Using the Sunshine Kids Radian 65 or 80 above top shoulder slots--PLEASE READ

[RearFacingAdvocate]

Gosh, you guys, the more information I read about spinal compression and then go back and read skjp's reply, I can see where the center of gravity might make a difference in wether straps are below the shoulders and the direction of movement of the child......however, my seven year old cousin was too wide (and I would not call her obese, by a long shot) when I asked her to sit in the radian for comparison.....Bummer, narrow seat=narrow seating area

(BTW, she fit beautifully in the regent with a .5 in to spare before the top slots. She is one of Jackson's tall cousins so it gave me hope)

Would you care to share her wieght and height?

And, YES, those are my thoughts, too. He very specifically says their seat is the only one tested to allow it. DO NOT do it with any other seat. ANd I really think the low center of gravity and way the seat sits is KEY here. It is a very unique seat!

Stephanie

 

[RearFacingAdvocate]

I think comfort would be an issue. My MA says that it can be used until the ears are even with the seat shell once the top slots are needed. No mention of stopping use when the shoulders go over the top slot. I understand they no longer say this, but my MA has never been recalled on this issue. :scratcheshead:

Anyway, last fall, I used the MA for my middle dd on a long trip. Her shoulders were just a touch over the top slots at that time. She was OK comfort wise, but by the next long trip, when her shoulders were about 1/2 inch over the top slots, she was just too uncomfortable. By then, I'd heard that I shouldn't use the seat that way, but I wouldn't have anyway because my dd would have been uncomfortable for 12 hour drives. No thanks!

My guess is that the Radian would simply not be comfortable much over the top slots. I might be willing to use it just a touch over, like when they are at that under/even with/over stage, but once they are clearly over I'd probably stop. But, I don't own a Radian and have no plans to own one at this time either.

How tight are you guys tightening the straps?? They should be snug, but not "tight". I don't see how snug straps could be uncomfortable. There shouldn't be any pressure on the shoulders if the straps aren't too tight.

 

[arly1983]

Would you care to share her wieght and height?

And, YES, those are my thoughts, too. He very specifically says their seat is the only one tested to allow it. DO NOT do it with any other seat. ANd I really think the low center of gravity and way the seat sits is KEY here. It is a very unique seat!

Stephanie

Amelia(7) is 50ish inches as Austin(9) is 52. Her shoulders were almost an inch above the top slots. Austins were more like 1.5 half but he fit better than she did as he is a stringbean....I will have to come back and add her weight, I don't know it off-hand.

Maybe will get to see them this weekend and I can take some comparison pics(though not of the radian, we didn't keep it) The last 4 weeks at least one of us has had pink-eye so I have stayed away.

I have a love-hate relationship with the radian, I have purchased one twice and gotten rid of it twice. Though both times I tried to use it as a main seat. I think as a spare or three accross seat it would be awesome...

 

[stayinhomewithmy6]

We won't be using our Radian with any kids whose shoulders are over the top slots. It might be true about the low center of gravity, etc..., but I still don't feel like there's enough evidence for me to risk my kids spine just because SKJP says so. Again, the Mighty Tite... I used to use those before I knew better because I trusted SKJP and all of their claims. Finding out that those aren't safe sort of made me lose trust in them. I use their CS because I know that it had to pass testing to be put on the market, but I will not be using it with shoulders above the top slots.
As far as comfort goes, are you all saying that it wouldn't be comfortable because of how close together the straps are on the Radian? Or because the whole seat itself is so narrow? I see why those 2 factors could make a difference in comfort, but as far as having the straps below the shoulders, why would it be any different than a rear facing child with the straps below the shoulders? It seems to be fine for them.

 

[RearFacingAdvocate]

As far as comfort goes, are you all saying that it wouldn't be comfortable because of how close together the straps are on the Radian? Or because the whole seat itself is so narrow? I see why those 2 factors could make a difference in comfort, but as far as having the straps below the shoulders, why would it be any different than a rear facing child with the straps below the shoulders? It seems to be fine for them.

Agreed on the RF thing. How can it be different in pressing down or buckling FF than it is RF?

And by the way, What is the argument with it being narrow? It's actually wider internally than the Marathon, and the seat base is longer. Just becuase the outside is narrow shouldn't mean the child is less comfortable, they are not sitting on the outside?

 

[Amaris]

Hmmm, I didn't measure but my child did not think it was wider than his marathon. He said the straps were on his neck and he wasn't comfy.....that's why we are still looking for a second seat for the in-laws car. Also, if the low center of gravity has anything to do with it then I would think that britax would be testing the regent this way soon......after all it has an 80lb weight limit and a low center of gravity also.

 

[arly1983]

Agreed on the RF thing. How can it be different in pressing down or buckling FF than it is RF?

And by the way, What is the argument with it being narrow? It's actually wider internally than the Marathon, and the seat base is longer. Just becuase the outside is narrow shouldn't mean the child is less comfortable, they are not sitting on the outside?

I was comparing the narrowness to the regent and for a child who is older than 4. When I mean too wide, I mean her shoulders were too wide and her theighs were too wide.

 

[stayinhomewithmy6]

And by the way, What is the argument with it being narrow? It's actually wider internally than the Marathon, and the seat base is longer. Just becuase the outside is narrow shouldn't mean the child is less comfortable, they are not sitting on the outside?

Exactly, the Marathon isn't even really wide enough for kids that are 65 lbs, in my experience. My 42 lb DS is even squished in it in the shoulder area. He does have more shoulder room in the Radian and he doesn't complain about his legs hurting in the Radian like he does in the Marathon & BV (because of the seat base length). BUT, the Marathon only goes to 65 lbs, the Radian80 is supposed to go to 80... I don't think there's any way a kid would get to 80 lbs and still be comfortable in the width of the Radian. If someone has a picture of an 80 lb kid in the Radian, I would love to see it. It might be wide enough for a 65 lb kid to be comfy, but not 80. Again, this is JMO since I've never seen a kid over 42 lbs in the Radian!

