Car Seats

We'll get to the "probably" part in a second.*

The Sunshine Kids Radian 80 is the only car seat ever produced that secures a child from birth up until they are 80lbs!!

The Radian 80 is rear facing until your child is 33 lbs.

Once your child has reached 30 lbs. or so, you simply spin the Radian 80 around. Your child now has a comfortable and very safe forward facing car seat with a narrow profile that (and this is another one of Sunshine Kids trademarks) folds up into a slim, 7" thick package. What's more, its v-shaped top tether allows you to use the top tether when in the rear facing position. Only a select few car seats can claim this particular feature.

Tested again and again, the Radian 80 has Safety Feature after Safety Feature.

Not only does the Radian 80 exceed all Federal Safety Standards, it has numerous additional safety measures in place to ensure that your child, no matter what their age or weight, will be totally secure. Along with Recaro and Safeguard, the Radian 80 is one of only a few car seats built on a steel alloy frame; most are made entirely of plastics. While this does make the Radian 80 somewhat heavier than the average car seat, this extra weight adds a level of stability that owners of the Sunshine Kids Radian 65 already appreciate.

This added stability, and a few other safety enhancing features, only improve on the Radian 80 convertible car seat's overall appeal. In addition, the fabrics of the Radian 80's seat are plush and comfortable.

(Note: Sunshine Kids seat fabrics are not machine washable. Hand wash and line-dry only)

A growing movement amongst car seat safety advocates encourages parents to keep their children in a car seat with a 5-point harness for as long as possible. While the Radian 65 works until kids are 65 lbs, the only seat that secures an 80 lbs kid in this manner is the Britax Regent. Both the Regent and the Radian 80 virtually eliminate the need for a booster seat.

* Click Here for more information on car seats with a 5-point harness and high weight capacity

*Bottom Line

If "the Sunshine Kids Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent.

While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" (the Britax Regent has a 14" seat) and the harness straps top-out 1" below the Regent's (max height for the Radian 80 is 49" vs. the Regent's 53").

Larger kids may outgrow the Radian's harness before they outgrow the seat, and using a car seat for more than six years is not advisable. These minor limitations aside, we cannot recommend this seat enough. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

Click Here for the Sunshine Kids Radian 80

* Can be used rear-facing only
* Maximum weight limits usually around 20 ? 22 pounds
* Removable base for easy movement of baby without waking him or her
* Extra bases available for purchase to make it possible to use the same car seat or carrier in multiple vehicles. Keep a base in each car and use just the one carry for transfer between cars
* Smaller seat cradles newborns better; some experts consider it a safer option than a Convertible seat for infants
* Compatible with strollers to create a convenient baby travel system
* Will only be able to be used for about a year, even less in most cases depending on how fast your child grows

Select Options on infant car seats to compare brands

The baby travel systems you see here are a complete set, comprising both the stroller and car seat in one package. With these travel systems, you get everything you need to keep you and your new baby safe and mobile - as soon as you head home from the hospital.

Click Here to compare Baby Travel Systems

-- If you already have a car seat, but are interested in finding a compatible stroller, check out this full line of Car Seat Strollers.

-- If you are a jogger who plans to get back into the fitness groove after pregnancy, peruse this selection of Jogging Strollers.

Convertible car seats are a popular style of car seat for the years between your son or daughter needing an infant car seat and a booster seat. Certain convertible car seats do it all, however, and will secure your child from infancy (in the rear facing position) on into their toddler years. While in their rear-facing mode, most convertible car seats will support a child up to around 25 lbs, then you can turn the seat around until they are up to around 40. Specially designed convertible seats, like the Sunshine Kids Radian 80, will secure a toddler as big as 80 lbs!

All convertible car seats have a larger seat than an infant seat, and most come with padded inserts for when baby is still small. There are no strollers that accept a convertible car seat, so expect to install the seat semi-permanently and leave it in your car for when it is needed.

Click here to compare convertible car seats

* Can be used forward-facing, only.
* Minimum weight requirement of 20 lbs.
* Maximum weight limits of 40 - 80 lbs.*
* Semi-permanent install, no removable base, once installed properly and securely it should be uninstalled rarely to adjust shoulder harness heights or to remove the 5-point harness for use as a Belt Positioning Booster on some models.
* Not compatible with strollers
* Depending on the seat, your child may be able to use this seat for up to at least the age of 8. For many children, a Youth/Toddler seat will be the last car seat they will be in. Or you could choose to skip the use of a Youth/Toddler seat and go straight from a Convertible seat to a Booster seat.

*The great thing about some Youth/Toddler seats is the extended 5-point harness weight capacities - some up to 80 lbs! Keeping your child in a 5-point harness as long as possible is always the safest option.

