Traveling With Toddler: Diono Radian RXT & Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Harness Backpack {Review & Giveaway}

*Mommys Craft Obsession received a complimentary Diono Radian RXT and Cozy Coupe Harness Backpack to review in exchange for her honest thoughts and opinions*

Summer is the perfect time of year to hit the open road and travel with your family, but making your plans and heading out on your journey can be a stressful experience! Whether your road trip be three hours long or 24+ hours long, some of the most important tools to a successful trip are a quality car seat, space saving solutions, and the biggest - patience.

This summer, Mommys Craft Obsession has teamed up with Diono and Little Tikes to bring you the ultimate two day event that will make your summer road trippin' a much more enjoyable experience for the entire family!

If you missed yesterday's post, Tips & Tricks for Traveling with a Toddler be sure to stop by and check it out, especially if you're planning a road trip this summer! 

Today we're featuring two products that were mentioned in yesterday's Tips & Tricks guide; the Diono Radian RXT and the Cozy Coupe Harness Backpack! Together, the Radian RXT and the Cozy Coupe Harness Backpack make for the ultimate combination of a happy toddler on the road and I am very excited to share them with you today! 

When it comes to car seat safety, you only want the best for your little bambino, am I right? Parents, retailers, and CSPTs alike can all agree that Diono is one of, if not the best, carseat manufacturer on the market. Diono offers convertible car seats and boosters with unmatched safety records and unbeatable protection for your child. I personally have had my eye on the Diono Radian RXT car seat for quite some time now, and the more I heard about it, the more I loved. 

The first and biggest reason that I love the Diono Radian RXT is for the simple fact that this seat can take you from birth to booster. Accommodating children from 5-120 pounds (rear facing 5-45 pounds, forward facing 20-80 pounds, booster 80-120 pounds and up to 57 inches), the Radian RXT is not only convenient, but safe for every stage of your child's adolescence. With Baby Boy #2 on the way, I knew I wanted to get a seat that would allow Little Mister to ride safely and comfortably, but still be "thin" enough to accommodate his brothers infant car seat next to it. Although I loved the car seat Little Mister was previously in, I knew the bulkiness of it would be an impending problem come infant car seat installation time! When Diono agreed to this two day mini event, I was ecstatic and honestly had a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders because I knew that until Little Mister was 120 pounds, I wouldn't need another seat for him!

The Radian RXT comes with everything you will need to use the car seat from birth to booster. It includes Infant Body Support Cushions, the Safe Stop Energy Absorbing Harness, the Rear Facing Angle Adjuster, Optional Cup Holder, and the Rear Facing Teather Connecter. Additionally you will find a couple other hidden gems such as a carrying strap and an emergency information card! 

Prior to installation, it is important that you read your owner manual cover to cover to get accustomed with your new car seat and to determine with method of installation is best for you and your vehicle. As with other car seats, you may choose to install your Radian RXT with either the LATCH system or using your vehicles seat belt. If you choose to install with your vehicles seat belt (which is how I installed it), you will find two belt path options for your car seat - rear facing and forward facing! Follow the owner manual for installation or contact a CSPT to assist you if you are not comfortable doing it yourself! 

Being that this car seat will take your child from birth to booster, there is a lot to learn about the Radian RXT! One of the features that I particularly love is the Safe Stop component. It is designed to to absorb energy and reduce the amount of impact on a smaller, forward facing child. Safe Stop is designated to be used only with children who are Forward Facing and under 40 pounds. Little Mister was switched from rear facing to forward facing in April when Mr. Hunky and I went on our 17 hour journey to California. Although it killed me to turn him since we were happily practicing extended rear facing, I was left to no choice because our car was so packed to the brim with things we needed for our road trip, Little Mister had to climb in and out of his car seat through the front seat (over the center console!)! Although I still am not fond of having him forward facing (but he loves it!) having the extra safety of the Safe Stop really gives me great piece of mind while we're on the road!

Another detail that Diono included in the Radian RXT that I absolutely love is child emergency information. You can never be to careful, and in the event of an accident it is so important to have emergency information handy for EMTs, Police Officers, and/or Firefighters. Rather than taping your information to the side of the car seat as I have seen done, Diono included a pocket with a card for you to fill out with important information such as child's name, known allergies to mediation or otherwise, and emergency contacts. The pocket is clearly labeled for emergency personnel and it velcros into place to insure that the card won't fall out. Also under the emergency information pocket is where you will adjust the 5 point harness straps tightness! 

The Diono Radian RXT includes a few "bonuses" with their car seat which I absolutely love. The harness straps include comfortably and velvety padding so that the straps aren't right up against your child's neck, and there is also one for the lower buckle! There is an optional cup holder with six placement positions for it. The lower sides of the Radian RXT are expandable to accommodate your child's growing legs (not photoed), there is optional forward facing recline, and there is a designated place to attach the Super LATCH to if it is not in use! In addition there is that emergency information card which we touched on, and (one of my favorite things) the Diono Radian RXT is FAA Certified/Approved!

I could go on and on about why we love our new Radian RXT but I think the next couple of pictures will show you better than I could say it!

