Customer Reviews

Sunshine Kids New Radian 80 Convertible Car Seat - SuperCool

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

We got this seat for features which make it easy to travel with: it folds, it's certified for use in an aircraft, and it's narrower than other popular convertible baby seats, increasing our chances of being able to use this on an airplane or (forward facing) in smaller, non-U.S. vehicles.

On the ground, our attempts at installing the seat in a proper rear-facing LATCH configuration required a lot of careful effort on our part - to ensure that the seat was not movable more than 1" in any direction, etc. In our opinion, with a bit of effort tightening the LATCH belt, we got a tight and proper fit in one of our two cars.

But, we didn't to our satisfaction accomplish a rear-facing installation using seat belts in our second car which does not have LATCH. Using a typical 3-point seatbelt, we found that the car's seat belt receptacle extended high enough to rub against the side of the baby-seat to not allow the opposite seat belt connector to completely clear the baby-seat's belt-pathway. We therefore could not get a tight enough grip on the baby seat (as we could still move the baby seat back and forth quite more than an inch).

It was also impossible for us to install this seat rear-facing in both of our cars without requiring that the front passenger seat be moved forward enough to make it nearly unusable for adults. (We have two mid-sized, 4-door Asian-import branded cars.) Maybe persons with minivans and SUVs will have better luck.

We did not try a forward facing installation, but because the forward facing belt-pathway is a few inches higher than the rear facing belt pathway, we hopefully wouldn't expect the same issue using a seat belt as we described above. We think it's best for any potential buyer to try this seat beforehand if they are going to be using a seat belt to install this seat with.

In conclusion, we think that this seat is best suited for situations demanding the exploitation of its features that make it stand above the crowd: height, narrowness, and features intended to make it easy to carry when traveling - especially the included shoulder strap. For us, using LATCH is the best if not the only choice for rear-facing installations with this seat. We have yet to travel by plane, but when we do, we'll be sure to update this review to let others know our experience using this seat on an airliner.

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Update (07/2008): Fits fine (forward facing only) on 737, 757, and on Canadair Regional Jet seats. One may want to lift the airline seat armrest up to make it easier to fit. It was easy for us to route an airliner seat-belt through the upper forward facing seatbelt path, while lifting off the baby seat's cloth cover momentarily to hook-up the seatbelt. Be sure to ask steward(ess) for assistance if belt has too much slack (we had no issues on U.S. domestic flights).

Update (08/2009): The chair's (supercool model's) fabric does indeed stay cooler than the competition's, especially sitting under direct sunlight. Returning to a hot car was not much of a problem with this chair which got warm, but not too hot to sit in, whereas the competition's fabric felt too hot and needed a few minutes to cool off. Also, the chair sits nearer to a right angle than some of the competition (which tend to recline a little more), and the chair's left and right sides aren't as deep either; This may be a comfort issue for a child, but we don't consider it a major issue for the chair's convience when travellling.

I got the Radian 80 along with the Britax Boulevard. I thought the Radian was exceedingly complicated - it has too many buckles, straps, and gadgets stuck to the back and not sufficient storage. So in a rear facing application, you see all this junk hanging off the back. I thought the instruction manual was not well organized.

As for fit, you need a lot of room (like a minivan) or a wide middle seat to make this rear facing work in your car. It would not fit in the 2nd row passenger side of my small SUV (Hyundai Santa Fe) without making the passenger side front seat unusable by anyone over 5' tall. It would not fit in the middle seat either because for a rear facing application, you attach a separate base which is quite wide and it blocked the seatbelt buckle. We ended up putting the Radian in my husband's large SUV (Cadillac Escalade) in the rear middle seat.

I found the Britax to be far easier to set up, there were no issues with blocking the front seat, the design is cleaner in the back and there is sufficient storage for all the parts. There were little things that made the Britax easier. For example, the warranty card was all pre-printed with the serial number so all you have to do was mail it in with your information. On the Radian, I had to go out the car and find the little sticker among all the other stickers on the seat to fill out the information on the card. Not major, but small enough to be annoying once you see how easy Britax makes it.

In a forward facing application, I think the Radian would be great because it is so slim. We also do a lot of airplane travel so I got it for that purpose and it seems consumers are happy with the way it travels. We'll probably move it to my car once our baby is old enough to be front facing.

I did a lot of research on this car seat before I decided to purchase it and the one thing that I never noticed until we unboxed it was the velcro they added to the 5 point harness. I am sure some mother thought it was a great idea to secure the straps off to the side so the buckles aren't in your child's back when putting them in the car seat initially. BUT, the thing you don't realize is if you forget to secure the strap with the velcro it attaches to the seats material. I have had this seat for less than a month and the velcro is really damaging! I don't like HAVING to secure it to prevent damage to the fabric.

