Our Review of the Sunshine Kids Radian XT convertible car seat
On Sale for $239.99! Regularly priced at $279.99. Save $40 (14%)
Raise your expectations with the Sunshine Kids Radian XT. This slim, adaptable, and comfortable car seat surrounds kids with energy absorbing EPS foam while the height adjustable, aluminum-reinforced head-support provides total Side Impact Protection (SIP). And with a rear-facing limit of 40 lbs and a forward-facing limit of 80 lbs, you'll drive worry free, knowing that your child is sitting in a truly elite car seat.Awards & Praise for the Sunshine Kids Radian XT
The Sunshine Kids Radian XT is a Parent Tested, Parent Approved (PTPA) Winner!
Standout Features:
- Total Side Impact Protection thanks to the aluminum reinforced head support with 7" deep sides and energy-absorbing EPS foam that surrounds your child's head and body.
- Height adjustable head-rest to accommodate growth spurts.
- 2" more shoulder room than the Britax Marathon.
- Fit 3 seats across in the back seat.
- Folds flat to be carried over your shoulder or like a back pack. Great for travel!
- Steel alloy frame for strength.
- Thick memory foam padding in the seat for comfort.
Installation: The Radian XT from Sunshine Kids installs rear-facing from 5 - 40 lbs and forward facing from at least one-year-old and 22 - 80 lbs. Install the seat using LATCH or your vehicle's seat belts. What's more, it's v-shaped top tether allows you to use the top tether when in the rear facing position. Using the top tether in rear-facing installation accomplishes a more secure install and helps ensure that baby's seat is at the proper angle. And great news for parents of 3 - the Radian XT fits 3 across, even in small cars.
While installing the Radian XT isn't rocket science, a careful read of the instructions ensures proper installation. The good news is that once installed, the XT is rock solid.
Convenience: When customers call EliteCarSeats.com and want a slim, travel-friendly car seat with an 80 lb 5-point harness, we recommend a Sunshine Kids Radian XT car seat. Why? The Sunshine Kids Radian XT fits 3 seats across, even in 4-door sedans. The XT folds and can be slung over your shoulder for easy carrying. And of course, the high-harness weight limit and 3" more shoulder room than similar car seats means that the Radian XT will probably last until your little one graduates to a booster car seat.
Benefits for Baby: Thick, memory foam padding in the seat provides cushion for the tush, while the sophisticated look means the Radian XT appeals to older children. The XT also offers 3" more shoulder room over comparable car seats like the Britax Marathon and an adjustable headrest, adding extra comfort for growing kids.
Safety:
- Side Impact Protection
- EPS foam
- 5-point harness
- Meets or exceeds FMVSS 213
- Rear-Facing tether
Comparison: The older brother to the XT is the Sunshine Kids Radian 80. The Radian 80 forgoes the XT's adjustable headrest and SIP, but still offers a slim profile and high harness weight limit of 80 lbs. For a wider car seat, check out the Britax Frontier, which offer much more seat width than either the Radian 80 or Radian XT. The width also means that the Frontier is bulkier, which makes it a difficult fit when you need more than one car seat. The Frontier has an 80 lb harness weight limit and doubles as a car booster seat, but it cannot be used rear-facing like the Radian 80 or Radian XT.
What's the difference between the Radian XT and Radian 80?
- The Radian XT has a height-adjustable headrest while the Radian 80 has a stationary headrest.
- The Radian XT offers amazing side impact protection thanks to 7" deep sides. The Radian 80 offers side impact protection, but the sides are not as deep as on the XT.
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Click here to download instruction manual. (Adobe Reader required) |
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Car seat specs
- Min child weight
- 5 lbs.
- Max child weight
- 80 lbs.
- Rear-facing minimum weight
- 5 lbs.
- Max child weight - Rear Facing mode
- 40 lbs.
- Min child weight - Forward Facing mode
- 22 lbs.
- Max child weight - Forward facing mode
- 80 lbs.
- Max harness weight capacity
- 80 lbs.
