MusicMama Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 We were recently in an auto accident; we were rear ended. We are now in the position of having to buy three new car seats. I would like to buy the same seat for all three of my kids. My 2.5 and 3.5 yo are front facing, and my youngest ds is still rear facing. I would like to keep him that way for a while. So what has been your experience with car seats that transition from rear to front facing? Some names I have looked at are the Britax Marathon and Sunshine Radian. Space is always an issue with three car seats in any vehicle, so I would like slimmer car seats. But I don't want to sacrifice safety for size! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacyandtherugrats Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I can not say enough about my Radian. If you are looking for a slim seat, they are the way to go. When we had to figure out a seat arrangement for 1 car seat and 2 boosters in the back of our Caravan, this one the car seat recommended the most. It is quite heavy due to having metal construction so I wouldn't recommend it if you wanted to move it a lot. It is expensive too but I love, love, LOVE ours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 We had the Britax Marathon and I loved it. I used a head bumper I think, when we first transitioned, so that when he fell asleep he would be more comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Tara~ Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 If space is an issue, keep looking at the Radian. I have a love/hate relationship with my two. But they certain fit the need at the time. Good seats. What vehicle will they be going into? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meggie Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 We got the Radian for our oldest when my daughter was born, since the five point harness seems to keep them safer than a regular booster. If you google "Radian Car Seat coupon" you can find sites that have 20-25% off. We only paid $200 for ours. We like it, but we rarely ever take it out of the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicMama Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 We have (had?) a Chrysler Town and Country. I don't know if it is going to be totaled or not. The adjuster isn't coming out until friday to look at it. My DH would hate it if our carseats we super heavy, but especially after the accident, safety first! Besides, he is the one that always swaps them out. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I was extremely impressed with our Radian car seat. They are narrow (so fit 3 across in many backseats) because they have a structure made of steel rather than plastic like the Britax. They are not cheap, but the week after we bought ours my wife was rear ended by a moving truck on the freeway with my son in the car. Everything was fine, but that moment made me think just how worth it this investment was. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 We have (had?) a Chrysler Town and Country. I don't know if it is going to be totaled or not. The adjuster isn't coming out until friday to look at it. My DH would hate it if our carseats we super heavy, but especially after the accident, safety first! Besides, he is the one that always swaps them out. :D The Radian seats are heavy. They don't look it from the outside, but as I said in my previous post, the internal structure is steel. They are not light. But they are strong as can be. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 We have Radians and they are FAB, but just a PSA, they don't fit well in all vehicles, esp with a rear-facing install. They just barely fit in my Hyundai Accent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellesmere Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 The forums on this website were very helpful for me: http://www.car-seat.org :iagree: They really helped us out when with our first. We were so clueless. I'll echo Bill's comments on the Radian. We also chose Radian for my mom's small car. Sturdy, but our local car seat fitter had a hard time getting it in. But we had two technicians that both had trouble with the kind of car we had. Might have been more the vehicle we were trying to fit into. We also got help from the Elite car seats site. They sell seats, but I didn't get a hard sell with the on-line chat. And I didn't always order from them but was happy when I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I would wait to make my purchase until I knew which vehicle they would be going in, if possible. Not all seats are compatible with all vehicles, after all. I know the Radian is a wonderful seat but I've heard and read several accounts of it being extremely difficult to install in some Toyota Siennas, for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicMama Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 Good advice guys! I guess I will have to wait to get new seats until we find out what our vehicle situation will be. Has anyone had trouble getting the insurance company to pay for the seats? Clairelise, your avatar is making me hungry! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathkath Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 radian all the way pain to install but it does get easier with practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zillymom Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 We have the Radian XTSL and looooove it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 (edited) Radian XTSL here, and it's fabulous. Do you realize your 2.5 and 3.5 are still young enough to go rear-facing as well? Just something to consider. In these newer seats it's very comfortable and safer. My ds2.5 is rear-facing in his radian xtsl and can probably stay there for a long time. That said, you have to have room in your vehicle for the seat. It fits in ours, but it's a squeeze. You don't have your vehicle yet? Then no, you want to wait and see what vehicle you're getting. https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AvfUm4x64h3AdFZ0c0pkbkRlV1hfeklSWmpZY0kweEE&hl=en#gid=0 Here's a link with all the specs for all the convertible (rear-facing to front-facing) seats. That will show you the pounds, max heights in RF vs. FF, how long they'll last when you turn them around, the highest slots for the shoulder straps, the space the seat needs to fit in your car, etc. BTW, when we got our radian two years ago there were less choices for extended rear-facing (ERF) than there are now. There's also a move to keep them in 5 point harnesses longer, both RF and FF, which you should be aware of. It just means there are now more, also very nice, seats to chose from. What tipped me toward the Radian actually was the way it folds up, making it easy to fly with. The whole thing folds flat and uses a shoulder harness to carry. If that's important to you, there you go, a nice selling feature. And yes, it's stinkin' safe, with all that metal. However more seats are doing that these days too. The big Graco Nautilus has metal I think. The Nautilus is fabulous if you only need FF. I've been looking for a secondary seat, and the Nautilus just blew me away. The other thing you want to do is take your kids to the store and plunk them in the seats. Find a really big BabiesRUs/ToysRUs and spend an hour there with your kids. Kids just fit differently in different seats, and you want ones that work for your particular kids. If your kids are long-waisted or long-legged or chunky or... the seats may fit them differently. My boy sat down in a Britax and hated it (you know, the really swanky $300 kind of seat). So it's not just all specs. Oh, and you should know the Radians are narrow, making it easier to fit 3 across. Edited June 1, 2011 by OhElizabeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 We have the Radian XTSL and looooove it. If you have the XTSL installed with LATCH, be sure to check it occasionally that it is not loosening. Over on car-seat.org they are finding that seats that are installed tight to begin with are loosening over time in certain vehicles -- something about the angle of the belt or something. I don't think I'm allowed to link. Just do a search on SuperLATCH loosening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 If you have the XTSL installed with LATCH, be sure to check it occasionally that it is not loosening. Over on car-seat.org they are finding that seats that are installed tight to begin with are loosening over time in certain vehicles -- something about the angle of the belt or something. I don't think I'm allowed to link. Just do a search on SuperLATCH loosening I'll have to see. We've had it out a couple times for trips, so it has gotten readjusted that way. It's definitely the kind of thing you'd notice. We just haven't had that as an issue, and I'm certainly picky (read paranoid) enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Radians do sound like the best seat for you. If you happen to get your van repaired, I can tell you that I am happy with the rear-facing Radian install in my 2005 Town and Country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raceNzanesmom Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 If you want seats for the longest use and all the same then Radians are the way to go. I have an XT and 80SL and love them. My ds has used his 2 years past his Britax seat. We chose it because I have to get three across and I wanted him harnessed as long as possible. I've only used the seat belt to install, so can't comment on the LATCH issue. For your FF kids you might want to also seriously consider the Britax Frontier 85 if you have room for it (like in a van). It has the highest harness slots on the market and makes a great booster later on. Add it with a Radian or even a Marathon or Boulevard and you'd have a nice set up for quite some time. I do recommend you buy where you can easily return (even if online) and try whatever seat in the RF and FF position to know it installs well. You can nearly always find good deals online. If you have trouble with insurance INSIST they replace your seats, don't take no for an answer. hth. ~Angie CPST for almost a decade ETA: If they repair the vehicle make sure they check all seat belts in use for any sign they need replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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