Carseat about to expire

I haven't shopped for carseats in a while and need some advice.

My boys turn 1 and 6 this month.
The 1 yr old is RF in a roundabout that has a date of 9/28/07. He is 22 lbs. -long torso.
The 6 yr old is in a SK Radian XTSL. He weighs 48.5 lbs, 49 inches, 17.5 seated shoulder ht.

I am considering moving the 6 yr old to a booster because he keeps asking for one, and because he says the radian is uncomfortable (hard). He RF in the radian until he was 3.5 and then turned FF. The radian was a terrible RF install in our 2009 CR-V. It would loosen at the belt path with almost every use, and we couldn't seem to get the recline right. It reclined so far that the passenger seat had to be all the way up. Also, I can't seem to tighten the harness straps. Nothing happens when I pull. I hate that seat so much!! On the other hand, I loved everything about the roundabout. It is easy to install, adjust, and clean.

What should I do?
I guess I need a comfortable booster for a tall skinny 6 yr old with a long torso AND a convertable that will last my one year old (who is also tall with a long torso) until he is ready for a booster. I just don't think I can stand the radian for 5 more years -especially since it would have to RF for a while.

Thanks!!
Lisa

Welcome. I also loved the Roundabout. I want one right now for my grandson. I would for sure try your 6 year old in a booster seat. The taller ones are the Diono Monterey and the Britax SGL - a new model just came out. I'd probably try those. Make sure to talk to him about what's expected of him (stay seated and in place the whole ride, no slouching!)

Were you having trouble with your Radian rear facing, or just ffing. I ask because it's a good seat for rear facing older kids. Not many have the same kind of leg room! Oh, re-reading, I guess rf was a problem! They have the angle adjuster now, which would help with the recline and maybe the install. I'd probably order one and try it before moving to another seat simply because it's so nice for rear facing leg room and loading.

Some of the taller convertible seats are now the Graco My Size /Head Wise and the Clek Foonf. I think the First years True Fit is very tall, but only a 35 lb rear facing limit. Others will chime in. That is what I can think of right now!

This might be of help with booster fit, which is a very important component of using a booster seat!

http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/boosters/default.html

Thanks for the recommendations! I am drawn to the britax booster because of my good experience with the roundabout. After 2 kids the cover looks brand new (and is so easy to take off to wash), not to mention it installs perfectly every time, and most importantly for me I can actually adjust the harness tightness easily. I can barely get the straps to tighten or loosen on the radian with the seat empty. It is ridiculous.

It was RF that the radian was giving me such trouble. FF I can get a solid install, but RF the latch just kept working itself loose each time we used it. It would be so loose you could move the seat several inches at the base. I have never tried an angle adjuster though. We bought the seat in 2009 or 2010 and I don't remember seeing them. I really would love to replace the radian with a britax that will last him until booster age if they make one that is tall enough.

Unregistered said:

It was RF that the radian was giving me such trouble. FF I can get a solid install, but RF the latch just kept working itself loose each time we used it. It would be so loose you could move the seat several inches at the base.

Click to expand...

This was a known problem with Radians in the past...LATCH loosening. Is there a reason why you couldn't use the seatbelt to install it RF'ing? it really is a great seat for RF'ing and if you already have it, you wouldn't have to buy another convertible!

I have never tried to install a carseat with a seatbelt before. I guess I was afraid that I wouldn't do it right.
Is there a fix for the latch issue with radians? It seemed like it was working loose because it was so top heavy and wanted to recline way too far back. It just felt like it wasn't very stable compared to any other carseat I've installed.

They have replacement LATCH straps they can send you. They don't loosen nearly as easily as the "slippy" ones. Call customer service.

Between that and the angle adjuster ([ame="http://www.amazon.com/Diono-60320-Radian-Angle-Adjuster/dp/B006I1QTYQ"]Amazon.com: Diono Radian Angle Adjuster: Baby[/ame]) there's a good chance you'll get the Radian to work for you.