Intro and transitioning to convertible questions

Hi Everyone!

Fairly new mom here, LO has just turned 5 months and she is our first baby so this whole convertible car seat world is somewhat new to us

For our current seat we have a Britax B-Safe 35, but I can see we are quickly approaching the time where we will probably want to get a convertible seat...or I need to start lifting more weights to be able to make her seat seem lighter, ha ha

The husband and I picked up a Diono Rainier last week because we had heard so many good things about Diono in general (and I really liked their higher RF limits), more specifically the Radian, but I had read the Rainier was supposed to be the more updated seat.

After doing some more searching on the Diono though I see that it's not on the 2015 Recommended list here, and Consumer Reports gave the Radian RXT/GXT a 44 out of 100 which was quite a bit less than the the top contenders in their category.

After looking over the CR web site I'm seeing that the Chicco Nextfit or Britax Advocate get much better ratings, and I feel a little more comfortable with the Britax since we already have that brand and like it fairly well.

I'm curious what would others do? Return the Radian and get one of the other two? Or am I putting too much faith in the Consumer Report tests/reviews and the Radian is actually fine?

Would love to hear your thoughts, and experiences with Nextfit and Advocate if you have them!

Thank you in advance!

I don't believe that consumer reports is always high regarded by car seat techs. One thing to remember is all the seats pass the same safety tests.

The best seat is the seat that fits your child and your vehicle and is one that you are able to use correctly. If the Ranier meets those specifications for your family then there is no need to return your seat.

As a tech, we're never recommend going to Consumer Reports for car seat advice. Their recommendations often don't line up with ours and they've had some shady testing in the past. Basically they're not car seat experts and they don't even try to be, yet they release this stuff. We recommend the Diono seats literally all the time so if you like it and you're getting a good install in your vehicle, keep it. Nextfit and Advocate are also good seats we routinely recommend, so really it's about your needs and preferences.

ETA: and it us on the recommended list http://carseatblog.com/carseatblogcoms-recommended-car-seats/

I own both a Diono Radian and a Britax Boulevard ClickTight.

I like them both, for totally different reasons.

The Britax wins the "user friendly" award hands-down. But the Radian has several advantages too (which the Rainier would also have). It is trim, allowing for more space for other passengers in the back seat. It has a higher rear facing weight limit. And it folds flat for storage and travel (makes it easier to manage it through an airport, fits easily in the x-ray machine, etc.).

Okay this is excellent info! My instincts kind of told me that Consumer Reports might not be the best place to get the information, but then again I was a little worried.

Basically I'm looking for a seat that is relatively easy to install RF, has good weight/height limits RF, and has good/easy features - I read somewhere that it may be difficult to adjust the harness tightness on the Diono RF?

My top contenders initially were Clek Foonf, Diono Rainier, Britax Advocate (CT?), and Chicco Nextfit.

I admit I haven't done all the reading I need to on this site, so forgive me if this is already addressed somewhere...is there somewhere that does comparisons between these seats or one of the forums where people would be able to give me their opinions/pros/cons on why they'd choose one of these seats over another.

Also, another question - is it true that some seats are not good for certain vehicles? (Space isn't a limitation for us as both of our vehicles seem like they'll be able to accommodate larger seats)

Hello and welcome to car-seat.org.

I only have a minute here, but I did want to pop in and recommend the car seat reviews on carseatblog. The reviews are listed by child seat category, and all of the seats you listed are on there. (Incidentally you might also consider the Clek Fllo since you are considering the Foonf. The Fllo is like the Foonf's "little sister.")

Hello and welcome!

"Easy to install" is so hit and miss with the Diono seats. When I first got one, I'd read so many things about the difficulty of install that I was terrified. But then I went to install it and it was a cakewalk. In my current car, it had a learning curve, but I can now get it installed in +/-2 minutes. (I am also a tech who does a LOT of installs in general.) On the other hand, I had a check a couple of weeks ago where I had to tell a parent the seat was incompatible.

The NextFit & ClickTight seats are generally very easy to install.

I don't find the harness on the Radian difficult to tighten, but then again, I tend to leave it more-or-less right with only minor adjustments made each ride.

