Graco Nautilus: I'm a Believer!

Graco Nautilus

I’ve taken some heat from readers following my reviews of belt positioning booster seats we’ve used with our 4 ½-year-old, 47 pound son. There’s a certain brand that everyone seems to think I should be using, because it would allow Owen to stay in a five-point harness for another 20 pounds or so. And my immediate thought is always that when they start giving away said (expensive) brand for free down on the corner, I’ll be first in line! But during CBB’s recent series on car seat safety I learned that there is a more affordable option in the Graco Nautilus ($159.99). We’ve been using this three-in-one seat for about a month now and I have to say, I’m a believer. The peace of mind I get from being able to harness Owen is immeasurable, and I can’t fathom how I ever made myself feel okay with the notion of strapping him in with a lap belt, only.

With the Nautilus, you — literally — are going to get years…and years…and years of use. It can safely be used as a forward-facing convertible car seat with children beginning at 20 pounds, and you can keep your child safely harnessed up to 65 pounds. It’s then convertible to a high-back booster beginning at 30 pounds and eventually a backless booster from 40 pounds all the way up to 100 pounds!

I worried that after having been seated in a belt-positioning booster for several months, Owen would have difficulty re-adjusting to the harness but it hasn’t been an issue at all. We actually think he likes having some of that freedom of movement taken back…or, at the very least, he likes no longer having us snap at him constantly to sit still in his seat! I also couldn’t fathom a convertible car seat that would comfortably accommodate a 45 pound toddler but the Nautilus does, and with ease.  It’s not a stretch for me at all to imagine a 55 pound or a 65 pound child riding in it, either. The seat is amply padded and wide, flanked on both sides by fixed, padded armrests that come complete with storage and a cupholder. The harness slots seem to me to be quite high — Owen tends to be short and stocky compared to other children his age so it’s not as much of an issue for us, but for those of you with children who routinely outgrow things by height before weight, this is a great bonus to the Nautilus.

In any event, a height-adjusting head support will grown with Owen, which is imperative when you’re talking about a child potentially riding in this seat during an 80 pound fluctuation in weight. Besides its ability to handle everything from a baby to a school-aged child, it’s an incredibly safe seat, reinforced with steel and lined with EPS memory foam.

We are so impressed with the Nautilus that we’ve actually been switching it out from car to car, instead of leaving Owen in a belt-positioning booster in my husband’s car, which he rides in less often. The back seats of our cars are at different angles, but it’s easy to find the right fit because the Nautilus has three-position recline. It’s also easy to adjust the tension on the straps, which I can honestly say become twisted less than any straps on any car seat I’ve ever tried. The lever to release the tension is easy for an adult to press but virtually impossible for a child to reach when they are strapped in their seat. I also really appreciate the cover for the crotch strap (which also adjusts to two different positions) because I’m forever worried that I’ll pinch some stray boy ‘parts’ when I’m clicking the harness in place.

The Nautilus only comes in varying shades of gray and black, so if you’re looking for a flashy print or color, you might be disappointed. But — really — in the grand scheme of things, are flowers going to make your child any safer in the event of a crash? With an MSRP of $160, the Nautilus is a steal. When I think of how much money we’ve spent bumping Owen up from carseat to carseat as he’s grown, I could kick myself, because the Nautilus — for the last few years, at least — was all we ever really needed.

Comments

Nice review Missy! Looks like you could use another car seat!! Shoot me an email, I do not have your new email address….

- Erin (Graco) on August 26th, 2008

It’s interesting what you say, in the U.K the law states that a child has to be in a car or booster seat until they are 11 or over a certain height (can’t remember what now) so seats like this are very popular. I keep something similar in the boot of my car in case I ever have other children in my car and it’s great. It doesn’t take up too much room in the boot and fits in my car with my two children easily. I’ve not had any complaints from passengers either and they always seem comfy and safe.

- Ellie on August 26th, 2008

Do you know how tall they can be and still be in the 5pt harness? I looked at Britax but eventually went with Sunshine Kids as my son is quite tall and the Sunshine Kids lasted longer (height wise) than Britax. I was just wondering what the height max. is with this one.

