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Diono LiteClik 30 XT
Our Review of the
Diono LiteClik 30 XT
Our recommendation: From birth until it’s outgrown, 9-12 months
An infant car seat
From birth
Stand Out Features of this Car Seat
Rear-facing Tether
The Diono LiteClik 30 XT is the first infant seat on the US market to feature a rear-facing tether. This tether attaches to the top tether anchor in your vehicle. Like a load leg, it reduces crash forces, which offers additional protection, especially for your child’s head, neck, and spine.
Anti-rebound bar
The base has an anti-rebound bar built into it. If you are installing the seat without the base, the handle has an anti-rebound position, which is required for that method of installation. An anti-rebound bar is an added safety feature for rear-facing that can reduce the secondary movement of the car seat, called rebound, during a crash. When a collision occurs, the car seat will move forward, towards the front of the vehicle, and rotate downward. And as we all know from high school physics, every action has an equal and opposite reaction — so after that initial movement, the car seat will rebound, or “bounce back” towards the backrest of the vehicle seat. The ARB minimizes this bounce-back effect, helping limit the car seat movement and your child inside it! ARBs may also limit the side-to-side rotation of the car seat in a side-impact collision. Overall, it’s a great feature on a rear-facing car seat!
Fun Colors
Unlike many manufacturers, Diono has always been known for having fun color options for their seats. This infant seat is no exception! The seat we were sent, that is featured in this review, is the Blue Razz Ice. It's a great color! But for parents who prefer more neutral options, those are available as well.
Seat is good for you if
You have a vehicle that does not allow load legs.
There are some vehicles, like Chrysler Pacifica, that do not allow load legs to be used. The rear-facing tether on the Diono LiteClik 30 XT provides the same function as a load leg.
You need to fit 3 across.
At 17.5" wide, this seat could be a good option if you are trying to fit 3 car seats or 3 people in one row of your vehicle.
You need a seat that is compact.
While not the smallest seat front-to-back, it was small enough to fit behind the passenger seat in a Toyota Corolla while leaving enough leg room for the person up front.
You want a seat that is easy to install.
This seat is easy to install with either the seat belt or the lower anchors. The top tether is a unique feature, but I didn't find it difficult to use. The tether has a very long strap, so it should work well in most vehicles.
Use caution if
You are expecting a small baby.
4 child passenger safety technicians had trouble fitting an 8-pound baby in this seat and needed in-person help to figure it out. We hope to see the manual updated with more pictures of how to use the wedges. Without the wedges, the lowest harness height is 8", so they must be used to get a good newborn fit.
Quirks to be aware of
It's hard to adjust the harness height.
The back of the seat, where the harness is, is covered. This makes changing the harness height more complicated than on most other seats on the market. You have to loosen the harness all the way, take the harness off of the splitter plate in the back, pull the harness through the hole on the front, slide it into the hole you want it into, push it in until it dangles low enough that you can see it, and then attach it to the splitter plate again.
It comes with 2 wedges and an insert.
The manual that we received was not very detailed with how to use the wedges. We had trouble figuring out how to use them. We hope that future editions of this manual will be more clear. Diono has recently created a YouTube video that is helpful for this issue.
This infant seat is top heavy.
This is the only infant seat installation I have ever had that falls over when you put the child in it. Moving the handle to the stabilizing position before putting the child in the seat is a necessity. Without doing so, the seat will most likely fall backward, and your baby will hit their head on the floor. Unfortunately, moving the handle to the stabilizing position and back to the carry position is quite difficult as the canopy gets in the way. The canopy is required, so you may find this process tedious.
Child Fit Information
Our model was 2 months old, 10.5 pounds, and 23". At this point, we had tried her in quite a few car seats, so she had had enough of our antics! But she got a good fit here.
Installation Information
Airplane Use
The Diono LiteClik 30 XT has aircraft approval, making it a good option for travel. If traveling internationally, you will need a locking clip unless you take the base with you. Contact the car seat manufacturer for a free locking clip. We have a video here showing how to use a locking clip. For help with all things airplane travel and car seats, check out our Wheels Up Course and private Facebook group.
Videos
SITS Bottom Line
The Diono LiteClik 30 XT is the first U.S. infant seat to feature a rear-facing tether, which reduces crash forces similarly to a load leg, offering extra protection for a child’s head, neck, and spine. It is 17.5" wide, making it a good option for fitting multiple seats in a row. However, we found the harness difficult to adjust, and the manual lacked clarity on using the wedges for a proper fit. The seat is top-heavy and may tip over while harnessing the child if the handle is not in the stabilizing position, making this a potential inconvenience during daily use. Despite some drawbacks, its safety features and colorful design options stand out.
Similar Car Seats
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Notable differences:
Specifications
Diono
Product Information
Weight: 10.4 lbs
Width: 17.7"
Rear Facing Limits
Height: 30"
Weight: 4-30lbs
Head Height Rules: at least 1″ below the top of the car seat
Forward-Facing Limits
No Back Booster Limits
Highest Belt Guide Settings
High Back Booster Limits
Other Important Details
Preemie Fit
unsure, have not seen any preemies in it yet
Crash Replacement Policy
replace after a moderate or severe crash
Harness
rethread
Lock-off
yes
Handle Positions for the Vehicle
anti-rebound position for baseless; resting or carry position if using the base
Vehicle Seat Protectors
This brand allows Diono mats: