Diono - how long did your child use for

6lilbits

New member
Contemplating getting the Diono radian r120 for my one month old to use after the infant seat. It claims you will not need another seat. Is this true? How long did your child fit in this seat? My other kids are normal height but on the light side (weight wise) so I don't think the 120 pounds will be an issue. Wondering more about height. My 5.5 and 7.5 year olds are in graco turboboosters high back. They both weigh under 50 pounds. So, would u all share with me your Diono stories? Is it worth the money? I will have to sell the idea to hubby who does not appreciate all there is to know about car seats. He also doesn't think car seats should have expiration dates:). But if this seat truly will last super long and we won't have to buy another, he might agree to it.


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Keeyamah

Active member
It's basically unusable as a booster. The "booster mode" has a 50lbs minimum and the belt guide isn't adjustable any higher than the top harness slot. That said, as an extended rear facing seat and forward facing harness, it's great. I have 2 for my almost 3 yr old who is 33-35lbs and 38 ish inches tall. He is still rear facing and will be until he is 4 yr old, 45lbs or 44 inches, whichever comes first.

It can be a challenge to install forward facing and is flat out incompatible with some vehicles while forward facing, but it works in all of my vehicles, so I'm ok there.

The only seat out there that truly does all 3 (rear, forward face, and booster) is the new Graco Milestone or 4ever.
 

jwilliams

New member
My 5y9m old who is 48" tall still fits comfortably in her RXT. She weighs 48lbs and has a short torso for her height.

The "last seat" claim, however, is not accurate. The Diono seats have a 50lb minimum for booster use and are not height-adjustable as far as the shoulder belt goes. So, it's great as far as rear facing (for a good long time) and front facing with a harness, but you'll definitely need at least a dedicated booster in addition.

There is a possibility a child could outgrow a Diono before being fully ready for a booster, maturity wise, but the top slots are as high as many forward facing only and combination seats, at 17.5", plus Diono does allow the child's shoulders to go above the top slots in the US.

Is it worth the money? Hmm. It's certainly a very solid, comfortable seat, with a low profile and narrow shape that are hard to find on any other seat. It's worth the money if you like it [emoji4]
 

tiggercat

New member
My 5yo is too tall for the harness, and also for the booster mode of his RXT, and is still just under 50lbs. That being said, it's a great RF and FF seat that will last you quite a while, I have no regrets about buting mine.
 

bnsnyde

New member
Up to 2.5 RF and up to 3.5 FF for us.
He is really tall though (99%).

And FF the headrest kept slipping down causing the harness to go below his shoulders, when he still likely had room. Hopefully that's not an issue for you.

I found it worth the money b/c most seats he could not RF in much past 2 at all.

My daughter got to nearly 4 RF in one.
That being said, I like the Fllo better. It's also super narrow and much easier to use in all respects. I have one now (for new baby once he's older). His 2 YO sister is currently sitting in it RF.
 

Mary_Ann

New member
My 6.5 yo still fits in her RXT but its not her favorite seat. I hate the headwings that keep sliding down and DD hates the huge harness pads that don't even protect her neck. In winter, they are a big PITA because they freeze and become really stiff.

I'll admit I have a love/hate relationship with my Radians ;)
 

cookie123

New member
My grandson used the Radian for quite awhile. He rear faced to 3.5 in it and forward faced in it until 5. He got a forward facing harnessed seat after that, mainly for cupholders and a little added harness height.

Booster seats aren't that expensive and likely by the time you're ready for it you'll be tired of your convertible seat anyway.:) I would go with it if it meets your criteria. It's a very nice seat.

As you probably know, since you have older kids, there's no perfect seat. There's always something someone will dislike about any seat. I liked the Radian for it's low profile and it had better leg room for rear facing than much of what was available at the time. I hated the harness adjuster, but dealt with it - it was better after he learned to put on the harness himself and we stopped adjusting every time. Now I prefer a higher profile seat so my newest grandson can see out the window, since the windows are higher in this vehicle.
 

Rm2000hg

New member
My six year old was in an R120 until November when it was crashed and now she is in Diono Pacifica. She is 4'4" and 78 pounds. There is a little bit of extra harness length available but not a ton so I'm not sure how much longer it will fit... I am hoping a year.
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
As you can see from the replies above, the "life" of the Radian (or any of its "siblings") will vary depending on the child.

