Diaper Swappers

mmbreb · 12-14-2012, 10:36 AM

DH hates our car seat. (Britax Pavilion 20 G3) He says it is too hard and I will admit it is a tight fit.

I am thinking about buying a Diono car seat. What can you tell me about them? Are these the seats that were previously called "sunshine"? Which seat that they offer do you consider to be the best?

Reason I am thinking about buying a Diono seat:
*It folds, we may need to do an air plane trip and this really appeals. We traveled with the britax and although it is doable it was not easy.
*I have read that there is more leg room
*I am hoping it will be easier get DS in and out of.
*We may need an additional seat for Grandmas car. Our Britax will go in Grandmas car for part time use and Diono will be in our car for full time use.
*High rear-facing and forward-facing limits.

Important notes: We drive a Crew Cab GMC Sierra. DS is two and about 32 pounds. Not sure on hight but I think 35 inches.

If there is another seat that you think is good for us any suggestions are welcome but I am definitely interested in hearing about Diono seats.

luvsviola · 12-14-2012, 10:42 AM

There is more leg room. The seats are less padded than Britax though. They are super tall. The install ranges from simple to complete PITA to non-compatible, depending on your car. The strap adjuster is more difficult to adjust on Radians.

I have 3, and I hate them, so I am a little biased. They weigh a LOT more than the Britax seats. No way would I travel with one. They are seriously heavy.

mmbreb · 12-14-2012, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvsviola

There is more leg room. The seats are less padded than Britax though. They are super tall. The install ranges from simple to complete PITA to non-compatible, depending on your car. The strap adjuster is more difficult to adjust on Radians.

I have 3, and I hate them, so I am a little biased. They weigh a LOT more than the Britax seats. No way would I travel with one. They are seriously heavy.

Ughhh That was not the answer I was looking for

I can't deal with it weighing MORE than the Britax.

To me it dosen't look like the Radian has as many safety features as the britax

I wonder if that is the case?

luvsviola · 12-14-2012, 11:29 AM

They both pass the same tests. I prefer Britax seats except for the leg room thing. I had to have 3 for a 3-across setup in my husband's car, and found a deal which is why I have 3 Radians. I couldn't get a good latch install in my Mom's Acadia rear-facing with an angle adjuster, but got it in there OK with a seatbelt. But they over-recline a lot in my Odyssey without the angle adjuster, and the latch straps loosen on their own in there, so I have to do seatbelt installs, which defeated the purpose of having seats with super-latch.

jjordan · 12-14-2012, 01:06 PM

At 2, it is probably easier to have your son climb into the car seat after he's been lifted up into the car. That might help things a bit.

Some people like to travel with Radians because they fold and have backpack straps. (Well, I think they come with one strap, and you can order a second if you want to carry it like a backpack.) But honestly I dread even moving mine across the garage to switch from one car to another - I personally would never want to travel with one. (I'd much rather travel with my Britax seats!)

They are the same company as Sunshine Kids Radians.

canadianbakers · 12-15-2012, 06:53 AM

I like our Radian, and we definitely will need it for 3-across in the back row come spring.

It is a heavy seat, though, and I would not (have not) travelled with it. Well, honestly, the weight isn't why I don't travel with it, I don't because of the cost of the seat - too much $$ to take the risk of it getting broken or made unusable, and then having to fight the airline to replace it. So, I just travel with a scenera!

I haven't had any problems installing it, but have only used it in 2 grand caravans. I have heard that some people have a lot of troubles getting it installed, and it's completely incompatible with some vehicles.
I've never used LATCH on the Radian, so I have no experience with that. We're just used to using the seat belt (had no other choice in our first vehicles) and feel we get a better install with it.
We did need to get the angle adjuster to use with ours, because the weight of the seat + Levi's weight pushed down into the van's seat and made it too reclined (more than 45*).
I find that the angle adjuster does take away some of the leg room that would be there, though it's still doable.

