diono radian rXT Car Seat Review

Last updated on April 4th, 2021 at 09:08 pm

When diono dropped a line to gauge my interest in reviewing the diono radian rXT and the related products, I didn’t quite know how I’d approach it.

See, the car seat is the natural nemesis of the new parent. The straps are never tight enough, babies never enjoy being in them as long as you need, and installing them requires strength paralleled only by world-class weightlifters. You never get it quite right on the first try and forever find yourself adjusting ’til your kids outgrow them.

But they’re necessary!

Sure, we somehow survived an era where simply shoving your kids into the back seat was an acceptable practice, but we’re also the same species who once smoked cigarettes in delivery rooms. And treated blood disorders with leeches. Heck, we once thought sugary soda was the key to losing weight. Just because we often do things one way doesn’t mean we can’t do it better, so we must continually expect more from the things we use, and yes—that means our car seats too.

The diono radian rXT — Why We Already Own TWO.

So full disclosure—we already owned two diono radian rXTs well before they asked me about this post.

There’s little we do in Casa de Palmer without extensive research first. While it may have initially caught our eye as perhaps the only car seat you can fit three times in a car’s back seat (and no, no plans on a third yet), the more we found out about the radian rXT’s features, the more we fell in love with it.

In fact, the two radian rXTs we have are of different generations—diono did a company-wide refresh in mid-2016 that saw them update the cut, colour and features of their products to meet current fashion trends and prove suitable for the modern generation of parents.

The diono radian rXT — What it Has to Offer

So you can get a sense of what drew us to the diono radian rXT, here’s a taste for those of you in the market for a car seat yourselves:

• Premium plush interlock knit fabric (available in Black Cobalt, Black Mist, Black Plum, Black Scarlet and Essex colours) — Which means these seats aren’t just safe, they’re ridiculously stylish, too wild a wonderfully sleek design!
• Full steel frame and aluminum reinforced sides for unmatched safety — and if you don’t believe me, try carrying one of these down to Mexico with you. Trust me—you can feel every pound of safety in the radian rXT at 2200m above sea level in 40° heat! With safety features like additional side impact protection and the energy-absorbing eps foam, they didn’t skimp when they built this!
• Comfortably seats rear-facing children from 5-45 lbs, forward-facing children from 20-80 lbs in a 5-point harness, then converts to a booster for children up to 120 lbs. — While we too started with a bucket seat, babies do not stay small for long, and you’ll want a seat that grows with them as long as humanly possible. This is it! With head support,
• Fits three across in most mid-size vehicles, folds flat for travel and is FAA certified — No lie: one of the things you don’t think about in the early parenting days is how your child will handle a flight when they’re old enough to have a seat to themselves. For us, he did horribly. What we wouldn’t realise until the flight back was how comfortable he’d be flying home seated in his radian rXT! The more you know! And the 3-across fit makes it super easy to transfer it from vehicle to vehicle!
• Rear-facing tether capability—Until you’ve tried to install a car seat, you don’t know how hard it is to pass your spouse’s “immobility check” to reassure them the car seat’s as secure as possible. Using the superlatch system makes installation easy, and using that top tether to keep the seat locked firmly in place? Trust me—it’s your new best friend!

diono radian rXT — Because We All Want Safety + Smiles in Our Lives

So without a doubt, diono’s radian rXT’s served us well so far, something we hope to see continue well into the future! “Safety + Smiles” was the theme of that aforementioned refresh, two things diono’s looking to provide to children and their parents alike with their lovingly-engineered convertible car seat!

No doubt you’ll make millions of decisions as a parent—the schools they’ll attend, the trips they’ll take… even the routines they’ll have every day.

Which makes it great when some choices come a little easier—like the solid steps we can take to keep our children safe.

With seats that fit seamlessly into any travel space and state-of-the-art designs to meet each customer’s individual style, the radian rXT’s an ideal solution for the family on the go!

And seats are only the beginning—diono’s got plenty other travel product to offer, from seat covers to backseat carriers that’ll hold your odds and ends! Choosing the car seat to protect your child from anything that could go wrong on the road isn’t a choice taken lightly—why not try one that has everything you’re looking for… and maybe even more?

Good luck making those choices out there—our children’s lives depend on it!

Until the next,

Disclaimer: Though diono compensated for this post, the stories are true and my opinions remain my own. Good luck to all who enter!