Product Review: Sunshine Kids RadianXTSL Convertible Car Seat

RadianXTSL is a convertible car seat for rear-facing children 5 - 45 lbs and forward-facing children 20-80 lbs in a 5-point harness. NCAP crash tested makes it the strongest car seat in the world.

Sunshine Kids RadianXTSL Convertible Car Seat - Petal

Save up... It's worth it!

5out of 5

Pros: Sturdy, Easy to Adjust, Easy to install, Comfortable, Stylish, Safe
Cons: heavy but SAFE
Best Uses: Newborn, Toddlers, Infants
Describe Yourself: First Time Parent, Birth Doula

This car seat has been better than I even hoped it would be. I had read reviews about children that hated their infant car seats but love this one. I thought they were exaggerating, but my daughter does it too. She squeals with delight whenever I got to buckle her in, she even tries to help fasten it.

Okay, now to what really matters: SAFETY! This car seat is solidly constructed and has amazing stats. Sunshine Kids has a youtube channel that shows their NCAP testing, which is much higher than the industry standard that most car seats use. (As a side note: they also have helpful videos about installation and properly fitting it on your child.) It is also rear-facing up to 45 pound which should easily meet the current AAP recommendation that all children under 2 should rear-face.

We have a Buick Rendezvous and we could easily fit 3 in the backseat. I've heard people say that it didn't fit in their smaller cars, but as long as you can get the proper 45 degree angle the NTSB says a car seat can touch the front seats and be effective (as of 2011). When we have baby #2, I'll probably buy this seat outright and skip the infant seat. Time will tell.

Sunshine Kids strives to use ecologically-friendly materials and production methods and is chemical-free.

All this being said, the best car seat for your child is a car seat that fits in your car and your child and that you'll both enjoy using.

(legalese)

Got Cloth?

     As previously mentioned, in an effort to be more eco-friendly one of the changes I decided to attempt was adding cloth diapering to our daily routine.

     It's been a week since I ordered my PUL and prefolds and today it arrived.  While I was researching how to launder them for the first (and subsequent) times I stumbled upon a "Flats and Handwashing Challenge."  It begins May 23 - May 30.  Maybe I'm crazy being a cloth diapering novice, but I'm up to the challenge--even if it means no one shares diapering duty with me, though I hope I can get my family on board.

Here's how it works:

• You MUST use Flats.
• You MUST handwash them.  How is up to you.  (bathtub, sink, large wash tub, portable non electronic washing machine, or camp style washer (bucket and plunger- think churning butter)
• You MUST air dry them.  (indoors or outdoors, makes no difference)
• You MUST limit your number of covers in rotation to 5 or less.
• You can use any detergent you want.  (Keep in mind that you still want cloth safe detergents)
• You can still use your nighttime diapers but I ask that you try to make flats work.  Maybe try a prefold wrapped in a flat.
• You can use disposable liners.
• You CAN’T use a diaper sprayer.  I thought long and hard about this one, but at an average cost of 40.00 this is one diaper accessory that is out of range for many families.  Dunk, swish, flush, or scrape!
• You MUST start the morning of May 23 and end the evening of May 30.
• You MUST fill out a completion survey about your experience.  Results will be published here and can be republished on your own blog.

   So there you have it!  My simple plan to try cloth (see below) has taken on a new mission.  Between now and May 23, I shall try my hand at the endeavor below, but come May 23 it's full-steam ahead into this challenge.  If you are interested in taking this challenge yourself, pop on over to "The Flats and Handwashing Challenge" and fill out the form they have available.

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Challenge aside, back to where this all started--trying modern cloth for the first time. 

I decided to try the Sprout Change 1-size fits all (in Sweet Pea for those of you wondering.)  I also ordered 6 prefolds in organic hemp with a microfiber top layer.

 

     Here's the plan:

• Start out using only cloth on days I have Juliet by myself. 
• I can still use disposables for naptime until I've met the learning curve
• Eventually expand to using only cloth for the 3 days my husband and I watch our daughter (I don't feel like I can make my mother-in-law, who generously watches her while we work, participate.)

     I plan to give a full report and review of this product and am eager to see what I come up with.  I'll keep you posted.