With the low sides, it is very easy to get DS3 in and out of the seat, reach to buckle, and also very easy for him to climb in and out on his own.

Personally, I feel like Britax touts a ton of extra safety features because they want to validate their price.

It doesn't matter the seat or it's features - all seats pass the same safety standards testing to be approved for sale. More importantly, it doesn't matter how $$ a seat is, if it's not used properly the most expensive seat is much less safe than the cheapest seat, kwim?

canadianbakers · 12-15-2012, 06:54 AM

double post

jjordan · 12-15-2012, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canadianbakers

<snip>
Personally, I feel like Britax touts a ton of extra safety features because they want to validate their price.

It doesn't matter the seat or it's features - all seats pass the same safety standards testing to be approved for sale. More importantly, it doesn't matter how $$ a seat is, if it's not used properly the most expensive seat is much less safe than the cheapest seat, kwim?

Hmmm... I think that's a little unfair. EVERY company talks about their seat's safety features because that's how they get consumers to buy their seat. And Britax seats are not alone in their price range, not by a long shot. So I don't see the point in singling out Britax as if they're the only company that sells expensive seats and/or talks about the safety features of their seats. I find it ironic that this is posted in the context of comparing Britax to Diono - their seats are in the same price range, and both companies talk about why their own seats are the safest.

If someone doesn't think a Britax is worth the money, then they shouldn't buy one. They are a great option for many families, but not for all.

OP, I wouldn't count on Diono to solve all your problems or be the perfect seat for you, but who knows, you might end up liking a Radian more than what you have, and it might be worth the $$ for you.

slimy72 · 12-15-2012, 08:21 AM

Well, personally I love my radian, and have flown all over the country with it. It is heavy, but I fold it and carry it like a backpack or put it on a little cart and pull behind. In my cars the install is easy and we've never had a problem. I love my two radians and if we have more kids would buy another in a heartbeat.

4boys1girlforme · 12-15-2012, 08:38 AM

We have several Britax seats and also a Radian. We have never used the Radian RF so we've never had any install issues with it. The install of the Radian isn't quite as easy as the Britax seats we have (with the exception of the Frontier) but it isn't difficult and we've never had any issues with the latch loosening.
My 4 year old rides in the Radian in DH's car. The seat is useful for 3 across- otherwise I would say that I prefer our Britax seats.

12-14-2012, 10:36 AM	#1
mmbreb Registered Users Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,401 Ratings: 46 Feedback: 100%	I have the Britax Pavilion 70 G3 thinking about a Diono seat DH hates our car seat. (Britax Pavilion 20 G3) He says it is too hard and I will admit it is a tight fit. I am thinking about buying a Diono car seat. What can you tell me about them? Are these the seats that were previously called "sunshine"? Which seat that they offer do you consider to be the best? Reason I am thinking about buying a Diono seat: It folds, we may need to do an air plane trip and this really appeals. We traveled with the britax and although it is doable it was not easy. I have read that there is more leg room I am hoping it will be easier get DS in and out of. We may need an additional seat for Grandmas car. Our Britax will go in Grandmas car for part time use and Diono will be in our car for full time use. High rear-facing and forward-facing limits. Important notes: We drive a Crew Cab GMC Sierra. DS is two and about 32 pounds. Not sure on hight but I think 35 inches. If there is another seat that you think is good for us any suggestions are welcome but I am definitely interested in hearing about Diono seats. __________________ Wife to Ron and mommy to Ben 5-7-09, Grant 4-22-10and Abby 6-16-12Foster mom to Little-Man Pre-Adopt Mom to Spider-ManYou're so beautiful to think of, but so hard to be without. Last edited by mmbreb; 12-14-2012 at 10:59 AM.*

12-14-2012, 10:42 AM	#2
luvsviola Registered Users Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Central Indiana Posts: 15,051 Ratings: 115 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: I have the Britax Pavilion 70 G3 thinking about a Diono seat There is more leg room. The seats are less padded than Britax though. They are super tall. The install ranges from simple to complete PITA to non-compatible, depending on your car. The strap adjuster is more difficult to adjust on Radians. I have 3, and I hate them, so I am a little biased. They weigh a LOT more than the Britax seats. No way would I travel with one. They are seriously heavy. __________________ Kristen Mommy to Abigail ~1/24/07 and Kendall~3/17/2011 and FINALLY adoptive mama to LEDGER~4/4/09!!!--G-J tube, asthma, oral aversion, reflux, SPD, drug exposure, and still searching for a diagnosis of the rest... Ask me about extended rear facing!

