what's up with my sunsine kids radian?

[Chamsia]

I got the radian a few years ago for dd.  It was great for her.  Now she has a little bro, so we got her a booster and moved the wee guy into the radian, rf.

Why is it soooo reclined?

And I am also having a hard time tightening the straps.

Anyone else have these issues, or advice/suggestions?

Thanks.

[Monkey Keeper]

Are you in a different car? What do you drive?

Radians do recline pretty far in general, but there are certain cars where they over-recline. 

Can you give more info on the strap issue? Is it not pulling, or can you not reach the strap?  Or is it something else?

[DahliaRW]

In some vehicles radians are too reclined.  It's one of the down sides of the seat.

How old is your little guy?  If he's a newborn, he needs to be at 45 degrees.  Older babies can be more upright.  If he's over a year you can use the new angle adjuster for the radian.

[MariesMama]

I find it easier to tighten the Radians if you buckle the chest clip, then tighten most of the way, and then do up the bottom buckle.  Once the bottom buckle is done up, use short pulls to tighten the rest of the way.

[violet_]

I have this problem in my car too. In order to get the "lip" of the base piece wedged in the gap between the top and bottom parts of the seat (to get a tight install), it over reclines. It kind of leans on the driver's seat. Can I wedge something under to tip it back up? Baby is 15 months. What is the adjuster PP mentioned?

[DahliaRW]

Originally Posted by violet_ 

I have this problem in my car too. In order to get the "lip" of the base piece wedged in the gap between the top and bottom parts of the seat (to get a tight install), it over reclines. It kind of leans on the driver's seat. Can I wedge something under to tip it back up? Baby is 15 months. What is the adjuster PP mentioned?

You can use the diono angle adjuster, but nothign else, to adjust the angle: http://us.diono.com/en/car-seat-accessories/angle-adjuster  I'm not sure if it's out yet.

But in the time being, you cannot safely use the seat overreclined.  In an accident your LO could be severely injured as the seat over rotates down. 

[violet_]

I think I misspoke. It over reclines in the sense that it makes it touches the seat in front of it, and is more reclined than I would like, but it's not more than 45 degrees. It would be ok for a younger one, but my baby would like to be more upright. 

Thanks for the link -- that seems like what we would need, though it doesn't appear to be released yet.

[DahliaRW]

Make sure your car allows a child seat to touch the back of the front seat.  Mine prohibits it in the airbag section of my manual (toyota sienna) due to advanced air bags.

[violet_]

Ok, good to know. I'll check the manual.

Actually, I'm thinking of switching carseats with hubby to see if they fit better the other way. 

[Chamsia]

I do not understand why this car seat is so uber-reclined compared to every other carseat.  I want ds to sit up more: be able to see out, be less inclined to fall asleep when it's not naptime.

Secondly, the strap in between his legs that you pill to tighten the straps just seems stuck.  This time of year we have coats at some times, and other times do not.  So lots of adjustment is necessary.

Overall, since switching it to rf, I am quite disappointed in this pricey seat.  Which is a bummer since I have sang its praises to so many!

[violet_]

Originally Posted by Chamsia 

I do not understand why this car seat is so uber-reclined compared to every other carseat.  I want ds to sit up more: be able to see out, be less inclined to fall asleep when it's not naptime.

Secondly, the strap in between his legs that you pill to tighten the straps just seems stuck.  This time of year we have coats at some times, and other times do not.  So lots of adjustment is necessary.

Overall, since switching it to rf, I am quite disappointed in this pricey seat.  Which is a bummer since I have sang its praises to so many!

I agree! I had heard so many good things about it, and it installs awkward, probably over-reclined, and I can't seem to tighten the straps once buckled. I'm pretty disappointed too. I'm hoping it will do better in hubby's car so we can switch seats, but I don't know yet.

[Monkey Keeper]

Originally Posted by Chamsia 

Secondly, the strap in between his legs that you pill to tighten the straps just seems stuck.  This time of year we have coats at some times, and other times do not.  So lots of adjustment is necessary.

Two things:

1) Unlike other seats, the Radian rachets to tighten. So you have to do several short pulls rather than one long pull like in a Britax or an Evenflo. 

2) If you are loosening the seat straps to accommodate a coat, you should reconsider wearing the coat in the seat. Carseats were not meant to be used with coats under the straps.

I am sorry that you all are frustrated with the Radians. I have owned two for nearly 4 years now and have used them both forward and rear facing with little trouble. I have found them very easy to install in several different vehicles. I know that they are not compatible with all vehicle seats which can be frustrating.

You *can* work with them to get a more upright install by really kneeling hard on the very back edge of the seat while tightening the belt and/or LATCH strap. It won't get nearly as upright as some others, but that can maybe move you in the right direction.

[Chamsia]

Really--you're not supposed to have kids in coats in a carseat?  So you're supposed to take the kid out of the coat in the car with the cold blowing in the door, then re-coat the kid with the cold blowing in the door again when you get where you're going?  Does anyone actually do this in places where it gets cold?  Ridiculous!!!!!!!!!  Totally freezing, not to mention (yet another) time sucker.  One would think that in the 21st century they would have carseats that accomodate seasonal clothing. 

I think I have oomphed the seat to its most possbily upright position, which isn't very upright.

Will try ratcheting the adjustment strap.

I'm bummed to not love this seat anymore.  Won't be recommending it, alas.

