Max-Way vs Radian

ninabrujaha · Oct 14, 2014

My son will be 3 at the end of the month, and is rear facing in a Radian. However, I have the option to buy a Britax Max-Way for a great price, and my considerations are 1) Will it get us rear facing longer than the Radian, or is it comparable? I know the weight limit is higher on the Max Way, but height-wise is more of an issue for us, because my kids are not heavy. The Radian can only be used until the kid is 1 inch (or 1.5 inches?) from the top of the shell - can the Max Way be used longer than that? Is the shell taller to begin with? 2) Does it take up less space front to back, or side to side, than the Radian (when the Radian is used with the angle adjuster)? FYI both seats are legal where we are, so both options are totally ok, I'm just trying to figure out what will get us longer rear facing and what will fit best in our small car. 3) Is buckle crunch more avoidable with the Max Way due to it being more raised? We have to fiddle with our seatbelts a lot to get the Radian in safely. Thanks!

_juune · Oct 14, 2014

I have never "met" a Radian IRL, but I do have a MaxWay for my daughter. She is about 111cm tall now [measured about a month ago], and still fits with a few cms of seated height left. The MaxWay is outgrown by height when child's eye level or ear tips are in line with the top of it's headrest.
I have no idea how the front-to-back space compares to the Radian, but I do think it's fairly compact, it takes only a bit more front-to-back space than my son's infant seat.

ninabrujaha · Oct 15, 2014

Right, I figured it may last us longer because it's outgrown when the ears are level, not 1.5 inches from the top, like the Radian. Do you know the specs for the Max-Way? Specifically the shell height, so I can compare. It's harder to find good reviews of EU car seats than it is to find reviews of US ones, it seems. Thanks!

Adventuredad · Oct 15, 2014

Max-Way is one of the most compact rear facing seats available and usually need a lot less space depth wise than Radian which is anything but compact. Even with the angle adjuster.

Height wise MW usually last to around age 5 or a height of 115-120 cm (45-47 inches for the Americans). It's 17.5 inches wide which is a touch wider than Radian. As mentioned above MW can be used until tip of ears are at top of seat shell.

Seat shell is not of much importance since most seats can't be used until the maximum height due to shoulders touching the head support. Buckle crunch with MW can usually be avoided by using the Britax wedge which raises the car seat off the vehicle seat.

Max-Way vs Radian

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