Question HELP Help! Graco Nautlius V.S. Diono Radian RXT

mommycat said:

Sparkly was talking about the Nauti though, not the Radian.

How tall/heavy are your kids? Ds2 was riding in the MyRide and fit RF until 4yo. He will turn 5 in about 3mo and still has room to grow FF. He may or may not fit long enough to get to 40lbs, it is likely that he will though. He is about 25-40th percentile (can't recall which kid was what exactly anymore). The baby could likely use the MR until it expires unless he is particularly on the bigger end.

I think RF would be a great idea for the toddler as well. At the very least I would worry about head slump - which may not be a safety issue exactly but even if they don't complain I don't agree that it is a healthy way to ride. The Nauti is a great seat but head slump is often an issue and definitely was in our '07 Civic. For a 5yo I wasnt too worried because it happened rarely but I imagine a 2yo still sleeps often in longer drives? The MR is naturally very reclined when FF so it would be a big change. On the plus side, I thought the Radian fit quite well RF behind my drivers seat in the Civic when I tried it out, and that was without the angle adjuster to help get the seat more upright, just some slight effort to angle it with pushing and tightening the right way.

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cherieqyl said:

Lots good advises, i am so glad i asked qs here. I don't know if any of your partner likes the kids to FF rather RF? He just find ff easier to deal w a screaming toddler when she asks for things.

Im going to try RF her this weekend. Prob going to get yelled at!

DH agrees w the option to get Nautilus because DD is FF and the seat is cheaper. He said by the time DS out grown the MR then he can have the Nautilus and find a backless booster ($30) for the DD who will be 5.5 or maybe 6 yrs.

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Jessica61624 said:

At 6 she still needs a high back booster but you can get them for under $50.

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tam_shops said:

If you want a more affordable and/or spare seat, I would get the Evenflo Maestro. Was around $100 at Walmart and went on sale at Sears for $80 recently.

tam

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littleangelfire said:

Hello@ It's great that you're willing to consider turning her back rear facing. It offers big safety benefits and honestly is more comfortable for kids because it gives them somewhere to place their legs/feet without leaving them dangling in the air which causes the bottom half of their bodies to get uncomfy quick. My son (at 7, almost 8) is forward facing in a booster and has blankets in the floorboard for something to put his feet on. It's too uncomfortable otherwise.

I did want to say, though, that I would not ask the toddler if she wants to rear face. We have the most success turning kids back RF when we just do it matter of factly. "Mommy found out it's A LOT safer for you to be rear facing, so you're going to sit that way again, just like your brother." OR something to that effect. Like most safety issues, at that age, it really shouldn't be a child's choice. They don't understand the safety issues at stake. IF you get a Radian, let her help choose the color, that'll help. Keep in mind that you may want to use the seat for another child, though. You can replace the covers, but they're not cheap.

I would definitely put the baby in the MR, it'll last him a long time yet. Put 2.5 yo in Radian. Hand down the Radian to younger child when he outgrows the MyRide, and then the older child will likely then be ready for a booster seat (kids are ready for boosters around 5-6 years old). Boosters aren't that expensive, depending on the model. IF younger child is ready for Radian before older child is ready for booster, reevaluate then and see what the best option to buy is going to be.

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cherieqyl said:

Yeah, radian cover arent cheap, hmm, considering all the pros and cons i think i will get her Nautilus, amazon.ca has a great deal right now.

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cherieqyl said:

Lots good advises, i am so glad i asked qs here. I don't know if any of your partner likes the kids to FF rather RF? He just find ff easier to deal w a screaming toddler when she asks for things.

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Im going to try RF her this weekend. Prob going to get yelled at!

DH agrees w the option to get Nautilus because DD is FF and the seat is cheaper. He said by the time DS out grown the MR then he can have the Nautilus and find a backless booster ($30) for the DD who will be 5.5 or maybe 6 yrs.

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Pixelated said:

The price I see on amazon.ca is the same as Walmart's regular price ($220), so it's not a good deal unless you have a coupon code or something to use.

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Brianna said:

RF is much easier for me to deal with than FF. When they're RF you can just hand it over the top of the seat and they grab it- plus it doesn't fall out of their lap like it can FF!

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Brianna said:

Have you shared with him videos and other information on why it's safest for her to be RF in a crash?

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