Diono Radian 3R

Running these analyses costs money. Buy through my links to help keep lights on! I may get a small commission.

Overall

#39 in

Travel Car Seats

according to Reddit Icon Reddit

Sentiment score73% positive
11
2
2
Last updated: May 20, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit Iconabceasyasonetwothree
8 months ago

We have 4 kids and both a mini van (love!) and just bought a model Y after testing out self driving (addicted immediately). Our kids are 3, 5, 7, 11. Configuration is: high back booster (Dionio 3R), and two convertible narrow car seats (Graco Slimfit3 LX). This works for us perfectly as the Graco’s work for all three younger kids, and the booster works for both of the older two, so at this stage we have everyone covered. I disabled the rear screen immediately so they don’t pay much attention to it. Bought seat back covers for the front seats. Full disclosure it’s cozy back there but worth it for me as a daily commuter/school drop off vehicle. Still love our mini van (Sienna hybrid) but as a person who hates driving, the FSD is a dream and worth it.

Reddit IconFly-Bry
4 months ago

We’ve done it, it’s definitely tight but it’ll work with a compact car seat. There are several which specifically advertise 3 across, this is what we have… [Diono Radian 3R](https://store.diono.com/radian-3r-car-seat/)

Reddit IconJaws12
4 months ago

Ditto on the Dionos, we have two and definitely appreciate their slim profiles.

Reddit IconSpeirs506
4 months ago

I have 3 across, using the Diono 3R car seats, all fit perfectly. [Diono 3R](https://store.diono.ca/radian-3r/?srsltid=AfmBOoptd2pN7yiYauzznAjTRY3Cvf-_S9F-zQpSUZOn0ny4hLpgHAEB) Canadian link.

Reddit IconLaLechuzaVerde
8 months ago

It’s definitely not a feature I’d normally look for in a car seat for a Civic, unless there were a confounding situation that would make it worth the extra space. If your child is tall or heavy for his age, you’ll need to be more careful to pick out a seat that will last. Petite kids can have more options that will work. For a Civic, I’d probably look at a Graco Extend2Fit. It’s a bit wide but it’s fairly compact front-to-back and should be a good fit. A downside is that the door opening in a Civic is a little tight and the Graco has kind of high sides which can be annoying until the child can climb in with assistance. On the other hand, with the new side impact standards I’m having a hard time thinking of a current seat that will fit well in a Civic and *doesn’t* have high sides. Diono is the only one that comes to mind that hasn’t been discontinued yet, but it’s too much of a space hog to use in a side seat in a Civic. It *might* fit in the center, but the last time I used one in a Civic it was a 2005 model year and the back seats have changed a lot since then so I’m not sure how well it would work. It can be a kinda finicky car seat for installation.

Reddit Iconjohansen57
9 months ago

Currently have 3 slim (Diono) car seats in the back of our Outback and the back our a smaller Crosstrek. I thought we needed a new car but new car seats was a much better solution for us.

Reddit Iconlvlem0n
about 2 months ago

I used the litemax with my first and she was content in it. Later we got the Graco 4ever and she was okay with it but we got a third car seat the diono slim and she loves this one.

Reddit Iconautopsysurvivor
5 months ago

There's a Diono model that's approved for air travel that folds and isn't awful to carry. We had one, both my son and I loved it. We only replaced it due to an accident and needing a new one immediately.

Rankings by Use Case

Top recommendations from others in the same boat

Other Reddit Recommendations: