I know there are Many Threads going on about car seats and these seats are Being Discussed.

I know I Want one of these - but I am looking For Opinions - as I Hear Many Different Opinions When I Research it.
most say the Britax is too large and Bulky - others say the radian isn't as Comfy and seems too small for their Child.
My son is 3 and a Half and the booster is not Working Out! I am excited That Their is Car seats out there that will Fit him With the 5 point harness - that he still needs!
I Showed My DH that sad Utube Video of little Kyle Miller. -
I know Kids are hurt all the time - but those photos and that Music - Oh My Gosh -
DH couldn't Sleep last Night.
Anyway -
Let me know Your Opinions on the seats.

He is My 4th and I do not usually Freak out over Safety issues- with him however He HATES the booster and he sits so the belt isn't holding him in properly OR he puts the belt behind him.
We know He needs to Be in a 5 point for a few more yrs.

TIA!

My daughter will be 4 in March. We bought the Britax Regent for her 3rd birthday and I'm so glad we did. I totally agree with you about the 5-pt. harness. I think it's very important.
The Regent is big, but I don't think it's too bulky. My daughter loves hers and says it's very comfy.

I know it's a lot of money but to us it was worth every penny.

We have the Radian 65 and my 4-year old son loves it. He says it's very comfortable and more importantly - he fits in it (we noticed when we tried out the Britax Marathon that for some reason his shoulders were hunched - we don't have this problem with the Radian). It has a steel frame and really good safety ratings. The person who installed mine (a professional) told me that the new model (which we have) is designed to recline with the automobile seat, but I haven't tried that out yet. Honestly, we love it. The fact that it is not overly large or bulky and more inexpensive than the Britax seats helps a lot too.

I would definitely recommend sitting your son in both seats before you buy one though if at all possible. It might be tricky to find a Radian 65 in a brick and mortar store (for some reason the larger retail chains don't sell them in-store yet), but some of the smaller boutique stores do carry them. Babies'r'Us does carry the Regent (at least my local store does) so you should be able to try that out there. If you choose the Regent, measure your car beforehand to make sure it will fit (I have read that size is an issue in some smaller cars)! If you choose the Radian 65, Comfort 1st usually has free shipping (not bad considering that it weighs 22 pounds!).

On a side note, Comfort 1st is actually where I bought mine. Their showroom happens to be 5 minutes from my house so I bought it in their actual store and had it installed there as well. They are fantastic!

__________________
Stephanie
Mom to: Caleb (8/03), Ian (9/05), & Lucas (11/08)

If you havent already I would go with the Regent the slots are higher than the Radian. The Radian is narrower and Regent is huge. The difference between the Radian 65 and Radian 80 is the weight and the cushions. Your child will meet the height limit before the weight more than likely. My Very long torso 5 1/2 yr old is 44 pounds but she is too tall for the Radian. Top slots are I believe 16" or 17" on the Radian, and 20" on the Regent her torso is 16 1/2. Regent will last longer for my daughter but not always the same on all.
Target has them on sale right now, and at the end of Feb all Britax seats will be on sale.

__________________
New SAHM to 3 girls(6,4,1) & 1 boy(2)
Working On Budgeting X-Mas&My Summer'09 Wedding