Be careful when researching Youth/Toddler Seat options. Some Youth/Toddler seats are also known as Combination Car Seats. These seats have a 5-point harness for use normally only up to 40 lbs. and then can be used as a Belt-Positioning-Booster seat with the 5-point harness removed. These seats will show a higher weight capacity than can be used with the 5-point harness because they are taking into account the Booster seat weight capacity, which is normally around 80 lbs.

The Maximum Weight Capacity and Maximum Harness Weight Capacity in the Specs area are listed separately so you know exactly what you're getting.

Click Here to Compare Youth and Toddler Car Seats

* Also called 'Belt Positioning Booster' seats.
* Can be used forward-facing, only.
* Minimum weight requirement of 30 - 40 lbs.*
* No true installation is necessary, unlike other types of car seats you may be used to. The Booster Seat is not held in the vehicle seat with LATCH or vehicle Lap/Shoulder belts. The child is secured in front using the car's shoulder and lap belts, taking the place of a 5-point harness. Some Booster Seats may require or suggest the use of a Tether for safety.
* Not compatible with strollers.
* No 5-point harness. Child sits in the Booster Seat and uses the vehicles lap and shoulder belt** to secure them.

*All children are safest in a 5-point harness, which Booster seats lack. Younger children should stay in a harnessed seat even if they hit the 30 or 40 lb. mark. We recommend that Booster seats be used for children ages 4 and up.

**Booster seats MUST be used with a car's lap AND shoulder belt - you cannot use a Booster seat in a vehicle's seat that only has a lap belt. Some alternatives (such as Vests) can be used with just a lap belt in conjunction with a Tether Strap.

Click Here to compare booster seats

Here is a resource that describes each type of car seat listed above and when you might need each one. This website lists the pros and cons for each type. If you need more information, they have a phone number for you to call to speak to a live person.

Click here to compare types of car seats and get personal help in selecting the type of car seat right for your little one.

A car seat stroller, simply stated is a stroller that is attuned for car seats. One main selling point is that you?re able to take a sleeping child from the car and easily lock the car seat in place into the stroller without the aid of a car seat adapter (most of the time); it?s all about convenience with car seat strollers. On EliteCarSeats.com, each stroller we carry is car seat adaptable, but only a few car seats fit with each stroller, so that?s something to be conscious of when purchasing. You can visit our Compatibility Chart to find out which stroller will work with your infant car seat or vice versa.

If you are less concerned about car seat compatibility and more with a good jogging stroller to fit your needs, you might want to check out www.JoggingStroller.com for a greater selection and more information.

So just what is a 'Jogging Stroller'? We consider any stroller with a front 12" or larger air-filled tire a Jogging Stroller. Don't judge, though - just because they're called 'Jogging Strollers' doesn't mean they are only meant for joggers. In fact, most people purchasing jogging strollers now-a-days get them for their smooth ride on walks around the block or in parks.

***Note: All Jogging Strollers will need a car seat adapter to be used with an Infant Car Seat. You can purchase the adapters in the individual Brand Accessories.

Click Here to compare jogging strollers

In January 2007, Consumer Reports came out with a new study on car seat safety. As always, their tests were more stringent than what is required by law.

There were questions raised about the report, and consequently the results were withdrawn, and they are in the process of retesting.

Consumer Reports withdraws infant car seat report
Move is made pending additional testing now underway

NEW YORK (Jan. 18) -- Consumer Reports is withdrawing its recent report on infant car seats pending further tests of the performance of those seats in side-impact collisions.

A new report will be published with any necessary revisions as soon as possible after the new tests are complete.

We withdrew the report immediately upon discovering a substantive issue that may have affected the original test results. The issue came to light based on new information received Tuesday night and Wednesday morning from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concerning the speed at which our side-impact tests were conducted.

The original study, published in the February issue of Consumer Reports, was aimed at discovering how infant seats performed in tests at speeds that match those used in the government's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). This program tests most new vehicles in crashes at speeds of 35 mph for frontal impact and 38 mph for side impact. Child safety seats, in contrast, are currently tested only in front-impact crashes at speeds of 30 mph.

Our tests were intended to simulate side crashes at the NCAP speed of 38 mph. The new information raises a question about whether the tests accurately simulated that speed, however, so we are now reviewing our tests and the resulting article.

To those who may have seen the report earlier in print, on the Web, or in broadcasts, we urge you to remember that use of any child seat is safer than no child seat, but to suspend judgment on the merits of individual products until the new testing has been completed and the report re-published.

We appreciate that manufacturers and particularly NHTSA are engaging directly with us on this article, and we applaud NHTSA for giving serious consideration to development of side-impact child seat tests. Consumer Reports has long advocated adoption of such tests, since government data shows that side crashes account for a significant number of child fatalities.

We look forward to re-issuing guidance on child-seat safety as soon as possible.