Made in China

Splash

New member
Um... the Radian is made in China.

Why didn't I know this? I guess I just figured that at that price point, it was not a sweat shop import.

This bothers me. It makes me question the quality a bit more, it makes me angry about the price, and it just bugs me that it's another "made in China" item I would be adding to my list. Part of my justification about Britax pricing has always been that it's a made in America product, and that that comes with a price premium. I just can't see how SKJP justifies that price tag for a made in China product.
 
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Kalinky

Senior Community Member
My sis just got a RN65 today. It was the first time I'd been intimate with that seat, we had one in our class but I didn't really get to interact with it much.

I mean it's a great seat b/c it's a HWH seat, but the overall quality was definitley inferior to a Britax IMO. I mean - what's with having to buy all the extra crap (TONGS in particular) to make it a good seat? Why don't they just sell it with the better TONGS now that they know that the original ones suck? The "belly pad" was pretty ghetto compared to a Britax. The harness seemed so thin to me too.

I can see where the RN is an awesome seat for having to fit 3 accross and some other things (like how some prefer seats w/o the tall "base"), but I must agree - for that price, I'd rather get a Britax for a little more!!

They know people want and will pay for HWH seats. I'm SOOOOOOO curious to know how much it actually costs them per seat. I know $$ goes to more than *just* the cost of the seat, but still!
 

Morganthe

New member
Part of my justification about Britax pricing has always been that it's a made in America product, and that that comes with a price premium. I just can't see how SKJP justifies that price tag for a made in China product.

I don't know so much about the whole "Made in America" with most Britax products. After this afternoon, I have this suspicion that they're a little quiet about what goes on exactly with 'assembled parts', just like a lot of American carmakers.

I took mine apart to clean and discovered:

The Regent seat shell says "Manufactured in South Carolina". It's a DOM of May 07.

The Regent Madison cover --
Manufacturered by
Foamex Cuautitlan
Calle Canal #4
Cuautitlan, Edo de Mexico 54700, Mexico.

Well, the nation is properly called United States of Mexico in Spanish. :shrug-shoulders: ;)
It's a very high quality cover as far as I"m concerned. Washed up beautifully. Looks like new after being all dingy and crumb covered. I'm happy :) But Britax has to stay competitively priced or they'll go out of business. At least they're keeping the work in North America instead of Asia. :whistle:
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
I don't know so much about the whole "Made in America" with most Britax products. After this afternoon, I have this suspicion that they're a little quiet about what goes on exactly with 'assembled parts', just like a lot of American carmakers.

I took mine apart to clean and discovered:

The Regent seat shell says "Manufactured in South Carolina". It's a DOM of May 07.

The Regent Madison cover --
Manufacturered by
Foamex Cuautitlan
Calle Canal #4
Cuautitlan, Edo de Mexico 54700, Mexico.

Well, the nation is properly called United States of Mexico in Spanish. :shrug-shoulders: ;)
It's a very high quality cover as far as I"m concerned. Washed up beautifully. Looks like new after being all dingy and crumb covered. I'm happy :) But Britax has to stay competitively priced or they'll go out of business. At least they're keeping the work in North America instead of Asia. :whistle:

oh, good point. The d-ring and latch belts are made in Mexico too (although, that's more of an IMMI thing than Britax).
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I mean it's a great seat b/c it's a HWH seat, but the overall quality was definitley inferior to a Britax IMO. I mean - what's with having to buy all the extra crap (TONGS in particular) to make it a good seat? Why don't they just sell it with the better TONGS now that they know that the original ones suck? The "belly pad" was pretty ghetto compared to a Britax. The harness seemed so thin to me too.

They know people want and will pay for HWH seats. I'm SOOOOOOO curious to know how much it actually costs them per seat. I know $$ goes to more than *just* the cost of the seat, but still!

Going out on a limb here, because I know lately the thing has been to replace every item possible.. ;)

BUT, it is a good seat with the chest clip that comes with it, with the buckle tongues it comes with and with the original buckle strap. The majority of people don't replace any of these items. ;) And IMO, the original buckle tongues really aren't that bad. I got the larger ones, and have been contemplating for awhile putting the smaller ones back on - I think I prefer the smaller ones now that I've used the larger ones for awhile. I didn't have problems with the smaller ones, but got in on the switching them out band wagon because I was worried about twisting in the buckle tongues. :eek: (I have a britax chest clip sitting here too, but haven't had problems with the one it came with & at this point have pretty much decided to not switch it after all. :rolleyes: )

The straps are a different texture, but aren't twisty and are just as sturdy as my MA straps. Although I do agree the belly pad is a bit of a joke - but at least it has one... aside from the MA, none of the other seats available around here have them. ;)

It isn't a Britax - the cover isn't as plush and it doesn't have built in lock'offs, but it is a good quality seat.

In all honesty, the being made in China thing doesn't worry me. All of the components of the seat have specific standards, the assembly is standardized, and ongoing crash tests are done internally. The Radian isn't the only car seat manufactured in China either....

