Would you buy a Radian if you didn't "have" to?

Nedra · Nov 27, 2015

We are planning to stop at 2 kids, so we don't have a specific "need" for a 3-across. Nonetheless, I am finding myself perpetually drawn to the idea of a radian, despite the fact that we don't "need" a narrow seat. I like the idea of having a narrow seat or two in the mix in case we need to install two seats side-by-side. Or in case my husband relents and we have a third baby. But I have often heard Dionos described as "necessary evils" -- difficult to install, heavy and unwieldy, difficult to tighten, etc.

What are your experiences? Are they good seats on their own? Or are they to be avoided unless absolutely necessary?

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Dillipop · Nov 27, 2015

Nedra said:
We are planning to stop at 2 kids, so we don't have a specific "need" for a 3-across. Nonetheless, I am finding myself perpetually drawn to the idea of a radian, despite the fact that we don't "need" a narrow seat. I like the idea of having a narrow seat or two in the mix in case we need to install two seats side-by-side. Or in case my husband relents and we have a third baby. But I have often heard Dionos described as "necessary evils" -- difficult to install, heavy and unwieldy, difficult to tighten, etc.

What are your experiences? Are they good seats on their own? Or are they to be avoided unless absolutely necessary?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know lots of people that love theirs and don't have them as necessary evils. I had a love/hate relationship with mine. Fit where I needed it but it was meh to install and a pita to tighten. I gave mine away at the first inkling that I could get away with not having it around. There are so many other seats on the market with butter smooth adjusters and easier installs for me to deal with the radian hassles.

lgenne · Nov 27, 2015

They can be quirky, but I think a lot of the hate comes from how complicated they are. They have so many extra parts that only need to be used under certain circumstances, and have so many opportunities for misuse. You aren't exactly a typical parent when it comes to car seats, so if you're ok with the complexity, and you don't have specific plans to put it somewhere that it's incompatible (or even just super difficult) you'll probably like having it. I actually really like my Radian in my Odyssey and my Mazda 5. We have 10 rear seating positions, and it installs easily RF with angle adjuster in at least 8 of them. The Ody +1 doesn't work, and I haven't tried 3rd row center.

kathysr98 · Nov 27, 2015

I used a Radian with my only child. Granted, it was the only 45lb RF seat at that time, but I liked the seat, and continued to use it for a long time in a variety of situations. It was also helpful to have when my dd needed a seat in a friend's car who had two children of her own and a five passenger vehicle.

ketchupqueen · Nov 27, 2015

The rules for install and use keep getting more and more complicated. At this point, taking CS issues into account, no. I wouldn't buy one if I had other options. Though I was a fan back in the day.

jacqui276 · Nov 27, 2015

I feel like people either love them or hate them.

I didn't NEED a radian as far as 3-across (well, I did for one of the 4 Radians I have owned for my sister to use when she provided child care for me, but not for the other 3). My drawing point was that they have the highest RFing weight limit in Canada. DS is huge and even the 45lbs only got him to 2yrs 10mo RFing, so it was, in that sense, necessary in my eyes. That being said, I love my radians. I find them fairly easy to install (easier RFing than FFing though), like the low sides for loading and unloading (this is why I somewhat dislike my True Fit), don't mind the bulkiness of the harness pads, love the colours, and have no issue tightening or loosening the harness. It has been handy too the odd time that I have done 3-across to have a Radian in the mix.
My only beef is that I wish they had taller top slots as DS is 3yrs 9 months now and has almost outgrown it in torso height (we can't go above top slots in Canada). I can see how they can be complicated and frustrating for the average parent though, especially if they don't want to be reading the instruction manual from front to back.

Carrie_R · Nov 27, 2015

I would, but definitely keep abreast of the latest info. I love mine, love the fit to vehicle, love the install, the first half-dozen kiddo used it for it was a dream. My current two nanny kids, I swear they're not compatible with the seat, straps are either too loose, too tight, or uneven. I'm left scratching my head and having developed a hatred for the seat. So we heft into a MR instead of my nice, low-profile Radian. But if it fit your kid & your car, yeah - in a heartbeat.

krasota · Nov 27, 2015

I didn't absolutely need one, but it really simplified a three across in my sedan and it was also easier to sit next to as an adult. My tiny kiddo probably would've been fine in just about any other seat, but it was a great price on black friday three years ago, a gorgeous plum, and I liked it. And while we're not having other kids, we do haul extra friends and family around from time to time, so it's nice to have a slim profile seat.

