Updated 11-08-18
2018 Diono Rainier Review
Recall notice: most Diono convertibles, including the Radian RXT, were recalled in October 2017. See recall details here.
Around thirteen years ago, a folding carseat with steel metal structure hit the market and made quite an impact on the way children started riding in cars. The Radian was a tall, skinny seat with a low profile that made it ideal for narrow seating positions and tight 3-across scenarios. Then in 2009, a headrest was added for more side impact protection. A branding change in 2011 allowed Diono to update the Radian line to include belt guides so the carseats could further their usefulness as belt-positioning booster seats. In 2014, Diono introduced the Rainier, Pacifica, and Olympia line of carseats. In Summer 2018, Diono discontinued the Olympia and Pacifica models and freshened the Rainier. The new Rainier 2 AX and 2 AXT replace the Pacifica and Rainier lines. This review will cover the Rainier model made prior to the 2 AX changes that were introduced in September 2018.
| Rear-Facing Weight Limits | Forward-Facing Weight Limits | Booster Weight Limits | Features | |
| 5-45 lbs. | 20-70 lbs. | 50-110 lbs. |
|
|
|
|
5-50 lbs. | 20-90 lbs. | 50-120 lbs. |
|
|
|
5-50 lbs. | 20-65 lbs.; seats made prior to 9/17 are 20-90 lbs. | 50-120 lbs. |
|
| © www.CarseatBlog.com | ||||
Rainier Basics
- 5-50 lbs. rear-facing with at least 1.5” of carseat above the child’s head or total height of 44”
- 20-65 lbs. forward-facing with a child less than 57” tall
- 50-120 lbs. as a booster with a child less than 57” tall and child’s shoulders must be at or above the 4th set of harness slots
Overview
- Full steel frame and aluminum reinforced sides
- SuperLATCH™ connectors with Secureweave™ webbing
- Aluminum reinforced 12 position adjustable headrest
- Folds flat for travel or storage
- Can be tethered rear-facing
- Energy absorbing EPS foam in headrest and torso area
- Infant body support cushions and memory foam for added comfort
Measurements
- 5 harness slot positions: 8”, 9.5”, 11 ½”, 14 ¼”, 17”
- 3 crotch strap positions: 4”, 6”, 7 ¼”
- Outside width: 18” at shoulders, 16” at red lap belt guides
- Interior width: 14” at shoulders, 12.5” at hips
- Seat depth: approx. 12”
- Seat weight: 26 lbs. without detachable rear-facing foot, 27.2 lbs. with foot
SafeStop Load Limiter
The SafeStop load-limiting device is a small strap attached to the upper back left of the seat and is designed to increase the amount of time a small forward-facing child experiences crash forces. This ride down time allows energy to dissipate. The SafeStop must be used when installing the Rainier forward-facing and the child weighs between 20-40 lbs.
Rainier vs. Radian RXT
The $64,000 question is: how does the Rainier stack up next to the Radian RXT? If you look at the bottoms of the seats, they look the same. The harness slots measure the same and the width inside at the shoulders is about the same. The differences start with the upper shell, where the Rainier slopes outward and forward as it gets taller, providing more torso and head protection. The Rainier is wider at the top by about an inch. That’s it, but it can make a difference if you have a tight 3-across in your small back seat.
Installation/Fit to Vehicle
Installation of the Rainier is going to be very specific to your vehicle, just like the Radian is. Because the Rainier is based on the design of the Radian, the way it fits vehicles can sometimes be finicky. That’s OK if you know the tricks of installing your Rainier. But don’t let me scare you off either! I’ve installed my Rainier with very little effort in some vehicles.
The recline foot for rear-facing, called the “detachable base” in the manual, has toes that are designed to stick into the seat bight (crack) of the back seat. If your vehicle seat has plastic covering the hinges where it folds forward—like SUVs and sometimes vans have—the toes won’t be able to “dig into the sand” and create a tight fit to your vehicle. This recline foot also makes it so that the Rainier has but one recline angle since Diono doesn’t allow the use of pool noodles to adjust for angle: you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit. The recline angle is very much a marriage of the angle of your back seat and that recline foot.
