Question Radian Premier?

FrauDrA

New member
My parents have just moved out to be closer to the grandkids. A couple of years ago, I bought a Radian Premier, which we had left at their house in Ontario and was used only by our eldest.DOM is 2007-06-16, model number is C18500.

Now that they are here, I had decided to use the Radian RF for the toddler, and get a Frontier XT for the kindergartener. In our car, #1 rides in a Frontier XT; I need to weigh and measure both kids again, but last I checked he was about 45lbs and 120cm. He is 5.75 years, and very squirmy so I prefer keeping him harnessed. #2 is in a Next-gen Boulevard, RF; he's 30 lbs and maybe 80cm at 2.5 years.

So. I just looked at the Radian's manual and - sigh - the RF limits are 30lbs and 81cm. Sigh. The youngest is probably right at or around those limits. There go the best-laid plans :(

I guess I *could* have #2 FF in the Radian, but my plan has been to keep him RF as long as possible. Plus, if he FFed in his grandparents' car, I'm afraid he will fight RF in ours. (He's had no issue with it to now, in fact I think he likes it.)

I haven't bought the second Frontier yet, I was hoping there'd be a Britax sale sooner or later :) I have a Clek Ozzi for #1 which we use for travel (taxis to/from airports, etc) and can be used in a pinch.

Anyway, now that my plans seem to have gone pear-shaped, I don't know what to do. Help, please?
 
ADS

mommycat

Well-known member
We do like to see them rf longer, but at 2.5yo he wouldn't be UNsafe in a FF radian, so that would be an option. He may rebel at rf in your car but he may not. Our personal experience was that neither kid complained about some seats being turned and others not, at least not much. I explained it was safer and why and that if the seat allowed it they would rf while in the other car it didn't. I may have just said that "in xyz seat you have to be XX lbs to go ff" where xx was the rf max - a bit of a fudge but it was a clearer message.

If you do feel unsure about ff just yet, you could pick up another less expensive seat to RF in to tide you over the next year or so, though he sounds tall? I am trying to convert to inches in my head and not feeling that confident in my math skills just now... Lol. Maybe a true fit would last long enough if he is not due for a weight spurt? If has room to grow in the britax then the myride should last about as long also.
 

FrauDrA

New member
mommycat said:
We do like to see them rf longer, but at 2.5yo he wouldn't be UNsafe in a FF radian, so that would be an option. He may rebel at rf in your car but he may not. Our personal experience was that neither kid complained about some seats being turned and others not, at least not much. I explained it was safer and why and that if the seat allowed it they would rf while in the other car it didn't. I may have just said that "in xyz seat you have to be XX lbs to go ff" where xx was the rf max - a bit of a fudge but it was a clearer message.

If you do feel unsure about ff just yet, you could pick up another less expensive seat to RF in to tide you over the next year or so, though he sounds tall? I am trying to convert to inches in my head and not feeling that confident in my math skills just now... Lol. Maybe a true fit would last long enough if he is not due for a weight spurt? If has room to grow in the britax then the myride should last about as long also.

He's actually pretty tiny for his age. 90cm is 36", so he's about 35th percentile for his height, and 45th for weight. (his big brother, meanwhile, is about 95th for height and 50th for weight!)

I've installed the Radian FF, so at least he can go in their car. I'm just bummed about it :(
 

Boot

New member
Does the 5 year old still fit the radian? Could you put the older child in the Radian ff and buy a longer lasting rear facing seat for the 2 year old? Even a scenera would do the trick. Then you can just wait for the frontier to go on sale and eventually use the frontier for the older child and the radian ff for the younger. That would buy you some time, at least.
 

FrauDrA

New member
Boot said:
Does the 5 year old still fit the radian? Could you put the older child in the Radian ff and buy a longer lasting rear facing seat for the 2 year old? Even a scenera would do the trick. Then you can just wait for the frontier to go on sale and eventually use the frontier for the older child and the radian ff for the younger. That would buy you some time, at least.

I want to try him in it. For now, I've out the Ozzi in for him, just so the kids can go in that car if needed. He's about 120lbs, and a beanpole.

Right now I'm half regretting getting rid if our original MA. It wouldn't have bought us any more RF time for #2, but at least I'd have harnessed seats for both. Sigh.
 

mommycat

Well-known member
That's 120 cm, right? Lol

I was going to ask that too but thought he might be too tall. Of course I was using the conversion factor for weight (2.2) instead of length (2.54) and trying to do it in my head to boot. Obviously I need to go to bed earlier. :eek: 120cm is approx 47" which means you do have a good chance he will still fit in the harness.
 

FrauDrA

New member
Whoops, yeah that's 120cm! The joys of using two Mutually exclusive standards at once :)

It is a 65lb weight limit, so he is fine by weight. (He's about 45lbs) but he is soooooo looooong in the body that height has been the main issue with all of his carseats. He still has room to grow in the Frontier XT, though.
 

FrauDrA

New member
Would it be worthwhile to get one of the new Radians? I gather they allow ERF, and harness-to-booster too. I'm not sure hubby will agree, but personally I feel we should spend more now if it is something that will last longer.
 

mommycat

Well-known member
I can't really answer tonight since I am just too tired to reason it out once again. If you don't get any responses from anyone else tomorrow please bump this thread so it pops up again in my unread list? Thanks, and sorry. :eek: My indecisiveness is so much worse when I need sleep...
 

Misty-Bug

New member
honestly at 2.5 years I think it would be fine to FF your little one. I would maybe put him in the center. He has outgrown it by weight. We also like to give parents the choice to decide what they want to do. Some go by the height measurements but we recommend having at least an inch of hard shell above their head. Some kids are all torso and some are all legs. For me the over all height is irrelevant. BUT because he has outgrown it by weight you will have to FF the seat. Remember to use the safe stop if you are using it FFing as it is law to use the top tether. With the radian a child weighing less then 40lbs that is FFing has to have the safe stop in use when the top tether is being used. I hope that makes sense.
Ideally I would recommend getting another radian, as they will also booster. BUT if money is tight you can do something like a TF, even though it will only get you another 5lbs. The Britax is usually outgrown by height fairly quick.

It is scary going from one seat position to another. Ie, infant to convertible RFing, convertible RFing to FFing etc.

I am brain dead as well so I hope that made sense
 

mommycat

Well-known member
Yes! Good catch about the SafeStop for the FF Radian, Misty. I totally forgot. As for the Radians boostering, the minimum is 50lbs for booster mode, and the height does not adjust. So unless a child is heavier for their height, I think chances are excellent a radian will be outgrown by height in harness mode (and shortly thereafter on booster mode?) before they have even reached the minimum to booster, making the seat unusable at least for a while.
 

FrauDrA

New member
I do have the Safestop installed :)

The R100 and R120 don't *look* promising as boosters, but what about the RXT? Does the shoulder belt slot adjust on that model?
 

butterfly_mommy

New member
Did you try your 5 year old in the Radian? My 4 year old is 50lbs and 47" and he still had room in his Radian. Also the Radian does allow the shoulder to go over the top slot as long as the top of the ears are not at the top of the shell.
 

FrauDrA

New member
butterfly_mommy said:
Did you try your 5 year old in the Radian? My 4 year old is 50lbs and 47" and he still had room in his Radian. Also the Radian does allow the shoulder to go over the top slot as long as the top of the ears are not at the top of the shell.

It's been an especially busy week at school, so we haven't had the chance. It's on our to-do list for the weekend!
 

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