40lbs 2yr old- frontier/nautilus

Jpatch

New member
Please somebody help me I am trying to decide between the Graco Nautilus and the Britax Frontier. My son is 2 1/2 years old - 40lbs and 40 inches. I thought I had it figured out I was going to go with the 3-1 nautilus than I read somewhere that people were having problems with the crouch strap and that it is supposed to be either at or in front of your child. So I took him to toys r us and sat him on it and it is between 1 1/2 to 2 inches UNDER him. So I called Graco and the women said that "they" are "now" saying that it is OK if the strap in under your child. Then I decided to try to find out if there was some kind of guidelines for the placement of the strap maybe in the manual or something, so I downloaded the manual for the nautilus and the frontier and they both say in the manual that the strap should be at or in front of the child. I hope to use the seat with the harness for at least 2 years. So is it really a good idea to start out with it that far under him? :)
 
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KaysKidz

Senior Community Member
I have the Frontier 85, and my little one is 38 1/4" and 32lbs w/a cloth diapered bum (at 2yrs and 9mo)...and he is still on the inner most setting. He's got OODLES of room. It also has a taller harness height then the Graco...and from the sounds of the size of your little one...you will need everybit you can get too...unless he has a shorter torso! My little man is quite long in the torso...and I wanted all the harnessing time I could get for the $!

I had install issues at first, but now that it's in...it's a fabulous install and we couldn't be happier w/the seat.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Did you say strap or buckle? The buckle, the hard plastic part, cannot be under your child. If you look in the manual you'll see that you want the strap to be at or under your child, not coming back toward them. So if X is your child, then you want X| or X/, but not X\or X|. Does that make sense? The crotch strap is sometimes a comfort issue, especially for boys, but it's rarely if ever an actual safety issue.

However, the Frontier offers more space in the crotch, and the new Frontier 85 has top slots 1.5" higher and a 20 pound additional weight limit on the Nautilus. It may be an excellent option for your big boy.

Wendy
 

Jpatch

New member
The strap itself on the farthest slot is 1 1/2 to 2 inches under his rear end. Is that to far with wanting to use it for at least two years.

thanks:cool:
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
If he's not uncomfortable it's fine. There's no way to know what he'd feel in two years, and that goes for any seat.

Generally I don't recommend the Nautilus for bigger kids. It's a great seat for petite ones like my daughter (45 pounds at 7.5 years). The Frontier, I find, fits broader kids better than the Nautilus.

Wendy
 

Mommy0608

New member
The Frontier 85 is much roomier than the Nautilus, plus it has a higher weight limit and a taller harness. It's a very new seat, and is just now making it to some stores, though several online retailers are already shipping it (I received mine a few days ago).
 

DahliaRW

New member
For a child that young and already 40lbs I'd get a Frontier 85 hands down, for the extra harness height and weight.

For your average kid, a nautilus.
 

MomOfTwins

New member
One of my daughters (4 yr old twin in May) is almost 41 inches and pretty close to 50lbs. We just went from the Decathlon to the Frontier and she now has room for her shoulders. Her sister is almost 41 inches too and has been running 5lbs less than her. We went with the Frontier because it looked wider than the Frontier 85 but that might be optical illusion.

Here is a picture of Autumn, the larger one in her Frontier.
carseat2.jpg


She is using the middle position for the buckle and that seems to fit her just right.

Don't know if that helps or not.. but thought I'd share.

:)
carol
 

jayamy

New member
personally, i love the Frontier, my 6 year is not 40lbs yet, but I tried her in both and she actually liked the Frontier better.
 

Jpatch

New member
Ok here is the next question Frontier or Frontier 85? I was kind of leaning towards just the frontier because they did tell me at Britax that the base is a little bit wider on the older one verses the 85 and with my child being on the bigger side I was thinking biger is better. But the 85 will fit a child in the harness upto 57 inches verses the older one goes to 53inches.
Also the 85 is almost 3lbs lighter. Which one?
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
The overall height is irrelevant. The 85 has a 20" top slot height, the regular has 18.25". So probably close to two years additional growth in the 85 in the harness. I'll have to bring Piper down to BRU to take pictures. She'd still easily fit for another year or more in the harness, and she'll be eight in July.

Wendy
 

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