This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Quick List: Diono Car Seat Expiration
How long do Diono car seats last? That depends on the car seat type. The Diono only released convertible car seats and booster seats. And these car seats generally have a long lifespan than infant car seats.
1. Diono Radian expiration date –10 years after the date of the manufacture.
2. Diono booster expiration date – 8 years from the date of manufacture.
Diono does not develop an infant car seat. No expiration day for Diono infant car seats.
When do Diono car seats expire?
If you want to know when Diono car seats expire, follow this guide to find the right answer.
Diono car seats expire between 6 and 10 years, depending on the types and models. The expiry date of Diono car seats is not printed on the white sticker. You’ll need to find the date of manufacture (DOM) and do a simple calculation#calculate_car_seat_expiry_date with the useful time, just like the Graco.
When a Diono car seat expires depends much on the car seat type. Infant, convertible, or booster seats may have a different expiry date, you can click on the icon below to view the details.
Infant
Diono Infant Car Seat Expiry Date
Convertible
Diono Radian Expiry Date
Booster
Diono Booster Seat Expiration Date
What Do Car Seat Expiry Dates Mean?
Car seats – just like anything else you use in daily life, have an expiration date. They are designed to protect your child from injuries in the vehicle, with taking your baby in and out.
If you use a car seat beyond its expiry date, you’re putting your child at potential risk. The materials used in the car seat may deteriorate after a few years of service, meaning it won’t deliver the same protection as it was originally produced.
Your car seat does not turn out to be useless on the expiry date or if you use it beyond the expiration date. This means that you won’t be in trouble if you use an expired car seat. The car seat laws in the United States do not require the manufacturer to have this expiry date information on their car seats.
Instead, the laws require parents to use the car seat following the manufacturers’ instructions. While most car seat brands will do this – print the expiry date or tell the useful time and the DOM, to remind parents not to use an expired car seat.
It’s best for parents NOT to use an expired car seat.
Why Do Car Seats Expire?
Car seats expire due to various factors.
Mostly, the manufacturer has tested the seats for extreme cold and hot conditions to determine how long the lifespan of the seat is before it degrades and is still able to perform properly in a crash.
Secondly, like any new technology, car seat manufacturers are always improving their seats and want you to take advantage of any new safety advancements.
Improved techniques
Like any new technology, car seat manufacturers are always working to improve their seats so that your child would get better protection.
As technology moves forward, older car seats without new technology will not be purchased by parents. They expire.
Recalls
Recalls happen due to safety reasons. Manufacturers may find faulty in specific models. If the faulty cannot be fixed, they’ll recall the car seats. These recalls can be for any defect that is discovered over time, which will put your child at risk of injury or death.
If you have registered the car seat, you’ll receive the recall updates. So it’s recommended to register your purchase when you get it. The expiration dates help make sure that parents are using the most up-to-date car seat and are less likely to have recalls.
You can visit the recall list made by NHTSA to check if a car seat was recalled in the past 10 years.
Test Time Limits
The manufacturer has tested the seats for extreme cold and hot conditions to determine how long the lifespan of the seat is before it degrades. This ensures the longest serving time the car seat will provide and it is still able to perform properly in a crash.
Manufacturers test and give the expected useful time for their car seats – typically 8-10 years. That means this long lifespan is good enough to serve until your child does not need a car seat anymore before it expires.
Wear and tear
Just think about it: your child gets in and out of the car seat for years. It’s no doubt that the materials would degrade over time.
The plastic will become brittle and crack due to the heat and cold weather conditions throughout the years.
The metal will be rusty and not safe to use because of the rain and humidity.
The fabrics and padded foam wear and tear, or even disinform, for the hundreds of times in and out and long-term sitting.
Further Information
When Do Diono Car Seats Expire -Infant
Diono has not yet developed infant car seats for newborns and babies. They have all-in-one convertible car seats that are able to ride newborns as small as 4 or 5 pounds, rear-facing.
You can move on to check the expiry date of Diono convertible car seats.
When Do Diono Car Seats Expire - Convertible/All-in-one
Diono all-in-one convertible car seats are made with a fully integrated steel frame, which is riveted together with thicker engineered plastic to withstand severe crash forces. Without any doubt, the Diono all-in-one convertible car seats will have a long service time before they expire.
According to Diono, their all-in-one convertible car seats (commonly known as the Radian series) expire 10 years after the date of manufacture.
You don’t get the expiry date directly. You’ll need to know the date of manufacture and the lifespan of the specific model. Then do a simple calculation to get the expiration date.
The car seat manufacture date, model number, model name, and serial number can be found on the manufacturing label, which is located on the back of the seat or seat bottom. You may need to move the cover to locate the label.
To make it simple, we have listed the most popular Diono all-in-one convertible car seats and their expiry dates.
