What would you do? Britax Regent or Marathon or Scenera for now?

[Sangiovese]

I need another car seat, and I'm trying decide which option is best.

Right now, DD2 (she will be 3 next month) is in a Scenera, and it is fine.

However, DH's car was stolen, and we are currently using one car. It might be few weeks or a month before we have a second car. I think that it would be helpful to have a second car seat in the cases when I don't have a car. That way, I can leave her car seat in the car and have one at home for times that I might go with a friend on an outing.

I think that we are buying a Mazda Tribute.

So, I'm trying to decide what to do. It would be easy to just run to Target and buy another Scenera. Long term, I had planned on getting a Regent, but I can't find any data (carseatdata.org) on how it fits in a Mazda Tribute or if I could fit two children (not in car seats) in the back seat with it. (I have a 7 year old also, and I would like to be able to fit her and a friend in addition to the car seat.) I also have read that it is better to wait until they are older to buy a Regent because it is big for a 2 yo and the seat (expiration-wise) will last longer. I wouldn't mind buying a Marathon if that is a better choice. It seems like she would still have a lot of use for it and there would be a better chance of 2 kids fitting the back seat.

Dilemmas, dilemmas.

[Joolsplus2]

My Husky turns my Escape into a 2 seater back seat, totally...no way to do three across :( (Husky=Regent, Tribute=Escape). I LOVE the Radian in that car, though... fits kids harnessed to 5-7...fits in the middle for easy portage of bigger kids on each side...

But yeah, the Scenera is fine if you need a seat right now.

I'm SO sorry about your dh's car! I hope everything works out well with that.
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/Leah.aspx

[bubbaray]

Another vote for the Radian. If it works in your vehicle (and apparently it does from Julie's post), it is a really nice seat, especially for your DD#2 -- she's the same age as my DD#1 and mine loves climbing into the seat herself. It has a nice low profile, plus is so narrow, you should be able to get your DD#1 and her friend in too (though, do they need to be in boosters??, that might make it tight -- maybe the Clek booster would work for them?).

HTH

Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

[Sangiovese]

Thanks for the info. I'll check out the Radian. I had read that it was difficult to install - did either of you find this to be true? Melissa - Can your DD#1 sleep in the Radian?

DD#1, my 7 yo, is usually in a booster. For short distances (school to home), I'll take her booster out of the car so her and her friend can buckle themselves. For longer distances, I will cram two boosters in the car (currently a 1999 Camry), which isn't easy and requires me to buckle them.

That Clek booster is interesting. I hadn't heard of that before. DD7 is in a Britax booster, and I had a second spare Graco backless booster for friends, the other car, etc. It was in the car that was stolen, so I need to buy another one. The Clek is kind of pricey, though.

Thanks!

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, the clek is super expensive, but you've never seen anything like it...it's literally like a piece of the car...high quality upholstery, nice rigid LATCH (which is optional...you can just put it on the seat if you don't have LATCH or it won't fit three-across due to LATCH bar spacing). The Cosco High Rise/Ambassador is a bit easier to buckle and has a deeper/comfier seat than the Turbo backless, so you might consider it (also it's usually cheaper...). My dd thought the Radian was way more comfortable than the Regent because she could rest her head on the sides :) (it fits great with LATCH, can be tricky with seatbelts, and you can really learn to install it well...it's just... 'different' than an insta-tight britax, but most of us are learning to get it to work in more and more cars)

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/Leah.aspx

[Sangiovese]

I have another Radian question, and I'll try to be delicate. Do "wider" kids fit in the Radian? My older DD is on the "husky" side. Although DD2 doesn't seem like she is headed in that direction, if she is, would the Radian really last until she is 5 - 7?

I guess that if my choices are the Radian or the Marathon, does it matter? Will she outgrow those at the same time? Ahh, confusing...

Thanks!

[Sangiovese]

I keep thinking of questions. The Radian 65 and 80 are mostly the same, except for price. Is that correct? I think that I read that the shoulder slots were at the same height, so kids would outgrow either seat at the same time (most likely). I like the pink Radian 80, but I don't know if it is worth an extra $50.

Thanks!

[Sangiovese]

AND another question (I'm internet shopping/comparing, so I keep coming up with questions)...Why the Radian over the Marathon or Boulevard? Is it the height of the shoulder slot? I'm finding that they are 1/2 inch different.

Thanks!

[bubbaray]

The Radian 65 & 80 are the same shell, so the top slot heights are the same. If your child is short and, er, heavier, then maybe the 80 is a good choice. If your child is taller or has a long torso, the 65 is probably a better choice as they will outgrow the seat height-wise before weight.

The Radian is a good 1/2" higher at the top slot than the Marathon. I have both.

BTW, my DH has a Radian in his 1997 Nissan Pathfinder, installed via belts. The install is solid and he d/n complain about it (and he would if it was a problem). It is a LOT easier to get DD#1 into the Radian than the MA b/c of the short doorway.

HTH

Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

[Sangiovese]

Okay, that makes sense. What about width? Is the actual seat of the Radian too narrow for bigger kids? I wish that I could find one and I could put my 7 yo in it to test the fit. I don't think that my 2 yo will be as big, but I would like to plan for it.

Thanks for the help!

[Joolsplus2]

I know one 60 pound 5 yo who's still comfortable with room to grow in her RN 80 :).

I bought the longer crotch strap on mine and use it with a Britax chest clip, it makes it more comfortable (and has been allowed per sunshine kids, who originally tested the seat with a britax chest clip, but they think their 'lock tite' clip is better...many kids find it rubs their necks...)

Check out my wacky chest clip comparison here...see how the sunshine kids one is way narrower on the neck than the others? http://picasaweb.google.com/joolstag/HoudiniSCarseat

And scroll WAY down to the bottom, I have leah in the original and upgraded radian parts http://picasaweb.google.com/joolstag/LeahInCarseats

I think Amazon is having a killer sale on Radians right now...?
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/Leah.aspx

[bubbaray]

Hmmm, honestly, I don't know. DD#1 is 3.5yrs and pretty skinny. I don't think its any narrower than a MA, but it probably is a lot narrower than a Regent.

BTW, yes, my DD#1 does sleep in hers. Looks uncomfortable to me, but she never complains!

HTH

Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

[Joolsplus2]

It's wider in the shoulders than the MA... http://picasaweb.google.com/joolstag/BitsyRadian107 Seems like kids a little bigger than this do say it feels like 'sitting on rocks' as the seatpan is a little narrower :)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/Leah.aspx

[Sangiovese]

I'm worried about the hips, too, not just the shoulders. My DDs have "junk in the trunk", but they come by it honestly!

I think that I am going to go with the Radian because it sounds like it has the best chance of lasting the longest (longer than the Marathon). Any choice seems like a gamble, but that seems like the best gamble. I was just reading on that other post about Radian vs. Marathon, and I appreciated the "how long it can last" comparison from you, Julie. And I'll go with the Radian 80, just judging from how my older DD has grown.

I've eliminated the Regent because we really need to be able to use the back seat.

So, any guess as to why the Radian 80 is only $250 at elitecarseats.com, but is $280 every where else?

Thanks for all of the help!

[Joolsplus2]

Amazon has some for 249...I have no idea why the price discrepency, I'm not up on their new or expiring covers or sale times yet... My friend got one with the original price that Amazon paid for it, and it was like 139, so I guess they have some leeway on the msrp if they need to clear out inventory...

:)