Does anyone have a Keyfit next to a Radian?

UPDATED with lots of large pics. These are all next to a FF Radian. Radian is installed using the recline and LATCH. 2mykids has additional pictures below. The Keyfit would NOT fit next to my RF Radian because of the Keyfit's handle. That could be different in your car depending on how reclined your Radian is and if you have a bigger backseat. We have a Chevy Cobalt which is smaller than the Impala and bigger than the Aveo. AOL autos has the hip room of the 2008 Cobalt listed at 46". The Keyfit 30 base is just a touch over reclined but I didn't notice until after I downloaded the pictures. I think that could be fixed pretty easily without changing the way it installs. Keep in mind our car is very small and it wouldn't be this tight of a fit in a larger sedan. I wish I had better pictures of some of these but it was in the BRU parking lot in a hot sunny (messy) car.

First attempt at install using LATCH. You can see that one LATCH connector is pulled under practically to the middle of the base and the other is way off to the right. This is because of the LATCH placement in our car. The seat did fit this way and I have pictures of it but it's very similar to the seatbelt install pictures and I definitely won't be using LATCH with this seat, at least while it's outboard.


Seat belt install. It had less than an inch of movement at the belt path but with the shoulder belt routed through the lock it didn't budge at all. Very cool. I twisted the female end of the belt buckle three times.


Top view with base


Puzzling on the sides


With seat in base


Just a bit of overhang on the corner


From the front. That part of the handle is why it wouldn't fit next to my RF radian.


From the top. The friction between the covers makes it so I needed to nudge to seat down to make sure it clicked into the base. You wouldn't want to just set it down and drive off without checking. I probably could have pushed it farther away if I loosened the install a bit but I like the seats to be as tight as possible so that's what I did.

Original post: How do they fit? DD is FF in a Radian 80 and DS is RF in another Radian 80. Right now I have DD outboard passenger side and DS is in the middle. DS has gained weight recently but I don't see him hitting 35 lbs before August so I'll have a FF Radian, RF Radian, and the Keyfit.
I don't know what position to put the seats in or what order so I was wondering if the Keyfit fit next to a RF or FF radian better. Since we have such a little car we may have to put the two RF seats next to each other if the Keyfit won't fit behind the driver's side. I would think it would be easier to have the infant seat outboard but it's going to be awkward getting kids in/out no matter what.

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I'm curious about this, too!

I've never tried to put a Radian next to it... but I have a Keyfit installed in my G6 (4-door) using Latch, and I can't even fit a narrow booster next to it. Maybe with a seatbelt intall and if your vehicle had a slightly longer back seat it would have potential though!

Here's a picture of a KF next to a FF RN. Sorry, I don't have one with the RN RF though.

andre149 said:

I've never tried to put a Radian next to it... but I have a Keyfit installed in my G6 (4-door) using Latch, and I can't even fit a narrow booster next to it. Maybe with a seatbelt intall and if your vehicle had a slightly longer back seat it would have potential though!

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We have a Chevy Cobalt, I'm not sure how that compares. I'll have to take a trip to BRU and try it out in our car.

2mykids said:

Here's a picture of a KF next to a FF RN. Sorry, I don't have one with the RN RF though.

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Thanks! So it looks like the base will fit without a problem, it's when the carseat is in it. I was worried the keyfit would meet the Radian at the widest part like that. Yep...sounds like a trip to BRU in order. If I can't get it to fit I'll be in some hot water. I hate the Flex Loc.

elle7715 said:

Thanks! So it looks like the base will fit without a problem, it's when the carseat is in it. I was worried the keyfit would meet the Radian at the widest part like that. Yep...sounds like a trip to BRU in order. If I can't get it to fit I'll be in some hot water. I hate the Flex Loc.

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I don't like the Flex Loc either.

It was late when I posted earlier and I forgot to add that I had to shift the KF as close to the RN as possible to make room for a RF BLVD on the other side. So don't get discouraged just yet! I bet you will be golden. :thumbsup:

I have a rear-facing Radian next to a Keyfit in my '03 Malibu. The Radian is center, Keyfit passenger side. The edges of the seat angle a bit, so it's hard to install the base closer to the door, but I was able to make it work. If the seatback was just flat it would be very easy, and it would fit very well.

For those wondering as well...I tried it out at BRU and it did NOT fit next to the RF Radian in our little car. Right where the handle comes out right it bumps into the upper shell of the Radian. Maybe if the Radian was reclined to the full 45 degrees it would work, but DS is two and it can't be reclined anymore in our car. I believe it will fit next to a FF Radian like 2mykids' pictures show but I wasn't able to check. Both kids were in their seats and I just ran in to grab the Keyfit and leave my license while DH waited with them in the car. I'll have to switch the seats around and see if that fits before I buy it. It's going to be very close if it does work.

Update in first post with pictures.

Thanks! I can't wait to try it out. I think my husband covets my RN, since I might still be able to have a passenger in the back. He "requires" that, even if it means he has to buy another RN for his car.