After doing a good amount of research, I was drawn to the RadianXTSL for several reasons. First of all, it can be used rear-facing up to 45 pounds and forward-facing up to 80 pounds. Research has shown that the longer you keep your babe rear facing, the safer it is. With this car seat, I’ll be able to keep my daughter facing backward for quite some time, which gives me peace of mind. When she is ready to switch to forward facing, she’ll be able to stay in it until she hits 80 pounds! In addition, this seat not only has the LATCH system that attaches to the back of the seat, but also has an additional top tether that attaches to the car floor, so that both ends of the car seat are secure. The XTSL includes additional features including an adjustable headrest, side impact protection with 7’’ deep sides, and two recline positions when forward facing.
This seat was super easy to install. I usually steer clear of installing just about anything (especially car seats) and just make my husband do it, but I actually installed this seat all on my own in just a few minutes! It fits wonderfully in my mid-sized car, without even touching the front seats. It is slender, allowing for more room for the other riders in the back seat. The seat is heavy, but that’s to be expected with the solidly-built frame and high weight limit. Adjusting the straps is a snap with a quick pull of the strap from the front they tighten. This is a nice change from the Graco Snugride car seat, where adjusting the straps from the back can be awkward and time consuming.
My daughter is very comfortable in her new seat, and can even stretch out her legs completely without touching the back seat. I am extremely impressed with the Radian XTSL and would definitely recommend it for ease of use, style, comfort, and most importantly, safety.
Price: $300
Buy it: skjp.com
