not. Here's a link to the notice: http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/notices/TP14566P/2007p02/menu.htm
The seat is 100% usable ff'ing with the safestop until the replacement arrives, so IMO this isn't an issue. :twocents:

I do really like the Radian - it has non-twisty straps and installed really well rf'ing in our truck and is a good install ff'ing with the seatbelt. There's a bit of a learning curve installing it ff'ing, but once you figure it out then it's pretty easy. I'd try it in your car before buying if possible, otherwise make sure you're buying from a store with a good return policy jic it doesn't work in your car.

Misty-Bug · Jul 18, 2007

here is the one I am talking about. Cooper is only 23lbs and his AOE goes to 30 so I will be waiting until he is closer to the limit. Hey snowbird.......will they be replacing the ones on the shelf or do I have to email Russ? I do want the better clips and I will order whatever they are talking about that failed. Can you stupify it for me and tell me what they are talking about? What part of the seat? I don't have a britax or the buckles from it. But I am confussed as I thought you weren't supposed to intertrade the clips.
This seat says it goes up to 33lbs and 48FF. I was also told that they are restickering and people have called Russ and gotten a new seat with the proper sticker I was wondering if I can do that.

http://canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443292138&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672835&bmUID=1184784241216

if it asks you for a postal code:
V2T 2N4

CDNTech · Jul 18, 2007

Trudy posted some great info...

I just wanted to add that the AOE you have is a good RFing seat. It should get you pretty close to the full 30lbs and then will most likely already be outgrown for FFing use.

At that time, you can either look into a Radian or see what else is new and improved on the market.

Your other option if your child does not have a super long torso is to go with a combo seat like the Evenflo Bolero/Generations. This will harness to 47lbs and then turns into a decent belt positioning booster. At ~ $100, it's quite a bit cheaper than the Radian. It will really depend on what you need at the time that your son outgrows the AOE as to what you get.

Misty-Bug · Jul 18, 2007

oh and I thought they were restickering to 65lbs for it.

CDNTech · Jul 18, 2007

CT is forever mislabelling on their website. The CDN limits for the Radian are 30lbs RFing and 48lbs FFing.

As Trudy posted, some newer models hitting the shelves at safetysuperstore and baby boutiques have already been restickered to 30lbs RFing and 65lbs FFing.

CT has not restickered any seats that I know of yet.

SKJP (Russ) will NOT issue new stickers to customers that purchase a seat with the 48lbs limit on it. You will need to go to a baby boutique store to find the 65lbs limit seat.

The buckle tongues can be replaced once you have purchased a seat. You would simply e-mail Russ and ask for replacement buckle tongues. Seats undergo rigourous abrasion tests and the slight fraying of *most* seats I've seen is not reason for concern. The new buckle tongues that you can request from Russ do, however, prevent the straps from twisting over like the ones that come on the seat are prone to do.

The Safestop looks very similar to a small bungee cord type device. It comes with your seat and is to be used FFing only and with children UNDER 40lbs. When you register your seat, if you have the old safestop, a new one will be sent to you. If you want to check this right away, you can e-mail the DOM and serial number to SKJP and they will be able to tell you if you have the old one or the new one. You are still allowed to continue using the old one until the new one arrives. No incidents have been reported, it is merely a corrective action because the old safestop increased head excursion by mere milimeters outside the allowance.

I don't honestly know where you would get a Britax chest clip from. Both my kids use the chest clip that came with the seat and neither complain about it at all. I would leave the chest clip that comes with the seat and cross this bridge when/if you come to it.

Edited to add: The Radian was originally tested with a Britax style chest clip and passed. Russ has also indicated that there is not necessarily a need to use the chest clip at all... this is due to the fact that when the harness is tightened correctly the straps stay on the shoulders where they belong. Some parents are making the parental decision to either not use the chest clip or to use a Britax styled chest clip instead... this does *void* the warranty on your seat, so I would not enter into either decision lightly.