- Minimum weight for booster mode
- n/a
- Min child height
- n/a
- Max child height
- 53"
- Min child height - Forward facing mode
- n/a
- Max 5-pt harness child height capacity
- 53"
- Min height for booster use
- n/a
Car seat dimensions
- Product weight
- 23.5 lbs
- Seat Base / Foot Width
- 17"
- Seat height
- 28.5"
- Interior seat width
- 13"
- Bottom to lowest harness slot
- 8"
- Bottom to highest harness slot
- 18"
- Total Side Impact Protection thanks to the aluminum reinforced head support with 7" deep sides and energy-absorbing EPS foam that surrounds your child's head and body.
- Height adjustable head-rest to accommodate growth spurts.
- 3" more shoulder room than comparable car seats like the Britax Marathon.
- Fit 3 seats across in the back seat.
- Folds flat to be carried over your shoulder or like a back pack. Great for travel!
- Steel alloy frame for strength.
- Thick memory foam padding in the seat for comfort.
- The Radian XT from installs rear-facing from 5 - 40 lbs and forward facing from at least one-year-old and 22 - 80 lbs.
- Install the seat using LATCH or your vehicle's seat belts.
- V-shaped top tether allows for use of the top tether anchor in the rear facing position.
- Folds and comes with a carry strap.
- Memory foam cushion for comfort.
Sunshine Kids Radian XT convertible car seat Reviews
All Customer Reviews
- Average Rating:
- Highest Rating:
- Lowest Rating:
- Number of Reviews:
- 12
sunshine kids car seats XT
Reviewer: Anonymous , Dallas, TX
Date: October 14, 2009
I originally have 2 britax car seats, some how one of the car seat's cover is shrink after washed. after tons of searching, I finally found this car seat, sunshine kids Radian XT (Nassau). I bought this car seat for my older son who is 3.5 years old, this is a strong car seat, love the fabric, its come with all the extras. I can see my son use this car seat for years to come. I am ordering another one for my 15 month old son, so they both can have the same car seats in each of our car. It is everything it is says in the description, definitely worth the money. it is expired in 8 years meaning its only cost $2.5/months..
well, good car seat is not a luxury item, it is for safety & peace of mind knowing we can do the best to protect our children. This is way better than our britax, I wish I know about this seat earlier
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Fantastic Seat
Reviewer: Anonymous , St Paul, MN
Date: October 04, 2009
The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because the instruction manual is somewhat vague and could be a lot more helpful if it had more details.
We purchased the RadianXT for our 4 year old daughter so that we could give her Britax Boulevard to her 20 month old brother so he could continue rear facing.
We chose the RadiaXT because it would allow our daughter to remain in a 5point harness for a long time and we feel the True Side Impact Protection head wings are a necessary safety feature.
Aside from some confusion with the LATCH strap (and the connector strap attached to it), I was able to get a rock solid install in our '09 Sonata. I'm very pleased with the seat.
On a positive note for Elitecarseats.com-
About 2 weeks after I purchased this seat, I noticed that it had gone on sale. I contacted elitecarseats and they refunded me the difference. Awesome!
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Super Solid Seat
Reviewer: Anonymous , Brewster, MN
Date: August 29, 2009
My son is 5 months and has outgrown his infant seat, so he's a big baby. We've been researching car seats for a while now. I had read about this one, but it wasn't high on my list. I thought I had it narrowed down to two others. I then called customer service to ask a few questions. I didn't get the reassurance I had hoped for on my top two choices so I started dropping down through my list of seats. The elitecarseat.com rep suggested I look at the Radian XT because my son would likely quickly outgrow the others. It's here now, and it's such an impressive seat. It really is heavy, but I see this as a positive...the frame is steel. Getting the straps set up and getting this installed is harder than just popping it out of the box, but it isn't rocket science either. I used the seat belt straps rather than LATCH because my owner's manual had a top limit for weight on LATCH. Between the seat and my son's combined weight we were pushing that limit. I drive a Mercury Mariner and this fits perfectly rear facing in the middle of the backseat. It would not fit on the sides as my husband and I are both tall. If you are driving a smaller vehicle, you're probably going to have issues with this one in rear facing position. One minor disadvantage is that it does not have strap holders to keep straps out of the way when putting your child in. The adjustable side impact protection doesn't come far enough down for an infant to use, but the sides of the seat are deep enough to accomplish this. I feel like this is the most study and solid seat out there, and I'm glad we tried it. Even with our monster baby, we'll be using this for years to come. Radian is an excellent investment. Also pleased that free shipping took only 2 days.
