Question Diono Radian rxt for 2005 Prius?

F

FroggyMama

Guest
Hello! I'm new to this forum and would love to receive some advice from more experienced parents/caregivers/carseat experts. I have a rather long baby (he was 26" at his 4-month check-up), who is quickly outgrowing his Graco carseat that he used as a newborn. I'm looking into the Chicco Nextfit or the Diono Radian RXT for our next purchase since they seem to both have great reviews, especially for babies who are tall. Here are my questions:

1) Do you have any insights on the Nextfit vs. the Radian RXT?
2) I'm reading about different installation instructions for the RXT based on whether the car is manufactured before/after September 2005. My Prius is a 2005 model, and the manual says to install the carseat in the middle. Can I still use the Diono effectively and safely in my car?

Thanks in advance!!
 
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creideamh

Well-known member
NextFit VS Radian mostly comes down to preference. I know for me and my child, the Radian is significantly easier to load/unload and DD isn't a fan of the rounded, bucketed shape of the NextFit.

You can install in any of the 3 backseat positions in the Prius. Middle is furthest from impact, but the middle in a second generation/2005 Prius with the hump and the narrowness can be tricky (i.e. I'd be absolutely shocked if you could install the NextFit there.) The Radians install fine in the center *note that you cannot use LATCH in the center of this car and must use seatbelt instead*, though sometimes you'll get a bit of a "tip" because of the hump. Installing using a locking clip can help with this. Radians are best used with the angle adjuster in the Prius unless you and your passengers are short, because they're tall seats and take up a fair amount of front-to-back space without the angle adjuster. Your child would need to have good head control to use the angle adjuster.

Otherwise, a NextFit installs fine outboard. If you have a store near you that carries both seats, I'd strongly suggest trying them both to see which you'd prefer (we all have our preferences.)

Hope this helps!
 

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