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Our Review of the Sunshine Kids Radian convertible car seat
It's the perfect pairing of safety and convenience—and every parent can appreciate that! The Sunshine Kids Radian is the first and only convertible car seat that can fold to a width of 6 ½ inches!
After years of manufacturing car seat safety accessories, Sunshine Kids' innovative first car seat reflects years of careful research. This seat gets its strength from a full-steel alloy frame, and it can be used in the rear-facing position from 5-35 lbs, and forward-facing from 20-65 lbs.
If you've already been shopping around for car seats, you'll recognize that this 65 lb capacity is much bigger than the 40 lb cap you see with many other seats - in fact the Radian's weight capacity is right in line with top-notch seats like the Britax Decathlon. A higher carry capacity means your child can spend more time in a 5-point harness, and that's the safest bet out there.
Just a few of the Radian's stand-out safety features:
- Energy absorbing EPS foam panels line the frame
- The harness attaches directly to the steel frame for extra security
- With wide, steel-reinforced belt pathways and rounded edges, the Radian is easily installed with seatbelt or LATCH (and easy installation means fewer mistakes!)
- The Radian is one of the only convertible car seats that allows the use of a Tether while the seat is installed rear-facing
- The Radian is also unique in that you can fit 3 Radian car seats across in your back seat.
In addition, the fabrics of the Radian's seat are plush, comfortable, and machine washable.
Bottom Line: The Radian is a great choice for travel. Fold it up; move it from car to car. The Sunshine Kids Radian is even FAA approved for use on aircraft. And hey Mom and Dad, when you're out on business without the little ones, you can always fold it up and toss it in the trunk! One downfall is its weight. Although designed with the traveler in mind, this seat is not lightweight - weighing in at 20 lbs.
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- Champagne
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- Granite
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- Radian installed
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- Installed rear-facing
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- Installed and folded
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- Radian frame construction
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- Radian in use
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- Radian in use
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- Radian folded
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- 3 Radians in one back seat!
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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
- 65 lbs.
- Rear-facing minimum weight
- 5 lbs.
- Max child weight - Rear Facing mode
- 35 lbs.
- Min child weight - Forward Facing mode
- 22 lbs.
- Max child weight - Forward facing mode
- 65 lbs.
- Max harness weight capacity
- 65 lbs.
- Max child height
- 53"
- Max 5-pt harness child height capacity
- 53"
Car seat dimensions
- Product weight
- 20 lbs.
- Seat Base / Foot Width
- 17"
- Seat height
- 28"
- Interior seat width
- 11.4"
- Bottom to lowest harness slot
- 9"
- Bottom to highest harness slot
- 18"
- Seat weight (without base)
- 20.5 lbs.
- Five shoulder positions and three buckle slots provide the best harness fit.
- Wide belt paths with rounded edges allow easier installation and tightening.
- V-shaped tether can be used rear-facing, LATCH equipped.
- Folds to 6.5" thick for convenient travel and storage
- The only car seat made with a full, steel alloy frame, for incredible strength.
- 4-panel system of EPS safety foam for increased safety, including side-impact protection.
- 3" more interior shoulder width of any car seat in its class. Its unique design is more than 2" narrower on the outside making it easy to fit 3 seats across.
- 3" longer seat bottom and the forward-facing recline option provides increased comfort for longer rides and more leg support for the older child.
- Cover is machine washable
- Radian is approved for Aircraft Use.
- Product Dimensions Open – 28.5"H x 17"W x 16"
- Product Dimensions Folded – 28.5"H x 17?W x 6.5"D
Sunshine Kids Radian convertible car seat Reviews
All Customer Reviews
- Average Rating:
- Highest Rating:
- Lowest Rating:
- Number of Reviews:
- 73
Great Seat!