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Only one for us
Reviewer: Anonymous , Reston, VA
Date: June 20, 2009
This was our only choice because it fits up to 80 lbs. in a 5 pt. harness. We want that safety! I realize my child might be too tall before he is 80 pounds, of course. The police safety check installed ours, and the seat is a monster at 26 pounds. Why having it fold and including a carry case is beyond me. It's too heavy to move around! We never plan to move it though. We did forward belt installation, and two guys had to really pull the belt to get it tight. They said Latch is not the best choice for ANY size kid with this seat because the seat is so heavy. We would not use this seat rear-facing because the back is so high that the passenger in front would have no leg room. I think an infant would be much more comfy in an infant or convertible seat. For my tall 3-year-old, this seat is the one for us. I bought a second one in pink for my 19-month-old girl. We have two Radians next to each other, plus a Britax Companion on one end. Three kids across the back of a Chevy Malibu 2004! I am happy with my purchase overall.
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Good seat, but less life in it than you think
Reviewer: Sarah Lancaster , Fort Collins, CO
Date: June 02, 2009
We just bought an XT a couple weeks ago for my 4-1/2 year old daughter. Her daily seat is a Britax Regent (love, love, *love* it). We bought this for Daddy's truck, since daughter outgrew her current seat and we need a narrow seat to fit in the truck. Overall, we really like this seat. It was easy to install. It's heavy, but not ridiculously so. I wouldn't want to carry it through an airport, but it's not a big deal to tote it from car to car. It's also very easy to install forward facing, and fits very snugly in the van. We need a lock-off in the truck, as it tends to work itself loose there. I like that it is safety rated for higher weights *without* the rear tether, which no other seat is, in my understanding. This is a must, since there are no anchors in husband's truck. Daughter found it comfortable, though it's not nearly as padded as any of the Britax seats we own. The headrest didn't seem to obscure her vision or bother her. She can buckle herself in, which is helpful, and she can't do in her Regent. She can also unbuckle the chest clips - not a big deal for us, as she would never do it while driving, but something to consider if you have a Houdini. I also found the harness easy to loosen and tighten, much easier than the Regent. One big downside: the seat claims to go up to 80lb, but there is no way my daughter is going to use it that long. She is average for height and slightly lighter weight than average, but she has only about 2" of growth room in the shoulder before she outgrows the harness height. I can't imagine any normal weight child making it anywhere close to 80 lb in this seat. I only hope that my daughter lasts a few more years in it. On a less serious note, we got the grey seat, and I have a feeling it's going to be a total mess soon. We got some mud on the seat that I scrubbed off immediately. It came pretty clean, but the light grey fabric is slightly stained. One of my favorite things about our Britax seats is how easy it is to pull the covers off and throw them in the wash. That obviously isn't going to happen in this seat. Overall, a very good seat, with just a few flaws.
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Possibly the perfect seat for me
Reviewer: Anonymous , Northern Virginia
Date: May 25, 2009
I purchased this seat for several reasons:
1) I needed another convertible for my nephew so that he could remain rear-facing to 35 pounds.
2) I needed a narrow seat that would puzzle next to a Graco Nautilus and would still allow for an adult passenger on the other side.
3) I wanted a seat that would compliment my Nautilus so that I could transport any child from birth through booster age.
The Radian XT is the "perfect" seat for me.