However, Diono does make an Angle Adjuster accessory (sold separately) that allows for a much more upright installation for older children who have good head control.
Below are pictures of the Rainier installed rear-facing with and without the optional Angle Adjuster accessory.
For more info on rear-facing space issues and to see how the Rainier compares to other convertibles in this regard, see our Rear-Facing Convertible Space Comparison.
One bonus feature of the Rainier is that it can be tethered when rear-facing to reduce rebound movement after a crash. Rather than go into the how’s and why’s of rear-facing tethering, I’ll simply link to a more in-depth blog I wrote on the subject: How to Use A Rear-Facing Tether. Diono allows Swedish-style tethering for the Rainier and all their other convertibles.
The narrow, closed rear-facing belt path can make it difficult for some folks to get the seat belt or LATCH belt threaded through. You may find yourself using your tippy fingertips to grab the seat belt latchplate to pull it through to buckle it in. A long buckle stalk can also interfere with pulling the seat belt tight since there’s no good way to grab the seat belt to pull slack from it.
On the flip side, the forward-facing belt path is open and easy to access. A plastic panel sewn into the cover protects the child’s back from feeling the seat or LATCH belt. The Rainier, like the Radian, will tend to slip forward on a vehicle seat when installed forward-facing due to its design. If you find this happens after installation, dropping the adjustable bottom of the seat down and reinstalling usually solves this problem.
Lower LATCH anchor weight limits:
Rear-facing: 35 lbs.
Forward-facing: 40 lbs.
Once these maximum weight limits have been met, switch to using the vehicle seat belt for installation.
Center LATCH installations with Non-Standard Spacing:
Center LATCH installations with non-standard spacing are allowed as long as the spacing is between 11-14″ and the vehicle manufacturer allows it as well
Inflatable Seat Belts
Diono has determined that the Rainier CAN be installed with inflatable seat belts found in some Ford and Lincoln vehicles. This does not include inflatable belts found in other vehicles or airplanes. Check your vehicle owner’s manual and the tags on the seat belts to see if you have this type of seat belt. These seat belts can also be identified by their thickness: they are much thicker than their non-inflatable counterparts to accommodate the airbag.
This seat does NOT have a built-in lockoff device for installations with seat belt so it’s very important to understand how your seat belt locks if you’re going to install with seat belt and not with LATCH connectors. Remember, once your child reaches 35 lbs. rear-facing, or 40 lbs. forward-facing you must discontinue using the lower LATCH connectors and switch to a seat belt installation instead. All vehicles made after 1996 have seat belts that can lock in some way to hold a carseat tightly in place during routine driving. Most vehicles have switchable retractors but some vehicles or specific seating positions have locking latchplates instead. It’s important to know what your vehicle has and to understand how these features work before you install this carseat with a seat belt. See your vehicle’s owners manual for specific information on how to install a carseat in your vehicle using the seat belt. If you have questions, please visit our car-seat.org forum and we’ll be happy to help answer them.
Fit to Child
My newborn-ish size doll, Romeo, who is about the size of a 9 lb. newborn, fit in the Rainier with the infant inserts added. For Romeo, I did remove the harness pads because of their length. When I tried an actual 9 lb. 6 week old in the seat, he just made it to the bottom harness slots with the infant inserts added. Use with a smaller baby should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis since the harness should always come from at or below the baby’s shoulders and the harness straps should be snug. The slots were above both the doll’s and baby’s shoulders when the padding was removed.
Older rear-facing kids fit great in the Rainier, as you can see from the pic of the 4 yr old below. The angle adjuster makes it a more “mature” angle for her and she has plenty of legroom. She’s happy to fold her legs or leave them as they are, and the headrest provides a nice place to rest her head for sleeping.
The Rainier works well for forward-facing kiddos too. But with 17″ top harness slots, a 57″ height limit is unrealistic.
