Archive for 'Car Seats'

Super Seat
We really like this seat. We bought one for my oldest daughter almost two years ago, and we liked it so well that we bought a second one for my younger daughter. I didn't even consider looking at another seat, this one does everything we need. The girls love their seats. They sleep in them, and are comfortable for short or long trips. They especially like the deep pockets for toys and the cup holders. The harness is easy to use, and my husband didn't curse very much installing them, so I think that is relatively easy too (we don't have LATCH in our car, so have to do the seat belt and clip routine). I know you can easily spend a small fortune on car seats, but I can't see how a $[...] seat could be any better than this one. Oh, and the Dori color pattern is super cute if you have a little girl. It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but it's a light gray base with a lavender flower contrast pattern and pink piping trim.

Crotch Strap to tight
We originally decided to get the Nautilus because it had most of the features we were looking for and it was cheaper than the Britax Frontier. After less than a week we ended up returning it and spending the extra $$ for the Frontier.

Our biggest complaint was the tight crotch strap. My son is just over two years old and 30 lbs and already the crotch strap is under his butt. Upon reading the materials and contacting Graco you discover that once that happens you can no longer use the 5 pt harness and the seat MUST be converted to a booster. Not only is that not what we wanted but it is illegal for a 2 year old to be in a booster seat!

At the store we got out our measuring tape and Frontier's crotch notches begin where the Nautilus ends! I am convinced that the Nautilus is made for younger naive parents who don't realize how much (and in what ways) their children will grow.

If you have super skinny, rail-thin children maybe this will work for a while. If you have a normal child be prepared to buy another seat down the road.

6-year old has room to grow!
I just wanted to add that my 6-year old boy was using a booster seat & switched to the Nautilus. He is about 50 pounds and on the highest harness setting, but he has room to grow in the harness. He actually prefers this seat to a booster as it is more comfortable for him. His only complaint is when he drops something in the back seat, he has to wait until we stop so I can get it for him and with the booster he could stretch out the seatbelt and get anything anywhere in the backseat. This is obviously what makes the seat safer for him though. He can clip & unclip all points of the harness himself, just as he would unclip the seatbelt himself when using a booster, so there really isn't any difference there. Sometimes, my 2-year-old sits in this seat and she is unable to unclip the harness, so it does have some degree of difficulty for the youngsters. I would definately purchase another one in the future!

Perfect except for the crotch strap
I wanted this seat to work. Everything about it was perfect except for one fatal flaw: the crotch strap. In its furthest position, it pressed against my son's body, and he's only 32 pounds and not even three years old yet. At first I thought I must be doing something wrong, so I put his current carseat and the Nautilus side by side and made him go back and forth between them a million times. I really wanted the Nautilus to work out, but finally I concluded that the crotch strap really is too close. He has plenty of space in his current convertible seat, but it seemed the Nautilus would render him incapable of producing grandchildren in another 25 years or so. I'm definitely not ready to move him to a booster, so I reluctantly returned the Nautilus and will continue my carseat search.

The BEST Car Seat!
We have owned the Nautilus car seat for 1.5 years now... and I absolutely LOVE it.

Reasons Why We will Be getting another one for our younger daughter too:

1. Our older daughter is 4.5 and is still riding safely and comfortably in the five point harness.
2. The Sippie holder is built right into the seat. So no matter what form you use the seat in your child will always have it.
3. The hidden cubbies on the insides of the arm rest are perfect for storing sunglasses and little toys.
4. The Fabric is durable and doesn't show wear. I have only had to wash ours once.
5. The seat Reclines, ours is set in the recline so that if she falls asleep her head doesn't lean forward.
6. It's easy to adjust the straps. Our older daughter is the only using this seat so we only adjust the straps when she has a growth spurt. But they are easy to do and if she happens to put on a sweatshirt it's easy to let them out a little to compensate for it.
7. The fabric is nice and classy. There isn't any wild flower patterns or cow pattern going on here... it matches my car interior nicely without being bland.
8. It's the last car seat we will buy. IT's so versatile and alot cheaper than other high end models who do not offer this kind of staying power.

I can't rave about this car seat enough. I would purchase it again in a heartbeat.

Indiana Mommy
Got this for my son when he turned 1. Didn't use it rear-facing for very long, but I loved it. Just as amazing forward-facing. Our little guy is so comfy in it. He falls asleep on almost every car-ride. He loves being able to see out the windows. We have a mid-size sedan and it does fit very easily. Installation was a snap. Instructions are very clear. Definitely recommend it!

You get what you pay for
I bought two convertible car seats when my little girl turned one - one for my car and one for that our nanny and my husband can share. I bought the Britax Boulevard CS in cowmooflauge for my car and I love it. I ended up getting a Maxi Cosi for my husband and nanny. I paid about half for the Maxi Cosi, and it's a really nice car seat - I have no real complaints about it. But the Britax is far and above a better car seat. It feels much more substantial and safer. It's very easy to get her in and out of, and once she's in, you know she's secure. My only (minor) complaint is that I wish it reclined more. The Maxi Cosi has a couple of reclined positions and our baby sleeps better in it than the Britax. But it's just a minor issue and definitely not a deal-breaker. I believe the Britax is the best seat on the market.

I have recommended Britax to friends with small infants, and I would purchase another one in a heart beat.

Saved my son's life!
My son and I were in an accident and this seat saved his life. My Subaru flipped onto the side in the accident and my son did not have a scratch on him. All the airbags depoloyed and he was in this seat. Thank God for the click system that tells you the straps are tight enough. I will replace my son's seat with this same one. My son is only 15 lbs and the seat was rear facing as he is still an infant. The price doesn't matter when you crash. Even the ambulance driver commented on the safety of the seat. Unfortunately the car is totaled but my son and I are safe.

Liam's Chariot
We bought this car seat for our grandson Liam's first birthday. Liam's parents researched the product and found it to be the safest and best quality. They found their research paid off because they are delighted with the product. Recently, Monica and Scott left Liam with us for three days, so we were able to use the car seat ourselves. We, too, found it to be of high quality as well as a seat that keeps Liam safe in the car while allowing grandparents ease of use.

Awesome!
I love both of my Britax Boulevard's but I am also in love with the pattern on this one! So much fun.