Radian RXT harrness question.

[Ashersmama]

Hi,
I just received and installed the Radian RXT and angle adjuster for my 13 month old son. The seat comes with black harness wraps that are long enough to go above and below the chest buckle, I guess to protect the baby from the straps? I'm having a hard time getting a tight pull on the strap adjuster. Not only that, has anyone else had a rough time getting a tight pull on the harness straps because of the angle adjuster underneath the seat?

It's hard to descibe that harness wrap. It's like those shoulder pads you can buy from jolly jumper but these are sent by the company and made for the seat and they go above and below the clip all in one peice, so two velcro spots. It just feels like a loose fit on the harness but maybe it's not...because when I took them off, I couldn't get much of a tighter fit on him. It is pretty loose at the belly, but I just pull the whole harness at the back of the seat and then tighten with the pull strap that way.

I was sad becasue of all this trouble, my son cried the first time he was in the seat...I want him to love his seat! Plus it was way too expensive to have issues with it!!

 

[wendytthomas]

Call Diono and ask them to send you out the other style strap covers. No biggie. They get a lot of those phone calls.

Wendy

 

[KaiLing]

Hi,
I'm having a hard time getting a tight pull on the strap adjuster. Not only that, has anyone else had a rough time getting a tight pull on the harness straps because of the angle adjuster underneath the seat?

It's hard to descibe that harness wrap. It's like those shoulder pads you can buy from jolly jumper but these are sent by the company and made for the seat and they go above and below the clip all in one peice, so two velcro spots. It just feels like a loose fit on the harness but maybe it's not...because when I took them off, I couldn't get much of a tighter fit on him. It is pretty loose at the belly, but I just pull the whole harness at the back of the seat and then tighten with the pull strap that way.

I was sad becasue of all this trouble, my son cried the first time he was in the seat...I want him to love his seat! Plus it was way too expensive to have issues with it!!

Don't be sad, it'll all be OK! I have had both of these problems: my Radian sinks so far into the seat (both with and without angle adjuster) that it is very hard for me to adjust the straps, and the big harness pads confounded me at first. I have settled for not adjusting them: they stay where I know they're tight and I don't tighten them. If the kiddo is wearing a sweatshirt that's too big, he takes it off (and, yes, freezes for a minute until he can get his blanket on--he's 3, so I'm not that worried about that).

I believe my straps to be tight enough because I do a pinch test in the back: I reach around with my right hand (RF radian on the passenger side) and pinch the straps there, just the same way I would do on the front of another seat. I don't think getting the smaller harness pads would help with the tightness issue: I had the same problem with my previous radian (DOM 2008 XT) that had no harness pads at all. But if you want the smaller pads, do call them.

 

[Ashersmama]

Okay, I will call them and when I receive the new pads, I will tak eit from there. I think we also just need to get used to a new seat since he just came out of a bucket.

That's awesome that you are still rf at 3 years old!!

My son had a nap in the new seat the other day and I gotta say that I didn't like how his head came forward and to his chest or to the side. He didn't have the pads on for that nap so maybe it will be a little better with the pads on it for napping. I'm just used to him being reclined in the bucket. Tomorrow we are going on a 4-5 hour road trips so I really hope he is comfy in his new seat! I put his sweater bunched up by his head to help the last time...

 

[tinytoy]

Regarding the strap covers; I noticed the same thing when I fit DD2 in the Radian yesterday in my living room. I just installed the seat in my car this afternoon and DD2 is at daycare so I haven't had her in the seat in the actual car yet, but I am curious to see how the straps tighten with the covers in a real life in-car scenario.

My DD2 is almost 14 months old, so not exactly a tiny baby, and it's as if the covers are so long they take up too much space between the chest clip and seat back. It didn't occur to me to call Diono and request the older style covers. I may do that.

Regarding the tightening issue; I had trouble tightening the harness at one point when I had the Radian sitting on my living room floor and was fitting DD in it to confirm proper harness slot height. I believe the strap where it runs under the Radian was trapped between the bottom of the Radian and my floor. Once I installed the seat in my Accord today I do not have that problem and can tighten the harness easily; although I haven't tried yet with DD2 in the seat, installed in the car. What KaiLing says makes sense about the Radian possibly sinking so far into the seat that it puts enough pressure on the strap to cause it to be difficult to tighten. I intend to buy an angle adjuster when I can find one and hope it doesn't create a tightening issue.

 

[wendytthomas]

And regarding the head slump while sleeping, he sounds like he was perfectly comfortable, snoozing away. He has head control to pull his head up, he's more flexible than we are so he didn't wake with a stiff neck, and it's not a safety risk in the least. We project on our kids that it must be uncomfortable, but really, they don't care.

Wendy

 

[Ashersmama]

And regarding the head slump while sleeping, he sounds like he was perfectly comfortable, snoozing away. He has head control to pull his head up, he's more flexible than we are so he didn't wake with a stiff neck, and it's not a safety risk in the least. We project on our kids that it must be uncomfortable, but really, they don't care.

Wendy

That's funny because I was probably doing that! I'm a first-time mom with this one (expecting #2 in 7 weeks and just ordered my Chicco Keyfit, YAY!) SO I don't have that much experience and tend to over-react about most things although I'm getting better. Worry, worry, worry!

Thanks for your advice ladies and I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one having problems with the new seat! I'll keep at it and I'll also do the test from behind the seat. CAuse with those huge strap pads, there's no place to pinch the straps for the test.