Now that we’ve all had our full of Tottums household cuteness … it’s time for you guys to help me with my car seat shopping for the Mouse.
I think I mentioned in my previous car seat post that the Mouse is currently in a Britax Roundabout 50. I’m thinking that as soon as the Froggy is siting up completely (which will be very soon) that he’ll get moved into that seat, and I want to get the Mouse a new ‘combination’ seat.
The two seats that Kaye has recommended to me (that fit my price range) are the Graco Nautilus (this is actually a really good price, BTW) and the Evenflo Maestro.
The Nautilus and the Maestro.
I’m leaning towards the Nautilus based on the fact you can use the 5-point harness to a higher weight (65lbs vs. 50lbs with the Maestro) … but you’re obviously paying for that with a higher price tag.
Does anyone have any experiences with either of these brands or specific seats? I’m going to be honest, we have an Evenflo Titan and it’s not my most favorite seat in the World … I like our Britax WAY better. Am I being a snob about my ‘nicer’ seat though?
Decisions, decisions …
Go with the Graco! I have 2 of them one for my 6 year old boy and one for my 5 year old boy. They are awesome. Both of mine are still using the harness and will until they reach the 65 pound weight limit. They are much safer in a harness than using a booster with a seat belt!
I love our nautilus! Shepherd can buckle his chest clip by himself (although he can undo it too…that is a whole other story), it doesn’t take up a lot of room, and is very easy to install. The price can’t be beat either. Love it!
Go with the Graco Nautilus! We have 4 of them! I have two boys, and we liked the first one so much, we bought one for the second son, then two more for the other vehicle! They also wash up very nicely! All the pads come off and clean up very nice in the machine, drip dry, then put back on and it looks like new again! My oldest boy is almost 3 and he has no idea how to unbuckle himself. Recently we drove all the way to FL from OH and the kids seemed very comfortable. Good luck with your decision! Oh, and we got ours for the best price online through amazon, however, when ToysRUs does their trade-in sale, you can score it at a nice price, too!
I should also say the cup holder, extra space under the armrests for small toys, and how it reclines just a bit are great features. Also, of importance, we have subaru’s and I can slip into the backseat between the kids if need be to sit with them.
For me, the Britax was the way we had to go. I loved all the extra features and cushion in the seat. Yes, the $300 price tag (x2 thank.you.very.much) was hard to swallow, but when I thought about how long they would use it and the need for comfort on long trips to see family (the lower priced seats didn’t seem to have as much padding), the extra money was worth it to me. I say all that to say that you aren’t being a Britax snob!! We are still in the Boulevards and will be for a bit longer, even though Brady is a big kiddo. I’ll be interested to see what you pick since we’ll have to transition again at some point.
I lovw our Nautlius! Lauren loves her “big girl seat” and the cup holder that comes with it. She loves to clip it together. It fits well in my car and I actually have a little room in the car with her seat and with Aiden’s Triumph.
Love the Nautilus. See my comment on your other post about my only complaint… but it’s not a deal breaker for me. Another not-as-noticeable feature — you can’t really tell from that picture, but under the arm rest areas, is a little cubby area — awesome for them to stash little toys
We have both (Nautilus in my car, Maestro in DH’s) and I’m happy with them, but I LOVE the Nautilus- so worth the extra $. Super comfy, a little higher so the 3 yr old can see out the windows, and much easier to adjust the straps. The back seat of my car has the Roundabout for the 1 yr old and the Nautilus and there’s still room (albeit a tight fit) for crying kid emergencies that only a momma can fix. Plus I feel good about it turning into a traditional booster WAY down the road.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the little cubbies in the armrests where my little girl can stash her “stuff”- she loves it. I know it’s ridiculous, but I love a happy kid in a car seat.
We have the Graco in the hubby’s car. It’s awesome!
We have the Titan in MH car and I hate that seat. Out of the two I would probably go with the nautilus. I forget though, does it convert over to a regular booster when they get bigger?
I am loving all of this info ladies! Keep it up!
i don’t know anything about big kid car seats but i read this post about 20 minutes and then 8 minutes ago a FB friend posts this: “Any moms who are looking for along term forward facing convertible car seat…Graco has the nautilus that’s absolutely amazing and is going on sale at Walmart for $140. It is a $60-$70 savings from most other places!” (edited for fixing of poor FB spelling). just thought i’d throw that info to you!
I have a Graco Nautilus for my daughter, we’ve had it for about 18 months now. I LOVE IT! She’s almost 5 and weighs 50 lbs so she is still in the harness and will be till she reaches 65 lbs. I love that it then breaks down into a high back booster and eventually a backless booster. I also have a Evenflo Generations 65 for my son which I LOVE just as much if not a little more. It also harnesses to 65 lbs and what I really loved was…it was almost $100 cheaper than my Nautilus! Its way easier to adjust and the cover is way easier to clean. It has liftable armrests so my 3 yr old can climb in and out of the car by himself without that getting in his way. So check out the Evenflo Generations 65 and see if it would appeal to you. I do love my Graco Nautilus tho!
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Evenflo-Generations-65-Harness-Booster-Car-Seat/13028107
^ There’s a quick link to the Evenflo Generations 65 seat.
I know nothing about kids or car seats but the one on the left looks prettier, so that’s the one I would pick. I’d also use my amazon cc to get triple points/dollar on that bad boy! (amazon.com plug…where’s my money amazon?!)
LOL – love this Mo! <3
We have that exact Graco, and Grady likes it. Hes more comfortable for long rides in the britax frontier, but I know those are $$$, which is why we dont have 2. So- yeah, go for the graco. Its our second choice seat.
Thanks, now you have me thinking about this too and I think I am going to give Payton Jack’s Boulevard (by Britax) seat and get him a new one, possibly the Maestro since I know it’s a good seat from your research. I wanted to get her a girly pink seat but really doesn’t matter, it’s just more money.
Just FYI, Target has the Graco Nautilus on sale this week. Reg $179. On sale for $129.
I’m about to go get one.
Thanks for the Target tip!