Recently Little Man has become uncomfortable in his infant carriers, and tries at every opportunity to sit up. He is no way ready to be forward facing, and my personal opinion is he will rear face until at least 2. Yet he needed something to help with this urge to sit up and keep him rear facing.
The Diono Radian 5 perhaps offered such solution. The seat is group 0-2 meaning it will last him until he is 25Kg or 7 years old. Rear facing right up until 25Kg and suitable from birth it perhaps offered exactly what we needed. I checked the compatibility booklet and noticed that it could even be used in the middle seat of our car. The profile is slim so I had no issues fitting it in the middle seat and having the girls seats in also.
As the Radian 5 is suitable for a range of ages it does take some assembly to make sure it is set for the correct age you wish to use it for. This was rather time consuming and in some places a little complex, so I am pleased this only needed to be done the once until he is ready for the next stage of seat when I will have to make changes to the seat to suit his growing needs.
The Diono Radian 5 also comes with an additional back booster should you be unable to rest the seat against the seat in front (rear facing) and it is worth looking for this piece as you may accidentally throw away as it looks like packaging material!
Once the seat is ready to install it is so quick to do, and is all done by seat belt. It is so quick I had to check several times to make sure I had done it correctly. This means that the seat can be used in most cars, provided they are in the compatible check list book, and is not dependant on isofix.
I was pleasantly surprised by the width of the Radian 5. Although it has cup holders which you can attach, it is actually a real narrow profile, so if it is compatible with your cars middle seat it would be perfect for use there, and provided any other seats have adequate room also.
One of the great features of the Diono Radian 5 is the ability for it to fold. The Radian 5 has a steel frame, so it is a little heavier than other seats in the market, but it is still light enough to be placed in aircraft hold. I would make use of the folding and place inside a hard case suit case. The Radian 5 could then be used abroad, which makes it a great option if you are travelling.
Little man was securely fastened with the harness, although I sometimes struggle to pull it tight and wonder if I have assembled the seat slightly wrong. He felt very happy in the seat and often falls to sleep, which shows his comfort.
The Radian 5 also offers some great safety features. As well as the steel case it also offers unique safety protection on the sides.
Whilst the initial set up can be a little tricky, this only needs to be done once for each developmental stage and the ease of installation far out weighs this. I love how the seat folds so it can be transported or even used on holiday and there are some great additional extras like cup holders. The Radian 5 also does not scrimp on comfort or on safety and is sure to last from birth. It's slimline profile means it is possible to get three Radian 5 seats in the back of most cars, but check your car first. Overall a very impressive seat that gives the option to rear face, if needed and the safety you would expect from Diono.
All words are my own opinion
