The Product: Five Point Harness Booster Seat

There’s been a lot of discussion in the last few years about whether children should be moving into traditional booster seats around the time that they turn three or stay in five-point harnesses for a few more years. This issue was very much brought to light with a video that a mom posted on You Tube last year which was watched by over two million people blaming the death of her child on the lack of a five-point harness. After this video hit the net, Britax sold out of its largely ignored five-point harness car seat (Britax Regent) for about six months. The issue is really a matter of convenience. There is little doubt that a five-point harness is a safer option, it has built-in safeguards given that the car seat is attached to the seat in three places (the two latch anchors and the tether) and is less prone to failure or accidental unbuckling. However, it's also important to note that tethers and latches are only designed with certain weight limits in mind and that if you use one of these seats, you may have to switch to using a regular seat belt with the car seat once your child reaches a certain weight..

Recommendation: Sunshine Kids Radian 65 Carseat

Sunshine Kids has made a big leap into the “tweener” booster/car-seat space with their innovative Radian Car Seats. There are two models: The Radian 65 (up to 65 pounds) and the Radian 80 (up to 80 pounds). The Radian 65 is reviewed here. Unlike most traditional convertible car seats, the Radian 65 can fold to a width of 6 ½ inches, making it ideal for travel with its built-in shoulder strap and an optional travel bag. It’s also FAA approved for use on aircraft. This folding feature also makes it a good option as an extra seat for your second car. If you're out on business, you can fold it up and toss it in the trunk where it won’t take up much space. A few other observations: The Sunshine Kids Radian 65 is very well made, using steel in the frame, which makes it feel very solid and accounts for its good showing in the crash tests. It also seems to sit much flatter against a seat in the forward facing position, which gouges the seat less (nice if you have leather seats) and makes it easier for toddlers to climb in and out on their own.

I think that the main question/confusion from parents about the Radian 65 is when and how they should use this seat. Parents seem confused as to whether the Radian is a replacement for their current convertible seat, a next step before a booster or a good extra car/travel seat. I thought it would be helpful to outline a few scenarios for which I would recommend the Sunshine Kids Radian 65.

You have a convertible car seat with a smaller weight limit (i.e. 40 pounds) and don’t want to move your child into a booster yet. For example, the Britax Roundabout has a 40-pound limit.
You need to fit three car seats in a row. I have read a lot of debates on this topic, but I took out the measuring tape and can tell you that the Radian 65 is about 3 inches narrower than a comparable Britax Marathon (about 16 inches versus 19 inches). This can make the difference between being able to fit three seats across. If you use two Radians on either side, it can also make the middle seat more usable.
You need another convertible car seat for a second car and/or you travel a lot. If either statement is true, then a Radian 65 is a good idea. If both statements are true, then the Radian 65 is the perfect choice. Even though it’s heavy due to all that steel, folding it makes it a lot easier for traveling and for storing it in the trunk of a sedan.

I can also tell you that I personally find it helpful to have different products for different scenarios. Although some parents may think that this seat is unnecessarily redundant, we now own three different car seats: A Britax Roundabout, a Britax Marathon and Radian 65; and I can tell you that we find different scenarios where each seat is most appropriate and is a safer choice. In the end it may seem overkill to go from an infant seat to a smaller convertible car seat to a Radian 65 to a booster but this might be the safest and most convenient option. It particularly makes sense if you are planning to have multiple children within a few year’s time span because then you will get regular use from all of these seats , possibly even at the same time.

A special thanks goes to the folks as Baby Center Store and Sunshine Kids for sending me the seats to demo.

Devil's Advocate:

Technically, you can use the Radian 65 as your primary convertible car seat from the time your baby is an infant all the way up to grammar school; however, it's not something I would recommend. First of all, I would not want to give up a traditional infant seat which can be moved from car to stroller without waking the baby. Also, one of the things that I like about the Radian 65 for my toddler is that it's more upright than the Britax seats. This means that the inverse is also true and when you use it in a rear facing position, it does not cradle as well nor does it provide as much side padding for the head. l have tested and installed many convertible car seats, and I can tell you that a Britax seat installed rear facing with their unique versa tether is by far the tightest fit around.

You also need to pay close attention to the installation instructions with the Radian 65. Because it can go from birth to 80 pounds (Radian 80), it is possible to have this be the only seat you child ever uses, however there are weight limitations to the latch and tether system in your car. There's also an accessory that you install for use with this seat for children who are under 40 pounds; however, I found the directions for this very confusing and it also makes me wary about alternating my two children between the seat, which is a benefit that I was looking forward to given its wide weight range. I suggest you read the installation instructions carefully before installing.

One last thing, although it folds up well, the Radian 65 is not lightweight. It weighs almost 20 pounds as a result of the reinforced steel.