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Sunshine Kids Radian Folding Car Seat (Avg retail $199 with free shipping)
General Product Info from:
http://www.go-baby.com/Products/sunshinerad.html
Radian™ is a Convertible Car Seat for rear-facing children 5 to 33 pounds and forward-facing children (from at least 22 lb) up to 65 pounds in a 5-Point harness system. Maximum child height is 49 inches. Radian folds, making it perfect for travel with the kids and convenient storage.
Product Features:
Five shoulder positions and three buckle slots provide the best harness fit.
Wide belt paths with rounded edges allow easier installation and tightening.
V-shaped tether can be used rear-facing, LATCH equipped. (Tether is not IMO, v-shaped)
Folds to 6.5 inches thick for convenient travel and storage.
The only car seat made with a full, steel alloy frame, for incredible strength.
4-panel system of EPS safety foam for increased safety, including side-impact protection.
3 inches more interior shoulder width of any car seat in its class. Its unique design is more than 2” narrower on the outside making it easy to fit 3 seats across.
3 inches longer seat bottom and the forward-facing recline option provides increased comfort for longer rides and more leg support for the older child.
Radian is approved for Aircraft Use.
Exceeds all US safety standards
Product Dimensions:
Product Dimensions Open – 28.5"H x 17”W x 16"D
Product Dimensions Folded – 28.5"H x 17”W x 6.5"D
Product Colors:
Champagne - tan and charcoal ultra-suede fabric
Coastal - steel blue and gray ultra-suede fabric
Desert - two-tone tan ultra-suede fabric
Granite - gray and black, ultra-suede fabric
MY REVIEW:
Compatibility in different Vehicles:
The Radian does have some compatibility issues. If you have seatbelts that come out well-forward of the seat bite and no LATCH available this may not be the seat for you. Also, rear facing installs where there is a medium-length female buckle stalk or locking latch plate may not work. All LATCH installs and other installs that I have tried have been great, with a top tether making the installation even more secure. LATCH can be used until the child is 48 lb, then the seatbelt MUST be used. The Radian is quite narrow and fits well with other car seats and in three-across situations.
Latch:
The LATCH strap is attached with a webbing strap to the seat and is very easily moved from the rear-facing, forward-facing, and storage positions. The LATCH connectors are the Britax-type push button clips and are adjustable by pulling one strap tight. The top-tether is a single and easily adjustable strap and there is also a storage compartment for it.
Rear-facing use:
The Radian has a “foot” or “boot” that must be used for rear-facing. This makes it a little more difficult to use than a seat with an adjustable base (like a Britax convertible), but it still works well. It can be tethered rear-facing.
As far as recline angle, it’s not able to be adjusted at lot, but I have gotten a 40-45’ angle easily without using the tether to add more recline. Because of this, the Radian will take up slightly more room than a Britax convertible would rear facing for older kids who don’t need the 45’ recline. The space seemed about the same with a Radian and Britax 65 lb convertible both reclined to a 45’ angle.
My 32 lb almost three-year-old daughter seemed very comfortable rear-facing in this seat. She is just under the rear-facing weight limit and has only in the past month or two started riding forward-facing on a regular basis.
Forward-facing use:
This is a great seat for forward-facing, especially for older kids. It sits quite upright, but the sides are deep enough to do a good job for sleep support. I would say it has sleep support similar to a Graco Cargo, but more than a lot of other combination seats. Because it is not up on a large base it is easier for older kids to get in themselves and looks a lot less like a “baby” seat.
Comfort and Appearance:
This seat got my daughter’s gold-star comfort rating. She was asleep within five minutes on her first ride in the afternoon! (Forward-facing) The padding is nice and there are no rough edges or un-padded areas. I have had problems with my daughter getting red pressure-marks in her Evenflo Chase combination seat and even after five hours buckled in the Radian seat there were no marks on her and no complaints. The seat is also very comfortable to sit next to because of the narrow seat and low profile. It was installed in the center third row seat of a Chevy Uplander (mini-van) with my husband and I on either side for the five-hour trip and was much better to sit next to than out Evenflo Chase. It was narrower, and smoother on the outside edges.
I have the coastal (blue) color and it has so far help up great with two weeks of constant use and moving. In the last week I have USED it in eight different vehicles and four different airplanes- so that’s a pretty good record.
The cover is relatively easy to take off with some practice. It requires hand washing with mild detergent (I used Woolite Dark) and line drying, but looks just like new when it dries. It took over 24 hours for mine to dry, but I didn’t wring the cover out aggressively and I live in a humid area.
