Patiently waiting on the new Diono Ranier seat. May run out of time?

paddlekat · Apr 29, 2014

I am pregnant and due June 19th, and would really like a Diono Ranier for this little one. I had a bucket for my now 7 year old, but never used it like a carrier. I always left the seat in the car and buckled him in and took him out at our destination. I really have wanted a Radian from the time I first heard about them when he was small, but never ended up with one.

I need a new seat for this one and love the sound of the Ranier. I had originally read that they were shipping early/mid May and now am reading that they are not shipping until Late May. I am really hoping to avoid buying a bucket, but am worried that I may end up with a baby and no seat at this point.

Anyone have any inside info on when exactly they will ship? Am I cutting it too close?

soph's mom · Apr 29, 2014

I don't have info on the rainier itself but instead of a bucket you may look into a sureride or scenera if you have good sized babies... You could use it as a backup seat for other cars. I love my radians but definitely got my money's worth out of a couple of sceneras (before the longer lasting sureride was available) kept on hand bc they were so much lighter to move...

featherhead · Apr 29, 2014

Have you tried installing a Radian at a newborn angle to see if you even have room for it? It takes up a LOT of room when at a 45 degree angle. Also, in some vehicles if the seats are quite sloped you will not even be able to achieve an angle appropriate for a newborn.

MommyShannon · Apr 29, 2014

There are several convertibles now that fit newborns well; Pria with Tiny Fit, Britax new gen seats, NextFit, Peg Perego, and SureRide come to mind. I think the recommendation for a SureRide is a great idea too if the Diono isn't available in time. It fits newborns well and makes a great spare seat for it's entire 6 year life span (from manufacture).

joolsplus3 · Apr 29, 2014

I found my lifestyle had changed dramatically when my last baby was born, and the olders were 6 and 8... there was so much more dropping off at school, friends, activities, that a bucket and a light stroller or snap n go really made my life easier, even though I still frequently wore her in a pouch/sling/hip carrier, some days, that bucket was a lifesaver.

YinzerMama · Apr 29, 2014

I can't imagine not having a bucket with a little one. Even if you usually leave it in the car, the option of pulling it out is so good to have.

That said while the new dionos look nice and all, if I didn't need the narrowness, I don't know that I'd get one. We love our nextfit. It goes taller, installs easier, and can be had for much cheaper. If I were having a baby now and wanted to go right to a convertible, personally, that would be my pick.

paddlekat · Apr 29, 2014

I haven't tried it in my car yet, but I drive a Prius and my partner drives a Jetta Sportwagen and although we are hoping to put it behind one of the seats so my 7 year old can ride in the middle in his Ride Safer Vest, he could be moved to one side so the Ranier could go in the middle if we needed to. There are no places around here that sell Radians so I could try one out in the car.

We really are hoping to have as narrow a seat as possible, as we regularly have either our dog or another child with us in a booster and DS needs a bit of room on the side to buckle his seat belt into his vest.

I will definitely look into some of the seats mentioned here and maybe once the Ranier is out, I will swap out the seat we get for now into my SO's car and keep the Ranier for my own, which is where baby will be most of the time. I just really like the idea of a steel frame. I know it does not guarantee more protection in a crash, but it sure sounds like a safer bet than a plastic shell to me.

Thanks so much for the ideas.

ebp913 · Apr 29, 2014

Another thought I had was to see if you have a friend with a bucket seat you could borrow til you can buy the seat you want. Of course it needs to be a very trusted friend who didn't check the car seat on a plane, wash the straps, get in an accident or otherwise improperly care for it.

Otherwise, getting a second backup seat that will work for you like the Sureride is a great idea. Always nice to have a spare seat.

paddlekat · Apr 29, 2014

ebp913 said:
Another thought I had was to see if you have a friend with a bucket seat you could borrow til you can buy the seat you want. Of course it needs to be a very trusted friend who didn't check the car seat on a plane, wash the straps, get in an accident or otherwise improperly care for it.

Otherwise, getting a second backup seat that will work for you like the Sureride is a great idea. Always nice to have a spare seat.

I don't have any friends with a bucket that I could borrow. That was actually my plan when I was waiting for the Ranier to come out, but I haven't been able to find anyone who is getting rid of their bucket or possibly willing to loan me theirs for a few months. I have been reading about the convertible seats listed here and can't figure out what would be the best bet. I am reading lots of complaints about seat height for RF'ing, short straps, wide bases, tricky installs and twisting straps.

My son was very skinny and average height, so he fit into almost anything once he got a few pounds on him. This current baby has a different father, so who knows how he/she will be shaped. I am positive that I want to start out in a convertible, I just can't figure out what to get. I do like the idea of finding something other than a second Ranier to use in my car at first and switch it to SO's car once we get the seat I am wishing for. I just hope we don't have to do a seat switch between cars in a hurry before we have two seats.

Patiently waiting on the new Diono Ranier seat. May run out of time?

paddlekat

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soph's mom

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featherhead

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joolsplus3

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