Misty-Bug · Jul 18, 2007

I just checked TJ's and they still only go to 48lbs. Or so it says on the site. Any other canadian sites someone can refer me to? I live in British Columbia in Abbotsford and can't really be driving everywhere. I was hoping there was a TJ's close by with the 65lbs sticker. Also I guess by the time I am ready for the seat more might be restickered?

snowbird25ca · Jul 18, 2007

Misty-Bug said:
here is the one I am talking about. Cooper is only 23lbs and his AOE goes to 30 so I will be waiting until he is closer to the limit. Hey snowbird.......will they be replacing the ones on the shelf or do I have to email Russ? I do want the better clips and I will order whatever they are talking about that failed. Can you stupify it for me and tell me what they are talking about? What part of the seat? I don't have a britax or the buckles from it. But I am confussed as I thought you weren't supposed to intertrade the clips.
This seat says it goes up to 33lbs and 48FF. I was also told that they are restickering and people have called Russ and gotten a new seat with the proper sticker I was wondering if I can do that.

http://canadiantire.ca/browse/produ...older_id=1408474396672835&bmUID=1184784241216

if it asks you for a postal code:
V2T 2N4

Their web site is wrong.

The US Radian goes to 33lbs rf'ing, the Canadian one only goes to 30lbs rf'ing.

Nobody seems to know for sure if the Canadian Tire radians are going to be restickered to 65lbs. All of the ones being ordered from TJ's and Babyproofingplus/safetysuperstore are shipping with the new 65lb limit on them.

The safe stop is a load limiting device that is used when the seat is in ff'ing mode. It is used for ff'ing kids under 40lbs and is hooked between the harness straps and the harness adjuster belt. It's purpose is to provide a slight stretch in a collision in order to reduce the stress on a ff'ing childs neck. The problem with the old safe stop was that with a 3yr old dummy the head excursion was slightly more than allowed by Canadian standards. The government statement indicated that there was no injuries associated with the increased excursion and that the benefits of continuing to use the safestop for 40lb and under kids exceeded any potential risks of using it. It's also worth noting that the over the limit head excursion only happened with the 3yr old dummy and none of the other ones.

They've since redesigned the safe stop to fix the problem and all registered owners were shipped a new one. The advisory notice has pictures of the old ones and new ones so that you are able to tell which type you have. And you wouldn't have to buy it - once you registered your seat, if you had an old safe stop, they'd automatically ship you a new one.

You're not supposed to intertrade clips - but in this case the manufacturer as ok'ed it so it's different. The Radian was originally tested with a britax style clip. It's possible the straps wouldn't bother your ds anyways.
HTH

CDNTech · Jul 18, 2007

Misty-Bug said:
I just checked TJ's and they still only go to 48lbs. Or so it says on the site. Any other canadian sites someone can refer me to? I live in British Columbia in Abbotsford and can't really be driving everywhere. I was hoping there was a TJ's close by with the 65lbs sticker. Also I guess by the time I am ready for the seat more might be restickered?

I've heard that they are really slow at updating their websites.

I just ordered Radian's from Babyproofingplus.com and their website also states 48lbs, however, people are getting their seats and they are stickered to 65lbs. They also tell you on the phone that the seats have all been restickered to 65lbs. Mine are supposed to be here on Thursday, so I'll know for sure then what weight limits I have.

I would give TJ's a call. Chances are that their website has not been updated.

snowbird25ca · Jul 18, 2007

Misty-Bug said:
I just checked TJ's and they still only go to 48lbs. Or so it says on the site. Any other canadian sites someone can refer me to? I live in British Columbia in Abbotsford and can't really be driving everywhere. I was hoping there was a TJ's close by with the 65lbs sticker. Also I guess by the time I am ready for the seat more might be restickered?

That's strange because when I looked at the site on Sunday night it said "Now rated to 65lbs" or something to that effect.

edited to add: I just checked their site again and it's showing the sale prices again and not the 65lbs anymore.

I had originally checked because of the post about the sale, but the prices were back to normal again - I'd just figured the sale was only for the weekend, but now I see that the prices are displaying sale price again.

sanctareparata · Jul 18, 2007

aidensmom02 said:
I don't honestly know where you would get a Britax chest clip from.

I got ours from Britax's website, in the replacements parts section. $3 a clip plus $8 shipping.

OUCH on the shipping.

Misty-Bug · Jul 18, 2007

aidensmom02 said:
I've heard that they are really slow at updating their websites.

I just ordered Radian's from Babyproofingplus.com and their website also states 48lbs, however, people are getting their seats and they are stickered to 65lbs. They also tell you on the phone that the seats have all been restickered to 65lbs. Mine are supposed to be here on Thursday, so I'll know for sure then what weight limits I have.

I would give TJ's a call. Chances are that their website has not been updated.

good idea! I just called them and asked if they had the seats that have been restickered to 65lbs AND THEY DO!! So this is a good seat and a good choice right? It is on sale at TJ's right now for $180. I wonder if I can convince my husband. I am scared I won't like it. LOL. I love the AOE personally. is the radian smaller profile and stuff? Wondering if my husband would go for it.....