Using the Rainier as a belt-positioning booster is problematic. Fit of the belt on a child is actually quite nice and I anticipate the Rainier will receive an IIHS.org rating of Best Bet, just like the Radian RXT did. So what’s the problem then, you ask? The shoulder belt positioner is tucked far back in between the headrest and the side of the carseat. The padding and fabric from the cover create friction on the seat belt and grab it when the child leans forward and keeps the belt away from his body—that’s dangerous in a crash.
If a child doesn’t move and the seat belt stays tight, there’s no problem. But most children will move at some point during a journey longer than a few minutes. Watch the video and you’ll see.
Since there are still some Rainier seats out there with the 90 lbs. weight limit, this section on harness pads will be useful. If you have a newer seat with a max weight limit of 65 lbs., your carseat only has the shorter, thicker set of harness pads that you will use when forward-facing (optional for rear-facing). The manual says that 2 sets of harness pads are included: one set for children under 65 lbs. and one set for children over 65 lbs. I called to verify their use because the wording in the manual is vague and the shorter set is very long for infants. I was told they could be removed for rear-facing but they are mandatory for forward-facing mode. The under-65 lb. harness pads have a grippy material inside to grab the harness in the event of a crash and are padded with memory foam. The other set of harness pads, to be used with children over 65 lbs., are attached to a length of harness webbing with a metal plate on the end that is threaded through the same harness slot being used by the child. The shiny grippy material is on the backside of these pads and will rest against the child’s torso. *A note about these over-65 lb. harness pads: the instructions for their use are on a tag sewn inside one of the pads. Open the Velcro on one of the pads to see the instructions.
Cover/Maintenance
I’ve been spoiled by other carseat covers that remove from the front without having to undo the harness, but the carseat cover and head wings cover were still easy to remove and put back on for washing. The harness must be unthreaded through the harness slots, but the lap straps are not threaded through the cover. Diono recommends hand washing or a front loader washing machine. Cover choices vary by retailer, but specialty stores will be carrying a striking black and white houndstooth. For daily clean-up, just stay on top of the crumbs to keep them out of the crevices inside of the seat.
Ease of Use
I think it’s important to note how the harness adjuster works on the Rainier. I’ve seen a lot of comments on the RXT (its sister seat) where users have been frustrated at being able to get a snug fit with the harness—that it’s been hard to pull. What I’ve found is that the harness adjuster is an initial long pull followed by several short tugs. If you leave the harness relatively tight to begin with as your child gets out of the seat, you’ll most likely be using the tug-tug-tug method to tighten the harness.
FAA-Approval/Lifespan/Crash Guidelines
Diono convertible seats were originally designed as travel seats, hence the ability to be folded (nevermind the weight). Like 99% of all harnessed carseats, the Rainier is FAA-approved for use on an airplane. If you do decide to fly with it, you’ll probably want to purchase a carry strap or two so you can carry it slung over one shoulder or worn backpack-style. If you use it rear-facing on the plane, keep in mind that it will most definitely rest against the seat in front of it. An angle adjuster will definitely help with more space, but the person in front still might not be able to recline their seat.
If you have a Rainier made after September 2017, your carseat has a 10 year lifespan. If your Rainier was made before September 2017, it has an 8 year lifespan when used as a harnessed seat, which is a nice length of time. If you decide to also use it as a booster, that lifespan lengthens to 12 years. If you have any questions, give Diono a call at 1-855-463-4666.
Replace the Rainier after a crash. Diono follows the one-time-only guideline for crashed restraints: if it’s in a crash, don’t use it again.
Rainier Advantages
- High maximum rear-facing weight limit: 50 lbs!
- Narrow for tight 3-across installations: while not as narrow as the Radian RXT, the Rainier is still a pretty narrow carseat
- EPS foam in all the right places
- Tether that can be used rear-facing
- 12 position headrest for side impact protection and support
- 3 crotch strap positions
- Low sides means easy loading/unloading of child
- Expandable sides for leg comfort
- Folds flat for travel or storage
Disadvantages
(In all fairness, these aren’t necessarily problems but I list them here to inform potential consumers of specific Rainier issues)
- Heavy seat: the Rainier weighs 26 lbs.
