Got our radian today

NannyMom · Mar 6, 2009

We got Baby S's Radian today. We'd had to send it back because the velcro was coming off the infant head support. They said they checked out the seat to look for more defects, and sent it back with a new pillow (and a much larger velcro strip).

It was so nice out today, the kids got to play outside and I got to play carseats

I installed it driver's side 2nd row in my Sienna. It installed really well with LATCH RF and seatbelt FF (didn't try any other methods). However, I heard you can install it more upright by pulling the boot away from the seat bite. Well, I couldn't

WHen I tried, I couldn't get the LATCH tight enough for some reason.

A has outgrown the GN, but she still fit in the Radian! I couldn't believe it! I thought for sure she'd be 'over the top', but she wasn't. I promised her next week she could take a ride in it in my van before we install it in Dad's car for the baby

J fit nicely too. He even would fit height wise RF, except he's 48 pounds, lol.

Baby S fit well. I tried her with and w/o the infant padding. It seems it was *just* tight enough for her and then wouldn't tighten anymore. Not sure how she would fit 2 months ago

Unless it was getting stuck on something

I think she fit well either way, but I'm sure her parents will want the extra padding in. Also, the bottom slots are right at her shoulders. Again, not sure how she would have fit as a newborn (she's already moved up to the SS1 2nd slots, they are right at her shoulders too). I know I've seen pics of a newborn in the Radian, were the slots really below the shoulders?

Tomorrow I'll try center in Grandma's 99 Escort. Hopefully I can install it more upright there.

ketchupqueen · Mar 6, 2009

My newborn came home in a Radian, but she had about a 10 inch torso-- almost an inch over the 9 inch bottom slots. Different kids are built very, very differently.

Pixels · Mar 6, 2009

Pull the boot out from the bight, and press down while tightening, resisting the boot's tendency to move backward. Or, in a minivan, stand over the seat like Defrost's avi, lifting the head of the seat with your hips/belly while pressing down on the knee portion of the seat. Some vehicles it makes a huge difference, some it doesn't make much if any :shrug-shoulders:

Pics of A in GN vs RN??? Pretty please? I'm surprised to hear that a child who has outgrown the GN still fits in the RN. Are her shoulders over the top slots at all? If so, by how much?

I don't think it's possible for a child to outgrow the RN RFing by height, and not be over the weight limit. The shell's just soo high.

That is sort of the impression that I had of a newborn fitting. LittleD just barely fit the harness length when I first put her in it, around 4 months old. I was doing it in the house, so I turned the seat over and checked. The splitter plate was hitting the back of the harness adjuster. It was all the way tight, the harness straps are just that long. No infant padding, I don't have it. I don't recall how her shoulders lined up.

NannyMom · Mar 6, 2009

I did take lots of pics today. More so of the kids in the seat than of the install itself. I'll take some on Monday of A is the GN. I thought it was weird too, since the GN is supposed to be 18.5 and the RN is supposed to be 18 (right?). But she was slightly over the top slots in the GN last time we tried her (a month or 2 ago?), but had a tiny bit of growing room in the RN. I will post comparison pics of A for you

Pixels · Mar 6, 2009

I measured 18" in my RN with cover and memory foam off. That's 18 to the TOP of the slot, thankyouverymuch. With cover and memory foam, not compressing the cover very much, to the middle of the slot is about 17.25".

All the measurements I've seen of the GN are 18.25" or 18.5". Maybe she was sitting tall in the GN, and not in the RN?

NannyMom · Mar 6, 2009

pixels99 said:
I measured 18" in my RN with cover and memory foam off. That's 18 to the TOP of the slot, thankyouverymuch. With cover and memory foam, not compressing the cover very much, to the middle of the slot is about 17.25".

All the measurements I've seen of the GN are 18.25" or 18.5". Maybe she was sitting tall in the GN, and not in the RN?

Maybe it was where the carseat was sitting? The GN was 3rd row, passenger's side and RN was 2nd row driver's side. But with both seats, I install (buckle and tighten) with vehicle seat reclined, then pull it up tight to the carseat. And neither seat was in recline mode. Maybe I'll go measure mine.

Pull the boot out from the bight, and press down while tightening, resisting the boot's tendency to move backward. Or, in a minivan, stand over the seat like Defrost's avi, lifting the head of the seat with your hips/belly while pressing down on the knee portion of the seat. Some vehicles it makes a huge difference, some it doesn't make much if any

I did the first suggestion and I just couldn't get it tight. I had plenty of room to climb in and kneel on the seat. I didn't get behind it though like in Defrost's pic. That's how I usually do convertibles, but I didn't today. But the problem seemed to be in pulling the LATCH. I dunno. Maybe I'll try standing behind it tomorrow. Actually, it may have been an acceptable install, as in 1 inch of movement. But I like my seats tighter

Think the shape of the Sienna's seats had anything to do with it? THere's a hump right in front of the seat bite, where the LATCH anchors are "hidden". I was pulling it out so it wasn't on that hump.

ketchupqueen · Mar 7, 2009

pixels99 said:
I don't think it's possible for a child to outgrow the RN RFing by height, and not be over the weight limit. The shell's just soo high.