Misty-Bug · Jul 18, 2007

sanctareparata said:
i got ours from Britax's website. $3 a clip plus $8 shipping. OUCH on the shipping.

excuse my stupidity, but it is ok to use them then? Will it make it more pleasant for the child? I just thought we weren't supposed to interchange the chest clips. And is that the one with the HUGGS? I am not sure what that is but it it the whole set up that I see on Britax's

CDNTech · Jul 18, 2007

Misty-Bug said:
good idea! I just called them and asked if they had the seats that have been restickered to 65lbs AND THEY DO!! So this is a good seat and a good choice right? It is on sale at TJ's right now for $180. I wonder if I can convince my husband. I am scared I won't like it. LOL. I love the AOE personally. is the radian smaller profile and stuff? Wondering if my husband would go for it.....

I don't think you'll like it RFing... because of the foot, it takes up a LOT of space front to back so you won't have a lot of front seat passenger room... I would go to TJ's and try it out in your vehicle before you buy.

snowbird25ca · Jul 18, 2007

Misty-Bug said:
excuse my stupidity, but it is ok to use them then? Will it make it more pleasant for the child? I just thought we weren't supposed to interchange the chest clips. And is that the one with the HUGGS? I am not sure what that is but it it the whole set up that I see on Britax's

The chest clip is seperate from the HUGS - although you do see it in the middle of the HUGS in pictures. Generally you're not supposed to switch things between seats, but sunshine kids has ok'ed doing this with the radian. The radian was originally tested with the britax style chest clip.

As for whether you'll like it or not - you'll have to see it to decide that. :thumbsup: I HATED my AO with a passion. And I mean hated it. It's the only seat I've felt that extreme about.

The radian for me though compares with the MA provided you can get a good install - and the only way to know that is to try it in your car.

sanctareparata · Jul 18, 2007

Misty-Bug said:
excuse my stupidity, but it is ok to use them then? Will it make it more pleasant for the child? I just thought we weren't supposed to interchange the chest clips. And is that the one with the HUGGS? I am not sure what that is but it it the whole set up that I see on Britax's

According to Russ (I emailed him awhile back), using Britax chest clips are fine. If you go to www.elitecarseats you'll see in the pics of the Radian65 the blue coastal one with the Britax chest clip. That's how they used to be sold, apparently.

Since I've been on this forum one interesting thing that I've learned (that I didn't know before) is that the chest clip is only a pre-crash harness positioner. It is supposed to break during a crash - it's only job is to make sure the harness is where it's supposed to be. That said, I have no qualms about switching out Radian's clip with a Britax one, especially since Russ ok'd it as well.

Mommy090804 · Jul 18, 2007

Just a note to add: I strongly suspect that TJs is clearing out their 48lb Radians. Yes, the 65lb Radian and Premiere were on the website previously. If you click on the following link (right now!), it is underlined and in red that the Radian FFs until 48lbs. I am wondering if all the Radians are on sale or if just the 48lb ones are. The link only shows the "Granite" colour. I guess a quick call to the store would confirm that! HTH!

http://www.tjskids.com/cart.asp?whi...63&category=58&brand=0&product=0&mode=display

Misty-Bug · Jul 18, 2007

Mommy090804 said:
Just a note to add: I strongly suspect that TJs is clearing out their 48lb Radians. Yes, the 65lb Radian and Premiere were on the website previously. If you click on the following link (right now!), it is underlined and in red that the Radian FFs until 48lbs. I am wondering if all the Radians are on sale or if just the 48lb ones are. The link only shows the "Granite" colour. I guess a quick call to the store would confirm that! HTH!

http://www.tjskids.com/cart.asp?whi...63&category=58&brand=0&product=0&mode=display[/QUOTE

thanks. I called there and they do carry the ones that harness to 65 AND are restickered. Just a matter of convincing my husband

dd9736 · Jul 18, 2007

I could save $20 if only we had room on the credit card, and time, we need it by next weekend already (don't want to go on a road trip without the new carseat)

babychild taxi · Jul 19, 2007

Hi,

I believe ALL Radians are stickered or re-stickered to 65lbs at TJs. I got in the sale last weekend and got a Premier-"Super Cool" My private insurance said today that if ICBC doesn't cover it, they will. That's good news!

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