# Do you love your Radian/Diono XTSL?



## whitneyg (Dec 12, 2009)

I have seen mixed reviews of these seats, but am very interested due to the narrowness since we will soon have two in a Honda Fit. Are they really that hard to install? Are they easy to use once installed? Comfortable? Is your kid bothered by sitting so low in the seat and not seeing much out the window? DD is FF in a Britax Boulevard now, and is used to being up high.

Thanks for your input.


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## Maedze (Dec 16, 2008)

I recently put a Radian in a Honda Fit and found that it went in quite nicely. I think a Radian is a good choice for that car; it's so low profile that it will give your forward facing daughter plenty of room for her kneecaps and legs. How old is she? Are they both going to be forward facing or is one rear facing?

They are relatively simple seats to use and I've found older kids like the forward facing because the design feels more like that of a 'big kid seat' than a 'baby seat'.


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## MariesMama (Sep 26, 2008)

I love mine! We went from a Marathon (higher base) to a Radian and DD had no issues. She is FF now in her 80SL (sold the XTSL) and loves it. For as narrow as they are, they're really roomy for kids. And I agree with Maedze, it doesn't look like a baby seat at all.


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## mama2soren (Feb 12, 2009)

When you say that you will soon have two kids in the car, does that mean you are considering the Radian for a newborn? While it fits newborns well, it will need to be installed at a 45 degree angle for a newborn, which would likely not work in a small car like the Fit.


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## Maedze (Dec 16, 2008)

Nice catch. If the second seat is a newborn rear facing Radian, it's not going to work in the fit. You'll need an infant bucket for the interim until baby is old enough to sit up really upright.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mama2soren*
> 
> When you say that you will soon have two kids in the car, does that mean you are considering the Radian for a newborn? While it fits newborns well, it will need to be installed at a 45 degree angle for a newborn, which would likely not work in a small car like the Fit.


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## whitneyg (Dec 12, 2009)

Yes, we will have an almost three year old forward facing and a newborn, obviously rear facing. We have an infant bucket seat that we can use if the big seat doesn't fit. Is it even possible to install the Radian RF at less than a 45 degree recline? I thought that was the only RF option for the Radian...


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## Maedze (Dec 16, 2008)

Certainly not. The seat may be installed at any angle 45 degrees and up as the child tolerates. The Radian is tricky in that it tends to go in the way it goes in and the regular tricks to change the angle the seat is installed at aren't as effective. The angle adjuster can be used to get a super upright angle, though, with older children.

Now that I realize we're actually talking about a two year old/very young three year old, I'll mention that I definitely recommend the child be rear, not forward, facing.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *whitneyg*
> 
> Yes, we will have an almost three year old forward facing and a newborn, obviously rear facing. We have an infant bucket seat that we can use if the big seat doesn't fit. Is it even possible to install the Radian RF at less than a 45 degree recline? I thought that was the only RF option for the Radian...


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## whitneyg (Dec 12, 2009)

So, how do you actually install the seat RF at a higher incline? The only option I have seen on their website and in YouTube videos involves that extra piece that you install into the bottom of the seat before doing the car install. Can you install it without that piece? What are the "usual tricks" you mentioned to change the incline?

And on to the rear vs. forward facing comment. I totally agree with you that she should be RF. The problem is that with her Britax Boulevard and our little Honda Fit, the high side walls of the carseat made it nearly impossible to get her into the seat. The window of space between the doorframe of the car and the wings of the seat was too small to actually get her in and out. We had a Marathon before that was easier in that respect, but traded it in for the Boulevard with the improved side impact protection. Now that I have done more research, I realize that that may not have been the wisest decision. My husband is dead set against trying her RF again since he thought it was such a pain to get her in and out (we were crawling through the other side to get her in) and he thinks she will throw a fit about being flipped around. I am torn about this issue and don't really know what the best answer is. I am wondering if the Radian's will solve the door access issue since they are lower down, but not sure if it will RF in my little car.

Thanks for your help and insights so far.


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## Maedze (Dec 16, 2008)

The boot on the Radian is required, but what you want is this: http://www.amazon.com/Diono-60320-Radian-Angle-Adjuster/dp/B006I1QTYQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332901712&sr=8-1

it goes under your Radian and will force it nice and upright. Due to the low, shallow profile of the seat she will be able to climb in and out herself without difficulty. It's quite different from the Britax convertibles.

