Question Buy Radian now or wait for new models?!

#1babysitter · Dec 8, 2013

I have the 1 yo boy I'm a nanny for in a RF Britax Marathon 70 and at first he hated it since he has been FF in his parents cars since he turned 1 five months ago. He is doing better when in the car seat which is often since we are out and about a lot but his legs are still so cramped and to be honest I miss my Radian! I am not used to the high sides of the Marathon compared to the lower easy to load a RF'ing child sides of a Radian! In the long run I am going to have to get a new seat for him to stay RF so I am looking at my options now. He only has about 3 inches of shell above his head anyways, much less than I thought he would have when I bought the seat. I want to get a Radian RXT but am wondering if I should get that now or wait until the new models come out? I am a fan of head wings but since the new models have deeper sides do you think an Olympia or Pacifica would allow a child to sleep just as well as in the current RXT? The new models look taller to me as well, does anyone else think that? Any idea when they are coming out??

Thanks!!

YinzerMama · Dec 9, 2013

If he's only a year old, would he be able to make use of the headwings anyway? My 2 1/2 is just tall enough to use them - but he's a little guy so maybe that plays in.

I don't think the wings contributes much to the sleeping comfort for my son. Our other seats are a nextfit and a classic marathon. I don't feel like the radian minus the wings is any deeper than our classic marathon. He sleeps just fine in his marathon. (He actually took a MARATHON nap just today while I drove around) I feel like the angle of the radian puts him a little more upright in the car and causes him to sometimes slump - not always, but generally speaking I feel like he is more comfortable in the marathon.

SO based on my experience I think the mid-level seat of the new diono line up (no wings, extra cushions) should be OK for sleeping - or at any rate no better, no worse than the winged model?

The new ones look taller in pictures but supposedly measure similar in real life.

I have read early to mid 2014 for release which isn't very helpful I know.

I think I'd prefer the deeper shelled, wingless mid-line new Diona to the rxt... but I don't know. If you can wait, just wait. (I have a new in box rxt in my front room for my husband's car, he was in an accident so insurance is paying for it... if the other ones were out now I'd go that route but I kind of have to decide now, so I'm probably just going to keep it. If the 120 was to be had in better colors than it is, I'd be fine with that. It was the color choices that pushed me to the rxt as much as the wings, but I'd really prefer a little more shell and no wings, since the wing adjustment is so half-baked and they only work for the top half of the shell anyway)

Lee-B- · Dec 9, 2013

YinzerMama said:
If he's only a year old, would he be able to make use of the headwings anyway? My 2 1/2 is just tall enough to use them - but he's a little guy so maybe that plays in.

I don't think the wings contributes much to the sleeping comfort for my son. Our other seats are a nextfit and a classic marathon. I don't feel like the radian minus the wings is any deeper than our classic marathon. He sleeps just fine in his marathon. (He actually took a MARATHON nap just today while I drove around) I feel like the angle of the radian puts him a little more upright in the car and causes him to sometimes slump - not always, but generally speaking I feel like he is more comfortable in the marathon.

SO based on my experience I think the mid-level seat of the new diono line up (no wings, extra cushions) should be OK for sleeping - or at any rate no better, no worse than the winged model?

The new ones look taller in pictures but supposedly measure similar in real life.

I have read early to mid 2014 for release which isn't very helpful I know.

I think I'd prefer the deeper shelled, wingless mid-line new Diona to the rxt... but I don't know. If you can wait, just wait. (I have a new in box rxt in my front room for my husband's car, he was in an accident so insurance is paying for it... if the other ones were out now I'd go that route but I kind of have to decide now, so I'm probably just going to keep it. If the 120 was to be had in better colors than it is, I'd be fine with that. It was the color choices that pushed me to the rxt as much as the wings, but I'd really prefer a little more shell and no wings, since the wing adjustment is so half-baked and they only work for the top half of the shell anyway)

My daughter is only 9 months and uses the headwings, and has for a few months. She is in the 3rd from bottom harness slots and they are below her shoulders. It would definitely be depending on the 1yr olds height but it sounds like he is a tall/big boy so the headwings should be useable.
I have not seen a new Radian in person but am pretty sure I prefer the current winged ones over the new ones. I like the headwings and I like the low profile of the seat...it is so easy to get her in and out without deep sides to contend with.

#1babysitter · Dec 9, 2013

I am a huge fan of the Radian head wings as I just sold my two after using them for almost a year and a half. The two boys I used them for loved them and how comfortably they slept in them had a lot to do with the head wings. R has a long torso so I'm sure he will reach the wings. He is 32" tall. I am mainly getting it though to give him more leg room to stay RF for as long as possible. I wanted to love the Marathon for the ease of installation and no re-thread harness since another infant I watch some evenings uses it as well but I'm really hating it and missing my Radian! It is so hard for me to get him in the seat without hitting his head on the car and getting him out while sleeping is impossible so he always wakes up. I think I will just try to find an RXT for a good price now and not wait for the new models to come out because this is becoming a big daily struggle so much that I don't look forward to driving them!!

YinzerMama · Dec 9, 2013

Hopefully a lot of people feel like you two so if I ever decide to sell mine and try the new one, there will be a market.

I could really go either way on it. I am curious to see what the new materials feel like. Now if they had somehow added more recline features so you didn't need an angle adjuster to get a more upright rf install, I think it would be a no brainer. I find it funny they didn't do anything like that.

I am not a fan of the new marathon myself. My guy is little but he still looks squished in it. And I feel like the deeper shell makes for less legroom somehow, when they cross their legs they can't flop outwards as far or something.

Question Buy Radian now or wait for new models?!

#1babysitter

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Lee-B-

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