Review on Diono Convertible Engineering Protection Mineral by Michael Dunn

As I bought this for a 15 month old I cannot confirm that I have used it on a toddler with all the extra inserts included. But straight out of the box it's a pretty hefty seat. The steel frame adds weight and it feels solid. If you've installed a car seat before, figuring out what locking system is used is fairly easy. A top cable that secures it behind the seat and a side strap that you thread through the appropriate holes in the bottom/back and attach the buckles to the car's latch systems on either side. What I particularly like is that the bottom strap with the strap lock has pull loops so you don't have to twist your wrists in awkward positions to release the strap by pressing the buttons. The only thing is that the seat is high, so we had to remove the headrest in the back seat to make it sit flush with the seat. Installation to the front took about 15 minutes. Where I removed the star were the buttons for the adjustable straps to make them tighter to attach the car seat to the seat. They are damn hard to adjust and I had to ask my husband to tighten them because I couldn't handle the effort it takes to tighten them. The button to release the straps has an awkward feel - it's hard to press and feels like it's stuck, so it feels like it's "off". You feel a little insecure when you've done everything right, and installing a car seat is something you don't want to do wrong. However, once you tighten the straps, they don't seem to loosen on their own. I tested it by shaking the seat well in all directions. When we bought the seats I wanted to go with the cheaper seat because it wasn't going to be used that often in my dad's car. My husband just offered to buy the same Maxi-Cosi Magellan seat I have on my 2019 expedition because he liked the magnetic buckle on the top harness. But I decided not to. When I saw the Diono seat model in the shop, I became interested in the brand and did a little research. I'm glad I did. Dad's car is a 400hp Ford Explorer ST. with rear bucket seats and no center seat for added protection. I liked ALL the safety features considering they could ONLY be installed on the driver or passenger side with airbags. The extra plastic cube that comes on either side feels flimsy when you attach it, depending on which side you mount it on. But a basic understanding of physics means that anything that can help increase side impact resistance is a good thing. This adds two more layers of security, which is surprising considering it's basically a plastic box. Another plus is that the belt buckle button is larger and EASY to press. My maxi-cosi's buckle is small and absolutely inconvenient to press with nails and a moving baby. However, the cup holder appears to be secondary. I thought the seat was worth the cost, especially as it can support up to 120 pounds. He also wears a pretty cool red that goes well with his dad's car, which is all black with red brake calipers and red interior lights. where installation on the center seat is not possible, this seat will suffice. Just make sure you have a very strong pair of hands to help tighten the belt.