Uh Oh!! Big Nautilus Problem!!!!

[Jacks]

Ys..I mean...EVERY kid who has this seat will encounter that same exact problem when they get to that height.....basically, the seat ius UNUSABLE for a child with a torso height of what? 17 inches?

UGH
I'll have to check and see how it fits dd again, I wasn't paging that close of attention...this was going to be her next seat......

I just think every child fits in a seat differently. I wouldn't say that every child with a 17"+ torso wouldn't fit at this slot height because a child's neck and head may also be of different proportion. I'm hoping that most people will never have this problem and can utilize the GN. For us it doesn't work though, I don't feel the headwings protect DS when they are moved up a notch.

 

[o_mom]

Help me understand this. When I played with a GN, there were five headrest positions. The lower four had the red guides EVEN with each set of slots. The top one was above the top slots for booster use. If a child is ABOVE a given set of slots, then wouldn't the headrest position with that set of slots would by definition be too low (since each position has the guide even with a set of slots)?

For example, the lowest headrest position has the guides even with the lowest slots. Therefore, when you move to the second set of slots, that lowest headrest position is too low. The manual says the guides should be even with or "just above" the shoulders and it appears that Graco interprets "just above" as up to two inches, but I don't see how the headrest could be in a position that covers the harness unless the belt guide is below the shoulder.

I know that in the airplane pictures above that his head is not centered in the headrest, as we are used to seeing with the BV, but it does appear that the top part of his head is within the EPS area.

 

[TerisBoys]

It's not just the top slots that are a problem I don't think.

That's just the size kids we've had model it...

Anytime the harness is moved up, the headrest has to go up. So if you have a kid that's just over the slots, the headrest must go up which makes it look like Labdog's photos. (2nd link in my OP).

I *should* move Ryan's up. he's right AT the second slots from the top. But I tihnk I'm going to eek every little bit out I can. He's growing in the legs right now anyway.

Returning is not an option for me. I can't afford the Frontier, the Apex bugs me, and Ry's leaving in 3 weeks for a MI > FL roadtrip during which he NEEDS to be harnessed.

 

[AdventureMom]

It's not just the top slots that are a problem I don't think.

That's just the size kids we've had model it...

Anytime the harness is moved up, the headrest has to go up. So if you have a kid that's just over the slots, the headrest must go up which makes it look like Labdog's photos. (2nd link in my OP)

That's my experience with it. Also, it seems that the headrest moves up at larger increments than the harness...? They're not in sync with each other, IIRC. DS is not at the top slots and we still had that problem.

 

[TerisBoys]

It needs more notches for the headrest. period. Or an infinite adjust of some sort.

Not sure what to do right now

Someone said they had the same problem with their Apex - what was the resolution with that?

 

[joolsplus3]

There wasn't a resolution to that Apex issue (or Evenflo Generations)...I think it just really doesn't matter. It looks bad, perhaps...it doesn't jive with the picture on the side of the seat, for sure, but it's not a safety issue. The headrest really isn't substantial enough to be doing any SIP work the way a Britax headrest is...it's the harness that's going to be doing the work in a side crash. I wouldn't personally worry about it at all if it were my seat and my kid, as long as the harness fits properly, it's perfectly safe. :twocents:

 

[TerisBoys]

The harness fits properly...

But on Ryan the red slot guides would be at his ears! Isn't that a problem?

 

[o_mom]

Anytime the harness is moved up, the headrest has to go up. So if you have a kid that's just over the slots, the headrest must go up which makes it look like Labdog's photos. (2nd link in my OP).

I don't think that that picture looks that bad. His head is in the EPS area in the wings. No, it's not a super-contained BV-type position, but I don't think it is unsafe or even incompatible with the instructions in the manual.

 

[joolsplus3]

The harness fits properly...

But on Ryan the red slot guides would be at his ears! Isn't that a problem?

