Which is the best car seat for parents who care about safety, comfort, convenience, and style at an affordable price? The Diono Radian 3RXT or the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max? Read this to know.
Vs
| Diono Radian 3RXT | Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max |
Rear-Facing Weight: | 5 to 45 pounds | 5 to 40 pounds |
Rear-Facing Height: | Up to 44 inches | Up to 40 inches |
Forward-Facing Weight: | 20 to 65 pounds | 22 to 85 pounds |
Forward-Facing Height Limit: | Up to 57 inches | Up to 52 inches |
Booster Weight: | Up to 120 pounds | N/A |
Booster Height Limit: | Less than 57 inches | N/A |
The presence of the infant wedge in the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max helps make the seat a better fit for newborns and young babies.
It is advised to use the infant wedge that the Pria 85 Max has until the child is 11 pounds (or preferably until 14 pounds).
This wedge, together with the surrounding inserts, will make a newborn and young baby comfortably fitted in the seat.
Other than the higher forward-facing weight limit of the Pria 85 Max, the Diono Radian 3RXT has the advantage of being usable longer since it has higher weight and height limits.
| Diono Radian 3RXT | Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max |
Width | 16.5 inches | 20 inches |
Height | 28.5 inches | 26 inches |
Depth/Length | 16 inches | 21 inches |
The Diono Radian 3RXT is well-known to be a space-saver, especially in the forward-facing mode.
In the rear-facing mode and when your child can already sit more upright, the Diono Radian Angle adjuster* can help further reduce the space that the 3RXT needs.
The Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max is not the most compact seat, and will clearly need to be in a larger vehicle.
| Diono Radian 3RXT | Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max |
Do I need to use a pool noodle/rolled towel? | No | |
Easy To Install Rear-Facing With LATCH? | Relatively | Yes |
Easy To Install Rear-Facing With Seatbelt? | Relatively | Yes |
Easy To Install Forward-Facing With LATCH? | Relatively | Yes |
Easy To Install Forward-Facing With Seatbelt? | Relatively | Yes |
Easy To Uninstall? | Yes |
Both seats would need you to pay close attention to some tricks and tips, however, the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max seems a little easier to install.
| Radian 3RXT | Pria 85 Max |
Country Of Origin: | USA | USA |
Steel Frame: | Yes | No |
Five-Point Harness? | Yes | |
Side Impact Tested: | Yes | |
Approved For Airplane Use: | Yes | |
Easy To Buckle And Unbuckle? | Yes |
Both seats have very good side-impact protection features.
The Diono Radian 3RXT has a head wing type of headrest which is there to protect your child’s head against side collisions.
The Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max’s counterpart is the “Air Protect Technology” - a unique feature Maxi Cosi claims to be the greatest side-impact protection that can be found nowadays.
The Diono Radian 3RXT has a steel-reinforced frame - the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max is plastic.
The Maxi Cosi Pria’s seat harness (buckles) is well improved - the “ClipQuick Auto-Magnetic Chest Clip” as they call it. It’s super easy for parents to release but hard for toddlers to guess how to use.
10 Best Convertible Car Seats Of 2022
| Radian 3RXT | Pria 85 Max |
Is The Material Breathable? | Yes | |
Seat Weight: | 28.1 pounds | 17.5 pounds |
Machine Washable Cover? | Yes | |
Roomy? | Yes | |
No-Rethread Harness? | No | Yes |
Comes With An Infant Body Support? | Yes | |
Easy To Remove Cover? | Yes | |
Expiration | 8/10 Yrs | 10 Yrs |
Comes With A Cup Holder? | Yes | |
Shoulder Harness Has Pads? | Yes | |
Leg Straps Has Pads? | No |
Despite being bulkier, the Pria 85 Max is way lighter than the Diono Radian 3RXT.
Whenever you need to adjust the seat harness height, you’ll have to manually remove the seat harness of the 3RXT and move it to the next lower or higher slot, depending on the needed fitting.
