Starting Thursday, September 1, 2011, Sunshine Kids will officially change its name in the U.S. and Canada to Diono. We first brought it to you on our Facebook page when it was announced at the KIM Conference.
Lets start with the obvious: Diono is pronounced Dee-oh-no. They will be coming out with new carseats as well: the Radian RXT, which is a combination seat based on the 
The new Diono website will be www.diono.com. Theres nothing there right now but the logo, but itll be up and running soon.
Well have a review of the RXT for you coming soon! In the meantime, you can participate in the on-going thread at car-seat.org or leave your comments here. We *love* comments! We also feel the like at Facebook ;).
More numbers to be confused….really?
Yeah, those names are really confusing! I assume they’ll be keeping the Monterey? Will that seat (and/or it’s name) be changing? Will the current Radians still be made, or are they going to be discontinued and replaced with these new seats?
For the Radian RXT, will the headrests be able to be used in the lower slots?
I’m taking a big leap and ASSuming that the Monterey will remain as one of their products. It’s a top seller for them and it would be shooting themselves in the foot to discontinue it in favor of a harnessed seat that boosters as well.
@flyever, I don’t know if Kecia and Darren got a chance to find out about headrest position at KIM. They don’t typically have the manuals attached to new seats at conferences because they’re prototypes and subject to change.
They didn’t say anything to indicate they’d be getting rid of the Monterey at KIM. I’m pretty sure they had pics of the Monterey with the new colors that would be coming out.
I just want to stab myself. I’ve been begging them for a skinny booster for years and now they come up with it a dollar short and a day late.
No worries, Ladies. We are still making the Monterey and it is coming in a multitude of colors! My 7 year old, Max, is riding in one.
Awesome! Thanks, Diono!
Wow- interesting! I had been researching convertibles and actually emailed the company to see when they’d be coming out with a new line and they told me they were really unsure about anything and that “everything was up in the air.” Totally makes sense now! Do you know if there are any new patterns? Also, when will they be available to purchase? (My son’s infant seat is getting tight!)
I know it’s “dee-oh-no,” but I cannot read it without thinking “Die! Oh no!” I’m sure I’ll hear a lot of that from parents in the months/years to come… Did no one think of that before choosing the name? :p
well, this is interesting. Esp. for those of us who have begged for a replacement for the SUPER LATCH of our Radian SL’s (in my case the XTSL) which failed.
I am not surprised they are changing their name. They have had a lot of bad publicity and refused to remedy, or refund, the bad products.
I am the new CPS Advocate for DIONO and I am here to help. I have been a CPSI since 2001. Please feel free to contact me at (205)542-5304 to discuss any safety issues you have with our car seat products.
Allana Pinkerton
CPSTI #1609
DIONO (Dee-oh-no)
Welcome, Allana! It’s nice to “see” you here. 🙂
So happy to see that they now have a 5 point harness that goes to 57 inches. I currently have two Radian XTSL’s in my car and one Britax Roundabout rearfacing. My six year old Grandson is getting taller and still want him in a 5 point harness.Need to get a new carseat when the youngest turns two and is turned forward facing. These are the only carseats that I have found that I can fit all three seats in my car. Will be buying your the RXT in months when the baby is turned forward facing. Will put the oldest in the RXT and the two younger ones in the XTSL’s. I have been very happy with the carseats except that they are very hard to unbuckle.
I’m wondering all the difference’s are between the XTSL & the RXT. I tried to go to Diono website and compare them but the RXT is not listed on the compare section.
@simba, they’re basically the same seat except the RXT has belt-positioning booster capabilities. I have a review here: http://carseatblog.com/14805/diono-radian-rxt/.
Our local merchant stocks the R100 and the RXT only, because they found little differentiation between those models and the R120, but the R100 and the RXT are “substantially different seats.” That being the case, do you have any interest in reviewing the R100? Should we not consider that model? Why or why not? (I’m looking for a step up from an outgrown Roundabout and am looking for guidance.)
@TCD, comparing the R100 to the RXT–the RXT is a “beefier” seat in strength (to support higher weight limits) and in the head protection. Because they’re otherwise the same seat, we only review one version (see http://carseatblog.com/14805/diono-radian-rxt/). If you’re considering a Radian, it comes down to which features you want on the seat. If you want headwings, then the RXT is the one you want. If you don’t want the headwings, but do want the higher weight limits, the R120 is it.
Does the R100 go to 51 or 57 inches in height? I currently have two of the older 65s, do they only go to 51 inches?
@Chris, it’s 57″ for Diono seats. The Sunshine Kids Radian 65 has a height range to 54″.
Are there any replacement seat covers that will work on the older, Sunshine Kids Radian 80? In particular, will the girly, floral “Spring” cover fit? Thanks!
@Tina, you’ll have to call Diono and see if they have any old stock to fit the Sunshine Kids seats. The Diono covers attach differently to the seats and won’t fit.
I have a sunshine kids radian 80sl and I need a new cover for it. Is it still possible to get a replacement cover?
Hi Sarah. You should be able to by giving Diono a call.
Where is diono manufactured?
Hi Andrea. Diono manufactures their seats in China.
Anyone have any idea how long the old Sunshine Kids Radian 80’s are good for? I purchased mine in 2010, and our kids are finally done with it. I know 6 years is the usual “good for” period, but I’m just wondering what I should do with golden oldy now. It’s built like a tank, has survived multiple adventures to countries around the world, is a bit scuffed up in places… but still appears structurally sound and possibly has plenty of life left in it.
Yes! It’s 8 years from date of manufacture. HTH!
I have an old radian xtsl that my 3 year old is now using. I’m interested in getting another one for a different car, but I’ve been disappointed in the actual height limit (versus the reported limit) and the stiffness of the seatbelt loosening mechanism (it was tight from the beginning and never loosened for us). Has anyone had any height comparisons (specifically with the winged headrest) and seatbelt stiffness between the old model and current models? My 8 year old needs a car seat for as long as possible, but she outgrew the old one already (by approximate height/weight 45 in and 45 lbs).
Hi Ann. Yours have been common complaints throughout the history of the Radians. For your 8 yr old, I’d suggest looking at a combination carseat, which is a harnessed seat that converts to a belt-positioning booster: https://carseatblog.com/safest-recommended-car-seats/#COMBINATION.