Diono Car Seat Review

October 30, 2018
/ Car Seat

For Safety and Value Conscious Parents

Choosing a child car seat is one of the most important decisions you will make for your child. A Diono Car Seat may well be a purchase that truly puts your mind at rest. Not only is this a unique, convertible car seat, but it is one that will keep your child safe and comfortable from infancy until they are up to 120 pounds in weight.

This review will show you why the Diono Radian RXT Convertible Car Seat is so popular among busy and safety-conscious parents and how it stands up against some of the best car seats on the market today.

From ease of installation to long-term comfort and safety for your child, the Diono Radian car seat really has a lot to offer including a competitive price.

$299.99 Note: Price subject to change without notice. Check Amazon for today’s best price!

Diono Radian RXT Convertible Car Seat: Design Details

The Diono Radian RXT convertible car seat is Diono’s flagship product and one that has been purchased by more than one million parents worldwide. When it comes to style, there is nothing holding this model back, but it is really the high-quality safety specifications that make it such a worthwhile purchase.

This car seat weighs in at 27.7 pounds and measures 16” x 17” x 28.5”. At first glance, you might think that this is a rather hefty seat, but it is designed to safely hold your child until they are fully ready to ride without a car seat.

The minimum weight for a child in this seat who is seated rear-facing is 5 pounds. It is recommended that you keep your newborn safer by traveling rear facing up to 45 lbs.

As your child grows beyond 45 pounds and up to 120 lbs (12 years approx.) protect your child facing forward. Accommodating your newborn up to a 120 pound toddler the Diono Car Seat should be the only child seat you have to buy.

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Why The Diono Car Seat Is Special?

Obviously, your first concern when buying a child’s car seat is going to be safety, but if you have bought a car seat in the past, you may have found out that there are some other features that are quite important, too. For instance, if you have more than one child, it is pretty important that your car seats are easy to install and that they fit well within your vehicle.

One of the features that is really somewhat unique to the Diono Car Seat is that it is designed to fit three across in many vehicles. Many car seats are big and bulky and sometimes it can be a struggle to put two car seats next to each other in a vehicle. But, the Diono Radian Car Seat has been designed to fit three across in most mid-sized vehicles.

Another feature that is important to many parents is the ability to have their child rear-facing for as long as possible. Studies have shown that rear-facing riders are significantly safer. By allowing your child to remain rear-facing until they are approximately 45 pounds or 44” in height, you will be providing them with a level of safety that you just don’t find in a lot of other car seats at this price point.

Your child’s safety is vitally important of course, but so is their comfort. After all, an uncomfortable kid is going to be a cranky one! The Diono Car Seat offers twelve adjustable positions for head support, so your child will continue to be comfortable as they grow, whether they are sleeping on a long drive or sitting up and having a snack. In the meantime, the adjustable head support ensures that their neck and head are properly supported and the reinforced sides provide impact safety.

Recommended Use and Size Limits

One of the keys to maximizing car seat safety is to ensure that your child is sitting in the right direction at each stage of their growth. It is extremely important that you read and understand all of the installation guidelines provided with any car seat, but here are a few recommendations that can help you decide if the Diono Radian car seat Diono Radian RXT Covertible Car Seat is right for you.

When it comes to rear-facing installations, this car seat is designed for children between 5 pounds and 45 pounds, and no more than 44 inches in height.

Forward-facing installations using the five-point harness are designed for children between 20 and 65 pounds and no more than 57 inches in height.

To use the booster mode and the seat belt in your car, check to make sure the seat belt height can be adjusted to cross over your child’s shoulder as illustrated in your Diono RXT manual.

When installed in a vehicle with front or side air bags, you should also refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual for particular installation instructions to ensure the safety of your child.

Safety Performance

One of the things that Diono is really known for is producing high-quality, extremely safety-conscious products. The Diono Radian Car Seat has a number of Diono Radian RXT Convertible Car Seat features that justify the cost and will ensure that your child is provided with the safest ride until they are big enough to ride without a car seat.

The underlying structure of this car seat is made from a steel alloy frame, surrounded by aluminum reinforced walls. These wrap around your child and are encompassed in high density foam that serves to absorb energy in a crash. Diono performed a variety of tests to come up with this unique design, one that protects your child from side impact forces.

An all in one innovative design that will fit 3 car seats side by side in most vehicles.

The Diono Car Seat is also equipped with the “Safe Stop” harness, which works as a load-limiting device, absorbing energy in a crash. Particularly for your child’s forward-facing years, this couldn’t be more important.

A rear-facing tether has been provided to ensure that the car seat stays put in an accident. It limits seat rotation in a way that traditional tethers do not and is one of the features that makes the Diono Radian RXT Convertible Car Seat a safer choice.

Installing the Diono Radian Car Seat

While you may be excited to get your new Diono Radian Car Seat out of the box and install it right away, you will definitely want to take your time, read the very comprehensive instruction booklet, and get to know the seat itself. After all, any car seat that is not installed correctly is not going to be nearly as safe as it could be, and in fact it might be a danger to your or your child. In addition, make sure that any adult who will be in charge of installing or using the seat is thoroughly versed in all safety features.