I used my Radians with my nephew from the time he was about 6 months until he was 6.5 years old. He had a long torso for quite a while, but then sprouted legs, so he was close to outgrowing it for quite a while before he actually did.

The Radian has been my favorite seat for my car (and I've owned A LOT of seats! I think I've owned between 12-15 different convertibles alone. :eek:). In some vehicles, however, the Radian is just awful. It depends on vehicle, location in vehicle, and angle needed.
 

krasota

Well-known member
My son could've RF in our RXT to 6y or so. He still had at least 2" above his head when he hit the standing height limit (44" or so), though this wasn't his set. His BFF has a long torso, but was able to FF in a R120 (I think) until she was around 6.5-7y, I think, at which point she was in a HBB full time. It won't be the only seat, but it'll last a good, long time. And boosters are usually less expensive than convertible and combination seats.

My 3.5yo is RF in the RXT. She's tiny and it should most definitely last her to booster age.
 

jacqui276

New member
DS is big for his age (off the growth chart big) and outgrew our RXT RFing at about 2 1/2 years old because he hit the weight limit (45lbs). He is now 3 1/2 years old, 48lbs and 42" tall and has about an inch of torso height left before he outgrows the harness forward facing (I am in Canada where we cannot use the seat once their shoulders are above the top slots). I am crossing my fingers that he is somewhat mature enough for a booster once his torso grows that extra little bit.

That being said, my niece and nephew (6 and 8 years old) both fit in it FFing still. My niece (8) outgrew it RFing last year and my nephew still fits in the seat RFing (although he is almost at the height and weight limit). They are both small kids though. My 6 year old nephew and 3 year old son wear the same size clothes. It is very kid dependent for how long it will last you.

As the others said, it does not make a good booster. However, booster seats are quite inexpensive compared to harness seats so it often isn't a big deal to have to replace the seat once they get to booster size/maturity.
 

CMeMeC

New member
Contemplating getting the Diono radian r120 for my one month old to use after the infant seat. It claims you will not need another seat. Is this true? How long did your child fit in this seat? My other kids are normal height but on the light side (weight wise) so I don't think the 120 pounds will be an issue. Wondering more about height. My 5.5 and 7.5 year olds are in graco turboboosters high back. They both weigh under 50 pounds. So, would u all share with me your Diono stories? Is it worth the money? I will have to sell the idea to hubby who does not appreciate all there is to know about car seats. He also doesn't think car seats should have expiration dates:). But if this seat truly will last super long and we won't have to buy another, he might agree to it.

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My daughter is 7.5 years and still rides in ours occasionally. She's small, though. Her 4 year old brother rides in it most of the time, and he will likely outgrow it around the same time as her. We do like the seat a lot, though. My son rear faced in it until almost 4 and my daughter was older than that.
 

mommyfrog

Active member
My son is 50% for height and weight, very average and evenly distributed. He fit rear facing to four years and just rode forward facing in ours at 7 years old a few weeks ago for a tight three across. His shoulders were right at, or maybe slightly over the top slots, but his ears were below the top of the seat and he was comfortable. Now my youngest is using it rear facing. It will expire when he's three though (and the cover is very worn), so I'm planning on getting him another one so he can rear face until at least four.
 

PrincessAnika

New member
My 4yo and 2yo are both rf in the r120. 35 lb/40" and 32 lb/38" respectively. Love them. (5mo is also rf in one lol) def worth the money for me. The ones I have now will last me til after the youngest is ff, and likely til hbb for him.


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christineka

New member
My kids are short torsoed. I had some harness till 10 years old (shoulders above the top slots, which is allowed.) I've had other kids move to booster at 8 years old and still have their shoulders under the top slots. (Yes, my kids are odd.) My most recent booster rider rode in the radian as booster for awhile and it fit him fine. (He's 50 pounds.) He only switched to a different booster because I found out he could buckle it in the skinny spot and I like the big sides better for him.
 

LC2003

New member
I had 3 Radians when extended harnessing was in fashion, and my oldest son used his until he didn't need a car seat at all. He was a harnessed 9 year old, and he didn't really complain, but that's not the fashion now. FWIW, he has always been very tall for his age, like 85th percentile.
 

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