12-14-2012, 11:29 AM	#4
luvsviola Registered Users Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Central Indiana Posts: 15,051 Ratings: 115 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: I have the Britax Pavilion 70 G3 thinking about a Diono seat They both pass the same tests. I prefer Britax seats except for the leg room thing. I had to have 3 for a 3-across setup in my husband's car, and found a deal which is why I have 3 Radians. I couldn't get a good latch install in my Mom's Acadia rear-facing with an angle adjuster, but got it in there OK with a seatbelt. But they over-recline a lot in my Odyssey without the angle adjuster, and the latch straps loosen on their own in there, so I have to do seatbelt installs, which defeated the purpose of having seats with super-latch. __________________ Kristen Mommy to Abigail ~1/24/07 and Kendall~3/17/2011 and FINALLY adoptive mama to LEDGER~4/4/09!!!--G-J tube, asthma, oral aversion, reflux, SPD, drug exposure, and still searching for a diagnosis of the rest... Ask me about extended rear facing! Last edited by luvsviola; 12-14-2012 at 11:30 AM.

12-14-2012, 01:06 PM	#5
jjordan Registered Users Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 7,631 Ratings: 20 Feedback: 100%	Re: I have the Britax Pavilion 70 G3 thinking about a Diono seat At 2, it is probably easier to have your son climb into the car seat after he's been lifted up into the car. That might help things a bit. Some people like to travel with Radians because they fold and have backpack straps. (Well, I think they come with one strap, and you can order a second if you want to carry it like a backpack.) But honestly I dread even moving mine across the garage to switch from one car to another - I personally would never want to travel with one. (I'd much rather travel with my Britax seats!) They are the same company as Sunshine Kids Radians.

12-15-2012, 06:53 AM	#6
canadianbakers Registered Users Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: MB, Canada Posts: 8,843 Ratings: 34 Feedback: 100%	Re: I have the Britax Pavilion 70 G3 thinking about a Diono seat I like our Radian, and we definitely will need it for 3-across in the back row come spring. It is a heavy seat, though, and I would not (have not) travelled with it. Well, honestly, the weight isn't why I don't travel with it, I don't because of the cost of the seat - too much $$ to take the risk of it getting broken or made unusable, and then having to fight the airline to replace it. So, I just travel with a scenera! I haven't had any problems installing it, but have only used it in 2 grand caravans. I have heard that some people have a lot of troubles getting it installed, and it's completely incompatible with some vehicles. I've never used LATCH on the Radian, so I have no experience with that. We're just used to using the seat belt (had no other choice in our first vehicles) and feel we get a better install with it. We did need to get the angle adjuster to use with ours, because the weight of the seat + Levi's weight pushed down into the van's seat and made it too reclined (more than 45*). I find that the angle adjuster does take away some of the leg room that would be there, though it's still doable. With the low sides, it is very easy to get DS3 in and out of the seat, reach to buckle, and also very easy for him to climb in and out on his own. Personally, I feel like Britax touts a ton of extra safety features because they want to validate their price. It doesn't matter the seat or it's features - all seats pass the same safety standards testing to be approved for sale. More importantly, it doesn't matter how $$ a seat is, if it's not used properly the most expensive seat is much less safe than the cheapest seat, kwim? __________________ ~Elena~ Momma to R (10), Z (8), I (7), L (2), & Piper Ann (4.13.13) always missing Elliana Lucy (2.7.12)