If the truth it told, then the truth is – there are so many car seats on the market it can easily drive the most patient parent over the edge. And let’s not forget how designer has to be (has anyone else noticed this trend lately? Let us all remember: pretty does not equal effective and safe.)

I was sent the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 car seat and tried it out. The “3-in-1” means it acts as a forward facing car seat for children 1+ who weigh between 20 and 65 lbs, 3+ as a booster with back for children 30 – 100 lbs, and 4+ as a backless booster, 40 – 100 lbs.

Whether or not you like this car seat is TOTALLY dependent on its features and design.

Some basics:

Steel-reinforced seat

5-point harness for use on children between 20 and 65 lbs.

Easy height-adjustable head rest

Soft; energy-absorbing foam (EPS)

Can only be used in forward facing position

Pros:

• Sturdy – steel and EPS make this car seat feel safe
• 5-point harness makes toddler secure (and difficult for child to undo!)
• Grows with the child
• Good manual walkthrough

Cons:

• Can take a bit of work to get installed
• Slightly heavy for moving between cars
• Forward facing only

In the end, again, it is all up to what you like and are looking for in a car seat. If you’re looking for the Fort Knox of Sturdiness, look no further! On the other hand, if it is going to be moved from car to car to car, then maybe look elsewhere.

The one feature I did NOT like was the fact that it was forward facing ONLY. While this is good for children who are 2+ years old, my 1 year old will continue to use his rear-facing car seat. His pediatrician was happy to hear he will continue to use that as well and recommended we keep him in there as long as he will fit.

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This entry was posted on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 7:38 am and is filed under Car seats. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.