Ugh...Okay, I will preface this by saying I have NEVER used a Radian, but I would like to have one.
However, I was NOT impressed by the email I got from Diono today showing off an award they won (a consumer group award, not a safety based, legitimate kind of thing)...in which parents went on and on about the great features of the Radian (all of which ARE great). My problem was w/the typical misunderstandings....one parent is so excited that the LATCH limit on her Radian goes to 65 lbs and using it as a booster later. For one--it doesn't matter that the LATCH limit is 65 lbs if your vehicles LATCH limit is only 40 lbs! I think Diono should certainly keep up the good work, but I wish folks were more educated! Also, the booster portion..it isn't going to last that long. Not long enough at all to pay a lot extra (or ANY) for that particular feature. Besides that is Diono's own advertising that you can't use the booster until 50 lbs (which, hey, I'm all for raising the minimums a bit for kid's safety), but frankly, my 6.5 yr old only weighs 44 lbs right now...and he'd be out of the harness on the Radian long before he hits 50 lbs! So, what are the parents of tall and thin kids supposed to do if they thought they were buying this great seat that was going to last thru booster age.
The concept is soooo nice...I love so many features on the new Radian line, but it needs a few more tweaks.
I wish parents understood more that sometimes what is advertised just doesn't always work like they say...
henrietta
However, I was NOT impressed by the email I got from Diono today showing off an award they won (a consumer group award, not a safety based, legitimate kind of thing)...in which parents went on and on about the great features of the Radian (all of which ARE great). My problem was w/the typical misunderstandings....one parent is so excited that the LATCH limit on her Radian goes to 65 lbs and using it as a booster later. For one--it doesn't matter that the LATCH limit is 65 lbs if your vehicles LATCH limit is only 40 lbs! I think Diono should certainly keep up the good work, but I wish folks were more educated! Also, the booster portion..it isn't going to last that long. Not long enough at all to pay a lot extra (or ANY) for that particular feature. Besides that is Diono's own advertising that you can't use the booster until 50 lbs (which, hey, I'm all for raising the minimums a bit for kid's safety), but frankly, my 6.5 yr old only weighs 44 lbs right now...and he'd be out of the harness on the Radian long before he hits 50 lbs! So, what are the parents of tall and thin kids supposed to do if they thought they were buying this great seat that was going to last thru booster age.
The concept is soooo nice...I love so many features on the new Radian line, but it needs a few more tweaks.
I wish parents understood more that sometimes what is advertised just doesn't always work like they say...
henrietta