Its Time for a New Car Seat

We have two of the Graco Nautilus and love them both. I feel so much peace at mind knowing that my little one can stay in a 5-point until they are 65 lbs. Then I just do a quick adjustment and it is a high-back booster. I would strongly recommend this seat.

I was in the same predicament - my 8 month old outgrew his Graco Snap N Go car seat/carrier. We bought the Evenflo Symphony65 because it can be converted from a rear-facing seat to forward-facing to booster! It was soooo easy to install (after reading directions) and my son loves it. He'll be 1 in July so I'm glad I have a car seat that will grow with him. It was worth the price!

britax boulevard - IMO the absolute best convertible seat on the market. i would NOT rec a nautilus at this point, your child needs to rearface a bit longer. oh, one other plus with the britax, the straps won't twist - graco seats are notorious for that! good luck!

I am a child passenger safety tech (same certification the police/firemen get) and BeckyW is right on the money for her recommendations....any of those seats are great and the right size for your child. The Graco Nautilus is a great seat too but PLEASE think about leaving your child rearfacing, it really is the safest. I saw the Graco MyRide on Walmart's website on sale the other day for $115....a HUGE deal for a carseat that can rearface and will last probably at least until your child is in school if not longer. Make sure you try the seat out in your car before you buy it. Usually Babies R Us will let you do this if you leave them your driver's license. Make sure you can install it well and tight and that you get no more than 1" of movement at the belt path and that you are clear on how to use it properly. The best carseat is the one that fits your child, that you can install properly and that you will use right every time.

We have the Britax Regent and LOVE it! They have now discontinued that model and came out with a new one to replace it. But they are great. 5 point harness to either 80 or 85 POUNDS! I believe the new one can be used a just a booster after that. WORTH EVERY PENNY! We bought it for our daughter when she was about 4 1/2 (now she's 5 and she loves it). This was the 3rd car seat we had to buy for her and we wanted one she wouldn't "outgrow". In MN, she has to be in a car seat till she's 8 and a regular booster just does NOT seem very safe.

britax... roundabout goes to 40 inches 40 pounds.. my kids are still in their roundabouts at ages 3 and 4 1/2.

britax is expensive but the kids say it is comfortable.. and the parents say the straps dont twist and it is easy to install.

we also have the graco nautilus... up to 100 pounds.. but the crotch strrap falls under the child and you have to hunt around under their butt to find it every time you put them in the car.

we get frustrated with the nautilus.-- but it would be the last seat you ever need..

britax makes bigger seats that last longer but they are a lot bigger taking up more back seat room .. heavier to move..

Hi E.:

If you are interested in a Britax Marathon, I am finished with both of mine. The best car seat made from a safety standpoint. We even now use the Britax booster seat. There is no safer option and the best investment we have made. You should check them out.

Thanks!
Mags

Graco -Nautilis 3-in-1 is great and you won't ever need to buy another one. I loved it so much I bought a second one for my husbands car.

As far as rgw byckle that comes out between thier legs, as someone mentioned earlier it does some times wind up under her when I put her in, but quite frankly I really don't pay that much attention. When I take my daughter out I try to make sure the shoulder straps are looped over the sides and that the buckle is forward so I can just drop her in. Do I always remember - no - does it matter? Not really.

I picked this one becuase I was thrilled with the quality of the infant seat I had from Graco and after a year of use this one is standing up fine. I also like the 5 point harness. At the time I bought it it had one of the longest periods of time that you use the harness for (very high pounds).

Britax all the way. REally, there is no other brand on the market that is better in safety.

You'll want something that keeps your child rear facing for a good while longer. We have a True Fit (Safety First?) and also strongly considered the Graco My Ride. In our other car we have an Evenflo Triumph. I like the seat belt on the true fit better and I like the fact that for smaller babies you can keep the head rest off to make the car seat a little smaller. I like that it can stay rear facing to 35 lbs which is probably far beyond when you will have the patience to keep yhour child rear facing. (We lasted until 23 months and then our 90th % daughter started to become difficult about it so we flipped her around).

We also had a Britax boulevard that we quite liked (it got stolen with our car) - it was easy to install and remove, and comfortable for the kids for longer car trips. The even flo isn't as cushy.

Depending on the size of your child, I think that will depend on what kind you get.

From a safety stand point, you can't go wrong with any of the Britax car seats. Some are rated for older/heavier children than others. We have the Roudabout, and our 2 year-old daughter is just about to the point that we need to make a move as she's 34 lbs.

We moved our son to the Graco Nautilus when he was 2.5, and we'll likely need to get a few for our daughter. It goes from 20-65 lbs and then up to 100 lbs as a booster.
http://www.gracobaby.com/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.as...

The MOST important thing right now is the 5 point harness.

I would get something that will rear face for awhile. They now recommend you rearface until at least 2 if not longer. We loved our graco myride 65. It should last you until you need a booster.

I have a Britax Marathon for my soon-to-be 12 monther and I love it. My older son is in an Evenflo Triumph EXL and that is also a great seat, but the straps tend to get twisted. The Britax never gets twisted AND there are little velcro patches on the seat and the seatbelt to keep it neatly out of the way when you are loading your kid.

I love and I mean love my graco my ride 65. One, because my son is big for his age, 38 inches and 37 pounds at 2 1/2. Two, it rear faces until 40 pounds and FFaces until 65 pounds. I love that is very well padded and easy to clean. I love that it has two cupholders for toys, drinks, or snacks. My son loves that too. It was very easy to install. I only have one child and it is a big car seat. I drive a Saturn SL2, so small back seat, but I can still ride in the back with him and buckle my seatbelt. I was a nanny for twenty years and I wish I would have had a my ride for all my charges. If you want to look at different car seats and plus and minuses of them try carseatnanny.blogspot.com She is a nanny and a car seat techie.

We got the Graco Nautilus 3 in 1 carseat. It's a carseat for 1yr 20lbs and then converts eventually to a booster. Basically it's designed so you don't have to buy anymore carseats.

I second the recommendation for the Britax Roundabout. It fits in smaller cars, is easy to use, and gets great safety ratings. I think you can use it forward facing up to about 45 lbs. (The bigger Britax models -- Marathon, etc. -- go up to 65 lbs., I believe, but I'm not sure you'd want your child in carseat at that point -- she might find it embarrassing.) Good luck!