While there are a lot of things about China that can be worrisome, it's important to know that it's more about the individual factory that's selected and the quality control that's done, then it is about what country a seat is produced in. And when it comes down to it, pretty high likelihood that most seats that are made in the US still contain some components that are made in China. I just don't see it as possible to avoid everything that's made in China, and I don't think that just because something comes from China it's instantly poor quality.

I would be curious to know about the cost of the seat, but then again, how do you factor in the expenses of seat design, pre-production testing, certification expenses, and ongoing product development & confirmation that it continues to meet standards?

When I deal with the Radian, it feels like a $250 seat. When I deal with an EB 3in1, it feels like a $40 piece of crap that sells for $200. :twocents:
 

Jordynsmama

New member
Sorry but I am very leery of china made products at this point. Not every chinese person but china manufacturers and government. We do our best to avoid china made products.
 

Morganthe

New member
Going out on a limb here, because I know lately the thing has been to replace every item possible.. ;)

BUT, it is a good seat with the chest clip that comes with it, with the buckle tongues it comes with and with the original buckle strap. The majority of people don't replace any of these items. ;) And IMO, the original buckle tongues really aren't that bad. I got the larger ones, and have been contemplating for awhile putting the smaller ones back on - I think I prefer the smaller ones now that I've used the larger ones for awhile. I didn't have problems with the smaller ones, but got in on the switching them out band wagon because I was worried about twisting in the buckle tongues. :eek: (I have a britax chest clip sitting here too, but haven't had problems with the one it came with & at this point have pretty much decided to not switch it after all. :rolleyes: )

I agree with loads of what you wrote :) I'm not switching the buckle tongues out either. I like this style that stays in the same place on the harness when I unbuckle it. I don't have any problems with 'folding' or unravelling either.

Belly pads? I think they're overrated anyway. I've ended up using dd's (Regent) on her like Papooses had in a photo of her daughter -- upside down. She doesn't need padding for her tummy area, just to protect bare legs from belt edging.

I also like the Grey cover. It's great for my dh's car which is messy and never clean. I'd go nuts with a nice pretty light covered cover on it, especially since I look as that seat as the all-over travel one. I want fancy, I use the Regent ;)

I changed the chest clip. It's a lot nicer and suits dd better. But I had an incident the other day that confirmed my opinion that chest clips create a sense of false confidence, no matter the manufacturer.

I buckled and clipped dd in her Regent before driving off. I know I did because she's particular about it and I remember I was having a little difficulty with getting it aligned up perfectly and snapping it in.

When I stopped about 2 miles down the road, she absolutely freaked! "Look mommy, I'm not done up. It broke!" :eek:

Sure enough, she's holding each side of her harness and the chest clip had popped open. Kind of freaky, but at least it was a tight harness. I just re-spread the clips and it stays fine in the spot again. But it's one of those things that's no guarantee whatsoever of protecting a child... helps, but no proof against injury in itself. :cool:
 
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Kalinky

Senior Community Member
I just felt like the original TONGS it came with are going to start causing the harness to fray (has that happened w/ any of yours?). But whatever. I'm not saying it's a BAD seat at all, esp. compared to Dorel stuff! Just not quite the quality of a Britax IMO. I think the belly pad is a little more impt. for a little boy who is now out of dipes. Maybe they should call it a penis pad, not have it come with the seat and make people buy it seperately.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I think the belly pad is a little more impt. for a little boy who is now out of dipes. Maybe they should call it a penis pad, not have it come with the seat and make people buy it seperately.

:ROTFLMAO:

Somehow, little boys who are potty trained have had their penis's survive for years in car seats that don't have belly pads. ;) :p I think sometimes us parents get a little penis obsessed and think something looks uncomfortable when the kids don't even notice it. I mean, look how they pull on it - it can't be that fragile. :p :whistle:
 

Kalinky

Senior Community Member
I know, I was being utterly sarcastic. That is so true b/c I was way more concerned about it than my neph. was!! LOLOL

:ROTFLMAO:"I mean, look how they pull on it - it can't be that fragile."
 

Splash

New member
My son is out to make the Guiness book by tying his penis around his ear. I don't know why he's so bent on it, but he is.

He has already mastered making balloon animals. Monkey and cheetah are his best.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
He could join Puppetry of the Penis when they travel again in 20 years... :D

Anyway... Yeah, I dunno..I'm pretty neutral on things being made in China... they SHOT their minister of their 'FDA' because he screwed up so much (at least they were going to, I heard it on BBC...)... maybe kind of barbaric, but at least someone cares :p
 

ThreeBeans

New member
:ROTFLMAO:

Somehow, little boys who are potty trained have had their penis's survive for years in car seats that don't have belly pads. ;) :p I think sometimes us parents get a little penis obsessed and think something looks uncomfortable when the kids don't even notice it. I mean, look how they pull on it - it can't be that fragile. :p :whistle:

True that LOL
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
We call the Britax belly pad the pee pad in our house. We used to call it the penis pad because it's nowhere near the belly. Then I forgot to take a newly potty trained ds to the bathroom after shopping for a couple hours at Ikea. We got about one exit down the highway and he started yelling that he had to pee. We didn't get stopped in time and I was worried about his seat being wet the rest of the way home. To my surprise, the cover was completely dry, although the front of his pants and the belly pad were soaked. That little thing is absorbant!
 

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