I don't think so... carseats have been doing a great job of protecting heads without EPS for a long time now...(except for those Tourivas with huge/sharp notches at head level...I don't think the red belt guides look anything like those...maybe I can find a picture, they are horrid and have been known to kill one kid )

 

[Jacks]

The harness fits properly...

But on Ryan the red slot guides would be at his ears! Isn't that a problem?

ITA!!! I don't think that having hard plastic belt guides at the ears or temples is going to be safe in a crash. In my opinion, the headwings are a pretty substantial form of protection for the child and I'm not sure that having it placed too high is safe. What about the neck area?? The problem is just because your child needs to be moved up in harness height doesn't mean that the headwings need to move up as well so I can see this happening at the lower harness height as well. If anyone is interested in the Nautilus let me know and I can post it in the SWAP section instead of returning it.

I will try to post photos of this problem later.

 

[amy919]

This is making me a bit nervous. I'm sure I'm going to have this problem with Kaylie. Now I'm back to considering just getting her a Parkway and forgetting the GN all together. But I'm torn. Regardless of the side wings, logic tells me she'd still be safer harnessed, even if the side wings aren't at the ideal level. I'm stumped again...

 

[hipmaman]

The harness fits properly...

But on Ryan the red slot guides would be at his ears! Isn't that a problem?

Just a question aside from all that has been asked...

With the harness being 'cynched' down by the headrest, is there slack in the harness straps? Can the straps be tightened enough with the headrest pushing down on it?

Thanks.

 

[DiaSmall]

I think SOMEONE at Graco had to run into this issue during testing.... the ? is WHY isn't the answer widely known.. or why is it NOT in the manual.

I'd call again & talk to different people. We all know how some CSR can have no clue & just bs their way through the day.

 

[joolsplus3]

...it's just not that big a deal...it's really not... the sticker showing the belt guides at the shoulder is for booster use, so they did overlook that detail, but it's simply not a big deal or they would have redesigned the seat....

 

[I LOVE MY GIRLS]

I dont remember who posted, but isnt their someone on the board who has the GN with a dd who has a torso of 17" also?

Actually, I think her siggy pic is of her dd sitting in her GN. I dont remember her posting anything about there being a problem with hers.

 

[magoose]

I was wondering about the plastic red slot guides too. Isn't that potentially a safety issue like the hidden notches in one of the recalled Dorrel seats? I am not comfortable with this and hope some one can put my mind at ease but my eyes are telling me a different story right now. Mom instinct I guess. Anna

The harness fits properly...

But on Ryan the red slot guides would be at his ears! Isn't that a problem?

 

[TerisBoys]

Just a question aside from all that has been asked...

With the harness being 'cynched' down by the headrest, is there slack in the harness straps? Can the straps be tightened enough with the headrest pushing down on it?

Thanks.

It adds some slack to the harness - I'll take mine out tonight to play with and take pics to share.

That is, if my slider thaws so I can get TO the seat. Thankfully I keep a bpb in the van for William that Ryan CAN buckle himself into because otherwise we'd have been outta luck this morning!

 

[Jewels]

Can we see a picture of what you are talking/concerned about? From the picture that was linked to yesterday I don't see that as a big deal

There wasn't a resolution to that Apex issue (or Evenflo Generations)...I think it just really doesn't matter. It looks bad, perhaps...it doesn't jive with the picture on the side of the seat, for sure, but it's not a safety issue. The headrest really isn't substantial enough to be doing any SIP work the way a Britax headrest is...it's the harness that's going to be doing the work in a side crash. I wouldn't personally worry about it at all if it were my seat and my kid, as long as the harness fits properly, it's perfectly safe. :twocents:

:yeahthat:

 

[joolsplus3]

Here's the manual... pages 15 and 36 show the belt guides right by the head.. http://www.gracobaby.com/assets/pdfs/instructions/ISPC110BB_ISPC125BA.pdf

 

[Jacks]

I just took awesome photos that show this concern...can someone tell me how to post them and I can do it at naptime??