Reviewer: Cate-3blue1pink , Commack,NY
Date: March 25, 2008
This is the 3rd Radian 65 that I purchased. I have 4 kids and this one was for our 3 year old who wanted the same seat as his brothers who are 6 and 5. I have a mini van and was hoping to fit all 3 across the back but our mini-van did not have enough room across the back (hence the 4 stars vs. 5). Anyway as with the other 2 this was a cinch to install and my husband has them in with such a great fit it doesn't move an inch! I love the fact that I am keeping them all in a five point harness up to 65lbs. and my boys love the design of the seat (i.e. they don't look like baby seats!). Overall we are super happy with these seats and Elite Car seats is a great site that I have recommened to many friends.
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Great seat
Reviewer: Anonymous , Memphis, TN
Date: March 21, 2008
Our five month old was close to outgrowing his infant seat, so we decided to upgrade as he was getting very heavy to carry. I was worried that this seat would be too big for him to be comfortable since he is 16 lbs and the seat goes all the way up to 65, but it fits him very well without any additional supports. We had no problems installing it rear facing and he seems to be very comfortable, awake or asleep. I am highly satisfied with our purchase and would definitely recommend it, even to parents of smaller babies.
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Best choice for us!
Reviewer: Anonymous , Stamford, CT
Date: March 08, 2008
We are very pleased with our Radian 65 for our 7.5 month old. Convenience: easy to install rear facing, just add the base and use the latch straps. Comfort: fabric is nice and soft, seat is nice and narrow for our small SUV. Quality: thus far seems great. The only negative is that in the rear facing position it is difficult to tighten the straps. We would order it again if we had to start over.
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Attention to detail
Reviewer: Father of three , Volo, IL
Date: March 07, 2008
The seat is designed with the customer in mind. Strap buckles are uniquely ergonomic and easy to buckle/unbuckle. Straps slide through slots in the back and/or bottom of the seat without getting "hung up" on plastic and fabric. Seat bottom is smooth; there are no sharp plastic edges to gouge your hands or the car upholstery.
Despite the relative ease of installation, frequent removal, carrying about on your back and putting in another car is an unrealistic selling point -- especially considering the weight. The seat, while narrow, is too high for rear-facing installation in some smaller cars.
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right choice for us.
Reviewer: Crystal , KC,MO
Date: March 01, 2008
I just recieved this seat yesterday,the side was slightly banged up I think from delivery but not that bad. My husband installed it & he figured out the the seat beat tightner clip thing must be in a low position on the seat belt itself before you thread and buckle it through to get this seat tight with a belt only, it is very tight once you do that. I am still trying to get used to the seat, it is very different then my triumph. Here's my take on the seat, it is narrow, and I wonder if eventually it will be too narrow? only time will tell. I have my 34 month old in it he is 32 lbs and 37.5 in tall. he was getting too tall for his triumph. I have already ordered the longer crotch strap AND the bigger, wider buckles from the company, if you ask me these buckles should be provided for you since the ones that come with it are too small for the harness belt , I have only used this seat for today and my son has complained about the crotch strap, just know before hand that you will need the longer one. I wish they had a cup holder or maybe even arm rest that would be nice. I'll probably never use this seat rear facing I have a toyota Rav4 02' and it would never fit rear facing, but that's ok I didn't buy it for that. I also feel like tightening the harness is harder than my triumph for sure (but maybe I am spoiled to how nice the truimphs tighting system was). After reading all of the good and bad reviews on any product I always secong guess myself, tonight I went and looked at the Britax Regent and Cosco Apex 65, and when I got back in the car and looked at my son in his Radian I felt good, those other seats are HUGE! So bottom line is I think once I get the two items I ordered from the Company I'll be happier, but like I said this was the right choice for us. And it will suit ours needs of keeping my son in a 5 point harness for a much longer time than recommended. I think by the time he outgrows this I'd be totally comfortable with a belted booster.
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Child couldn't fit, despite size range listed
Reviewer: Anonymous , Shaker Heights, OH
Date: March 01, 2008
I was hoping to keep my child in a 5-point even longer than I already have, but despite being 5 inches under the height limit and 25 pounds under the weight limit, this seat was way too small. My child was uncomfortable sitting in it and there was NO WAY I could engage the harness straps even though the belt buckle was in its farthest from the back position. This seat is meant for a much shorter, heavier and probably younger child than mine.
