If you plan to use your shiny new booster seat in a taxi, Uber or Lyft on your journey you don’t even need to worry about installing with the rigid LATCH. It’s primary purpose is to avoid the empty booster seat becoming a projectile but you won’t be leaving it in the car when you’re done. How does the Diono Monterey 5iST car seat compare to other travel booster seats? This booster has better crash test analysis results and is super comfy, it is somewhat heavy, but the price is good Engineered with our most side impact protection - our rigid shell is reinforced with 8 layers of high-impact aluminum and EPS energy absorbing foam, to protect the head, shoulders, and torso.

The Monterey XT is a well-fitting option for any child who is ready to ride in a booster seat, especially those with larger builds and those who prefer some extra padding. The Monterey XT is easy to install and use. The lower anchor connectors, cup holders, and adjustable width make the Monterey XT uniquely customizable to fit a wide variety of passengers. While it is bulky and won’t work well in a three across situation, the Diono Monterey XT is a great option for bigger littles and littles who prefer extra padding.

Memories, milestones and everything inbetween!

This model is 8 years old, weighs 100 pounds, and is 54.5 inches tall. The Monterey XT fit her well in both modes. The Diono model weighs a few pounds less, which can be significant if you’re partial to a model that’s easy for your child to be able to carry around for carpooling purposes. The diono Monterey XT Fix Booster Car Seat is a forward-facing Group 2 and Group 3 car seat which means it is suitable for children who weigh between 15 – 36kg (generally aged between 3 and 12 years old and up to a maximum height of 150cm tall). Flexible features These lower anchor connectors are attached to the seat differently from those that are used for installation on harnessed car seats. They look like they are upside down and it will feel strange to install them this way, but it is correct.

Fortunately the Diono Monterey 5iST should fit in the overhead bin on many planes (at least in the US and Canada). The folded size is 17″ x 8″ x 23.5″. As you can see, it’s about the same size as my carry-on suitcase so it should go in the proper way. The Monterey XT fits his frame perfectly. We can adjust the side wings to give his shoulders more room, and the internal width of the seat pan is a generous 12.5 inches wide, giving him plenty of room to maneuver the seat belt into position and ride in comfort. The depth of the seat is 14 inches — enough to keep even long-legged booster riders well supported. Thread the shoulder belt into the red guide. It’s wide enough to avoid most seatbelt retraction issues, while the little metal gate should avoid the shoulder belt slipping out accidentally. Nice! The other folding booster seat in our family’s fleet is the the hifold by mifold. You can read my full hifold review for tons of info. While the Monterey 5iST FixSafe is about making a traditional booster seat more compact and somewhat more travel-worthy, the hifold puts the travel aspect first.Instructions: 2/5 stars because the instruction manual can be difficult to find. (It comes inside a cloth sleeve attached to the bottom of the seat).