- Narrow, closed rear-facing belt path
- Difficult to move crotch strap positions
- No built-in lockoff for seatbelt installations
- Takes up a lot of front-to-back space when installed rear-facing without the angle adjuster
- When used as a belt-positioning booster, the shoulder belt gets caught in the belt guide and leaves slack—we don’t recommend it as a booster for this reason
- Finicky install in some vehicles
- Made in China
Conclusion
The Diono Rainier is a nice addition to Diono’s carseat line. The high rear-facing weight limit and tall shell will get even the largest child to at least age 3 rear-facing and smaller kiddos have made it to age 5 and beyond. The more robust side wings provide that extra protection parents are looking for as they compare carseats for their children. Diono sacrificed a mere inch for the extra structure, but kept all the other great features, like a rear-facing tether, expandable sides, and comfortable padding to create a well-rounded harnessed carseat.
Of course, the best advice for any carseat is to “try before you buy”. If try before you buy isn’t an option, make sure you research the store’s online return policy – just in case it doesn’t work out for some reason. Free shipping and hassle-free returns is one of the many reasons we love Amazon for carseat and baby gear purchases.
For more information on the Rainier, head to the official webpage: http://us.diono.com
Thank you to Diono for providing us with this Rainier for our review!
Hi Kacie. I think the Diono seats are perfect for your 2.5 yr old. I’d go for a Britax Frontier or Pinnacle for your 5 yr old. They have the tallest harness slots and convert to boosters. Then, after she outgrows that seat, she’ll be ready for an inexpensive backless booster. Other options would be the Graco Nautilus 65 or Evenflo Transitions, but they aren’t as tall.
Of course, I’d love to see you get a 4Ever, lol, but that’s overkill for what you need right now :). It wasn’t so long ago when there weren’t many awesome seats on the market; it’s great to be able to give you so many choices now!
Heather,
Thanks so much for the insight. There’s SO much info out there. I obviously want to keep my kids as safe as possible for as long as possible. Would it be ok, in your opinion, to go for the Diono RXT (we have small back seat) for both kids and then transition to a less expensive booster (like the Graco or similar $50-100 range) when they get to that point? I am just hoping that they’ll be able to the 5 point harness for a long time. What the realistic height for a kiddo lasting out the RXT given the protective wing/shoulder issues? Can I really expect my 5 year old to be able to use the RXT with a harness and then a booster for a long time, or is that not realistic?
Thank you SO much.
Kacie
Also, my sis is recommending the Graco Nautilis? Ack. I’m so overwhelmed!
Height is really variable because everyone is built differently. If you look at the video above, Henry was just 5, I believe, when we filmed it. But he’s a really big kid with a tall torso and he’d outgrown most harnessed carseats at age 6. My dd, OTOH, still *just* fit in the RXT harnessed at age 9 (see her pic here: https://carseatblog.com/14805/diono-radian-rxt/ ). My dh is also 6’5″, but she’s blessed with my short torso, unlike my ds who outgrew harnessed carseats by around age 7.
So if your dd has a shortish torso, she’ll last longer in it, and other seats as well. And the RXT is a narrow seat.
Thank you!! Very much.
Hi Heather,
We have a Radian RXT for our 45″ tall 5 year old (FF) , and were planning to get a second RXT or Rainier for our 36″ tall 2.5 year old (RF). Our girls are pretty darn tall (their Dad is 6’4″). I was hoping to use the carseats as forward facing harness seats for a long time and then a booster for a long time as they grow, but I’m now becoming aware of the height issues with the RXT/Rainier. Not sure what I should do…
1) order another RXT?
2) order a Rainier?
3) order a new carseat for my 5 year old and hand the RXT down to my 2.5 year old? And if so, what would be the best car seat for a tall kiddo who will be in her harness seat and then her booster for long time?
-side note: we are thinking about a third so I’m not against getting something like the Graco 4ever.
Would LOVE your thoughts and insight. Thank you, Kacie.
Our 5 month old is 18lbs 13oz and 27 3/4 in. She has pretty good head control already. Do you think the radian rxt will fit in a lexus rx350? Would we need the angle adjuster and would we be able to use it right now given that our daughter is only 5mos? What do you think you think of the britax boulevard or advocate in comparison to the radian rxt? Thanks!