- Tracey on August 26th, 2008

I’ve been wanting to get this seat for my 3-year-old daughter since it came onto the market. We had purchased a different higher weight harnessing seat that does NOT convert to a booster right before this seat came out and I knew that I had to have the Nautilus. Well, as my daughter will be outgrowing her second car seat (that only harnesses to 40 pounds) and we had a successful yard sale (bye bye junk, hello Nautilus)- we got her the seat! We chose the Reese pattern from Target (even got it on sale for $149.99) and I couldn’t be happier! We really need to spread the word about keeping our kids in harnessed seats for as long as possible- it’s all about safety with our most precious cargo!

- Les on August 26th, 2008

I bought this seat after reading online reviews. My daughter loves it. At first I was worried about the “wings” around her head but they don’t seem to block her view at all. She is rather tall and lanky but she fits in this seat perfectly. Our son just recently moved from his infant seat to a rear facing Evenflo Triumph (another favorite), but when we needed a new seat for my daughter to replace the one my son took over, I wanted to make sure this was the last one we would ever need to purchase(counting the seat we purchased for my mom’s car, we own 6..ridiculous I know!) Anyway, this is a great seat. You won’t be disappointed.

- Kristi on August 26th, 2008

I have ALWAYS been an advocate for Britax car seats, we own 3 of them. My just turned 5 yo, is 47lbs and seemed to be uncomfortable in his Britax Decathalon. I spent hours on the internet reading about the Britax Frontier and the Graco Nautilus. Several sites, the Graco go better reviews from parents and better safetly ratings (albeit, very marginal). I just could not stomach spending another $300 on a britax. I bought the Graco. My son LOVES it. It is very well made, on par with Britax. Definitely a great buy!

- Lori on August 26th, 2008

When we moved from the UK to the US earlier this year, this was the seat I was recommended by a carseat technician friend to get for my kids. I have a 4.5 yr old and a 3 year old and they both love them, they’re like little arm chairs (the cup holders are very popular), and they are much more comfortable than they were in their previous seats. And they will last them for quite some time! Definitely worth it in my opinion, although if you’re going to be trying to put 3 seats next to each other, you might well be out of luck with this one, the seats are very wide.

- Kate on August 26th, 2008

There is one other carseat (besides the Britax) that converts from forward facing harness to belt positioning booster: the Safety 1st Apex 65 seat. It is currently on sale at Albee Baby for $110.

I own one of each of these seats: A Britax Frontier, Graco Nautilus and the Apex 65. The Britax and the Apex are both very wide in the seat: I can easily fit my size 12 booty in the seat (I sit in the seats to tighten the seat belts when I’m installing them). The Nautilus is a bit narrower. I love the cup holder on the Nautilus. The Apex feels the cheapest of the bunch (not in a way that makes me feel like it is not safe, just in the quality of the fabrics), but I thought it was a perfect choice for my parents to keep in their car, since DS only rides with them about 10x a year.

- Michelle Z. on August 26th, 2008

As the author of the car seat safety series that Celebrity Baby Blog ran a few months ago, I am THRILLED to see this review. The Nautilus is an excellent seat that will keep most kids harnessed until age 6 or 7. And no, that’s not an outrageous idea – my seven-year-old son in harnessed in a Nautilus and a Britax Regent, and he prefers these seats to a booster.

Great review – and Missy, great job on keeping your son harnessed longer!

- BookMama

- Andrea S on August 26th, 2008

I also wanted to point out for anyone interested in the Apex that the headrest MUST be supported by the vehicle seat at all times, as the headrest of the Apex is not reinforced.

- Andrea S on August 26th, 2008

My 5yr old has been in a Regent for about a year now and we love it. When it came time to buy a second seat I wanted so badly to purchase another Regent but just didn’t have the cash. Someone told me about the Nautilus and so we bought it. I have been quite impressed with the quality of the seat. In my opinion the Britax Regent is still far better but for a secondary 5-point harness car seat for a big kid this is definitely the way to go and you can’t beat the price.

- Emily on August 26th, 2008

I LOVE this carseat! We have it for our 3 1/2 year old son and it is awesome. It was in such high demand when we got it that we had to wait 2 1/2 months before it could be delivered to our house (all stores were sold out).

- Katie on August 26th, 2008

I personally think it is a bit over the top to be having a 7 year old in a carseat. There is a point where you need to realize your child is growing up and not a baby anymore.

