Hi, looking for rf car seat advice

Hi, me and my hubby had our first baby last march, an adorable little baby girl. She looks like a little doll, but is such a tough little thing! The very first day she was born she lifted her head up, and she already gives us attitude when we don't do what she likes.

She's about 2" from the top of her bucket seat. In some ways, this is awesome (damn that thing is heavy!), but I'll miss the convinience of her bucket seat.

So my mom and I went and bought a radion rxt. It seems like a really nice seat. I love that it's a 3 in 1 and isn't as huge as some others. But when I tried to install it into my 2015 Escape, it's too tall to fit behind the driver or passenger seat. It only fits in the middle. I know that's the safest spot, and maybe I'm over thinking it, but is it terribly awkward to have her in the middle? I'm more worried about when I have the stroller out or shopping bags (or both). And of course, bru will only allow exchange or refunds if it's not driven with. I think if I had a week to test it, I'd be fine.

How old is your daughter? Diono makes an angle adjuster for about $10, but the child has to have good head control and be able to sit up unassisted. This may give you the extra space you need to RF in an position in the back seat.

Hi and welcome!
You probably have a little more time on the bucket seat if you wish- most seats allow you to use it until there is 1" of space left above the child head or they reach the standing height limit. Now that doesn't mean you have to use it, just wanted to let you know you don't have to decide on a convertible immediately.

Diono (the company that makes the Radian) makes an extra accessory you can buy called the Angle Adjuster which will make it sit more upright as long as your daughter has good head control (can lift up her head by herself). Its around $10 and you can buy it at most baby stores, or walmart or amazon.

Also please note its is not recommended as a 3 in 1- the booster has a 50 pound minimum to use, and most children outgrow it by height before hitting the weight minimum to use it. Also the booster height is non adjustable so even if your child does hit the weight minimum without outgrowing it, it will only fit them as a booster for a short time.

Now that being said its a great convertible for extended rear-facing and highly recommended if a bit of a pain to install in some vehicles (especially forward facing). Also the middle can be a great spot. For instance if its raining you can sit next to your daughter to buckle her in instead of needing to stand out in the rain, and it makes the passenger seat a lot more comfortable if you have an adult in the backseat. Personally I always had my son on the side even when he was our only child, but really its personal preference on what works for you, and where you get a good install.

P.S. No matter what you decide, I would also suggest you go and get your car seat checked by a certified professional, you can find one near you here
http://cert.safekids.org/find-tech-0

Wow, thanks for the replies.

Brooksfamily - she's a strong little 5 month old, and can sit unassisted for short periods. She rolls both ways, gets up on her hands when she does baby pushups, and can sit up from a semi-recline. If I prop her up, like in her nursing pillow, she can sit up and play with toys. She likes to stand and doesn't always get that she can't just straiten out to stand when she's sitting on the floor.

1mommy - I know I have a bit more time. But I would like to have it figured out early. She seems to grow about an inch a month, so I think I have about a month.
I've heard of the tilt thing, but I don't want to buy it unless I know I'm keeping the seat.
You don't recommend it as a 3-1- is there another seat you would recommend? I like that this one is small, since I can fit two adults comfortably with her. This seat was the top of our price range, so I'd like it to last a long time. We won't be moving it often, and DD is pretty tall.
I skimmed the site you linked to, but it looks American. I'm in Canada (Winnipeg).

Thanks again for the responses. You've given me stuff to think about.
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Ahh thanks for clarifying where you are, the only 3 in ones that are actually recommended are only available so far in the U.S. But I really wouldn't worry about getting a 3 in 1, as by the time your child is 5-6 and ready for a booster (40 pounds and needs maturity) you will probably want a new seat anyways. Not to mention dedicated boosters are lighter then the ones with the harness, and fairly cheap. And I think there might be a Canadian safe kids, but I'll look up how to contact a Canadian tech for you.

A quick way to see if the angle adjuster will save you enough room is to find a 1 inch thick book (25 mm) and put it under the seat and see how much space that gains you. I'll try to find a thread better explaining it for you. It's much easier to find threads on the computer so I'll try to come back tomorrow and link those for you.

There is indeed a tech in Winnipeg. You can find her contact information here.

https://canadiancarseatnetwork.com/find-a-tech/

In case you're outside of the actual city of Winnipeg, there are a couple of us rural techs here too.