Use during air travel:
We successfully installed the Radian forward-facing on the two different types of commercial aircraft on our recent trip. No belt-extender is needed since the fabric can be opened to access the belt-path. The buckle was nearly in the middle of the seat and can be pulled tight by once again accessing the belt path. As a bonus, because the seat is low it worked great with the tray tables.
I did not have the chance to install the Radian rear-facing on the airplane, but imagine that it would be substantially more difficult. First, the “foot” would have to be added to the seat if it has been folded up and the belt bath would be a lot more difficult, if not impossible, to access. I may try on my next flight if there is time. On the positive side I would feel comfortable using the Radian forward-facing for any child over 1 yr and 22 lb on an aircraft because the crash dynamics are different from that in an automobile and the likelihood of an accident are much less.
The folding feature is great for transportation purposes. The seat is heavy so you won’t be running through the airport as you might wish! I was able to carry it on my back using the harness straps that some though the back over my shoulder. My husband could not get the strap over his shoulder and was quite frustrated trying to carry it and ranted a bit about how backback straps should be a standard feature. The seat did fit in our Zooper umbrella stroller folded, or unfolded with a child in it. I imagine it would fit in many strollers this way. I will also consider trying to use a luggage carrier on our next airport adventure next month when we may not bring the stroller at all. I don’t have access to the bag available for the Radian, but will probably purchase one and update my review later. I had also considered routing a strap through the unused harness slots for a makeshift backpack straps, but want to check and make sure this would not damage the seat or affect its safety in a collision.
Overview:
I would recommend this seat in a variety of different situations. It’s nice to have another option to harness past 40 lb or for taller kids.
Aside from the size/folding issue I would still recommend a Britax convertible for a primary rear-facing seat because it is easier to use and more compatible in general with different vehicles. Although there is no reason the seat wouldn’t work for a young baby, the Britax seats seem to “look” more comfortable for rear-facing kids, especially those under one year. It would make a great second rear-facing seat or a travel seat that will last most children for the full 7 years if used from birth.
As long as the fit was good in the vehicle I would recommend this hands-down for forward-facing kids over 30 lb. It’s easier for them to climb into, looks less like a baby seat, and has harness slots higher than the Britax convertible seats, but is smaller then the Husky. The only disadvantage is that it does not have the SIP wings of the Boulevard. It does have EPS foam in sides of the shell.
Photos: http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d83/skipspin/Car Seats/Radian/
Joy Miller
Mommy and Child Passenger Safety Technician
Tester: 34 mo old 34" 32 lb
General Product Info from:
http://www.go-baby.com/Products/sunshinerad.html
Radian™ is a Convertible Car Seat for rear-facing children 5 to 33 pounds and forward-facing children (from at least 22 lb) up to 65 pounds in a 5-Point harness system. Maximum child height is 49 inches. Radian folds, making it perfect for travel with the kids and convenient storage.
Product Features:
Five shoulder positions and three buckle slots provide the best harness fit.
Wide belt paths with rounded edges allow easier installation and tightening.
V-shaped tether can be used rear-facing, LATCH equipped. (Tether is not IMO, v-shaped)
Folds to 6.5 inches thick for convenient travel and storage.
The only car seat made with a full, steel alloy frame, for incredible strength.
4-panel system of EPS safety foam for increased safety, including side-impact protection.
3 inches more interior shoulder width of any car seat in its class. Its unique design is more than 2” narrower on the outside making it easy to fit 3 seats across.
3 inches longer seat bottom and the forward-facing recline option provides increased comfort for longer rides and more leg support for the older child.
Radian is approved for Aircraft Use.
Exceeds all US safety standards
Product Dimensions:
Product Dimensions Open – 28.5"H x 17”W x 16"D
Product Dimensions Folded – 28.5"H x 17”W x 6.5"D
Product Colors:
Champagne - tan and charcoal ultra-suede fabric
Coastal - steel blue and gray ultra-suede fabric
Desert - two-tone tan ultra-suede fabric
Granite - gray and black, ultra-suede fabric
MY REVIEW:
Compatibility in different Vehicles:
The Radian does have some compatibility issues. If you have seatbelts that come out well-forward of the seat bite and no LATCH available this may not be the seat for you. Also, rear facing installs where there is a medium-length female buckle stalk or locking latch plate may not work. All LATCH installs and other installs that I have tried have been great, with a top tether making the installation even more secure. LATCH can be used until the child is 48 lb, then the seatbelt MUST be used. The Radian is quite narrow and fits well with other car seats and in three-across situations.
Latch:
The LATCH strap is attached with a webbing strap to the seat and is very easily moved from the rear-facing, forward-facing, and storage positions. The LATCH connectors are the Britax-type push button clips and are adjustable by pulling one strap tight. The top-tether is a single and easily adjustable strap and there is also a storage compartment for it.