- Cleya on August 26th, 2008

I have this seat for my 50 pound, 46″ tall (15.5″ torso) 6 year old. We absolutely love it, and it is very easy to install. He still has 2 inches of torso height to grow. Tracey, the top slots are 18.5″. To measure your child’s torso, sit them against the wall and measure from floor to shoulder.

Cleya-you should really search extended harnessing. It has been shown to be much safer than a seatbelt alone-for everyone. Why do you think racecar drivers wear 4 point harnesses?

- Andrea on August 26th, 2008

I’d like to echo my support for Cleya’s point. My four year old is in a booster with lap and shoulder belt, having recently transitioned from his car seat. I’d be hard pressed to get him to revert to a baby seat like this. He’s four. He is a child — he’s got self-esteem and is aware of age-appropriate behaviours and the stigma of being a ‘baby.’ He’d not put up with a five point harness again.

At some point you just need to acknowledge that driving in a car comes with inherent dangers. If you are so paranoid about keeping your child encased in a CSA approved protective-bubble, maybe you shouldn’t be driving so much?

- AlphaDogMa on August 26th, 2008

Also, you need to check with your car manual. My SUV’s tether point and the LATCH system should not be used once the child reaches 40 lbs.

- AlphaDogMa on August 26th, 2008

Andrea–
If I was driving my child around in a racecar everyday, then maybe I would.

Five year olds ride the bus everyday without so much as a seatbelt. Theres a point where you let them grow up. Crossing the street is not as safe as just staying on the same side, should we also not allow our children to cross it? No because when they get to a certain age you realize you need to let them grow up.

- Cleya on August 26th, 2008

Busses are safer because they are heavier and distribute crash forces differently. From NHTSa: “Through compartmentalization, occupant crash protection is provided by a protective envelope consisting of strong, closely-spaced seats that have energy-absorbing seat backs.”

You do what you think is best for your child. As for me, as long as OTHER drivers drive like they are race car drivers, I’ll put him in a harness as long as I can. My son LOVES his race car driver seat and knows he is safer in the car because of it.

- Andrea on August 26th, 2008

My son CHOOSES to use a harnessed car seat. He knows it’s safer and has never, ever had a self esteem issue because of it.

I would encourage everyone to read the Celebrity Baby Blog articles on car seat safety to learn more before making snap judgments about when harnessed car seats are no longer necessary.

http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2008/05/car-seats-for-o.html

- Andrea S on August 26th, 2008

Your son thinks his “racecar seat” AKA carseat for babies is cool because you tell him so. Why not send kids to school in diapers as well since it’s safer in case they have an accident. Children don’t need to be treated like babies as long as possible–it does more harm than it ends up doing good.

- Cleya on August 26th, 2008

Harnessing an older child isn’t about taking away a child’s self-esteem or keeping them a baby! There are simply many 3 -7 year olds who aren’t mature and aware enough to sit still and properly in a lap/shoulder belt combo alone. And the consequences of an improperly restrained child in an automobile accident can be deadly. Check out the Kyle David Miller Foundation video on youtube.

I have a smart, self-confident, happy 3.5 year old who will remain harnessed in a Nautilus for as long as possible. And as his mom, will take any extra precaution to keep my son safer in the car – the #1 killer of people 1-34 years of age.

- AmRo on August 26th, 2008

I’ve been wanting one of these ever since they came out! My son is 3 1/2 and tall. He’s long outgrown most 40lb limit seats even thought he’s barely 33 lbs. I have him in a britax regent and an evenflo triumph advance. I’m actually considering getting rid of the regent for a nautilus!

My son has no issue riding in a 5 point harness. All his little friends are in higher-weight harnesses (radians and marathons mostly) and I just don’t see what the big deal is. We live in a state where the laws are lax and most people put their kid in just a seatbelt at age 4. Maybe I just choose friends who don’t gamble with their children’s lives? His friends range in age from 2-5 and every one of them is technically “big enough” to be in a booster but are very happy in their harnesses. Again, I just don’t see why they are considered baby seats these days when more and more kids are comfy and happy in their big kid harnesses.

- Shauna on August 26th, 2008

Shauna-my son has lots more growing room in the Regent, he just above the 3nd to top slots in it, while he is just above the 2nd to top in the Nautilus. What about trading the EFTA for the Nautilus?

