Diono Radian Convertible Design Across Reviews Summary

Installation

Pros:

• "Was easy to install and is comfortable for my child."
• "Easy installation of seats."
• "It’s easy to install, and he seems comfortable in it."
• "The car seat was very easy to 'assemble' (not really much assembly) and to install."
• "Super easy to instal."
• "easy to install . The directions were very clear."
• "Great car seat. Easy to install."

Cons:

• "It is way too heavy and extremely difficult to install/uninstall without breaking some shins in the process."
• "I can't even imagine how hard it will be to try to install this rear facing, when front facing was so tricky."
• "We tried to install rear facing and even when the belt was absolutely as tight as it could go, the seat moved left/right and up when my husband pushed on it."
• "Very difficult to take apart and wash."
• "This seat is easy to latch but the pull strap to tighten has to be pulled with all your might at least three times in different positions before it feels tight....then stand back and test it a few more times because it is still loose."
• "This seat is impossible to install."
• "Hard to get the LATCH straps pulled tight enough where the seat doesn't move around."

Design & Comfort

Pros:

• "The shoulder straps are really nicely padded, but one part does tend to dig into his neck when he falls asleep & tilts his head."
• "It feels very sturdy and durable."
• "Needed a car seat thin enough to fit 3 in a row in a Tesla model S. Works great!"
• "The thin design is what drew me in."
• "It fits great and my 4 year old seems more comfortable."
• "It’s solid and strong but very comfortable and my daughter loves it."
• "Love the pink colour and the size."

Cons:

• "They are very heavy if you need to move them back and forth."
• "Has a foam insert that inevitably gets disgusting and wet and crumbles apart- why would you ever put this in a kids car seat?"
• "This is one of the heaviest & most solid car seats I've ever lifted."
• "If rear facing and you are tall you won't be able to move your seat back as far as you want."
• "Sadly no cup holders but it's thin enough."
• "The only downfall is that there isn’t much head/neck support for when my daughter fell asleep in the seat."
• "No head support for when kids fall asleep."

Safety & Security

Pros:

• "It is worth the investment knowing I'll get my money's worth."
• "Diono car seats are heavy and expensive for a reason."
• "We’ve had graco, Costco, etc…every. Single. Brand. This one is by far the best we’ve had."
• "All three of my Dionos where still strapped in tight and secured."
• "She walked away without a scratch."
• "I love how secure my daughter looks and feels in this seat."
• "The steel frame is much more solid than I could have imagined."

Cons:

• "This carseat is so heavy, I messed up my back trying to get them installed into the vehicle."
• "The latch strap that comes with this seat has really long buckles, so we had to use a different latch tether in order to get a secure fit."
• "If you do not use the other anchor point the seat IS NOT SAFE TO USE."
• "Super unsafe."
• "Not safe and not comfortable.Per manual it should not move more than 2inches, but it does whatever I try."
• "Only problem is my son can move the chest clip waaaaay to easily, so he often scoots it down and pulls his arms out also."
• "They also are terrible as a booster because you can't at all adjust where the seatbelt path is."

Portability & Travel

Pros:

• "I love that the seat actually closes in, so can also fit on the overhead of the airplane if needed."
• "The seat came folded up so traveling with it, despite the weight, would be easy."
• "I loved it because it was a very easy carry for me to the airport as well."
• "You can see from the picture how we were able to loop it onto our carryon luggage for easier transport."
• "Very compact, easy to install."
• "This car seat is amazing. Super easy to install and move from veh to veh."
• "Only car seat I’ve found that fits side by side 3 in the back of a minivan."

Cons:

• "It was too tall to have in a reverse position in a suburban."
• "This thing is heavy!!! If you are hoping to carry it with you on a plane, please know that you are carrying a 25lbs weight with minimal grip support."
• "very difficult to travel on planes with."
• "These are terrible. I bought 2 of them and they still don’t fit into my Subaru outback with a 7 year old in the middle. They’re super heavy and bulky, no cup holders which is annoying."
• "This car seat is way too heavy for that."
• "It is quite heavy and not meant to be carried around."
• "It's meant for a family that owns the vehicle and intends to install it and then leave it in place."

Additional Features

Pros:

• "He loves the cup holder because he didn't have one before."
• "Grandsons went from a deluxe to a smaller car seat would be great to have at least 1 cup holder to hold there drinks and/or toys."
• "Ordered cup holders separately as this did not come with one & obviously we cannot leave home without our sippy cups."
• "I love the fact that I could also order strap covers and cup holders straight from Diono that are safety approved for the carseat."
• "Strap pads are super comfy for kids."
• "They feel super comfortable and good quality."
• "The seats are cushiony and comfortable, and approved by my almost 5 year old and 2 year old."

Cons:

• "Doesn’t come with cup holders and the cup holder design is horrible."
• "Also annoying that there is no cup holders."
• "No cupholders so I bought the attachable ones. There is no slit in the seat cover to insert the cup holder."
• "This car seat makes the kid sit straight up and has no cup holders unless you buy them."
• "This car seat makes the kid sit straight up and has no cup holders unless you buy them. My girls hated them so I went with nice gracos. I literally left these on the sidewalk for someone else who might need them. Such a waste of money."
• "But let's be honest—who in their right mind wants three kids in car seats crammed together like sardines?"
• "These are 100% comparable to Brittax seats."