Sunshine Kids Radian - Narrowest high-weight convertible in the market
Written: Feb 06 '07 (Updated Apr 21 '08)
Product Rating:
Durability:
Ease of Use:
Pros: Higher weight limit and harness slots than most other convertibles
Cons: Heavy, some installation issues, & may not last to 65lbs, depending on the child
The Bottom Line: I totally recommend this seat, if you can get a good, tight, install in your vehicles. It has high harness slot heights, is narrow, and very reasonably priced.
drey72's Full Review: Sunshine Kids Radian Granite Convertible Car Seat
UPDATE! 9/9/07 I installed this seat in the Passat center with seatbelt. See review body.
UPDATE! 3/24/07 I installed this seat in the Xterra center with lapbelt. See review body.
I recently purchased this seat, to replace the Evenflo Triumph that my son outgrew by height (and almost by weight). I actually wanted the Britax Regent, but it's been out of stock, and on backorder, since a YouTube video urged parents to keep their children harnessed longer and recommended the Regent by name. Since I needed a seat pretty much right away, I considered my alternatives - the Radian, any of the Britax 65-lb limit convertibles, and the Apex 65. None of the 40-lb seats would have worked for me, since my son was already at 37 lbs. He's also pretty tall, and already on the top slots of his Britax Marathon, so all the Britax 65-lb convertibles were out too. That left the Apex and the Radian. I tried both out. The Apex version I tried was the Safety First Alpha Elite Apex 65 (model # 22534), found at Babies 'R Us. My son fit in it, but I did not like the headrest on this seat. Also, the top harness slots measured at 17", which was the same as my MA, so he'd be outgrowing the Apex at the same time he'd outgrow his MA. So, I bought the Radian.
Car Seat Summary
The Sunshine Kids Radian is a convertible child safety seat that is LATCH-equipped. This seat can be used rear-facing for children 5 to 33 pounds and forward-facing up to 65 pounds for children up to 51” tall. The Sunshine Kids Radian expires 7 years from the date of manufacture, unless it has been involved in a car accident. Follow SKJP and NHTSA guidelines to determine if a car seat needs to be replaced after an accident. The seat is approved for aircraft use and comes with a 1-year warranty. This is a very low seat, due to not having a base to sit on. It does come with a "foot" to get it reclined for rear-facing use.
Sunshine Kids Juvenile Products now has two versions of the Radian - the Radian 65 (which this is), and the Radian 80. The Radian 80 has the same seat shell height, but has slightly different shell material and has been tested with an 80-lb dummy.
Installation
I installed my Radian in a 2002 Nissan Xterra forward-facing outboard, with LATCH. I will update this review when the weather warms up enough for me to install this seat in a 2004 VW Passat, with LATCH, and the seatbelt (separately, of course!), and in the Xterra with the seatbelt, and also in the center position. The current install only took 10 minutes, and that was with me reading the instructions while installing, to make sure I did it right.
added 3/22/07: I installed the Radian in the Xterra, center position, with the lapbelt. I could not get it as tight as I did outboard with the LATCH, but it's close - very slight movement (with me yanking on it) and definitely within acceptable parameters (less than 1" to either side, at the belt path). I have the seat bottom reclined. The entire seatbelt buckle is IN the beltpath, which is also acceptable for the Radian, and probably necessary for the Xterra, since the seatbelt stalks are so long.
added 9/9/07: I installed the Radian in the Passat, center position, with the seatbelt. I was very happy with the initial install, but it seemed as though it loosens over time. There was definitely some movement along the belt path, although it was within the acceptable parameters. I had the seat installed for over 2 weeks, and my Marathon installed passenger outboard. With the Radian in the center, I even installed a FF Cosco seat (not sure which model) in the driver outboard position, & had 3-across in my backseat!