- Andrea on August 26th, 2008

AmRo, you say cars are “the #1 killer of people 1-34 years of age” — so are you wearing a five-point harness? When you’re a passenger do you sit backward in the middle of the backseat? No. Of course not. Because you’d look silly and paranoid.

AndreaS, I read the articles on the site. I did NOT make a snap decision. I made a rational decision not to cave into fearmongering corporations who try and get me to replace my own common sense with irrational paranoia for the sake of their paranoia.

We chose to forgo a harnessed seats because our vehicle (Honda Pilot) says that they can not be used once the child reaches 40lbs. To use the harness system or the LATCH once the child is over 40lbs would increase the risk of damage to my child because the carseat will break apart. It says so right in my owner’s manual. So before I can use the Britax, I’ll need to go buy another car. Only one problem: most car manufacturers design the LATCH and tether systems to top out at 40 lbs — the minimum standard demanded by the government.

My question is, AndreaS, did you read your car owner’s manual? You should do so before accusing others of snap decisions.

- AlphaDogMa on August 26th, 2008

NOTE: the last line in paragraph #2 of my last comment, should read: “with irrational paranoia for the sake of their bottom line.”

- AlphaDogMa on August 26th, 2008

AlphaDogMa, I can assure you that I’ve read my vehicle manual. In fact, I’m a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician and have spent many, many hours educating parents in car seat safety. I also wrote the car seat safety articles that Celebrity Baby Blog posted earlier in the year.

The limits you’re referring to are the LATCH limits of your Honda. If you have a harnessed car seat that can accomodate more than 40 lbs (not all do), you can install it with a seat belt once your child has reached 40 lbs (or even before, if you find a seat belt installation easier).

- Andrea S on August 26th, 2008

It’s true that you can’t use LATCH past 40 lbs in many cars, but all of these harnessed seats can also be installed using the shoulder/lap belts until the weight limit of the seat. It’s right in the manual. And if 5 point harnesses were available for me to use, I’d do it in a heartbeat. : )

- AmRo on August 26th, 2008

I have seen one blog today, something about car seats and safety and keeping kids in harness and rear facing as long as possible. One picure has drawn my attention. There was a child who was almost 5 yrs old and mother kept him in convertible car seat…rear facing. He had his knees crunched by his chin, looked very uncomfortable and …stupid. Do you think this was safe? Because his mother was absolutely assured it’s safe and best for her son. But the position her son was seating in was not very safe looking. Well, everyone should use some sort of criteria wether they want to or how long is it really suitable to keep their children in harness or rear facing and what is really safe..

- Patricia on August 26th, 2008

Patricia – Rear facing to the limit of the convertible seat is safest. 30-35 pounds depending on the seat and head 1″ below the top of the shell are the limits. There are no documented cases of a child’s legs being broken from extended rear facing. Sweden rear faces their children until 55 pounds and auto related injury and death rates for are near zero because of this. Given the choice, I’d rather my child have a broken leg, that can be fixed, than a broken neck. http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html
Kids are very bendy, and they can get in positions that would bother us, and they aren’t bothered in the slightest. You can also search for “rear facing” on youtube to see good crash test videos on the subject.

- Andrea on August 26th, 2008

AlphaDogMa
What year Honda Pilot do you have? My sister has an 2007 and I read the manual front to back, when installing my nephews seat.I don’t recall anything about a seat snapping in half. I don’t think her tethers have a limit either. LATCH does have a limit. 40 pounds in Hondas. But if you used a harnessed seat , buckeled in with the top tether, it would be perfectly safe. And much safer than your kid is now.

- Amanda on August 26th, 2008

We don’t not cross the street. We teach them to cross safety. And that’s all this seat does, it helps keep them safe. Really, how can you be against that?

For the record, if I could have a five-point harness installed for myself I would.

- seriously on August 26th, 2008

The tether system (the strap that harnesses the carseat to the floor of my vehicle) AND the LATCH system (the bar located within the bench seat in the middle and last row of my SUV) in my vehicle top out at forty pounds. Both. Of. Them.

Yes, belt positioning booster seats can be held in place with only the seatbelt, but the point of the articles on this site (and other places) — and the linked youtube video — is that seatbelts fail.