Hi Melissa. It should fit in the center, which will give you space on the sides. You may have to move the passenger seat up some (the carseat can’t touch the passenger seat). I think at her age, the angle adjuster might put the seat a little too upright for her comfort.
Given that she’s pretty big for her age, I’d look at the Boulevard ClickTight or Advocate ClickTight. They have several recline adjustments instead of just one, like the RXT has, so they’re more flexible in terms of comfort for her and how much space you get in the front seat. If she were a couple months older and better able to use the angle adjuster, I think it’d be a toss-up on which seat to choose.
Thank you so much for the quick reply! I didn’t think we could use the Rxt in the middle of the Lexus because it has plastic pieces there so the bottom of the car seat can’t dig in for a secure fit. It’s a 2012 model, not sure if that makes a difference. Do you know of people using the rxt in the back middle of a Lexus rx350 and it works ok? Sound like a big advantage of the rxt vs. the clicktights is that you can FF up to 80 lbs, even if you don’t end up using it as a booster after vs. the clicktight 65 lbs.
I think it is possible to fit it in the center. The “toes” of the RF base are narrower than the rest of the seat so it can fit in narrower spots.
One thing I’d like to prepare you for is not using the harness all the way to 80 lbs. Most parents find their kids won’t last in a Radian that long; the harness gets too tight.
We are needing to transfer my 5 month old out of his infant car seat that he screams in everytime he’s in it. My 2 year old is in a britax marathon click tight. I’m trying to decide if we just go with the same seat or someone recommended the Chicco nextfit zip and then this diono ranier. My son is 5 months old 28″ and 16lbs. Any insights? We are currently getting the Honda odyssey and I’m concerned about being able to move the front seats back enough in my current car(Subaru Impreza) we are unable to sit back far enough while driving husband is 5’9″ and I’m 5’4″ so not overly tall people
Hi Kirsty. You should have a little more room in the Ody than the Impreza. The NextFit will definitely give you more space than the Rainier out of the box. Once your son is older and has more head control, you can use the angle adjuster accessory for a more upright installation with the Rainier. Some people don’t like the high sides of the NextFit for loading a child in the seat, but since you’ll have a van, it shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Can this seat be reclined in forward facing for a child (beyond 50 lbs) with poor head control? Thank you!
Hi Jill. It does have a small recline adjustment for forward-facing, but it’s more for installation purposes than for recline. You can see what it looks like in this review: https://carseatblog.com/14805/diono-radian-rxt/ . Scroll down to “Recline Adjustments.”
The Britax Frontier has nice headwings and a recline feature and the Recaro Performance SPORT has a natural recline to it as well. You may want to read our reviews on those seats. https://carseatblog.com/reviews/
hi Heather!
Just love your blog and amazing information on car seats!!! So helpful:)
We recently just purchased the rainier for our 7 mo old big boy. We are trying to install rear facing in the middle in our Mercedes glk350 WITH adjuster because otherwise it hits the driver and passenger seats (my husband 6 7’and I are both tall!). However, the base teeth that would go into the seat…I don’t think will work for the middle because the middle leather entry point is crazy tight. I can barely get my hand to slip in there. Looks like we may have better luck on the driver but most likely passenger in case my husband drives…I heard it’s not as safe though. Thoughts? Feeling like we may needed to go with the britax advocate for more adjustability but too late now:/ thanks, First time mom;)
Thanks for the kind words, Paige! Are you trying to put the feet/toes into the bottom crack or the top crack? I’m wondering if the bottom one is less functional and more decorative and that’s why the upholstery is so tight? It’s OK of the feet rest against that crack. You want the seat to have solid contact, but if it can’t “dig” into the back seat, that’s OK. If you feel better with the install on the passenger side, then it’s safe to move it there too. You want the best installation.
Pardon me if this is not the right place to ask this question. I bought a Britax advocate recently but have not used it yet. Now there is a recall of that model and I am a little skeptical of using that seat. Do you recommend returning advocate and buying diono rainier?