I have to say that I LOVE the LATCH connectors. I have used car seats with LATCH connectors that killed my hands when trying to get them out, so these are definitely valued here. You push them in towards the LATCH hooks, and they click when they're in. To remove, just push on the red "button", kinda like the seatbelt release. The LATCH harness strap is one connected piece that you thread through the correct belt path, depending on whether you are using this seat forward-facing or rear-facing. The LATCH harness adjuster is on one side, so you have to make sure to get the other side nice & tight, pull the strap all the way through the other end, and tighten there. This is harder to use than a Britax convertible's LATCH adjuster, but Britax has separate LATCH harnesses & adjusters, one for each side. The one major downside to the LATCH connectors are, the instructions for which connector to use on which side, is only printed in small letters, on each connector, and there is no mention in the manual at all on the connector placement. Basically, the "flat" part of the connector goes on the bottom, the print shows which side has to face the side of the seat, and the "hook" part of the connector goes on top. Follow these rules when threading through the correct belt path & you'll do just fine. :)
The Radian also comes with a built-in adjustable bottom, to position the seat at a slight recline while forward-facing. The adjustable bottom only has two settings - flat, and angled. I have mine installed with the angled position, since the Xterra has such reclined seats.
I have not tried the installation with the seatbelt, and I have about 8 lbs to go (actually, my son does) before I NEED to install it with the belt. Hopefully warmer weather will be here soon.
This car seat DOES have installation issues with some vehicles. Please refer to http://www.car-seat.org/ for more information on the incompatibility issues.
Usability
It is pretty easy to adjust the harness so there's no slack. To loosen, just pull up the lever (hidden behind the velcro flap at bottom of seat) and pull on the harness. One note here - the Radian sits right on your vehicle seat. If it's installed in the center position, over the "hump" that most cars have, chances are the harness will get stuck due to the fact that there's nothing keeping the harness from coming into contact with the vehicle seat itself. When it's installed really tight, the harness could get stuck behind or under the seat. If this happens, try the seat in an outboard position.
Harness Height Adjustment
The Radian has 5 harness position heights. My son is now right at the 2nd-highest position, with about 2" before he's even with the top harness slot. Sunshine Kids currently says that the Radian can be used until the 65-lb limit is reached, or, if on the highest harness position, until the tops of the ears are even with the top of the seat shell.
To change from one harness slot to another, you have to uninstall the car seat and rethread the harness. This isn't very complicated, and the harness rethreads quickly. The one thing I noticed here is that the Radian has a one-hook harness connector, not the T-hook that I'm used to seeing.
The Radian also has 3 locations for the crotch buckle. This allows you to adjust the buckle out, as your child grows. Since mine is already almost 4, I have my buckle at the outermost location.
Misc
The cover on my Radian is a plush grey & black. The cover is not so easy to remove for cleaning, because of the hooks that keep it on the shell. There is also a round pad by the crotch buckle, to keep any hot parts away from the child's skin during hot summer months.
The Radian came with one manual, which is connected by an elastic strap to the top of the seat shell. The manual is very well organized, and shows each type of installation clearly. It also illustrates aircraft use, and how to carry the seat. The only thing that could be better is if it also showed how to position the LATCH connectors (see the Installation section above).
Some things that could have been better
I am keeping this as a placeholder, and will update once I've used the seat more. I KNOW I will find something that will fit here!
UPDATE 2/11/07: I do not like having the LATCH harness adjuster on only one side of the seat. In this, I definitely prefer my Marathon, which has separate adjusters for each LATCH connector, and is MUCH easier to tighten (lean on one side, tighten the adjuster, repeat on the other side).
In conclusion, I am liking this seat a lot. It was very reasonably priced for being a 65-lb seat, with 18" top harness slots. I also have very high hopes for it, and will be the first to let you know if it doesn't fulfill those hopes.
Other car seats owned:
Graco Nautilus Britax Marathon Cosco Eddie Bauer 3-in-1 (expired, did not like)
Evenflo Triumph (outgrown)
infant seat (don't remember manufacturer, but it was Eddie Bauer branded & part of a travel system)
Sunshine Kids Radian65 Convertible Car Seat - Granite (Closeout)The first of its kind, Radian65 was conceptualized and designed around a set of strict...More at Diapers.com
The first of its kind, Radian65 Convertible Car Seat was conceptualized and designed around a set of strict safety and performance parameters. With a ...More at SmartMomma
On Sale for $199.99! Regularly priced at $219.99. Save $20 (9%) It's the perfect pairing of safety and convenience-and every parent can appreciate ...More at EliteCarSeats.com
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.