I don’t deny that children should be protected in cars. I take issue with statements about children’s safety being ensured (almost ‘guaranteed’) by buying car seats and booster seats at outrageous prices that most people can not afford. That marketing people use fear to sell children’s accessories — is shameful. That we live in a society where as parents we will spend outrageous sums for a little peace of mind whilst denying that risk is a natural and inescapable part of life — is shameful.

AmRo, I could not do the five point harness. I suppose it’s my vanity, but the webbing between the legs would really bother me.

- AlphaDogMa on August 26th, 2008

Andrea, I understand that kids are very bendy and can get to positions that would bother adults, however I can’t imagane having my 5 yr old 47″ tall in position like that driving for 12 hour tripp across USA. This is not possible as much as I could try to put him rear facing for 10 minutes drive to school the other option is absolutely not managable. Let’s face it. Maybe we should stop using our cars and driving kids in them – that’s the safest method to avoid accidents.

- Patricia on August 26th, 2008

AlphaDogMa-You have it wrong again. The whole point of this article is to show that there is now an affordable option for harnessing your your child longer.

- Amanda on August 26th, 2008

Wow, all this over a car seat . . .

- Abbey on August 26th, 2008

I just find some of these comments so silly. I don’t care if a) my rear-facing 30-pound 2-year-old looks ‘stupid’ in his carseat or b) my 50-pound, 5-year-old has ‘self-esteem’ problems because he’s harnessed in his Nautilus (a point I frankly find laughable, but I digress…). Give me living, healthy kids with those ‘issues’ over brain-injured or (god forbid) dead children any day. It floors me that some of you are actually suggesting that you would sacrifice the safety of your children in favor of them looking like big boys and big girls to all their friends while riding in a car. Just floors me.

As for the arguments about LATCH and 40 pounds and car seats snapping in two (talk about fear-mongering!), to reiterate, you don’t need to latch a seat like the Nautilus to still enjoy the safety features of a five-point harness. Just use the shoulder/lap belt.

I have the Nautilus and love it. I understand if you don’t extended harness for monetary reasons, because most of the options are really pricey and it’s just not always possible to spend that much on carseats — especially if you have multiple children in them at the same time. But the point of this review, which I happen to agree with, is that the Nautilus is affordable. At the very least, it costs about as much as the convertible carseat most moms bump up to after the infant seat is outgrown and with the Nautilus they can use it not only for that purpose, but beyond. Great carseat.

- Amy on August 27th, 2008

Do you know whether this is going to become available in the UK?

we’ve had a ngihtmare recently – my son turned 2 at the beginning of the month and is already on the top point of his harnesses! (yes, he is v.v. tall)

we’ve eventually found a Britax Elite (bargain at just £50) which we bought two of – but they’re now discontinued.

There needs to be more of these seats on the market. Standard harnesses are not tall enough (my son is only 15kg) and it is unsafe for children under 4 (and especially 2 year olds) to be in an adult belt.

I have read that their pelvis’ arent strong enough for an adult belt – and could cause internal bleeding in a high impact collision before the age of 4 – is this true or just scaremongery?

- natt on August 27th, 2008

I have 06 Pilot. I could not find in my manula where is says LATCH and Tether 40lbs max. What I did find::
Since a tether can provide additional security to the lap/shoulder belt installation, we recommend using a tether whenever one is required or available. Page 51 in my book.
I will have to call them to ask what the max LATCH is.
On Page 33 in the GN manual, it shows a picture using the seatbelt or lap belt with the tether attatched. Also on page 55 of GN manual::
Always use tether if a vehicle tether anchor is available, check your vehicle owners manual for the tether anchor loctions.

- 2blueberry eye girls on August 27th, 2008

“I have read that their pelvis’ arent strong enough for an adult belt – and could cause internal bleeding in a high impact collision before the age of 4 – is this true or just scaremongery?”
I read a story on Kyle Millers web page of a 5 or 6 year old in a booster seatbelt. Mom was driving with her 2 girls buckeled up in there booster using a seatbelt, up a narrow hilly rd when she came around the corner a truck was in her lane, she swerved and ened up hitting a tree. While her daughter did not have any outside injuries she died because the seat belt push into her organs and caused internal bleeding. The other daughter was fine and she was in the same thing, booster with a seat belt. At the time when I read thoes tragic storys I balled my eyes out. There are stories to where the child did live bc of the 5point harness they were in.

