Gigantic radian harness pads?

[YinzerMama]

So I just got my radian rxt. Love the cobalt color - I was kicking myself for not getting gray and was afraid the blue was going to be TOO electric but it's much more sedate than I thought. But what is up with the gigantic pads??? The chest clip is in the middle of them. This is not what is pictured on the Amazon site. This is not what is pictured in the manual EXCEPT for on one illustration (drawing) where it shows pads on top and bottom, although not nearly as huge. All photographs in the manual show just neck area shoulder pads as well as the photo on the box.

I'm googling and finding this was a canadian thing that has now moved to the US? Anyone know if they will still send out short pads? I'm going to be using this rf for a 2yo and these giant pads are going to engulf him. Is it still true they are not required for rf? The manual seems to just say always use them - but all the photos of how to tighten the harness show no pads even though legs are dangling so clearly ff.

Aside - is the 120 basically the same seat minus the headwings? Just trying to picture the difference between the two.

 

[Alison's Mom]

I did a check for a family with a noob a couple of months ago, and was horrified by these pads. I emailed Diono and they said they're necessary for FF but not for RF. They sent me a free set of the smaller pads to use for RF. I wish they would state this in the manual, because most people wouldn't ask and would just use them because they're there, and get a poor harness fit on a tiny baby.

 

[jacqui276]

I'm the odd one out, but I like the big pads (although not on tiny babies) but have been using them with my little guy since he was 6 months old without issue. They just take a bit of getting used to after using other seats with smaller pads.

As stated in the PP though, feel free to take them off for RFing if you want to, but hang onto them for later.

 

[YinzerMama]

I have to wait for my kids to wake up to further assess this seat. None of the pics on line prepared me for these pads - even the diono site doesn't show them!

120 vs rxt?? I'm thinking my kid isn't going to be thrilled with these wings. I might have to return for a 120. Are the seats the same otherwise?

 

[Keeanh]

RXT & 120 are the same except for the wings. What I don't like about the 120 is the metal belt guides that I worry might injure adjacent passengers when it's FF.

Last I heard, the huge harness covers are optional RF & FF in USA. In Canada they're required FF, optional RF.

 

[Brigala]

I upgraded to the giant harness pads (which didn't come with my Radians) in an effort to keep my then- 2 year old from squirming out of the harness. It worked. Since then, I've come to like them, although at first I found them super annoying.

My recommendation is to give them a try for a while. If you still hate them in a couple of weeks, call Diono to ask for some of the smaller pads to use while your child is still RF. I don't now why they're required FF in Canada, but there must be a reason. My husband's guess, based on what he knows of race car harnesses, is that the stiff pads may reduce strap twisting in a side-impact or corner-offset type of crash. This would be a much bigger concern for a FF child than a RF one whose primary protection is the shell of the car seat rather than the harness itself.

 

[Pixelated]

I don't now why they're required FF in Canada, but there must be a reason. My husband's guess, based on what he knows of race car harnesses, is that the stiff pads may reduce strap twisting in a side-impact or corner-offset type of crash. This would be a much bigger concern for a FF child than a RF one whose primary protection is the shell of the car seat rather than the harness itself.

They're also pretty handy for those kids who are inclined to slide the chest clip down.

 

[YinzerMama]

My kids have always been pretty good about keeping harnesses/clips where they should be so I'm not too psyched about that being a perk here. But I can see it being useful for a lot of people.

What are the metal belt guides on the 120, those red things up top?

Diono seriously needs to update their packaging, website, and manual.

 

[Keeanh]

Here's what I was told by Diono about why they're required in Canada:

Canada's new 2012 crash test requirements include a chest compression component. The large harness pads reduce force on the chest, so they got better numbers with the large pads, and therefore presented those numbers to Transport Canada. Because the seat was used with the pads in the crash test results that were submitted, Diono has to officially require them FF.

There's no chest G test for RF (obviously), so that's why they're optional RF -- they make no difference to crash test compliance.

Since there have been no new test requirements in the US, the seat already had US compliance without the large pads and therefore they are also optional FF in the US.

Now here's the interesting part: The seat apparently also passes Canadian tests without the large pads. However they are sticking with the "required FF" because it was the numbers WITH the pads that were given to Transport Canada.

 

[YinzerMama]

Great information, thanks!

 

[Keeanh]

Great information, thanks!

You're welcome

Yes, the belt guides are those red things that look like little ears. I was concerned that adjacent passengers in seatbelts or LBB could potentially hit their heads on them when the seat was FF. Although I recognize that that risk is quite low because most crashes have a forward component and therefore people's heads would be forward of the car seat. But also I imagined stuff getting get caught on them when the seat was RF. So I grabbed up a couple of the old-style RN80s when they were being cleared out.