Hi Neha. Not every seat in the Britax recall is affected by the defect, so there’s a good chance that the Advocate ClickTight you have is perfectly fine. Every manufacturer has recalls from time to time, not necessarily on all seats, though, so I wouldn’t be concerned just because of the recall. I’d feel fine using the Advocate, even after fixing the defect if it’s broken.
I love the high weight limits of this seat. I also love how it can be used as a 3 across seat and how compact it is front to back with the use of the angle adjuster
I love the larger rear facing weight limit!
This is a great help in deciding which seat to get next! Thank you so much!
Why a great review! This looks like a great car seat! I love that it can last to 120 lbs.
So, im wondering has Diono said anything about fixing the booster seat issue? I’m looking for a new seat for my 18mo 30lbr, and if she wont be able to safely use it as a booster then that would truly affect my purchase… :(. I’m so exhausted in choosing the right seat.
Hi Krystle. No, as far as I know, Diono doesn’t think it’s a problem or they would have made a design change between the RXT and the Rainier. I would consider these seats truly convertible seats: rear-facing and forward-facing only and forget that they even can be used as booster seats. For the price, they’re still a good value. By the time your 18 mo. needs a booster seat, there may be vast changes in booster technology that you’ll want to take advantage of anyway, so don’t worry right now about buying her a seat that she’ll be using in 8 years. When my oldest was a toddler, I looked at booster seats I wanted to buy for him when he was old enough to use them, but by the time he was old enough, much better seats had come out–both in terms of weight limits and in terms of safety (taller highbacks, for instance).
Heather, thank you for helping me make this very important decision! It’s so nice to have someone so knowledgeable in all the car seats to help wade thru all the information. I’ve been researching this for about a month and reading review after review, I ended up being more confused. But, it got me to your blog. Thanks again!!!
Glad you found us, Jani!
Hi, I have an almost 3 year old daughter who is tall (39.5″) and I’m looking for the safest and most comfortable seat for her. We often take trips to her grandparents which is 6 hours away. I was first looking at the Britax seats but am now leaning towards the Diono Rainer or Pacifica Bc of their reported ease of transferring seat from car to car and that they are great for tall toddlers. I’m getting confused as to which will be best. I was set on the Rainer but then found a reviewer say that for kids with a long torso that seat might be uncomfortable because of the head wings. Any insight?
Hi Jani. Is she forward-facing or rear-facing? The headwings do become an issue for tall kiddos, so that is something to keep in mind. Also, the Diono seats are real beasts, so if you’ll be moving them between cars often, they’re not what I’d call “easy to transfer.” A bonus is the seat area is good, so long-legged kids have good support.
Heather, thank you very much for the quick response! She is forward facing. Do you have a recommendation for a car seat for forward facing tall toddlers that’s safe, comfortable & an easy transfer? Am I asking too much?
Also, I’m looking at the Britax Frontier 90 booster car seat. What’s your opinion on that seat?
Since she’s already forward-facing, I would recommend a combination seat instead, like the Britax Frontier 90 or Graco Nautilus. Since you’ll be moving it, the Frontier 90 is the easier to install since it has the ClickTight panel–you open the panel, run the seat belt through, and close the panel. That’s it. I have a video showing the install of the Pinnacle (it’s sibling with the side impact cushions) here: https://carseatblog.com/21868/britax-pinnacle-90-review-pictures-videos-more-pictures/ . These seats are heavy too (all of ’em), since they’re steel-reinforced. But the Britax seats are the tallest on the market.
thanks so much for this comment re: diono RXT/ranier vs. a britax fronteir 90! (and for all of your amazingly well-researched and helpful information over the years!)
this is exactly my current conundrum: we have an RXT for my almost 4-yr-old who has just started forward-facing. and now we have a 1-yr-old who is about to outgrow her infant seat. i was just going to get the 1-yr-old another RTX, but with this whole mess about the RTX/Raniers being unsafe as a belt-positioning booster, I am now leaning toward giving the 1-yr-old our current RTX (rear-facing), and getting the 4-yr-old a Fronteir 90 (since he’s already forward-facing and could actually use it safely later as a belt-positioning booster).
but, i’m also trying to figure out what to do for occasional plane trips. we’d been a bit spoiled when traveling since the one in the RXT had been using a Cosco Scenera on planes, but he’s now over the weight limit for the Scenera, so we need to find a new travel seat for him.
so my question (finally, sorry) is do you think this distribution of seats makes good sense?