In the end, the seat that fits your vehicle, fits your child, and will be used correctly each time is the best seat for you. There are incompatibilities, but I would say they are the exception and not the rule. (Though, the Radian does tend to be incompatible more than the average seat.)

Hope that helps!

I would def. check out the link above, which gives you the basic pros and cons for the reccomended seats. If you have a BRU near by maybe you can run over and tests some seats out with your vehicle and your lo.

Of the seats you've mentioned I won a few Britax convertibles (non click tight), and a Diono. We also have a Maxi Cosi Pria but that's not one you mentioned and only have it specifically because one of our cars is very small.

Of them all I prefer the Britax seats. They are overall easiest to use. They are easy to install, and the harness is easy to adjust, the sides on the seat pan aren't super high so its fairly easy to load her. There are velcro spots for the harness which also making loading easier. If you went with a click tight you would have a very long lasting convertible. I'd say the only downside is rear facing legroom, but this doesn't seem to bother my daughter one bit.

I don't love the Diono. It is harder to install rearfacing and involves an extra piece, and if you need the angle adjuster this is yet again another piece. Not a huge deal if you never move it. I also do find it hard to tighten the harness when rearfacing. In our case I have to pull the harness from the back of the seat and tug the harness adjuster at the front. But it is a very low profile seat and gives lots of leg room.

For people to give good recommendations for specific seats it is helpful if you provide your vehicles, your child's age and stats, and your rearfacing goals.

More excellent information, thank you! I will definitely have to check out that link here in a bit

I have a GMC Terrain, and my husband has a Pontiac G8.

LO just turned 5 months, weighs approx 15lbs at the moment and is about 24" if I remember correctly...

Our goal for rear facing is just to go as long as we safely can...I suppose at some point her comfort might be an issue, but ideally I'd like to go as long as we can.
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jjordan said:

Hello and welcome to car-seat.org. I only have a minute here, but I did want to pop in and recommend the car seat reviews on carseatblog. The reviews are listed by child seat category, and all of the seats you listed are on there. (Incidentally you might also consider the Clek Fllo since you are considering the Foonf. The Fllo is like the Foonf's "little sister.")

Click to expand...

Wow thanks for this!

Also Bonita welcome!
I have a 24lbs 10 month old in the same seat as your baby and it is super heavy but what about just leaving it in be car in the base and getting your baby in and out each time? I mean my giant 10 month old still fits in it and will for a while so that could buy you some time.

I am just now looking for a new convertible with a high rear facing limit. I have a 2013 britax advocate (not click tight) for my 33 month old (normally I just say 2.5 but when we are talking car seats I say months) but she is almost outgrowing it but the new britax advocate click tight has a higher height and is overall better for extended rear facing. I really love the britax brand. What steered me away from the next fit was no rear facing tether and that made it seem not as rock solid when installed rear facing.

I am going to look into the clek and the britax advocate click tight more then decide. I do like that the clek has a higher rear facing limit.

All you car seat techs on here would do you think if my 33 month old weighs 33lbs that she could make it to age 4 in a britax advocate click tight?

Thx

Seb, if your girl stays on the exact same growth curve, she would be expected to hit 40 lbs around 47-48 months. That's of course, only an estimate based on one weight. You also have to factor in clothes and shoes - she would probably be 40 lbs clothed and shod a little bit sooner.

The Radian was our first convertible, and it was easily compatible with our car at the time, so I have a very positive view of it. We had a Saturn Outlook, and the sloped backseat was perfect for the Radian. We didn't even need the Angle Adjuster. I think if you own any other convertible before the Radian, then it seems more cumbersome and fussy (which it is), but it is still a great seat with some unique advantages, as long as you can get a secure install. My kids have always been very comfortable in it.

As for the infant bucket, I like to use ours as long as they still fall asleep in the car regularly. I leave the seat in the car all the time, unless baby falls asleep on the way home from somewhere. Then I can carry baby inside and let her finish her nap in the carseat. I've been able to keep my babies in the bucket until 18 months with a Graco Snugride35. This time we have a Keyfit, and I don't think we'll be able to use it that long, but we'll see. Then she'll go into the Radian rear facing like her older siblings did, until as close to 4 as possible.