Diono Radian RXT

crunchylove77 · February 2013

Anyone have a review on this car seat? I like it because a couple of the colors are free of toxic flame retardants, it can RF up to 45 lbs and FF up to 120 lbs! I've found it for about $240 online, so it seems reasonable. We have a Focus and Passat, and I'm a little worried that it might be too big.

April! · February 2013

Have you looked at carseatblog.com? They have reviews, but they also have forums you can search. Every time I have a car seat question I check there and someone has already asked and answered it!

Krystal6826 · February 2013

We have 2. One is in DH's Corolla RF. Its a little tight behind the passenger's seat. The seat can not go all the way back but there is enough room to sit comfortably. The other is in my Torrent RF. Fits great. We use the angle adjuster in my car so LO is more upright due to weirdly angled seats.

I really like that the seat sits lower and the side are less obtrusive. Easier to get LO in and out.

ellewoodsSC · February 2013

April!:
Have you looked at carseatblog.com? They have reviews, but they also have forums you can search. Every time I have a car seat question I check there and someone has already asked and answered it!

This! Use the search feature on the carseat.org forum to see if someone has had issues installing it in the same make and model as you. It's a popular seat with the car seat enthusiasts and techs there so you can find a lot of great info. It's not quite as user friendly as a lot of other seats and it's height does make it a challenge for many vehicles with RF installation. There is an angle adjuster available to help with a more upright installation but the child has to be at least 1 yr before using it. BBB is one national company that usually has it on display and you can try it out in your vehicle. It was on the top of our list going into the store, but in the end we ended up not choosing it because of some of its quirks. Don't be too excited about the high weight limits because most kids outgrow the harness and shell in height before they ever get close to the weight limit.

Here's an expert review from the blog site and you can reach the forum via the header at the top of the page.

https://carseatblog.com/14805/diono-radian-rxt/

Sorry, Chrome hates clicky links at TB......

Mrs.LKA · February 2013

I just bought DS this car seat and he loves it! He hated the infant seat. We also have a Track MyRide 65 that he hated. I drive a Traverse so the back seat is pretty roomy, it fits great rf. If you order from Amazon you can return it for free if it doesn't fit.

Angela814 · February 2013

ellewoodsSC:
Here's an expert review from the blog site and you can reach the forum via the header at the top of the page.
https://carseatblog.com/14805/diono-radian-rxt/

Sorry, Chrome hates clicky links at TB......

This is a good review. My only issue with the Radian is that Diono added a pretty useless booster mode starting at 50 lbs and then starting charging $100 more for the seat. I guess it's more of an issue with Sunshine Kids/Diono than anything. I do think there are better seats available now.

danabsd · February 2013

The Radian is a favorite of STMs on my BMB. I have a friend with a Honda Fit who could not fit it in her car.

rescueddogmom · February 2013

We couldn't fit it RF in either my Volvo S60 or DH's Mazda CX7. It seems like a really nice car seat, but we just couldn't make it work.

ebp913 · February 2013

Grace0609:
We have this seat for DS1 in my car b/c we need to be able to fit 3 seats across. It is a lifesaver in this regard, there is no other way we could get 3 car seats in there without this ultra-skinny seat in the middle.

However, I will say, I REALLY dislike the ratchet system of tightening the harness straps. My 3.5 year old is FFing in it, and is in the weight range (I think it is 20-40 pounds when FFing) where the instructions say you have to use the "safestop" energy absorbing thing attached to the harness straps in the back and it makes the straps *almost* too loose for him. I had to delay putting him in it b/c I couldn't get the harness straps tight enough for im. He is 50th percentile for both height and weight so I can't figure out how other people don't have this issue. He is just now fitting better in the seat (thank goodness, since baby 3 is due in 2 months!!). I am ok with it now, but still have a hard time on days when he wears a thinner shirt, trying to pull down on the rachet system to get the harness straps as tight as possible. That's my only real complaint with the seat. But, it was a major one.

ETA: I have never tried to use this seat RFing, so I can't speak to that part. But, I understand that as kids get older you can use an angle adjuster to get more room front to back with the seat when you continue to rear face, but I am not sure what age that starts at?

I also hated the ratcheting straps so I ended up getting the Peg Perego convertible which I adore. The Radian seat fit fine in my Prius but it wouldn't fit in my husband's truck.

anakah · February 2013

The radians fit fine RF in my Mazda3 without the angle adjuster, so I imagine the angle adjuster would give the driver/passenger more space up front. However, I am only 5'0" so my seat position wasn't impacted in the installation.

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