– for the 1-yr-old: RXT in our car; Scenera for plane
– for the 4-yr-old: BUY A NEW Frontier 90 for in our car AND travel with it? (or, is there a different, i.e., lighter and/or narrower seat you’d recommend for kids over 4yrs/40lbs? or just stick with the Frontier for travel, if that’s the one you’d recommend for the 4-yr-old’s everyday seat?)
THANK YOU!
-Anna
Anna, I would lean toward getting a new seat for the 4 yr old and giving the RXT to the 1 yr old. How much do you travel? How big is the 4 yr old?
You could certainly take the Frontier on a plane, but it’s big and bulky. A different travel seat, like the Evenflo SecureKid, is lighter and doubles as a booster as well later on. You could also buy RideSafer Travel Vest to travel with, which is the ultimate in portability.
Hi, Heather! Thanks ever so much for your thoughtful (as always), and speedy reply!
Okay, so the 1-year old will get the RXT for her everyday seat (and the Scenera for travel/backup). (Yey, we figured out 1 kid!) 😉
Now to the 4-year old (who is 50-75th percentile for height, and about 75th percentile for weight). Also, to answer your other question, we don’t travel by plane a ton, maybe 2 times/year. The “travel seat” gets used more as our spare seat, for example when we need to install in the grandparents’ car….
Sold! I love the idea of the Evenflo SecureKid for the 4-year-old’s travel/backup seat since he is now too heavy for the Scenera – thank you!
A quick question about which SecureKid model: I saw your post re: differences between the LX, DLX, and Platinum – thanks! If the $20 extra doesn’t bother me, do you think the fancy SureLatch clips are the way to go for us? Seems like they maybe are worth it if they actually work, and as well as it seems, and since the seat will be moving around a lot. But, they also seem more bulky/heavy?) If deciding between the DLX and the Platinum, are they both IIHS Best Bets?
Now for the 4-year-old’s every-day seat: I was sold on the Frontier 90, but now I’m having second thoughts. I love all that the Frontier has going for it. My only hesitation is that it’s slightly wider, and not sure the arm rests seem comfortable (especailly for a kid who likes to cross his legs). I’ll go to the store to check it out with the toddler….and we shall see! (I’ll also try out an install in our car so I can see how much extra seating space there is with an RXT and a Frontier installed in our Forester.)
THANKS, AGAIN!
Anna
I just received my Rainer and installed it in my Santa Fe SUV and there’s just no way this seat fits and allows the driver and passenger to sit safely and comfortably. DH and I are both short (I’m 5’2, he’s 5’6). I was on top of the steering wheel. I know there is an angle adjuster that will give 4″ more room but that still is not nearly enough. I’m so disappointed because I fell in love with the safety of this seat and it’s so cushy and comfy for baby.
How much more room did the adjuster give you in the front?
Baby is 4mo old, 18.6 lbs and 28 inches tall (almost too long for my KeyFit30 that I LOVE). He’s off the charts in weight and over 95% in length. So, if the Rainer is too big :(((( what’s the next comparable seat that offers usability of front seats in small SUV’s??
Hi Jennifer. Are you installing it in the center of the back seat? The angle adjuster will give you several more inches of leg room for the front seat–it really is like magic. But your child should have good head control and I’m not sure a 4 mo. old will have that just yet. The Britax ClickTights have almost infinite adjust (technically 8 positions, but you can use any for rf) and the Graco 4Ever and Milestone are also very flexible.
Just wondering if you think the rainer is the best solution for a tall kid? Is there anything better (that is just as safe or more)?
