Our daughter has outgrown her Combi Coccoro carseat (just over 30 lbs and a bit over 3ft tall), and we need to buy a new one for an upcoming trip. We don’t own a car, so we only need it for planes, taxis (mostly in New York City), and rental cars. We have no way of testing any single car seat in a given car before we buy it. I’ve been thinking about the Diono Radian because it will allow her to continue to RF for so long, and because it is foldable and narrow (I almost bought it instead of the Combi, but since I had to travel with her myself and needed to be able to carry things, I opted for the lighter carseat last year even though I knew we’d only get a year’s use out of it…).
I just wanted to get advice about whether this is our best bet for our situation, or if anyone thinks a different carseat might work better for us? I just want her to be safe, but if I can’t get a safe or correct install with this seat in a taxi or a rental (where I don’t have an alternative if I can't get it installed well), it won’t be safe, even if the carseat is supposed to be great. (I had this problem a number of times with the Combi – I could not get it “correctly” installed in a whole bunch of taxis and rental cars, which is really stressful when you don't have an alternative and just have to put your child in the seat anyway - I ended up having to put the seat belt in a different place than the directions instruct in order to get an install where the seat didn't move more than 1", and I was never comfortable with that. I once had to go through multiple taxis in Berlin - paying each of them for their time - until I got one where I could get a decent install.)
So, if anyone can confirm whether the Radian is my best choice, or whether something else might be better, I would appreciate it.
And any tips for getting a good install under pressure in a variety of different cars where you don't have a choice of vehicle would also be welcome!
Thanks so much for your time!
I just wanted to get advice about whether this is our best bet for our situation, or if anyone thinks a different carseat might work better for us? I just want her to be safe, but if I can’t get a safe or correct install with this seat in a taxi or a rental (where I don’t have an alternative if I can't get it installed well), it won’t be safe, even if the carseat is supposed to be great. (I had this problem a number of times with the Combi – I could not get it “correctly” installed in a whole bunch of taxis and rental cars, which is really stressful when you don't have an alternative and just have to put your child in the seat anyway - I ended up having to put the seat belt in a different place than the directions instruct in order to get an install where the seat didn't move more than 1", and I was never comfortable with that. I once had to go through multiple taxis in Berlin - paying each of them for their time - until I got one where I could get a decent install.)
So, if anyone can confirm whether the Radian is my best choice, or whether something else might be better, I would appreciate it.
And any tips for getting a good install under pressure in a variety of different cars where you don't have a choice of vehicle would also be welcome!
Thanks so much for your time!