There will ALWAYS be one kid to prove you wrong... My daughter (4) has dropped back down to 34 lbs. and has outgrown it RF by height (head is juuuust less than 1 inch from top when in the RF seat, though she has slightly more than 1 inch above her when FF, I guess because of the angle.)

I have really atypical kids...

NannyMom · Mar 7, 2009

I measured my seats today. MA- 17 inches exactly. GN- 17.5- 17.75. RN- 17- 17.25. I'll have to take pics of A in the MA and GN for comparison.

NannyMom · Mar 14, 2009

I finally got my camera to work with my computer again

So here are pics.

THe first is A in the RN, the 2nd is A in the GN. Apparently I was wrong, she hasn't yet outgrown the GN. But it looks like she has more room in the RN than the GN.

ketchupqueen · Mar 14, 2009

Uh-huh. It's the magic seat. It can measure shorter than other seats and yet some kids have more room for some reason! Then there are the kids who outgrow it before they should by the numbers. So odd.

Pixels · Mar 14, 2009

NannyMom said:
I did the first suggestion and I just couldn't get it tight. I had plenty of room to climb in and kneel on the seat. I didn't get behind it though like in Defrost's pic. That's how I usually do convertibles, but I didn't today. But the problem seemed to be in pulling the LATCH. I dunno. Maybe I'll try standing behind it tomorrow. Actually, it may have been an acceptable install, as in 1 inch of movement. But I like my seats tighter Think the shape of the Sienna's seats had anything to do with it? THere's a hump right in front of the seat bite, where the LATCH anchors are "hidden". I was pulling it out so it wasn't on that hump.

Feed the tail end of the LATCH belt back through the beltpath, and pull from there.

Misty-Bug · Mar 14, 2009

I also had a problem installing it RFing with Latch in a Mazda protege so I opted to use the seatbelt.

this may sound dumb but....you said baby S you had a hard time getting it tight? Did you make sure the safe stop wasn't on? I just assumed it might have been because you had it in FFing. Sorry if I am way off

NannyMom · Mar 14, 2009

Misty-Bug said:
I also had a problem installing it RFing with Latch in a Mazda protege so I opted to use the seatbelt.

this may sound dumb but....you said baby S you had a hard time getting it tight? Did you make sure the safe stop wasn't on? I just assumed it might have been because you had it in FFing. Sorry if I am way off

Safe Stop wasn't on. It's a brand new seat, we were just playing with it and checking it out. I haven't even gotten into checking out the SafeStop yet. Both FF kids are over the weight limit (is it 40 or 48? Doesn't matter they are 48 and 53).

Pixels · Mar 14, 2009

NannyMom said:
Safe Stop wasn't on. It's a brand new seat, we were just playing with it and checking it out. I haven't even gotten into checking out the SafeStop yet. Both FF kids are over the weight limit (is it 40 or 48? Doesn't matter they are 48 and 53).

It's 40 for current seats. My understanding is that it used to be 48, but they lowered it.

NannyMom · Mar 14, 2009

I'll have to try pulling the LATCH strap through the belt path to tighten for more upright.

THanks Pixels. I knew I'd read the SS weight limit in the manual, but it didn't apply to me at that moment so it didn't sink in

My RF kids don't need it, and my FF kids are too heavy. But it is something I should know as a tech

Pixels · Mar 14, 2009

It's labeled right on the SS, so not something you have to memorize. Besides, have you ever had a Radian come through at a check event? I have talked to a tech with 1500 installs who had never seen a Radian IRL before mine. I've challenged him (just for fun) to try to install it FFing seatbelt in my car. Then I'll show him the Radian tricks. It is a darn quirky install.

NannyMom · Mar 14, 2009

pixels99 said:
It's labeled right on the SS, so not something you have to memorize. Besides, have you ever had a Radian come through at a check event? I have talked to a tech with 1500 installs who had never seen a Radian IRL before mine. I've challenged him (just for fun) to try to install it FFing seatbelt in my car. Then I'll show him the Radian tricks. It is a darn quirky install.

Unfortunately, I've never done a "real" seat check. I had some time do do some, and the woman in charge never returned my calls

I do seat checks with 1 person (a CPST-I) that are scheduled. But no, I've never had a Radian. And if we did, she'd know all about it

Got our radian today

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