MyRide 65 or Radian RXT for long plane flight?

tadc

New member
Hi all - we're planning a trip to Europe and will be taking our then-19-MO.

We have both MyRide 65 and Radian RXT. I think the Radian is heavier, but it folds and is narrower. I'm concerned about its length though.

Any advice on which to bring?

We're also thinking about getting a Travelmate or similar. Good idea?

Thanks,
 
ADS

BananaBoat

Well-known member
Will you be taking the seat on the plane? Which country(s) will you be visiting? Do you know what kinds of cars you will need to install in? Is your child front-facing or rear-facing? Is there any chance you have access to an infant bucket seat that your child will fit in properly?
 

creideamh

Well-known member
I would do the Radian, personally. Much nicer to sit next to and to fit into the plane seat. Hooking it onto a luggage cart makes transporting it easy (rolls right down the aisle.) The downside is, of course, messing with storing the RF base!

To answer your question on the other thread, you unhook it from the cart before installing it on the plane seat, then just fold and stow the cart either underneath the seat in front or above. :)

With either seat in Europe, you'll need to use a locking clip as they don't have locking seatbelts, or use LATCH/ISOFIX (same thing) if you happen to get a car with it.

HTH!
 

tadc

New member
Will you be taking the seat on the plane? Which country(s) will you be visiting? Do you know what kinds of cars you will need to install in? Is your child front-facing or rear-facing? Is there any chance you have access to an infant bucket seat that your child will fit in properly?
Yes, we'll be using the seat on the plane- we have an awards ticket for our son and he's rear-facing. Probably a no on the bucket question - he's a big fella and over 90% in height/weight.
I would do the Radian, personally. Much nicer to sit next to and to fit into the plane seat. Hooking it onto a luggage cart makes transporting it easy (rolls right down the aisle.) The downside is, of course, messing with storing the RF base!

To answer your question on the other thread, you unhook it from the cart before installing it on the plane seat, then just fold and stow the cart either underneath the seat in front or above. :)

With either seat in Europe, you'll need to use a locking clip as they don't have locking seatbelts, or use LATCH/ISOFIX (same thing) if you happen to get a car with it.
When you say luggage cart you mean such as the Travelmate I asked about?

Thanks for mentioning the locking clip/ISOFIX subject - I hadn't thought about that. So ISOFIX isn't standard on new cars in Europe like LATCH is here?

Where do I get a locking clip?

Thanks!
 

creideamh

Well-known member
Yep, luggage cart like the Travelmate. Just a skinny little metal cart. :)

ISOFIX is becoming more common in new cars, but it was only an option for awhile (not standard like LATCH.) A locking clip will be located on the back of your Radian. It's best to practice a bit first, as it gets easier the more you do it!

However...RFing the Radian on a plane isn't the easiest thing in the world (and you may get a lot of grief for it, especially with a 19 month old.) If you decide you want to RF on board as well, make sure to bring an angle adjuster and the FAA circular. I'd link you, but I'm on my phone at the moment. :) Which brings me to another question- are you flying a US airline?
 

tadc

New member
Yep, luggage cart like the Travelmate. Just a skinny little metal cart. :)

ISOFIX is becoming more common in new cars, but it was only an option for awhile (not standard like LATCH.) A locking clip will be located on the back of your Radian. It's best to practice a bit first, as it gets easier the more you do it!

However...RFing the Radian on a plane isn't the easiest thing in the world (and you may get a lot of grief for it, especially with a 19 month old.) If you decide you want to RF on board as well, make sure to bring an angle adjuster and the FAA circular. I'd link you, but I'm on my phone at the moment. :) Which brings me to another question- are you flying a US airline?

Ahh so that's what that clip thing is. :) I'll have to figure it out before we go.

We do have an angle adjuster to make it fit in my Golf but I'd really rather not have to bring it if I don't have to, so we might just go for FF.

We're flying AA, Air Berlin, EasyJet and Alaska.

And speaking of the rental car... I wonder how well informed the rental agency will be re: whether the car is ISOFIX equipped?

Thanks again for the info.
 

swissmama

New member
Definitely the Radian. super easy to install,kiddos can use the tray for play and drawing. I'd ff in the airplane. Not much to be gained safetywise by rfing and far more convenient.
The vast majority of new cars have isofix. I regularly rent cars here in Europe and have rarely ome across car without isofix. if you want to be extra sure, drop the rental agency an email to confirm.
 

tadc

New member
Following up - the trip went great!

I took the (brilliant) advice given and bought a cheap ($20 @ Target) folding luggage cart which worked perfectly for transporting the seat, both with and without baby (although it came with a stern warning that it was *not* to be used for transporting children!). We got several chuckles and positive comments from other passengers about the cart.

The only possible issue was you had to be careful making sharp turns - I did manage to roll the seat over onto its side when some guy wasn't watching where he was going and walked into me, but only when it was empty. Not sure if that was because I was more careful when he was riding in the seat or if his additional weight made it more stable.

Also as predicted above, out of 1 rental car (new-ish Seat Altea) and numerous taxis in Europe, *none* had locking seatbelts but all had ISOFIX excepting one big van in Poland that appeared to have DIY/Aftermarket bench seats and manual lap belts in the rear. When I was having trouble getting the seat installed, the driver tried to convince me that I should put him in the front (with the airbags!), and that was normal in Poland!

I was also surprised to find that our Voyager minivan taxi on the way home from the airport didn't have locking belts, and the belt clip was so huge as to make it very difficult to get through the belt path.

BTW I had no problems getting the seat installed FF on the various airplanes, although the Alaska 737 had a big-ol headrest that pushed the carseat away from the plane seat and left a big gap between.

Only one flight (American) asked about the seat being FAA certified, but they took my word for it as it was already installed and the sticker is on the back.

Last, one airline (I think Easyjet) specifically stated that the seat *cannot* be installed with an extender. I had no problems doing this, but I thought I should mention it as I've seen other suggest using one.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Sorry for resurrecting a zombie thread, but there seem to be some experienced people here and I'm going spare trying to answer these questions.

Could someone please confirm the width of the Radian? FAA recommends a seat width of no more than 16 inches to fit on an airline seat.
Also, I've read that it's too big to RF on an airplane seat, is that true?
Aaand I've heard that it's a pain in the neck to install in a car, is that true?

Thank you!
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Sorry for resurrecting a zombie thread, but there seem to be some experienced people here and I'm going spare trying to answer these questions.

Could someone please confirm the width of the Radian? FAA recommends a seat width of no more than 16 inches to fit on an airline seat.
Also, I've read that it's too big to RF on an airplane seat, is that true?
Aaand I've heard that it's a pain in the neck to install in a car, is that true?

Thank you!

It will definitely fit on an airpane seat. Sometimes with car seats, it's necessary to put up the armrests of the plane's seat, but the Radian is so low and narrow, that probably won't be necessary.

It's unlikely to fit rear-facing. It's a very tall seat and takes up a lot of front-to-back space, which airline seats aren't known for having. Some people have done it, but it probably depends a lot on the particular plane and seating location (sometimes bulkheads have more room).

The Radian can also be difficult to install in cars, but usually not impossible. If it's going to be a small car and the child is rear-facing, it's a good idea to purchase the separate angle adjuster to help make it more upright.

If you'd like other recommendations, it might be a good idea to start a new thread. Include your child's age, size, and some more details about the trip (if you'll have a rental car or know what car it's going in, etc.)
 

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