Some old models are not available for sale right now, but the user manual can be found on its official website, you can visit this Diono car seat manual list for reference
7 Diono Convertible and All-in-one Car Seats Expiration Date
| Model | Expiration Date | Location of Expiry Date | Online User Manual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radian 3R (Full review) | 10 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on back of car seat | User Manual |
| Radian 3RX | 10 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on back of car seat | User Manual |
| Radian 3RX Safe+ | 10 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on back of car seat | User Manual |
| Radian 3RXT (Full review) | 10 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on back of car seat | User Manual |
| Radian 3QX | 10 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on back of car seat | User Manual |
| Radian 3QXT (Full review) | 10 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on side of car seat | User Manual |
| Radian 3QXT+ | 10 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on back of car seat | User Manual |
When Do Diono Car Seats Expire -Booster
The Diono booster seats expire in 6 or 8 years after the date of manufacturer, depending on the models.
The Monterey booster has an 8-year useable life. The Monterey XT, Cambria, Hip, and Solana have a 6-year useable life.
You can find their manufacture dates and calculate when Diono booster seats expire.
We also make a list of expiry dates of Diono booster seats for your reference, including the user manual of every Diono booster.
7 Diono Booster Seat Expiration Date
| Model | Expiration Date | Location of Expiry Date | Online User Manual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambria 2 XL (Full review) | 8 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on bottom of car seat | User Manual |
| Monterey XT | 8 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on bottom of car seat | User Manual |
| Monterey XT LATCH | 8 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on bottom of car seat | User Manual |
| Solana2 | 8years after the date of manufacture. | Label on bottom of car seat | User Manual |
| Monterey 4DXT | 8 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on bottom of car seat | User Manual |
| Everett NXT | 8 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on back of car seat | User Manual |
| Monterey® 5iST FixSafe™ | 8 years after the date of manufacture. | Label on bottom of car seat | User Manual |
How do I know If my Diono car seat is expired?
Diono does not give the car seat expiry date directly.
There is a white manufacturing label, including the car seat manufacture date, model number, model name, and serial number.
You can find this label on the back of the seat or seat bottom based on the models. You may need to move the cover to locate the label.
After knowing that all-in-one convertible car seats (actually the Radian series with the word ‘Radian’ in the product name) last a long 10-year useful time; and booster seats last between 6-8 years old, with only the Monterey booster having an 8-year useable life.
You can easily calculate the expiry date as follows:
Date of Manufacture + Car Seat’s Useful Time = Expiry Date
For example, you got a Diono Radian 3R and found its manufacture date saying:
05/2016 (month/year)
We know that Radian convertible car seats with a 10-year lifespan, then you’ll know the expiry date of your Diono Radian 3R is:
05/2026
It should be safe to use this Radian 3R car seat until May 2026.
It’s really easy, isn’t it?
What to Do with Your Diono Car Seat When It Expires
If you find that your Diono car seat is approaching the expiry date, the question comes: what to do with an expired car seat?
The best way is to keep and store the expired car seat and wait for the next Target car seat trade-in event to start.
Target launches its Trade-in Event twice every year. You can bring the expired car seat and drop it off in the boxes near the Guest Services (if you can’t find it, ask the staff). Then scan the signs from your mobile phone into the Circle to receive a 15% off coupon per Target Circle account.
You can redeem the coupon for getting a new car seat. But if you don’t need a car seat, the coupon can be used to buy other baby home gear.
If you can’t wait for the Target Trade-in Event to open. You can donate the car seat to Child Passenger Safety Technicians, who are car seat experts and can use the expired car seat in their training classes to demonstrate the harness procedures and car seat installation.
Or you can recycle useful parts like the plastics from an expired car seat.
The last option should be trashing the expired car seat. However, you should not simply throw it away. It’s better to tear the fabrics, padded foam, and cover from the seat and write a label with ‘EXPIRED’ or ‘UNSAFE’ on it. This avoids someone using it for another child and putting him or her at risk.
Is it legal to use an expired Diono car seat?
Parents should not use an expired Diono car seat for their precious kids. It’s not illegal to have an expired car seat. No laws in the United States talk about expired car seats.
However, the laws do emphasize that parents should use a child restraint system according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
The majority of car seat brands have this expiry date or lifespan or manufacturer date on their car seats, it’s better to follow their advice. Even though the traffic police won’t stop you to check if the car seat is expired or not.
If you find your Diono car seat reaches its expiration date, you may follow the above tips to deal with it.
FAQs on Diono Car Seat Expiration Date
How long are Diono RXT seats good for?
Diono harness booster seats expire 10 years from the date of purchase. So does the Diono RXT.
You can find the words in the product manual,
“Do NOT use this car seat if it is older than 10 years from the original date of purchase.”
When does my Diono car seat expire? What is my seat's expiration date?
Radian and Rainier car seats expire 10 years from the date of purchase.
Diono booster seats expire 8 years from the date of purchase.
How do I find my seat's date of manufacture and serial number?
The car seat manufacture date, model number, model name, and serial number can be found on the manufacturing label. This label is located on the back of the seat or seat bottom. You may need to move the cover to locate the label.
How do I find my Radian 3R date of manufacture and serial number?
This is the same question as above. You can find the car seat information, including the manufacture date, model number, model name, and serial number on the manufacturing label that is located on the back of the seat or seat bottom.