- 2blueberry eye girls on August 27th, 2008

I have my soon to be 2yr old rf in a britax wizard. She is 33in 25lbs. her seat goes to 33lb rf. I did have FF in dec 07. But once I found car-set.org, she went back to rf and does not mind it. My 4yr old 42in 35lb is in a britax regant and sometimes the GN. Once in a blue moon if I forget to strap her in, she will tell me because she wants to be safe. My child would not be ready for a seatblet booster bc she is squirmy. I feel my children are safer in there harnessed seats. It adds so much more protection for there heads and torso. I would rather my daughters head hit her car seat with energy absorbing foam in it then glass and an airbag. It nice that there are other seats like the GN that are inexpensive to buy and last 6yrs harnessed and backless booster is good for 9years. This seat grows with your child. My daughter loves the cup holder and the littl cubby it has. I like it for the safety.

- 2blueberry eye girls on August 27th, 2008

Just adding some info… remember that kids should be rearfacing as long as possible, so this seat is really best to start not at 20lbs, but when your child outgrows his/her convertible carseat (sometimes, kids outgrow these rf and ff at the same time…)

also, Graco allows you to use latch and/or the tether when it is in highback booster mode, but, as a harnessed seat, you can only use latch till 48lbs (if your vehicle has a lower limit, like Honda, which is 40lbs, then you should go by that)… after, you would use the seatbelt and tether to install it until you use it as a booster.

Last… the lifespan… it is good for 6yrs from date of manufacture, but the base portion is good for a total of 9yrs… it has 3 extra years for just backless booster use.

Children need to be in a booster seat until they are at least 4’9″ and pass the test to use the seatbelt, which typically happens around 8-12yrs old.

And, as the mom of an 8yr old who is that big, let me assure you, he is NOT the norm… he’s in the 98th percentiles for height… so plan that most kids will need boosters much longer than the best state laws in the US.

- Kat on August 27th, 2008

I’m with Andrea S all the way. I’m also a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. We ARE the experts in this.

Rearfacing to the height or weight limit on your seat IS the safest for your child. There have been ZERO reported cases of injury due to folded legs while rearfacing, and even if there were, a broken leg is much easier to fix then a broken neck.

Harnessing IS safer then boosters. The force in an impact is spread over the entire chest area, not just the shoulder and abdomen. The bones of a child are not as hard as an adult until they are 12, and lap shoulder belts can, and do, cause injuries. A 7 year old is still REQUIRED BY LAW in most states to be in a carseat, so why not choose the safest option?

And as for an older child feeling silly– You are the parent. Do you let your child play in the street because he wants to? Do you let your child do anything that is not safe just because they want to? NO, you tell them what to do. So you tell the child he’s going to be in a harness because you’re the parent and you say so.

- Christine on August 27th, 2008

As a firefighter who has done CPR and pronounced a beautiful two year old boy DEAD and explained to his mom we couldn’t do anything more for him, and being a Certified Passenger Safety Technician, and being a trauma nurse, I have more experience with seats and child safety and death in the past 8 years than most people in their lifetime will have.

That little boy I described, he died of something called Internal decapitation (google it) basically it is an injury in a car accident when a young child whose bones have not matured is restrained forward facing. When the child is forward facing, the amount of stress on their neck is huge. Their heavy head is thrown forward and their flexible vertibrae stretch. They stretch until the spinal cord snaps. The spinal column can stretch 4-5 inches, the spinal cord only 1/4 of an inch. You get the picture.

These bones don’t harden until age 3-6. Then the chance of internal decapitation dramatically decreases. This is why more safety conscious countries rear face their children until this age bracket. We are very behind in the US in car seat safety. Accidents are the #1 killers of children here because A. We don’t use safety seats like we should B. 90% of parents don’t use them correctly and C. Parents want to “graduate” their kids to everything as fast as humanly possible.

Each step “up” in car seats, is a step DOWN In safety.

Back to that two year old. His death certificate cites he died from internal decapitation as the result of a motor vehicle collision. The coroner ruled if he had been rear facing he would have been uninjured. No other occupant in the car was injured.

So THAT is why rear facing as long as possible is important. You want to get as close as possible to that 3-6 year age gap.