The folding feature is a neat one, but be sure if you purchase the travel bag you practice folding the seat, repositioning the interior cushion system and putting it in the bag. The bag is made to hold the seat in a specific position and if you are in a hurry (shuttle bus with lots of people waiting at the airport), it is difficult to get the seat folded into that perfect position where it actually fits in the bag. We flew with the seat checked and it is a good thing I asked the ticketing agent to put a plastic bag over it! The zipper broke open and I would have lost my seat (the claim tag was on the bag, not the seat).

Other than that, I am happy with the safety features and construction.

It's a big seat, but sturdy. My son is 6 months old and enjoys being in the seat. He likes being able to look left and right without obstruction. The SuperCool feature was a big bonus. My son gets hot very easily and his head gets sweaty, the SuperCool material keeps his head nice and dry. We love it and recommend this car seat.

Yes the folding feature is handy for people who travel on planes to grandpa's house... but it is heavy, and you have to buy an additional strap to carry it like a back pack.

Also, THE COVERS ARE NOT MACHINE WASHABLE!! What kind of child's product isn't machine washable?!? Our one year old vomited old milk all over the car seat, and no amount of hand washing was going to get the smell of sour milk out, so we threw it in the wash... and it practically disintegrated. A replacement cover is $70.00! So instead I sewed it back together Frankenstein style, not very attractive, but it's working... sorta...
If the cover were washable, I would recommend this car seat... but without, I'd say keep looking.

I did a ton of research on car seats to move my 1 year old up. After meeting with a safety expert (who was not paid to endorse any particular car seat) and seeing the Britax Boulevard, Recaro Signo, and Sunshine Kids Radian 80 side by side, this was the clear winner for us. She has both of her kids in this car seat too.

Winning features for us: I love that he can still be rear facing up to 33 pounds. This is a much thinner car seat than any other I looked at and fits in my tiny Honda Civic with an infant base next to it. The folding feature is great for airline travel. Up to 80 pounds, so we won't have to shop for another seat.

Wish it had: Not much more, it serves it's purpose well. It is a long seat and the front passenger seat needed to move up quite a bit to fit it in the rear facing position.

The reason I gave this four instead of five stars is that it is heavy and takes up a bit more space than I thought it would when used in the rear facing position. Despite those drawbacks, I would recommend this carseat to a friend and would buy it again for myself if I needed to. I like the streamlined nature of it (other passengers can sit comfortably in my backseat with the carseat installed). Also, my son is large for his age (he looks like a six month old, but he's three months) and he often overheated in his infant carrier. This car seat has enough room for him to ride comfortably and he has not once overheated since we've been using it, which is wonderful considering we live in a dessert. We've had the carseat for nearly a month now and he seems much more relaxed riding in the car (his head stays well supported when he falls asleep - no more chin to chest napping) which makes running errands a lot less stressful. I think this car seat is well worth the money.

This carseat was pretty new on the market when I bought it, so I was a beat leery, but I have been thrilled with it. It fits great in my Honda Civic, my daughter is very comfortable in it, it transfers easily, and it folds for portability. Along with the carrying case (sold separately), which works like a backpack, I made it through 3 airports with my daughter, her carseat, her stroller, her diaper bag, and no help. It even worked fabulously in the airplane. Just as safe as the Britax models, lasts as long as they do, but not as expensive. How can you beat that?

I have to say that I am very impressed with the Radian 80® car seat. I absolutely love the folding feature because it makes it easy to transport. And it's so compact that it can fit in just about any car, including airplanes. The structure is also pretty sturdy. And the 5 point harness system keeps children snug and secure in the car seat, making it near impossible to wiggle out of. We got one to use when my twin nephews came out from California and one of the boys thinks it's so comfy that he's always asking to go for a ride in the car--just so he can sit in the new seat!

My husband and I have an older car that does not have the latch system for car seats. So any car seat we buy had to be strapped in using the belts. When we first bought this seat car seat we thought it was a bit difficult to install, but not hard. Now, after installing a different (supposedly comparable) car seat in my parents car, I think we have an incredibly easy car seat to install! The directions for installation are clear and comprehensible. the few times we moved the car seat to a rental or my parents car and utilized the latch system I couldn't believe how much easier it was than the latch system we bought for my parents car, thread through the bottom and snap in the latches... you're done! I also researched safety reviews and the Radian went beyond the requirements for safety - SOLD. It is quite heavy, but since it folds up and tucks away into a duffle bag or duffle/backpack - it's easier to travel with.