Nautilus or Frontier easier for travel?

momtoeliza

New member
I know these seats have been compared a million times here but I'm hoping you all won't mind one more quick question. We fly with our DD about 2-3 times a year and have always taken her MA on the plane. We're going to buy either a Nautilus or a Frontier 85 when she reaches the RFing limit on her MA, so I'm wondering if one is a little easier to travel with than the other. I know people sometimes choose to buy a dedicated "travel" seat but I'd really just rather take her every day seat if possible. Am I going to be kicking myself if I try to drag one of these onto an airplane?
 
ADS

MamanMag

New member
I don't know about the nautilus but I would NOT bring the Frontier on a plane, it is way too heavy and bulky, really not easy to take with you on a plane and as you have probably read it is not recommended to check your car seat in neither with your luggage nor gate checked.

The nautilus seems pretty bulky too but I don't have that one...

Just so you know my background, we travel quite frequently with 3 kiddos and I know quite a bit about going through security and hauling stuff on to the airplane...

If I were you I would take the MA until she reaches the FFing limit for now...

Mag
 

DahliaRW

New member
I wouldn't take either. I'd buy a RSTV and either the plane lapbelt or a CARES harness or a maestro for travel.

The nautilus works fine on the plane (can't use the tray table) but it's a royal pain to get through security since it doesn't fit through the scanner and has to be hand wanded.
 

aeormsby

New member
I'd also just keep using the MA for travel as long as she fits. I don't even fly with our MA's anymore, I couldn't imagine trying to take a larger seat.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
RSTV is the RideSafer Travel Vest, a super light option for kids forward facing, about age 4 and 35 pounds and up (the small size).
I agree with the previous poster who said just use the Marathon forward facing for travel if you don't want to buy another seat. Or get something like the Radian that makes an excellent harnessed seat, that folds, for her every day and travel seat, and worry about buying a booster later when it's time for one (rather than buying both in one package right now in the Frontier or Nautilus).
 

christi2705

New member
We've taken our Frontier 85 on 4 plane trips and it was easy :) It fit through the scanner fine and installed super easy and quick on the plane. We stacked it on our stroller with our MA through the airport.
 

mytwobugs

New member
I wouldn't take either. I'd buy a RSTV and either the plane lapbelt or a CARES harness or a maestro for travel.

The nautilus works fine on the plane (can't use the tray table) but it's a royal pain to get through security since it doesn't fit through the scanner and has to be hand wanded.

The maestro did not fit through the xray at the airports we flew to and from either. We were traveling with both a maestro and a nautilus and not sure the maestro was significantly easier than the nautilus.
 

DahliaRW

New member
RSTV is the RideSafer Travel Vest, a super light option for kids forward facing, about age 4 and 35 pounds and up (the small size).
I agree with the previous poster who said just use the Marathon forward facing for travel if you don't want to buy another seat. Or get something like the Radian that makes an excellent harnessed seat, that folds, for her every day and travel seat, and worry about buying a booster later when it's time for one (rather than buying both in one package right now in the Frontier or Nautilus).

It actually can be used at 3yo (the new one).

Bugs - thanks for letting me know about the maestro. We haven't traveled with it. But it looked like it would fit compared to my other seats.
 

mytwobugs

New member
It actually can be used at 3yo (the new one).

Bugs - thanks for letting me know about the maestro. We haven't traveled with it. But it looked like it would fit compared to my other seats.

It looked like it would fit and I even had it on the belt while just waiting to hand over the Nautilus. It was just a smidge too big, even the TSA screener was convinced if he just turned it the right way it would fit but no go. Same on the way back at a different airport. There the screener mentioned that maybe he should take the armrests off. I told him that I don't think they come off. He replied that it might not be easy but he should be able to get them off. :eek: Luckily, before I had to insist that he not destroy the seat he decide it would be easier to just hand screen it since he would have to do the Nautilus anyway.
Not sure if the xray scanners are all the same size or not, if some are just a little bigger it would probably fit.
 

momtoeliza

New member
Thanks for all the thoughts about this! Our MA has actually had to be wanded a couple of times at the small airport we often fly into. I don't mind traveling with it, but I know that these combination seats are even bigger.

I think we'll take your advice and just travel with the MA until we need it for the new baby. Our infant seat goes to 30 lbs so we should be able to use that for a long time if need be. I suppose we can always buy a cheaper travel seat down the road if we really need to, or I can just suck it up and lug the monster through the airport! I'm not really worried about the hassle of dragging it around, I just want to be sure that it will be able to be installed on the plane so I don't have to gate check it.
 

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