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Wanted to love it
Reviewer: Julie Miriovsky , Buffalo, MN
Date: February 29, 2008
I researched for hours to try to find the perfect seat for our tall 2 1/2 year old. I didn't want her to go in a booster yet and wanted her to be in a 5 pt harness as long as possible. I thought our only option would be to get a Britax to meet my needs. We have twins that are 1 and needed to be able to fit 3 car seats in one row, so if we got a Britax, we would've needed a new vehicle. I was THRILLED when I found the Radian65. First of all, it got great SAFETY ratings (our first priority) and it's narrow design was able to fit with our other 2 car seats in one row (our second priority). It seemed the perfect seat. My husband had no problem installing it. My only complaint is that I find it very hard to tighten the straps (waist and chest) around my daughter. I pull on the strap between her legs and it almost seems to lock up and not tighten much. We made a few adjustments with the crotch strap and never put a coat on her while in the car (it's much easier to tighten without the bulk of a coat). I am still not very satisfied with how it tightens and I'm not a wimpy person. I called elitecarseats and they recommended I call the manufacturer for any hints and suggested returning the seat if I was not comfortable with it. I recently got it inspected and was happy to know the car seat technician had a Radian85 so I felt good knowing an expert purchased one. She was very familiar with the seat and said the straps were tight enough. Maybe I was just being too particular. I still think it should be easier to tighten though as i have to do a lot of pulling up on the waist/chest straps while pulling on the strap that is supposed to tighten the straps around her. I really wanted to fall in love with this car seat, but don't feel comfortable recommending it as it isn't as easy to use as I'd like it to be. We're keeping it because it is safe and the technician said I was getting it tight enough, just wish it wouldn't be so hard for me to get it to that point.
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Great seat!
Reviewer: Anonymous , Denver, CO
Date: February 08, 2008
Very sturdy seat and very comfortable as well. I recommend buying the optional pillows (they come standard with the Radian 80) for $20 or so. A little tight in our Corolla but overall a great purchase.
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Good Seat, Poor Company Service
Reviewer: Lauren Olsen , New Jersey, New Jersey
Date: January 10, 2008
Our new Radian just arrived yesterday and overall I am pleased with this seat. It was a breeze to install using the latch system. I was able to anchor it in less then half the time it took me to install our Evenflo Triumph. The sleek design is definitley an asset when you have more than one seat istalled in your car. Elite Carseats.com is an exceptional online retailer in terms of their customer service, shipping, etc. I highly recommend them. My issue with this seat lies with Sunshine Kids. To my understanding the difference between the Radian 65 and 80 (justifying the cost difference) is primarily based on the fact that the Radian 80 can accomodate a child weighing upto 80 lbs. As a consumer I made my decision to purchase to 65 because I don't forsee needing a seat with that weight limit. I did however purchase the Radian because it could accomodate an infant. Both models advertise that they are equally appropriate for infants-considering that they can both be installed rear-facing. If both products can accomodate a rear-facing infant they should both come equipped with the infant support cushioning(as pictured in the Radian 80 stock photo) The Radian 65 has no support for the head or sides of an infant. The Infant cushioning should not be considered an upgrade in a rear-facing infant carseat!The Sunshine Kids representative that I spoke with was not helpful to say the least. She informed me that -yes, the cost difference in the two models was due to a cushion as well as the 15 lb higher weight limit. Perhaps the Radian 80 should be advertised as MORE Suitable for rear-facing infants. This could only lead to a more informed consumer. I asked the Sunshine Kids representative if I could purchase the cushion as separate accessory. She didn't know. I asked if there was another representative I could speak with that did know. She said he was out of the country... I think I made a wise purchase with the Radian 65, however I am disappointed with the lack of infant cushioning in a rear facing infant carseat! I find the Sunshine Kids customer service to be down right laughable.
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