There are other seats that are nice, but this one suited our needs.

thekatie · Nov 27, 2015

I didn't need one, and in fact heard the "you're wasting half the seat if you only plan to use the convertible forward facing", but bought another anyway. I agree with above, it's either love it or hate it... and I freakin' *love* mine. So does J2. The incessant whining about hating the "black seat" (Pioneer) and wanting another "blue seat" (Radian) was what tipped the scales.

We didn't need the narrowness, as almost every other person I transport is out of all seats even boosters by now (only one booster rider left, and I only drive her a handful of times a year). But I like the profile. I don't find it difficult to install in my car or DH's car, rear or forward facing, LATCH or seatbelt. And J2 doesn't whine anymore

*edited for grammatical errors

lgenne · Nov 27, 2015

ketchupqueen said:
The rules for install and use keep getting more and more complicated. At this point, taking CS issues into account, no. I wouldn't buy one if I had other options. Though I was a fan back in the day.

CS?

Keeyamah · Nov 27, 2015

lgenne said:
CS?

Customer Service is my guess.

ketchupqueen · Nov 27, 2015

Yep customer service.

jjordan · Nov 27, 2015

I wouldn't use ours if I didn't need to for 3-across purposes. I might if the harnesses weren't so difficult to tighten, that is a pretty big deal to me. And lots of other small deals that add up.

brightredmtn · Nov 27, 2015

kathysr98 said:
I used a Radian with my only child. Granted, it was the only 45lb RF seat at that time, but I liked the seat, and continued to use it for a long time in a variety of situations. It was also helpful to have when my dd needed a seat in a friend's car who had two children of her own and a five passenger vehicle.

I too had an XTSL for my only child because of its 45lb RF weight limit. I purchased it after his Swedish Britax Multi Tech was crashed.

I could always get a solid install in my car and it was nice for two adults to sit next to it comfortably. I had a love hate relationship with it for travel. Loved the carry straps and its foldability but hated its weight and difficulty in actually getting it to stay folded.

Holly · Nov 28, 2015

I didn't read the replies. I have a radian for my youngest and it was his brother's first, but we didn't "need" a radian when I got it, I just love them.
Getting a radian is what originally brought me to love child passenger safety.
I had bought one for my oldest when she was 2 because I wanted a long lasting seat with tall top harness slots but the only other option at the time was a Britax and they were more expensive.
I fell in love with the seat and started googling it to see what others were saying about it and I found this website and never looked back.

Since then, all of my kids have used one. We had 3 of them at one point.
We bought the first one before we ever needed to fit 3 across and it didn't occur to me to buy it for that, so that wasn't a reason I got it. Though we would not have been able to fit 3 across without at least 1 radian.

So the baby uses one now because we already had it, but if we hadn't have had it, I still would have bought one.
If it gets crashed before it expires, I'll buy another one.
It's my favorite seat, the "quirks" aren't quirks to me. I love the slimness, low profile, high limits, and the overall look and feel and that it can be tethered RF.
It will expire when my son is 4. I'm not sure if I'll replace it with another one or not only because all the Diono radians require the thick harness pads when FF and I'm not a fan of those. I've always had the Sunshine Kids radians.

cookie123 · Nov 28, 2015

I had Radians when they were still Sunshine Kids. I hated the harness adjuster but loved the rf leg room for the older kids a lot. I loved the low profile for getting in and out. Later that became an issue that the kids couldn't see out of the window in them so I got a nice high Pro Sport! That worked well for awhile. Griffin uses it rf now so it wasn't wasted on just ffing!

ketchupqueen · Nov 28, 2015

I like my Sunshine Kids Radians way better than the ones out now. I feel some of the design changes have been detrimental to quality.

LC2003 · Dec 4, 2015

We had 3 SK Radians at one point. The install was so obnoxious that I would not purchase them again (and we used to own a damn baby store and have installed our fair share of car seats.)

Ninetales · Dec 5, 2015

Heck no. I don't think I'd get one even if I had to. Is find another solution first. I got one to get my big girl another five lbs, then sold it at the first opportunity.

bnsnyde · Dec 5, 2015

Pretty much my last choice. It fills a need. We have owned about 5.
Not a bad seat but too quirky. But also awesome for other reasons.

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Would you buy a Radian if you didn't "have" to?

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