Convertible for travel and ERF/FF?

Hello again, car seat gurus! Once again I have a question for you. I am looking to buy a convertible for DS, that we can take on a trip in 3 weeks. After that it will replace the outgrown Scenera in DH's car. So I'm looking for somewhat-portable, but a good seat that will be comfy for a long while.

DS is 4.2 yo, still RF (yay!), 34 lbs., about 37 inches - but height is mostly in his legs as he still has over an inch above his head in his Boulevard 70.


Travel considerations:

I'm mainly debating the Radian R100 vs. the RXT, because of the folding feature. (Are there other convertible seats that fold?) Is there a big difference in weight? The specs say 23 lbs. for both but I did see somewhere that the RXT is closer to 26.5. Also I worry about the install in a rental car - I note that the Radian can be tricky to install, and I'm used to Britaxes. We'll have about an hour drive on FL highways on the other end, so want to be sure of my install.

Long-term considerations:

It would be *nice* to eke out even a little more ERF time, so the RXT has a slight advantage over the R100. But DS is so little that he won't hit 40 lbs for another 6-12 months, and by then if he wants to turn FF I'll be okay with that. (We aren't replacing his Blvd 70 so he'll be FF in that pretty soon, due to height limits.) I guess I could put the Radian - either one - in my car (Prius) and he can keep RF'ing the majority of the time, and just FF in DH's car (Infiniti sedan) when needed. DS doesn't mind headwings and I sort of like the extra implied protection. But is a cushion and the (potentially un-utilized) heigher weight limit worth the extra $50?

Any thoughts to sway me either way? They are both good seats, I'm sure - can't go wrong. But would just like to hear from others who've had a chance to try them in RL! Or if you have another seat that works better for travel, feel free to plug that too. Thank you!

The RXT will get you less time overall, since the Radian allows for the shoulders to go over the top slot, but the RXT's headwings make that a physical impossibility. If you want the 45 pounds but no wings, check out the R120.

Otherwise, I'd be ok with forward facing at this point, especially just for travel, ad get a Maestro.

Wendy

Thank you, that was super-quick! So you like the Maestro for travel - due to weight? Ease of install? (Price is certainly attractive! :thumbsup

I do like the extended harnessing on the Radian for long-term use as a second seat, so the R120 is looking good now.

The Maestro has a higher top slot than the Radian, but if you're ok going over the top slots, then the Radian will last longer, probably.

The Maestro is about 11-12 pounds, rather than the close to 30 of the new Dionos. And it's easy to install.

Another option for travel, IF the airplane seatbelt fits, is to get a Ride Safer Travel Vest. It's a wearable five point harness, but you can't use it on the plane.

Wendy

Thanks! I may have to go to the store, then, and give the seats a test shake'n'wiggle.... have to decide if DH will go for the folding feature vs. the weight (he was not a fan of hauling the Scenera on and off the plane on our last trip, even though that weighs even less! ) Or maybe we could use a Bubble Bum for DS on the plane, and have the Maestro shipped to our destination?

The Bubble Bum starts at 40 lbs. and can't be used on the aircraft, so I don't think that is an option here, unless I am missing something.

In terms of traveling with the Radian vs. one of your existing seats, people definitely seem to be in two camps: some love the Radian's folding feature and the ability to wear as a backpack (and don't care about the weight) whereas others find it simply too heavy.

Thank you! Good to know about the Bubble Bum (DD can use that when we land, instead).

And I just asked DH which he preferred (light vs. folding), and he said folding. So I guess the next step is for me to check out the Radian at a store, and see if I can deal with the install!

Thanks again for all the help!