Hi Chaya. The Rainier is a good solution for a tall kid. Rear-facing or forward-facing? Others you may want to look at as well are the Graco 4Ever and the Britax Boulevard/Advocate ClickTights.
I just wanted to note that in the manual for the Rainier on page 35 under harness height it states “Note: When using uppermost harness position, level of child’s shoulders can be above harness slot as long as child is proper height (see page 36).”
and page 36 says
“Forward-facing child is too tall
for restraint if tops of the ears are
above the back of the restraint or
if child is more than 57” tall (144 cm).”
So with that information your statement above of
“The Rainier works well for forward-facing kiddos too. But with 17″ top harness slots, a 57″ height limit is unrealistic.”
Is incorrect and should be removed. This is a great post and so informative, its unfortunate you missed that detail as that could make or break this purchase for some families. 🙂
I hope you correct it and provide the information from the manual.
Hi Aleah. I’m glad you like the review! We’ve done fit tests with kids and a kid who is 3″ shy of 5 feet tall simply isn’t going to fit harnessed in the seat. The head wings will press uncomfortably on the shoulders and I’m not comfortable with the possible spinal compression that could occur in a crash with the shoulders being over the top slots.
Just wanted to say this info is awesome to have all in one concise post. THANKS!
I honestly have never been a huge Diono fan – but if a baby comes in my future Diono’s current line up would put them back on my list to consider! And that’s saying something because i hated my old Radian 😉
My child was 3.5 when the harness kept slipping down, so it’d be below the shoulders. 3! He was too much weight to RF at that point.
The headrest just won’t stay all the way up, in ALL the Radians we own. And, the seats still need a lot more beefing up of side-impact! There still isn’t enough depth there.
I do like the seats for those under 3. We might even try ours with a brand new baby soon. It’s the only seat I could get to fit in our 3 across in the back. There is not even a centimeter of space left. I just wish the harness slots were about 20 inches for REAL. Because it’s a pain when a 3 YO outgrows a seat and nothing else fits there. Then what? I mean NO OTHER SEAT would fit.
I am truly very concerned about this booster issue. If a seat needs to be used by the child and the child is at the booster requirement level- what then? buy a whole other seat? Has Diono remarked about this at all?
I am concerned about this as well.. I have just purchased the ranier and was hoping it would get my daughter through all the years she had left in car seats since there is a 12 year lifespan, but it would worry me if the seatbelt did not fit snugly again. I will call diono and ask about this when I call to let them know one of the seats I purchased has a seat base that does not click in place when unfolded. Do we know if the rxt has the same issue with the belt positioning booster (and does it have the same lifespan?)
Jody, the RXT does have the same issue because it’s friction between the headrest and the cover causing the shoulder belt to get hung up. The RXT has a 10 year lifespan, so not quite as long.
Curious about the seat not clicking into place when you unfold it–have you checked underneath the cover to see if there’s any extra padding that may be interfering with it? I had one seat that I checked for someone that had the infant body support stuffed under the cover and it caused it to not be able to fully extend and lock open.
Yes when I first attempted to open it there was some padding (the infant body support) in the way so I removed it.l we bought two seats, one for each car, one opens and clicks in place easily, the other does not.
And without re-reading your entire article, was it here that I read the lifespan for the seat as a harness is 8 years and using it as a booster increases to 12 years? As far as I see it doesn’t say that on the diono instructions…
Yes, it’s 8 years with the harness, 12 if using as a booster.
“That fake baby is creepy. Why does he have a mustache?”– my 8 year old. (She and our Radian were born in the same month! 01/2006. It was a great seat, but this is definitely cushier and safer-looking :))
Looks like they finally came up with a headrest design that won’t interefere with the harness slots! The XTSL was the worst, the RXT was improved but still had problems when using the top harness slot. DD’s XTSL has RXT headwings that Diono sent after I sent them pics of the issues. I wonder if her XTSL would fit these new Rainier headwings! We’re still having problems using the top slot, when we bring the headrest down over her head, a portion of it overlaps with the top harness slot. Thus we have to push the headwings all the way up so they don’t interfere with the slot (per Diono) and the headwings aren’t jaw-line level 🙁