As for harnessing past 40 pounds. I have also been on a fatal car accident for a 3 1/2 year old. He died of something called seatbelt syndrome (google that too). This is when a small child whose pelvic bones are still soft is in a booster or just a seatbelt. The force of the seatbelt either crushes their pelvis and in turns crushes their abdominal organs, OR the organs are crushed because young children in boosters usually don’t have seatbelts positioned correctly and they sit too high on their abdomen.

and THAT is why harnessing past 40 pounds is safest. Harnessing as long as possible is safest. It’s not practical for adults, but even we are safer in harnessed seats.

So until you are the one doing CPR on a child injured in a car accident, until YOU are the one zipping a child into a body bag when he could have still been alive if he had only been rearfacing or harnessed….THEN you can come back and tell us all you know what you are talking about.

Sorry to be harsh, but the things I’ve seen are things you can’t even imagine and to hear people talk so uninformed about this subject seriously angers me. I could care less if my kid looks like a baby. Atleast she’s alive. (and yes both my 3 year old and 18 month old are still rear facing)

I guess people who don’t care about car seat safety are the ones who keep me employed.

- fyrfightermomma on August 27th, 2008

This is ridiculous. I am glad that anyone who has read this far into the comments now knows that a 5 point harness is more safe than a booster and that rear facing is far more safe than foward facing.

If someone choses not to do that for their children, fine. Please don’t let another car plow into you, you know what will keep them safer and you will never forgive yourself now if something awful happens.

Don’t leave uneducated comments for other parents to see. Are you trying to keep other children out of higher weight harness so your child doesn’t want one? Want to start a “Harness’s are for dorks rally”? Are you going to buy a nicer car and bigger house with a giant pool just for the sake of your childrens self esteem? You need a better arguement.
People die. CHILDREN DIE everyday from car accidents. Someones child probably just died as we are reading all of these comments.

Everyone please take the steps to keep your children as safe as you can. I urge you to start educating yourself right now. It is unfortunate that there are so many people who are willing to attack parents who make an educated and informed decision to keep their children more safe.

- Fortheloveoftwo on August 27th, 2008

Foget about “self esteem” and educate your children about safety! My almost 6 year old is in a Britax Regent (5 point harness) and happily sits in it knowing it’s the safest option. He has no self esteem issues and trust me, that is the last thing on his mind as he jumps out of the car heading to his 1st grade classroom. You children will grow up and thank you for keeping their best insterest at heart.

- Tina on August 27th, 2008

I am so glad to hear these comments supporting car seat safety. We use Britax car seats for our 2 and 3 year old girls. We are about to switch from the decathalon to the Britax fronteir for the 3 year old. She has only 2 inches left to grow until she reaches the seat to shoulder limit. Britax told me the latch limit for my Dodge Grand Caravan was 49 lbs. I was wondering whats the reason you have to switch to the seat belt instead? She is currently 40 lbs. 39 inches. Also is it okay to use the latch and seat belt when she reaches that limit?

- jen on August 27th, 2008

Another question for anyone who knows. Would the fronteir or regent be the best choice for my 3 year old that is 39 inches and 40 lbs?

- jen on August 27th, 2008

Jen – you can got to http://www.car-seat.org and ask your questions there. Lots of techs visit these forums. You don’t have to register to ask a question, just be sure to add your DDs ages, weights and heights for the best recommendations.

- Andrea on August 27th, 2008

“Shauna-my son has lots more growing room in the Regent, he just above the 3nd to top slots in it, while he is just above the 2nd to top in the Nautilus. What about trading the EFTA for the Nautilus? ”

Because my 10 month old still uses it occasionally.

- Shauna on August 27th, 2008

Shauna – Oh, ok. I was just thinking (typing) out loud

- Andrea on August 27th, 2008

Did I honestly just read a comment that compared putting your child in a five-point harness longer… to sending them to kindergarten in diapers!?!? I mean seriously. It would be no wonder that poor child would be embarassed to sit in a harnessed carseat… I’d be embarassed too at that age if my mother reinforced the idea that it’s embarassing!

I teach at a child development center that goes up to the age of 5… 90+ percent of the children are still in five-point harnesses. Your child has no reason to be or feel embarassed when they are just like the majority of the other children out there.

