Reviews for Sunshine Kids Radian 80SL convertible car seat
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- 3
Great Solid Seat!
Reviewer: Kelly , Colorado
Date: January 28, 2010
My husband is certified by NHTSA in car seat and passenger safety. He installs car all brands of car seats for parents and grandparents for one of our local police departments. Additionally, he handles a lot of car accidents and is an accident re-constructionist. So, he has seen car seats, after they've been through an accident. This was pretty much the only seat for our daughter. The solid steel frame is what sold me. It may be heavier than other seats at 26 lbs, but I've traveled by air and didn't have too much of a problem getting it checked in. If you can't carry 26 lbs through the airport, you're in trouble when your child reaches that weight! Besides, we are in the car driving around doing errands more than we are carrying the seat at the airport. I bought this seat because of how safe my daughter would be in the car, not how convenient the seat would be to haul around when we travel. We were given another seat as a gift for our second car. It is a different brand and it doesn't even compare to our Sunshine Kids seat. The clip across the chest on the gift seat is so flimsy compared with our Sunshine Kids seat. Also, the seat belt release at the bottom (which tightens or loosens) is much easier to operate on the Sunshine kids seat. My husband has experience with all the seats and he stands by our purchase so much that we have another baby on the way and he already plans to buy another Sunshine Kids seat! I completely agree!
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straps get lost but fit 3 in a row!
Reviewer: Anonymous , Fishers, IN
Date: September 20, 2009
I purchased these seats because we needed to fit 3 convertible seats in the backrow of a trailblazer. IT WORKS and this was our only choice (that I found)and I did a lot of research.
I have one foward facing (britax marathon) and 2 rear facing (radian 80). The seats do not fit well rear facing because they are too long but it is manageable. I have the rear facing seats in the middle and behind the passenger.... Because the seats fold, I think the straps get "lost" easier....I have to dig to get the straps out often. It is annoying, but like I said we didn't have much choice. I am very pleased with the safety of the seats. They are very secure and are tight (one seat is used with latch, the other with the seatbelt, both have the top teather attached). My babies are too small to use the headrest so when they fall asleep their heads really fall to the side. (they seem to be comortable, but it bothers me!). We have not gone on a long car trip in them yet. I am pleased with the purchase, but I would have liked to puchase another britax marathon. We really like the marathon, but we needed something to fit 3 across. The marathon britax is 2 1/2 inches wider than the radian. My complaints are minimal and the ones I do have are minor. The safety is #1. They are very secure and are made well. My babies will grow and soon be tall enough to use the headrest. Soon I will be able to turn them around. The straps can be properly positioned with a little care before you put the child in the seat.
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Accident Tested
Reviewer: Anonymous , Colorado Springs, CO
Date: June 24, 2009
We were rear-end by a semi truck two weeks ago. We had our almost six-year-old in a Radian 80. Our two-year-old was in an Evenflo Triumph Advance with the "convenient" sliding harness tabs. My older son didn't have a scratch on him. My toddler however sustained a pulled muscle in his neck (moderate whiplash)and multiple large bruises on his thighs/shoulders which even took off some skin through his jeans. All because of the harness that was loosened and slipped down with the force of the collision. We are normally uptight about their seats not budging and having their harnesses snug, so this just convinced me that we needed another Radian. My older son has always loved his and hasn't had any problems and can get out of the seat by himself. He did however appreciate the longer buckle strap when we finally replaced it. I am more convinced now than ever that having our kids in five-point harnesses AND having their seats installed properly is the best protection we can provide our boys. We haven't tried this seat rear-facing, but I think it would work in our 4-Runner, at least in the center position. As a forward facing seat, it is extremely easy to install on our firmer, Toyota seats. And still, my husband is the ONLY person I trust to install it with his 210 lbs and perfectionist personality. I personally don't think that investing in my kids' safety takes 2nd place to convenience. You want a car seat that will provide your kids the best protection. That means it is probably best practice to NOT plan on switching it between vehicles on a daily basis and complaining about the weight! I personally liked traveling with it because the weight was in a smaller "space" as the Radian folds and wasn't awkward at all. I ordered two RadianXT models within a couple hours of our accident (had just gotten one about a month ago for our trip to Moab to keep our older son from trying to lean over in his booster in our Wrangler)Both boys absolutely love them and aren't bothered by the larger side wings. Sitting lower in the back seat also gives the older kids more room between them and the back of the front seat. Bottom line: Don't make my mistake and go for the convenience of a store-bought seat. The return shipping insurance makes this so easy to try.
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