Everything a car seat should be.
January 22, 2020
I purchased two Diono Radian 3R in light grey. Although they're not as lightly coloured as the pictures convey (the photos look like an off-white, but the actual product is more the light grey colour described), these are everything I hoped for - and more!
They are bloody heavy! I'm not an engineer, especially not one for child car seats, but I'm convinced this weight is a testament to their robustness and safety.
I specifically sought these out for a seat that was sleek and narrow. While initially drawn to the Clek Fllo for it's narrowness, simple design, and lack of hideous badges, branding, logos, and tags; I found the Diono was a bit more sleek (not as thick), and much much cheaper. Ultimately, price was the deciding factor, and Albee Baby definitely had the best price on the Radian 3R out-the-door.
While the backward-facing configuration takes up a lot more horizontal space than one would ever expect of such a sleek seat, the Diono Angle Adjuster (a $10 foam mat) does adjust the angle of the seat to spare some lateral room. These seats fit exceptionally well in our roomier 2013 Chevrolet Impala. The cheaply constructed and poorly designed Gracos we had before, were only slightly cheaper in price, but inferior in every way. It feels like an entirely new vehicle with the space the Dionos have allowed for. The extra space and ergonomically designed buckles make buckling a far more pleasant experience. The children are genuinely more comfortable in their seats, and I feel far more confident in their seats' construction and safety.
My purchase of the Diono Radian 3R was predominantly driven by our plan to upgrade from our Chevrolet Impala to a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y. The Model 3 is a smaller vehicle than the Impala (though it really doesn't feel that much smaller with the panoramic glass roof, and incredible storage), so the back seat is certainly narrower from door-to-door. The Diono is 17" in width, on par with the narrowest seats out there, and will allow for comfortable seating across the back seats even if 3-wide.
ProsSleek
Narrow 17" Width
Sturdy Construction
Easy and Comfortable Buckles
Could Easily Fit 3 Across
ConsTakes Up a Lot of Room in Backward-Facing Configuration
Not Many Solid Colour Options
Too Many Logos, Tags, and Badges