You don’t have to manually rethread the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max since the height goes together with the seat headrest - you just have to move it up or down.
While both come with an infant body support, the infant wedge that the Pria 85 Max comes with seems to be more suitable for infants and younger babies.
There is an approximately USD 50 price difference between the Diono Radian 3RXT and the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max. The Pria 85 Max is more expensive.
Let’s see what the added cost is for.
- The infant wedge that the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max comes with seems to be more suitable for newborns and younger babies.
- It has a higher forward-facing weight limit.
- After learning the tips and tricks for installing, the Pria 85 Max seems to be easier to install.
- It is lighter.
- It has a no-rethread harness.
Now let’s see what you get aside from saving your USD 50 with the Diono Radian 3RXT.
- It has a higher height and weight limit in general and can even be used until booster mode.
- Its extended rear-facing capacity is the main reason why parents usually get it.
- It’s more “compact” and can fit three in a row. With the Diono Angle Adjuster,* you can even save more space.
- It has a steel-reinforced frame.
- You can fold it - useful for when you need to carry it for traveling.
Both seem to be a good choice.
The Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max looks like the seat which can take your child home from the hospital. But the Diono Radian 3RXT will be the one that your child can spend a longer time with.
Do You Need More Help To Decide Between
The Diono Radian 3RXT Or The Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max?
Read My Diono Radian 3RXT Review
See My Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max Review
What Do You Think?
I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Cheers!
Pitin
*affiliate links


Have you compared the diono rxt to the Maxi Cosi Magellan max? I’m having a lot of difficulty deciding between the two! Thanks
Hi Kelly.
Apologies for the late response. Just want you to know that as soon as I got your question, I started working on my Maxi Cosi Magellan Max Review. You can read it in this link now.
Kindly wait for my comparison with the Diono Radian RXT. I’ll update this comment by tomorrow with the link to my comparison.
I hope this helps.
Kind Regards,
Pitin
Thanks for waiting Kelly!
Here is my comparison review of the Diono Radian RXT and the Maxi Cosi Magellan Max.
I hope you find it helpful.
Kind Regards,
Pitin
I like the Maxi Cosi strictly because it’s American made but do not like the longevity of the seat (how long you can use it from birth on up). They both look pretty slick, but I agree with you on choosing the Diono Radian RXT. I do have to ask you what’s the difference between one of these and a $79 one from let’s say Walmart as far as safety? Thanks for the info!
Hi Frederick,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
As far as safety is concerned, ALL car seats pass a certain crash test standard before they are allowed to be out in the market. The difference in safety is that some car seat companies would go beyond the standard and perform separate crash tests to boast their additional safety features.
From a marketing perspective, the more they spend trying to prove that they are better, the higher their cost will be. Some parents are okay with “not so famous” car seats if that means saving the quarter or even half the price of the two seats compared here.
Regards,
Pitin
I will be buying the baby car seat for my new grandchild. The proud parents are expecting her in January.
The Diono Radian RXT All-in-One Convertible is more appealing to me. I like that it is adjustable to baby’s growth and weight.
The Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max Convertible Car Seat looks brighter and very comfortable for a newborn. The problem I have is that the baby will grow out of it faster. I believe the maximum weight is 80-85 lbs. Whereas, with the booster for the Diono Radian RXT, the baby can use it for up to 120.
We are shopping around now for the best price.
Hi Vanna,
Amazon and Ebay often offer the most competitive prices. You can check the links below to see the latest prices of the Diono Radian RXT.
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA
Ebay US
| Ebay UK
| Ebay CA
Have a good day!
Regards,
Pitin
The cost difference doesn’t matter. My baby deserves the best, that is The Pria 85 Max, although it is more expensive.
The additional cost is worth it considering the comfort it will give to my baby and the light weight which makes it easier to carry it along anywhere. It’s easier to install too.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 🙂 While we all have our own reasons for choosing a specific model, at the end of the day, it’s our baby’s safety that matters most. 🙂
Regards,
Pitin