[Maedze]

Yes, and no, it is not ridiculous :-)

What is ridiculous is a kid being seriously or fatally injured...or even ejected entirely, which has been documented, because he was wearing a puffy coat.  

I have three kids.   I live in New England.  We had a record-breaking cold winter last year, I do not have a garage, and it dipped to 20 or more below 0-F, on several occasions.  Never once did any of my three kids ride unsafely in the car for my convenience.

It has nothing to do with 'accommodating' seasonal clothing, unless you'd like car seats to start defying the laws of physics ;-)

In a crash, all the soft material in padded clothes compresses as the child's body slams into the harness.   The more padding, the further the child's body goes.  The further the body goes, the further the head and neck snaps, the greater the risk of spinal injury, the greater the risk of the child's body impacting a solid object within the car.  

One of the saddest things I ever saw was a baby's snowsuit buckled safely into an infant carrier with no baby inside it.   The baby was ejected...dead on impact.  The snowsuit had compressed and the baby came right out the top of the harness.  

Originally Posted by Chamsia 

Really--you're not supposed to have kids in coats in a carseat?  So you're supposed to take the kid out of the coat in the car with the cold blowing in the door, then re-coat the kid with the cold blowing in the door again when you get where you're going?  Does anyone actually do this in places where it gets cold?  Ridiculous!!!!!!!!!  Totally freezing, not to mention (yet another) time sucker.  One would think that in the 21st century they would have carseats that accomodate seasonal clothing. 

I think I have oomphed the seat to its most possbily upright position, which isn't very upright.

Will try ratcheting the adjustment strap.

I'm bummed to not love this seat anymore.  Won't be recommending it, alas.

[violet_]

Originally Posted by PinkBunch 

1) Unlike other seats, the Radian ratchets to tighten. So you have to do several short pulls rather than one long pull like in a Britax or an Evenflo. 

Aha! This is helpful -- wish that was in my manual. Ok, now I can tighten the straps. :)

As it turns out, it installs ok in hubby's car, so that's where it is now. I'm happy it works in one car at least! And, it was tolerable in my car, but the new Boulevard I just put in installs like it is welded to the frame -- it won't move a micron. Awesome. And the straps don't ratchet. ;)

[BubblingBrooks]

Use a fleece suit that has a good hood. No fluff, but lots of warmth. And carry the child with an extra blanket thrown over.
Its what we do in Alaska.
 

Originally Posted by Chamsia 

Really--you're not supposed to have kids in coats in a carseat?  So you're supposed to take the kid out of the coat in the car with the cold blowing in the door, then re-coat the kid with the cold blowing in the door again when you get where you're going?  Does anyone actually do this in places where it gets cold?  Ridiculous!!!!!!!!!  Totally freezing, not to mention (yet another) time sucker.  One would think that in the 21st century they would have carseats that accomodate seasonal clothing. 

I think I have oomphed the seat to its most possbily upright position, which isn't very upright.

Will try ratcheting the adjustment strap.

I'm bummed to not love this seat anymore.  Won't be recommending it, alas.

[MacKinnon]

The coat rule is tough, I'm a Mom with three kids, I get it! But the reality is that coats make straps too loose. I've got kids ages 7, 4, and 1 in Michigan. We have no garage, it's COLD when we get in that car! However, coats make straps loose. That's not a Radian rule, that's a car seat rule. Coats, really anything thicker than a thin fleece, are not recommended to be used under car seat harnessing. Britax, Evenflo, Graco, they all have the same recommendations... In our family the kids get in and buckle up and we cover them with a blanket or they put their coats on backwards. When it gets really cold. they wear their fleece coats to the car or I go out and start it before we get in . The new toddler wedge from Diono will hopefully help with the issues of over recline in this seat!

[Megan73]

Thanks for the reminder, Maedze. I needed to hear that.

[kayak32]

Yep we live in Colorado.  My husband doesn't like the no coat rule either. However I will put  DD  (2 1/2) in a fleece sweater.  Unless we have a long way to go or it is very windy I don't generally bother with a heavy coat when we get out, if we are just going say from the parking lot into a store it would have to be below 20 for me to consider putting a coat on for such a short distance.  however with an infant seat there is an easy solution a seat bag/footmuf. It is made so the buckles/harness is inside so no danger from compression if an accident occures.  

[Brandi L Law]

Originally Posted by Chamsia 

Really--you're not supposed to have kids in coats in a carseat?  So you're supposed to take the kid out of the coat in the car with the cold blowing in the door, then re-coat the kid with the cold blowing in the door again when you get where you're going?  Does anyone actually do this in places where it gets cold?  Ridiculous!!!!!!!!!  Totally freezing, not to mention (yet another) time sucker.  One would think that in the 21st century they would have carseats that accomodate seasonal clothing. 

I think I have oomphed the seat to its most possbily upright position, which isn't very upright.

Will try ratcheting the adjustment strap.

I'm bummed to not love this seat anymore.  Won't be recommending it, alas.

I agree that when it is regualrly -35 or -40 (live in central/northern alberta canada) that getting a child(ren) in and out without a coat or having to remove and re put on is slightly ridiculopus. There IS a way to safetly put a child in with a coat on. You do have to undo the front and open the coat up. you then can do it back up over top. They should have disks and/or manuals with a carseat to shaow this ESPECIALLY in places that have ridiculous cold weather.