Rear-facing use:
The Radian has a “foot” or “boot” that must be used for rear-facing. This makes it a little more difficult to use than a seat with an adjustable base (like a Britax convertible), but it still works well. It can be tethered rear-facing.
As far as recline angle, it’s not able to be adjusted at lot, but I have gotten a 40-45’ angle easily without using the tether to add more recline. Because of this, the Radian will take up slightly more room than a Britax convertible would rear facing for older kids who don’t need the 45’ recline. The space seemed about the same with a Radian and Britax 65 lb convertible both reclined to a 45’ angle.
My 32 lb almost three-year-old daughter seemed very comfortable rear-facing in this seat. She is just under the rear-facing weight limit and has only in the past month or two started riding forward-facing on a regular basis.
Forward-facing use:
This is a great seat for forward-facing, especially for older kids. It sits quite upright, but the sides are deep enough to do a good job for sleep support. I would say it has sleep support similar to a Graco Cargo, but more than a lot of other combination seats. Because it is not up on a large base it is easier for older kids to get in themselves and looks a lot less like a “baby” seat.
Comfort and Appearance:
This seat got my daughter’s gold-star comfort rating. She was asleep within five minutes on her first ride in the afternoon! (Forward-facing) The padding is nice and there are no rough edges or un-padded areas. I have had problems with my daughter getting red pressure-marks in her Evenflo Chase combination seat and even after five hours buckled in the Radian seat there were no marks on her and no complaints. The seat is also very comfortable to sit next to because of the narrow seat and low profile. It was installed in the center third row seat of a Chevy Uplander (mini-van) with my husband and I on either side for the five-hour trip and was much better to sit next to than out Evenflo Chase. It was narrower, and smoother on the outside edges.
I have the coastal (blue) color and it has so far help up great with two weeks of constant use and moving. In the last week I have USED it in eight different vehicles and four different airplanes- so that’s a pretty good record.
The cover is relatively easy to take off with some practice. It requires hand washing with mild detergent (I used Woolite Dark) and line drying, but looks just like new when it dries. It took over 24 hours for mine to dry, but I didn’t wring the cover out aggressively and I live in a humid area.
Use during air travel:
We successfully installed the Radian forward-facing on the two different types of commercial aircraft on our recent trip. No belt-extender is needed since the fabric can be opened to access the belt-path. The buckle was nearly in the middle of the seat and can be pulled tight by once again accessing the belt path. As a bonus, because the seat is low it worked great with the tray tables.
I did not have the chance to install the Radian rear-facing on the airplane, but imagine that it would be substantially more difficult. First, the “foot” would have to be added to the seat if it has been folded up and the belt bath would be a lot more difficult, if not impossible, to access. I may try on my next flight if there is time. On the positive side I would feel comfortable using the Radian forward-facing for any child over 1 yr and 22 lb on an aircraft because the crash dynamics are different from that in an automobile and the likelihood of an accident are much less.
The folding feature is great for transportation purposes. The seat is heavy so you won’t be running through the airport as you might wish! I was able to carry it on my back using the harness straps that some though the back over my shoulder. My husband could not get the strap over his shoulder and was quite frustrated trying to carry it and ranted a bit about how backback straps should be a standard feature. The seat did fit in our Zooper umbrella stroller folded, or unfolded with a child in it. I imagine it would fit in many strollers this way. I will also consider trying to use a luggage carrier on our next airport adventure next month when we may not bring the stroller at all. I don’t have access to the bag available for the Radian, but will probably purchase one and update my review later. I had also considered routing a strap through the unused harness slots for a makeshift backpack straps, but want to check and make sure this would not damage the seat or affect its safety in a collision.
Overview:
I would recommend this seat in a variety of different situations. It’s nice to have another option to harness past 40 lb or for taller kids.
Aside from the size/folding issue I would still recommend a Britax convertible for a primary rear-facing seat because it is easier to use and more compatible in general with different vehicles. Although there is no reason the seat wouldn’t work for a young baby, the Britax seats seem to “look” more comfortable for rear-facing kids, especially those under one year. It would make a great second rear-facing seat or a travel seat that will last most children for the full 7 years if used from birth.
As long as the fit was good in the vehicle I would recommend this hands-down for forward-facing kids over 30 lb. It’s easier for them to climb into, looks less like a baby seat, and has harness slots higher than the Britax convertible seats, but is smaller then the Husky. The only disadvantage is that it does not have the SIP wings of the Boulevard. It does have EPS foam in sides of the shell.
Photos: http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d83/skipspin/Car Seats/Radian/
Joy Miller
Mommy and Child Passenger Safety Technician
Tester: 34 mo old 34" 32 lb