Sunshine Kids Radian65 Convertible Car Seat - Granite
by Sunshine Kids
(Click here)
Product Summary
Manufacturer: Sunshine KidsBrand: Sunshine Kids
Release Date: 2006-06-02
Model: 16580
Color: Granite
Product features:
- 5 pounds to 33 pounds rear facing, Forward facing up to 65 pounds
- 5-point harness and 3 buckle positions
- 3" longer seat bottom
- EPS safety foam for side-impact protection with steel alloy frame
- Folds flat to a compact 6.5" for easy travel and storage
Description of Sunshine Kids Radian65 Convertible Car Seat - Granite
Radian is a Convertible Car Seat for rear-facing children 5 to 33 lbs. and forward-facing children up to 65 lbs in a 5-point harness. Maximum child height is 51 inches. It features a high-stength steel alloy frame and 5 harness slot positions that are all reinforced for forward-facing use. Includes SafeStop, which absorbs harness load energy in an accident. It's also the only car seat in the world that folds to just 7". Advanced safety and performance features set new standards since it exceeds current regulations used to measure safety, convenience and comfort for the car seat industry. Champagne is tan and charcoal gray.Features:
- 5 lbs. to 80 lbs. in 5-point harness
- Highest capacity convertible car seat
- Steel alloy frame
- Strongest convertible car seat made
- SafeStop harness system
- Absorbs impact energy in an accident
- 4-panel system EPS safety foam
- Total side-impact protection, more than any other seat
- V-shaped top tether
- Can be used rear-facing
- 5 shoulder and 3 buckle positions
- Proper harness fit for all ages and weights
- Narrower outside width
- Fit three seats across the back seat
- Infant body support
- Converts to pillow cushions for older child
- Folds to 7" (17.8 cm) thick
- Travel and storage convenience
- Easier to get child in and out, plus safer positioning for child
- Dimensions Open: 17"W x 16"D x 28.5"H
- Dimensions Folded: 17"W x 7"D x 28.5"H
- Weight 22.99 lbs.
Baby Products Reviews of Sunshine Kids Radian65 Convertible Car Seat - Granite
Customer Review: THE BEST of the best.
Summary: 5 Stars
We got into an interesting discussion a while back on a networking group I belong to... I was fascinated/horrified by what Kay (the owner of My Precious Kid) had to say about car seats.
I had already bought a nice little booster seat for Miss J, since she will be graduating into that size catagory right about the time the baby comes. But Kay was adamant from her research that these still-really-little people need to stay in a 5-point harness as long as possible to keep them safe.
There are a bunch of very sad videos on YouTube about this topic, which a quick search will bring to your screen.
I was convinced, and I got Miss J a "Big Girl Car Seat": the amazing RADIAN 65 Car Seat.
There is a Radian 65 and a Radian 80, with the difference being the weight limit. Since J is much taller than she is heavy, she will certainly be outgrowing either seat by height before she reaches 65 lbs., making the 80 unnecessary for our particular situation. It does come in pink, though, which was tempting...
I read though some of the reviews of the seat here on Amazon, and it was pretty amazing to hear the variety of whines about difficulty to install, weight, etc.
Was it easy to put in my Tahoe?
Well, okay, not as easy as the booster seat, no. And some of the things I did have to readjust after installing it once and looking at my handiwork. My older son helped (can you see me trying to reach over the seat to get to the buckles with my 8-months pregnant belly? Not.), and it took the two of us... oh... maybe 10 minutes. Let me be generous and say 15.
I'm not kidding. Is 15 minutes, once, not a totally reasonable time investment for something that can save your child's life?
I have a little more sympathy for people who said it doesn't fit in their vehicle. I was originally going to put it in the center of the back seat, where she's currently riding. Turns out it can't be installed there, because of the seatbelt buckle configuration of my pre-LATCH vehicle. But of course after watching Kyle's video (on YouTube), it really shouldn't be there, anyway, as there's no place in the center back to link a top tether!
So, off to the side she went...
(BTW, installing again on the driver's side after changing my mind, once we'd "got the drill down" and had all the correct straps installed and adjusted, took about 3 minutes).
It has so many great features you just can't dismiss: steel frame construction, trim profile and upright position (J HATES reclining!), a unique "safe strap" for use in certain configurations (including Miss J's) that would help reduce the strap load on her in the event of a collision (WOW!), it folds flat for travel and transport (and is FAA approved for airline use)...
I find it in all ways superior to the Britax Marathon we have now . . . and did I mention that it's a lot less expensive?!
Where was this seat when I was shopping so diligently 3 years ago?
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