The first step in installation will be taking a look at your vehicle’s current safety belt configuration as well as any air bags that could potentially come into contact with the car seat. Once you have established a safe location for your car seat, then it will need to be locked into place with an existing seat belt and the lower anchor strap. If possible, also use the top tether to provide even more stability and then check to make sure the seat is in place, stable, and not apt to slide.

One of the biggest selling points of the Diono Car Seat is that it has been designed to fit three-across in most mid-size or larger vehicles. That being said, your vehicle will need a separate seat belt for each car seat. If your vehicle is smaller, you should have no problem placing two of these car seats, side by side, probably with plenty of room to spare!

The Diono car seat provides easy installation, twelve position adjustable head support, superior protection and is engineered to last.

Diono Radian RXT Convertible Car Seat: Pro’s and Con’s

You probably already know by now that no one car seat is going to be the best choice for every parent or every child. There may be a few features that are important to you that the manufacturer left out, while there may be some features that don’t interest you at all that are considered a pretty big feature by other parents.

When you read the reviews for the Diono Car Seat, you will see that most parents really value the durability and comfort of this car seat. Because of its steel and aluminum frame structure, it has a hefty and strong feel about it and the safety data backs that up. On the other hand, it can be somewhat labor-intensive to install, especially for the first time.

One of the biggest benefits of this car seat is that it provides both rear and forward facing comfort and safety until your child is old enough or large enough to ride in the booster seat. However, the price you pay for that versatility is that it can be somewhat confusing to install and you need to pay close attention to where the straps are located and how the headrest is adjusted.

The ability of this car seat to fit three-across in larger vehicles is obviously very important for families with three kids, but you may find that you can only get two-across in many vehicles. It measures 16” across, though you will need to do some calculations when it comes to your own vehicle, and where the seat belts are situated in order to see if it will fit your needs.

With all of the padding that this car seat has, your child should be extremely comfortable at any age, but one downside to the versatility of this car seat is that there are no arm rests. The lack of this feature may be due to the fact that the arm rests could impeded on the comfort of a larger child.

Customer Reviews

There is no shortage of positive reviews on Amazon for the Diono Radian RXT Convertible Car Seat, with almost 70% of the 158 reviews rating it 5 out of 5 stars which is pretty high for any car seat!

Among the many positive reviews, you will see that parents appreciate that it is both rear and forward facing, that it is fairly easy to install and that the three-across feature is a big deal in larger households.

Other positive comments include the fact that it is easy to clean, very sturdy, and that it is comfortable for both infants and larger kids.

One very interesting note about this particular model is that there are several reviews on Amazon that are written by parents who were in serious car accidents while their children were riding in the Diono Radian Car Seat. One review in particular states that the police actually told the parent that most children don’t survive rollover crashes like they one they were in and that the car seats saved their children’s lives.

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What’s Our Verdict?

diono radian car seat Many parents begin shopping for their first child’s car seat the moment they find out they are having a baby! The reason for this is that it is an extremely important purchase, potentially an expensive one, and one that can also be difficult.

Consider this; the Radian RXT Convertible Car Seat is the only car seat you will need from your baby’s first car ride until the time they are simply too big to need one. That’s a “BIG” benefit!

You may be able to find a car seat that is lighter in weight, more stylish, or perhaps more affordable, but the reality is that safety should be your first priority.

The Diono Car Seat really offers top level safety, high quality, superior performance, and a stylish design all at an affordable price. What more do you need? Check out our ratings below:

Price: HIGH | Quality: HIGH | Safety: HIGH | Our Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Optional Accessories

Diono offers a variety of accessories that will go nicely with the Diono Radian car seat, including an angle adjuster, a car seat travel bag, and a cup caddy. They also offer some unique accessories such as a mat to protect your car’s interior, a pad that will help prevent the car seat from sliding, and a couple of cute mirrors that you can put on your dashboard or on the car seat itself.

Care and Maintenance Instructions

It goes without saying, that your child’s car seat is going to pick up a fair amount of debris over the years, but cleaning and maintenance is not just a hygiene issue. It is vitally important to pay close attention to the release levers, bolts, and other safety devices to ensure that there is no build-up of debris that could potentially hinder their proper use.

As with any car seat, if there is a sign of rust on any of the metal parts, you should inspect the rusty parts closely and if there’s any question regarding part failure, do not use the car seat.

It is advised that you use only a damp cloth or soft bristled brush to clean any debris from around the locking bolts and folding release lever at the bottom of the car seat. Do not submerge these mechanisms in water – simply wipe off the debris and towel dry. The manufacturer recommends that no solvents, detergents, or any kind of abrasive cleaners should be used, either.

The plastic shell that encompasses the actual seat can be washed with a damp cloth and mild soap. Again, no detergents, bleach, solvents, or abrasive cleaners should be used.

The seat cover should be removed from the seat and the memory foam insert taken out. You can easily hand wash the cover and hang dry or run it through a washing machine, being careful not to use the agitator in the process. Many parents are tempted to wash their car seat covers in hot water to get rid of germs, but this is not advisable.

In short, when it comes to cleaning your Diono Radian RXT Convertible Car Seat, use common sense, don’t use oil or other chemicals of any sort, and just try and stay on top of debris that could build up over time.

We hope this Diono Car Seat review has helped you choose the right car seat for your child.