The Radian XT installs beautifully in my car. I have installed it both rear-facing and forward-facing, using both LATCH and seatbelt (NOT at the same time. These were separate installations), in both outboard and center positions. It has installed easily in each situation.
The shell is quite tall, so it should allow my nephew to rear-face for at least another year (until he is over two).
The cover is SO soft and all the padding makes it easy to customize for each child. The cover blends well with my vehicle's tan interior and with my gray Nautilus cover.
My only complaint is that the D-ring attachment, which is for use with the rear-facing tether, is extremely short. It is approximately three inches shorter than the D-ring on my Britax seat, which makes it practically impossible to wrap around the seat track in my car. My D-ring is even shorter than the D-ring of other Radian owners, and it is *almost* useless because it is so short.
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Great fit
Reviewer: Anonymous , Alexandria, VA
Date: May 15, 2009
I was able to install this seat rear-facing between 2 forward facing Boulevards in the 2nd row seat of a Highlander 2008. The Radian XT was installed on the center seat and is the type that can be taken out to make a walkway to the 3rd row. I have not had the seats checked, but none of them move at all! Oh, and I had to use a seatbelt install for the Radian XT.. Love the seat so far, both my older kids (and they are not small kids) fit in it great and I am sure my baby will love it too. Just wish Sunshine would make a booster with a small base as well. The base on the radian is only 13.5" at widest point, thus making it much easier to install!
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Moving to this from my beloved Marathon...
Reviewer: Anonymous , Nashville, TN
Date: March 19, 2009
My husband & I took the seat out of the box and installed it within about 20 minutes, which included reading the directions. We bought it for our 4 1/2 year old son who really hadn't outgrown his marathon, but little sis needed them b/c she had outgrown the infant seat. He loves his marathons, so I'm very nervous about changing, but someone had to have new seats and big brother was closer to outgrowing the ones we have. He's 35 lbs & 40" & still had plenty of room & was comfortable in his marathons. So, instead of having 4 marathon seats and worrying about him outgrowing his next year, I decided on this seat becuase it has so much room to grow in the 5 pt harness but still looks like a big boy seat. Pros: Installation as easy as the Marathon, seat is as secure as the marathon when using latch AND TETHER, fits nicely beside our marathon that is rear facing in the middle slot, crotch strap has 3 positions (unlike marathon), low profile seat allowing full rear view over my son's head, Hampton has breathable fabric, memory foam seat. Cons: Yep, it's heavy all right, but steal tends to be, the seat cannot stand up on it's own when you take it out of the car unless you fold it, latch tightener is only on one side instead of both sides which makes it more difficult to tighten to max without using the top teather.
Overall, this seems like a very strong, safe seat. I am so interested in it being similar to the Marathon not only b/c I love those seats, but also becuase everyone in my extended family knows how to install the marathon. I don't want to have that learning curve again since 85% of all car seats are installed incorrectly!
The biggest jugde hasn't weighed in yet...he'll try it tomorrow. My concern is that he may object to the SIP wings b/c he has never had to look around them before, the lower profile won't allow him to look out the window as well, and being able to still buckle & unbuckle himself. I'll weigh in again after he tries it out!
Oh, and if you are wondering why I didn't go with the Frontier, I actually did & could not get that thing installed with any stability using the latch. I reluctanly returned it after the installation issues, but I think I may have found one just as good that is by far easier to use.
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No more screaming!
Reviewer: Michelle , Oakland Twp, MI
Date: March 13, 2009
My 9 month old daughter HATED riding in her infant seat. She actually smiles and laughs when we put her in the XT. The seat is solid as a rock. We installed it rear facing in my compact car and it fit! Installation was easy and quick. The only issue we've experienced is that in the rear facing position, the harness adjuster is smashed against the seat back and is extremely hard to pull. We found that reaching behind the seat and pulling the harness tight and then pulling the adjuster strap works much better. Very minor issue in the grand scheme of things. My daughter is too tall to use the infant head rest but the side impact wings give her enough support to sleep comfortably while in the lowest position. Overall, a great seat that we will get many years of use from!
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