She may whine initially (although it's far more likely that she'll be excited and happy as long as you sound excited and happy).

NHTSA recommends that all kids under four who fit rear facing ride that way, and it's substantially safer


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

For a 2/3yo, you can use the angle adjuster and the Radian will fit quite nicely. You can use the infant seat for six months or so and then put baby in the Boulevard.


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## whitneyg (Dec 12, 2009)

Is that angle adjuster just a piece of foam? Does it have to be their special piece of foam in order to work? I haven't seen that before. Now...how to get my stubborn husband on board with RF again. He thinks it is terrible. I get a lot of "oh, she's fine" whenever I bring up safety recommendations. Any other tips to try with him, videos I can show him, other details to tell him?

Thanks again for the help and support, I really appreciate it.

Whitney


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Yes, you have to use Diono's angle adjuster, not one you make yourself. Theirs is crash tested with the seat. Yours would not be and most likely would fail in an accident.


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## Maedze (Dec 16, 2008)

Well, I'm not a marriage counselor







I don't want to tell you how to 'handle' your husband, but I've seen other people suggest that they've told their partners, "The child is going rear facing in the car. If you can find solid data showing it is safer to be forward facing, we'll revisit the issue."

My husband is a very smart man and an expert in many things I wouldn't dream of contradicting him on. And he's smart enough to know that if I say, "This is the way it's going to be in the car," then I'm probably right and he should just be grateful he doesn't have to figure something else out









Quote:


> Originally Posted by *whitneyg*
> 
> Is that angle adjuster just a piece of foam? Does it have to be their special piece of foam in order to work? I haven't seen that before. Now...how to get my stubborn husband on board with RF again. He thinks it is terrible. I get a lot of "oh, she's fine" whenever I bring up safety recommendations. Any other tips to try with him, videos I can show him, other details to tell him?
> 
> ...


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## allisonrose (Oct 22, 2004)

My 3.5 y/o is still RFing in a Radian80sl. We used the seat in our Honda Civic for a while and it fit quite nicely. It installed with a nicely upright angle - more upright than in our Mazda5. I'm not sure if the Fit has similar seats to the Civic though.

My husband thought I was silly for ERF for a while. Until he ran across the video about Joel: http://www.joelsjourney.org/. Unfortunately with my hubby, it had to be through an independent source rather than me saying "here, watch this". Maybe your hubby is less stubborn. Now my hubby is 100% on board with ERFing.


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## whitneyg (Dec 12, 2009)

Great news...we had a nice long talk last night about how he does research on some things and I do research on other things. Once he really listened to my reasoning and the safety information and got past how it was an inconvenience, he was totally on board with flipping her around. Hooray! Now, we have to see if she is okay with it.

I have more questions that I will ask in another thread...thanks to all of you!


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## mama2soren (Feb 12, 2009)

Perhaps she will be excited to sit in her new seat if she helps pick out the cover? There are some super fun patterns on the Radians (and, oooooh, the purple one is fantastic!). However, whether or not she is okay with it shouldn't really make a difference in your decision to flip her or not, IMO. My son is not okay with it when I take away something dangerous he wants to play with or when I don't let him balance on a wall that's 6 feet high, but he doesn't have to be. His safety is more important to me than his opinions, at least when it comes to potentially life-or-death/serious injury decisions.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *whitneyg*
> 
> Now, we have to see if she is okay with it.


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## whitneyg (Dec 12, 2009)

I am going to RF her anyway, regardless of her opinion. I meant that comment more as "how is this going to go" instead of "will we do this." I have a bit of a daredevil on my hands, so I am telling her not to do unsafe things all day long.

I do love the purple radian seat...I hope it is easy to clean. The blue one looks a lot more wipe-able...

Thanks again!


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## whitneyg (Dec 12, 2009)

It was a huge success!!! My girl was able to climb in all by herself (a new thing for her) and excitedly exclaimed "I wide backferds! I can see cars out the BIG window!" and on she went playing with her little phone and singing her nonsensical songs. I am so glad all of you pushed me and prodded me to get her rear-facing again. Thanks for helping to keep her safer for longer!


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## Maedze (Dec 16, 2008)

I figured as much. Really, most kids are totally tickled by it.


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