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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 ˝ 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:
- 77
LOVE IT!!!
Reviewer: Melodie , Riverview, FL
Date: June 27, 2008
This is a wonderful car seat! It's so sturdy, I feel so safe with my daughter in it. It is as easy to install as any other carseat I've ever owned, and I get a good tight fight every time, even without LATCH! With the high weight and height limits of this seat, my daughter could possibly fit in this seat until 2nd or 3rd grade.
The only drawback to this seat is that the heavy weight of the steel frame makes it a bit difficult to move from vehicle to vehicle. So, I'm just going to buy another one so that I won't have to move them anymore.
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Loved this seat until...
Reviewer: Anonymous , Madison, WI
Date: June 03, 2008
We bought 2 of the Radian 65 seats for my then 3 yr old son (one for each car. We loved the seat because it was narrow and had a high wt. / ht. limit with a 5pt harness. Shortly after purchasing, we found out we were having twins (a boy and a girl). Once the twins grew out of their infant carriers, we decided to use our Britax Roundabout (used initially for my older son) and one of the Radians for the twins. With 3 kids, we wouldn't be able to travel with them all except in the van. In the rear facing position, it is VERY difficult to tighten the straps. The front of the carseat butts up against the van seat. SInce you have to pull the tightening strap down to tighen the 5pt harness, I have to squeeze my hand between the carseat and the van seat. Again, it is VERY difficult. My daughter is very petite and I could not get the Radian tight enough to have her in it, so she uses the Britax. My younger son does better in the Radian, but it is still difficult to get the straps tight enough. My husband has a really hard time and most of the time I'm the one who has to tighten it. It would be better if the tightening mechanism where similar to the Britax in that you can tighten the 5pt harness by either pulling up or down on the strap. Either way, we do like the seat, but I would not recommend it if you want to use in the rear facing position.
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Rival to Britax
Reviewer: Anonymous , Mason, Michigan
Date: May 29, 2008
We own three Britax Husky/Regent seats and love them *except* for their space-hogging size. Bought the Sunshine Radian 80 to help leave more room in Grandma's Ford Focus. THRILLED! I had it installed in under a minute and it won't move but a hair it fits so well! Would have bought three of these vs the Britax if I'd known about them 1st. Recommended this seat w/o hesitation! FYI: Fit is just as tight in my Explorer XLT & Hubby's Pacifica.
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Waste of Money!!
Reviewer: Kim , Milwaukee, WI
Date: May 28, 2008
I hate everything about this seat. It's so heavy, it's very difficult to install, it has the most narrow seat belt path... I can hardly get my hand in to thread the seat belt through. It also will NOT install tight, not even with LATCH. After trying my best to tighten, I can still move this thing a good 6 inches in every direction. Also, it has no arm or head support, so the kids' heads bob all over trying to sleep in it on long drives. I bought two... so it's not just that I got a bad one. And I've had other people try to install that couldn't and got very frustrated trying. My husband can't get the seat belt through at all because his hands are too big, and he's not particularly a big guy. Awful seats. I wish I hadn't bought them. I was going off the positive reviews, which were obviously about some other product and not these terrible seats. I can't imagine anyone being happy with this seat.
Comments from The Staff:
Hello there,
I am very sorry to hear about your disappointing experience with the Sunshine Kids Radian. I would agree with you on the lack of head support on the seat and the weight but the installation problems you are having are shocking. I have personally installed this seat a number of times in a number of different vehicles, and while not a cake walk, I've been successful at getting a good tight install each and every time. If the installation is your main point of frustration, I would suggest taking it somewhere to have a CPS Technician check it out and help. You can find one locally by visiting the NHTSA website and searching by your zip code. Granted, not every seat is going to fit the same in every vehicle, but especially with LATCH you should be able to get a safe fit in your car. I hope this helps some. If not, you can always return the seats using our No Worries Returns Policy. Again, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.
Thank you,
Kelly
EliteCarSeats.com
Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician
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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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