Which is "nicer" Radian RXT v. Frontier?

[cat mommy]

We're getting new Frontiers (either 85 or 90) for my almost 3.5 yr olds. I was going to put the Frontiers in DH's car (2007 Forester) and flip my Radian RXTs FF in my car (2008 Ford Escape). But now, I'm wondering if I should take the Frontiers and give DH the Radians?

My car is the primary car used by the kids. The kids only ride in DH's car on weekends and when we take long car trips. DH wants high end car seats, and it's not worth fighting with him on this issue. So I settled on the Frontiers as the best high end seats for us.

I would like to nicer seats in my car since that's where the kids are most of the time. This means the seats easiest to use--easiest for kids to climb into, easiest to buckle, easiest to remove & replace the cover on, easiest for kids to buckle on their own--and most comfy for the kids. Ease of adjusting harness height is not a consideration for me, since I do that so infrequently. None of the seats ever get removed from the car, but if I need to loosen the seat in order to remove/reinstall the cover FF that is a consideration since the Radians are not easy to install.

My kids are on the short side (DS 15% height, 29 pounds; DD 40%; 33 pounds) so I'm not sure what that means in terms of them outgrowing the Radians eventually.

 

[KaysKidz]

I haven't had to take the cover off our RXT yet, so I'm not sure how easy it is to do, but it will have to come out of the car to take it off due to the harness. The FR85, you can probably get most of the cover off without taking it out of the car, but not the head wing portion.

As for which is nicer, I prefer the FR85, but I am currently using the RXT and XT since I needed them for a 3 across. If I could magically make my car wider, we would put the FR85 back in hands down.

 

[NVMBR02]

Well, I don't know about removing the cover on a Frontier or Radian without uninstalling. I always uninstall my seats to take the covers off, I use that time to vacuum the seat under the carseat.


As for one being better than the other... I think the Frontier would have the edge in my book. My Ds loved his Frontier. I will say though, the my 3.5 year old still swims in the seat and doesn't look comfortable at all in one. She is 36.5 inches and the seat depth is a smidge too long for her to bend her kness over the end.

Honestly, in your situation I would probably just let the kids decide what they like better, provided you get a good install in both cars with both seats.

 

[Kegracin]

I prefer the FR85 over the Radian as do my children. (We have two FR85 and FR SICT, I only keep the Radian for three across situations.) I also pull my seats out of the car to take off the covers.

 

[cat mommy]

I prefer the FR85 over the Radian as do my children. (We have two FR85 and FR SICT, I only keep the Radian for three across situations.) I also pull my seats out of the car to take off the covers.

Excellent point! I can do the RF removal without taking the seat out, but I see why that's not an option for FF.

 

[Patriot201]

You cannot remove covers on most seats FF without uninstalling the seats because the harness must be "unhooked" in order to pull it through the cover.

 

[Athena]

I don't have an RXT, but does it even have cup holders? My girls love having two easily accessible cup holders in their Frontiers. Also, letting them choose sounds like a great idea.

The Frontier main cover (I haven't had to remove head wing cover) is easy to remove, but I removed the seat, so I don't know how easy it is without doing so. Also, ours are very cozy, but I think that depends a lot on fabric choice.

Finally, my kids were bigger going into them, so I don't know about comfort and fit for smaller kids.

 

[cat mommy]

The RXT has removable cup holders....love 'em!

 

[Athena]

You cannot remove covers on most seats FF without uninstalling the seats because the harness must be "unhooked" in order to pull it through the cover.

Of course! I haven't changed mine for a while. On the good side, you might not need to wash it often.

 

[Athena]

The RXT has removable cup holders....love 'em!

You'll probably like the Frontier's too. They are built into the shell in a fairly sleek way and are very handy and sturdy.

 

[agave]

I prefer the Frontier FF it's roomier, cup holders and less head slump. My 30 lb 3 yr old will likely move into a Frontier this summer at about 3 1/2 she's tiny in it but it fits well and she desperately wants her blue seat with 2 cup holders.

 

[TheNimpsGirl]

Like the other's have said, you will have to uninstall both seats to remove the covers. The FR is more of a challenge, be sure to do it slowly or you risk cracking the foam on the headwings (the Husband did this on a seat that thankfully was already bad due to a crash .

I prefer the FR for his every day car seat. It is wider and he complains less about the straps and the padding. He has more crotch room in the FR as well.

I actually think he has more head slump in the FR than his XTSL (older radian) but I guess it depends on how tired he really is.

I would just ask them too, they are old enough to tell you which seat is their "favorite"

 

[Brigala]

I would stick with your original plan for now and then swap the seats later if you want to.

Personally, I'd probably want the larger, cushier seats (the frontiers) in the car that takes the longer trips, and the lower seats without arm rests in the way for the car that the kids are always in and out of all day long.

 

[Kel]

I like both seats. Maybe see if you even like the Rxt ffing. I prefer the integrated cup holders of the fr.

 

[VoodooChile]

For my ds (4 in a week), we have an original FR in dh's car and a ff RXT in mine. Ds can buckle himself completely in the FR; the difficulty in the RXT is that he tends to step on the 10 feet of extra adjuster strap, so it ends up being too tight for him to buckle pretty frequently.
But honestly, he really likes both seats. I don't have to take the cover off the FR, like, ever, because it doesn't get dirty. I truly hate taking off the RXT cover though. Luckily, I don't have to do it that often.

 

[Lemonade]

Frontiers, hands down. My kids were not comfortable in radians. They LOVE(d) their frontiers.

 

[abigaylebelle]

I would put the radians in the Subaru because it has less legroom than the ford. The frontiers are deeper and the kids will either sit cross legged or want to stick their legs straight out which is easier in a bigger back seat.

For long trips you could move the frontiers if the kids prefer them.

 

[cat mommy]

Thanks everyone. I know the armrests on the new Frontier are slightly different, but are they a big obstacle for kids as they try to climb in the car/seat? I love that my kids can climb in the Radians RF without any help.

 

[NVMBR02]

My ds did not have any trouble climbing in to his FR85, his previous seat was a XTSL.