 

[Suzibeck]

For my dd, in the MA, the problem wasn't strap tightness, but rather the fact that she was squished. Maybe the Radian would be comfy for longer than the MA though since it doesn't wrap around like the MA. I know it has a deeper seat, which seemed to be dd's biggest issue, her legs were just too long to be comfy in the MA. She was also very crowded at the shoulders. I've not tried her in the Radian so I don't know for sure, I'm just speculating. It appears to be quite narrow in the seat, but that shouldn't be an issue for tall, skinny kids.

 

[RearFacingAdvocate]

Hmmm, I didn't measure but my child did not think it was wider than his marathon. He said the straps were on his neck and he wasn't comfy.....that's why we are still looking for a second seat for the in-laws car. Also, if the low center of gravity has anything to do with it then I would think that britax would be testing the regent this way soon......after all it has an 80lb weight limit and a low center of gravity also.

It is wider in the shoulder area by about 2 inches. I've measured mine side by side. And actually the shell location on the Marathon is about the same distance between straps. The cover is wider. Strange. I'll go measure that later today, but I did peek under yesterday and it looks about the width of the Radians.

 

[RearFacingAdvocate]

For my dd, in the MA, the problem wasn't strap tightness, but rather the fact that she was squished. Maybe the Radian would be comfy for longer than the MA though since it doesn't wrap around like the MA. I know it has a deeper seat, which seemed to be dd's biggest issue, her legs were just too long to be comfy in the MA. She was also very crowded at the shoulders. I've not tried her in the Radian so I don't know for sure, I'm just speculating. It appears to be quite narrow in the seat, but that shouldn't be an issue for tall, skinny kids.

The seat bottom is about the same internal width. And with the bottom sides being shorter, it may be possible for a kid with chunkier thighs to be okay in it. Not sure. Would love a pic, too. I'm about ready to start stopping kids on the street that are heavier to ask them their height and weight and sit them in the seat. I wouldn't, but it's been tempting.

 

[stayinhomewithmy6]

I just went out and got the Radian out of my van, took the foot off, moved the straps up to the top slot and had my 9 yr old, 51 1/2" tall, 56 lb model sit in it for me (one of my daycare girls that is here today!) and she is out of shoulder room. She fits in it width-wise right now, but wouldn't for much longer, and when I had the straps tight she said she had to slouch because it wasn't comfortable to sit up straight. Slouching, her shoulders were just at the top slots, sitting up straight they were about an inch over the top slots and she said it really hurt. I'll post pictures when I get them uploaded later.

 

[Patriot201]

I can't wait to see those photos!!!!!

I just can't see how it would be comfortable.

I also still, despite the whole "center of gravity" thing, question the safety of using the seat past the shoulders being even with the top slots. I would like to see the data showing that physics change enough to allow for that to be safe.

 

[CPS_obsessed_EMT]

When I put my daughter in her Scenera, I have to use the slots that are way below her shoulders because she is just under the next slots.
So I have the straps coming from way below her shoulders, with the harness nice and tight (just like you would for a FF kid in a Radian with the straps below the shoulders)
Yet don't worry about her safety or how uncomfy it looks, nor does she complain. :twocents:

Oh, and as far as the poll, I don't have a Radian, but I would use it however the manufacturer told me too. I went to a 4 day course on car seats, not 4+ yrs of college for engineering

 

[stayinhomewithmy6]

Here are the pictures!
"M" is 9 yrs old, 56 lbs, 51.5" tall.
Every time I tried to tighten the straps, she would automatically slouch down because the straps were pulling on her shoulders and it hurt. She was really complaining about it, so I know it was really uncomfortable for her. There is no way she would fit in the Radian at 65 lbs, let alone 80! And imagine how far above the top slots she'd be when her ears are even with the top of the shell!

Slouching:

Sitting up straight with shoulders above the slots. I had to loosen the straps a lot for her to be able to sit up straight. It wouldn't be safe to have the straps this loose:

In this pic you can see that she is out of shoulder room:

 

[RearFacingAdvocate]

Wow, her shoulders are tight. Could you ask her mom if I can forward those pictures to Russ? I don't know if they've even seen kids at the upper ranges in the seat.

 

[joolsplus3]

Would you care to share her wieght and height?

And, YES, those are my thoughts, too. He very specifically says their seat is the only one tested to allow it. DO NOT do it with any other seat. ANd I really think the low center of gravity and way the seat sits is KEY here. It is a very unique seat!

Stephanie

Britax manuals have indicated for years that the shoulders may go above the top slots as long as the ears aren't taller than the back of the seatback.

 

[stayinhomewithmy6]

Wow, her shoulders are tight. Could you ask her mom if I can forward those pictures to Russ? I don't know if they've even seen kids at the upper ranges in the seat.

I'd be glad to ask her, but I won't see her again until next week. I'm sure she won't mind, though.

 

[RearFacingAdvocate]

Britax manuals have indicated for years that the shoulders may go above the top slots as long as the ears aren't taller than the back of the seatback.

I thought Britax recalled that. I think mine says top of shoulders at top harness slots. I don't think Russ means no other seat CAN, just that it's a liability issue to suggest other seats can, even if their manuals say not to. And actually, I think my sister's older Evenflo (not sure which model) said the top of ears thing, too. It just depends on the seat and the testing done with it.

 

[joolsplus3]

No, there's been no Britax recall for that issue, though they currently do not recommend it if you call them.