Not wearing a diaper is not comparable… not wearing a diaper cannot KILL you!

What’s embarassing is the idea that there are parents out there who don’t put their kids in the safest carseats because they’re afraid it will make them look like “babies”… gag.

- Rachel K on August 27th, 2008

I am concerned about my children growing up with good self-esteem but I want them to be able to feel good about themselves regardless of what their peers think and to learn that they can make good choices about their own safety even if it means being different. The way I look at it is that if my child isn’t secure enough at five or six to ignore comments from their friends about being in a different but safer carseat, how will they possibly have enough self-esteem to make good, safe choices as preteens and teenagers about things like drinking when I’m not there to make those decisions for them?

- Molly on August 27th, 2008

Thanks for this great review. I transitioned my (now almost 5 year old) into a harnessed booster two years ago. Wanted to provide another option: http://www.elitecarseats.com/SafeGuard-Go.pro
We love it! It’s light weight and folds for easy portability (flights).

- Heather on August 27th, 2008

I had my 3 yr old in his harness still because he didn’t meet the weight requirements for my carseat to move to a booster. My 5 1/2 year old moved to a booster when he hit 40 pounds. After doing some research (a very striking video which showed the differences between a 5 pt harness and a belt positioned booster) I went and found a 5 pt harness carseat that would safely hold my 5 yr old. I am a single mother and yes I had to put a few months worth of activities and fun on hold but it is worth it. He was not thrilled to go back into a 5 pt harness but guess what? I’m the MOM! I explained that it’s the safest seat and it’s why race car drivers and pilots wear them. I also said I wished I had them in my seat. He has noooo problem with this seat. While he may be able to sit properly most of the time in a belt positioned booster, he sometimes falls asleep or reaches for stuff for his brother, etc. Now he’s over 6 and I’m happy to say we will not be moving him until absolutely necessary (likely by height and not weight lol he is TALL). I have not regretted my decision to do this for one moment. I encourage everyone who wants to say that they are too old to be in a 5 pt harness, to look on you tube for “5 pt harness”.
Side note, for the LATCH system, it depends on where your vehicle was made for (canada and US have different laws).

- Tracey on August 27th, 2008

I love these seats! I just bought 2 for my boys. I was able to buy 2 of these seats for less than one of the Britax seats. These are awesome seats, highly recommended by car seat techs and have received many wonderful ratings. They were easy to put together, easy to fit to my sons and easy to install in my car. We will eventually buy two more for my husband’s car as well. They will last my 3.5 y/o until he no longer needs a seat as well as his soon to be 2 y/o brother. They will also still be usable when we have our next child as well. I am so pleased with the Nautilus. Excellent seat that did not cost me more than a mortgage payment to purchase for both children! Safe, long lasting seats should not cost parents several hundred dollars! I’ve had several fellow teachers at work stop me and ask about the seats in my car and I start rambling on about how much the boys love their seats and how I am so happy I purchased this seat!

- Pam on August 27th, 2008

Wow… I can’t believe how off-topic the comments have gotten!!

I just bought this car seat for my daughter to replace the Cosco Alpha-Omega that she inherited from her brother. The reason we replaced it had nothing to do with the harness limit of the A-O.

I. LOVE. This. Seat. She is 36” long and 27 pounds, and it fits her great. It comes with a pad for younger babies that can be removed and washed (which is why we got rid of the last one).

Another thing we love that wasn’t mentioned in the review was the cupholder on the arm, and the storage areas inside the arms.

Someone mentioned the straps and I wanted to repeat because I LOVE how the straps don’t get twisted. That was another big problem with the A-O.

- Lisa on August 27th, 2008

Thanks for the great review. I agree that this is a fabulous seat. We have one for my large 4 year old. This is not a “baby seat”, this is a big kid seat. It’s extremely similar in size and shape to the Turbobooster; they’ve added the ability to harness and made it adjust smaller so little kids can use it too. The buckles are designed so that a child can “be a big kid” and buckle themselves even sooner than they could buckle a seatbelt. In addition to the safety advantages, it is much easier to buckle a harness in front of a child than to reach in between carseats for the seatbelt when you have multiple children.

- Liz on August 27th, 2008

I agree this is the best seat ever and wish it had been available years ago!

- Catira on August 28th, 2008