The Diono Radian RXT is perfect for sitting comfortably, kickin' back, and snoozin' while on the go! Little Mister absolutely LOVES this car seat, and honestly I really never thought he cared about the seat he was in, but from the moment we started using the Radian RXT he was happier and visibly more comfortable. One last reason why I love this car seat so much, it makes life as a pregnant mother so much easier! Little Mister can get in and out of the Radian RXT easily and efficiently, which means no more struggling to lift him into a car seat! I drive a SUV so picking up a 34 pound little guy while you're 6 months pregnant can be a challenge, but now that he can get in and out himself, these day's it's a complete breeze! All mommy has to do is buckle and go!  

For you moms of multiples, you will also be pleased to know that the Diono Radian RXT comfortably sits three seats in the back seat! I highly recommend this car seat for parents regardless of your child's age, it's perfect for when they're little and when their in their booster age too!

. . .

When traveling with your little guy or gal, aside from having a great car seat to keep them safe in, packing things to keep them busy while on the go is a must. Whether you're headed out to do some errands or packing up the car for a road trip, keeping your child occupied is something that will not only save your sanity, but will make the outing more fun for the little one! I know from personal experience with Little Mister that leaving the house is always a little easier when I give him the option of packing up a few things to bring first. With the Cozy Coupe Harness Backpack, Little Mister can bring a few toys or books for the car ride and I no longer have to worry about said toys and books getting lost or strewn about the car! 

Diono recently teamed up with Little Tikes to create a line of Cozy Coupe inspired products that are perfect for babies and toddlers! From Jumpers and bouncers, to backpacks and car seat organizers, the Cozy Coupe collection features everyones favorite little Cozy Coupe to put a smile on everyone's face! We received the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Harness Backpack for traveling with and it could not have been more perfect! At first I will admit I was a little put off by its size; it is a little on the smaller side but I quickly found that it holds the perfect amount for Little Mister and is just the right size for him to carry on his own (although, that still doesn't seem to happen!).

The Cozy Coupe Harness Backpack is very simple in terms of organization, it has an outer mesh pocket which is great for housing a small sippy cup (or bottle), and the main compartment of the backpack. When I told Little Mister to pack up a few things he wanted to bring with him on our day trip to the city, I couldn't help but laugh when I came back to find that he had filled the entire compartment up with hot wheel cars. Needing space for a few of his snacks, I had to empty about half of the cars (mind you, there were probably around 40-50 cars in there) which he wasn't to thrilled about, but quickly got over it when he saw they were being replaced by snacks.

I never thought I would be one of those moms who put a harness or backpack harness on their children, but once Little Mister got into the toddler stage I quickly realized why it would be necessary. I hadn't purchased a harness backpack yet so I was thrilled that this adorable Cozy Coupe backpack was in fact a harness backpack. It is adorned with a buckle that clips around their chest and is of course size adjustable. 

Prior to buckling the backpack on your little one, you will want to attach the parent strap to the D-Ring at the bottom of the backpack. Simply clip the tether on and loop it around your wrist and you're ready to go!

Little Mister is in that stage where he absolutely hates wearing things whether it be a sweatshirt or a backpack, if it's anything other than his shirt he tends to have a bit of a melt down, so he won't wear his Cozy Cope Backpack as an actual backpack yet, but he still loves to bring it with us whenever we leave the house! It's the perfect size to hang on the stroller or throw in the strollers basket while you're out and about, or to have in the car if you're on your road trip!

If you're ready to hit the road this summer, or if you plan on sticking around but want to make those hot summer days just a little more stress free, grab a Diono Radian RXT for your little one's ultimate safety and comfort in the car and a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Harness Backpack for bringing along those toddler approved essentials!

To Purchase:  You can visit Diono to find a store or online retailer to purchase the Radian RXT ($339.99) and Diono/Little Tikes to purchase the Cozy Coupe Harness Backpack ($16.99)

To Win:  Mommys Craft Obsession, Diono, and Little Tikes want to give one lucky winner the Ultimate Traveling With Toddler Bundle - a Radian RXT and Cozy Coupe Harness Backpack of their own! Enter the giveaway form below for your chance to win!

Entry-Form

Congrats to Samantha Herrmann!

The Giveaway will close late on the evening of July 1st. The winner will be chosen at random through Giveaway Tools. The winner will be announced both on Giveaway Tools form as well as notified by email and announced on MCO’s Facebook. Winner must respond within 48 hours of receiving their winner's email otherwise they will forfeit their prize and a new winner will be chosen. The winner will have their prize sent to them by Diono/Little Tikes. Mommys Craft Obsession and other participating bloggers are not responsible for prize shipment. Must be 18 years and older. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google are in no way affiliated with this giveaway. No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited by law. U.S. Residents Only.

 This review is 100% original and in my own words. Everything written is from my own personal view point and opinions and I have not been influenced by any outside sources. What works for me, may not work for you. All photos have been taken by me unless stated otherwise. I have been provided with product to review by Diono/Little Tikes however I have not been compensated monetarily for this review. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.