Another Frontier versus Nautilus thread...

kalohabreeze · Aug 30, 2010

But I got different questions...

Okay.. I know britax has the tether that is a slow release during an accident does the nautilus have this as well/ can you purchase such?

And I only saw regular latch in the store do these come with super latch or can you buy the belts separately and use them?

How long can you stay in the 5 point harness in the GN versus the F85 ?

Mommy0608 · Aug 30, 2010

Hi there.

How old/big is your child, and what vehicle do you drive?

Okay.. I know britax has the tether that is a slow release during an accident does the nautilus have this as well/ can you purchase such?

The Britax seats have a ripstitch tether... I don't believe the Nautilus has this, and you can not buy a different tether separately.

And I only saw regular latch in the store do these come with super latch or can you buy the belts separately and use them?

What do you mean by "super latch?" Only the Sunshine Kids Radian SL seats have Super LATCH, which allows LATCH use to a higher weight limit in newer vehicles. The Nautilus, I believe, has the regular clip-on LATCH connectors. The Frontier has push-on connectors. Neither can be replaced with any other kind of LATCH belt. Is there a particular issue you have using LATCH?

How long can you stay in the 5 point harness in the GN versus the F85 ?

The Nautilus harnesses to 65lbs and has about 18.25" top harness slots. The Frontier 85 harnesses to 85lbs and has about 19.5-20" max harness height. Both seats are outgrown when the child reaches the weight limit OR the shoulders go above the top slots, whichever comes first.

kalohabreeze · Aug 30, 2010

He's about 3' 4'' and 35-38 lbs

I have no problem with latch in particular just heard super latch had better weight limits.

I have a honda crv 2004 right now looking for a honda van but might stick with the crv pending I don't have another in the next lil while.

I like the tether on the radian so that might make me pull more for the Britax over the graco because that is very important to me especially with the fact that it's so crucial in preventing neck injury.

Mommy0608 · Aug 31, 2010

Both are very nice, safe seats. I'd try them out at Babies R Us (they let you try floor models in your vehicle) to test the installation and fit with your child. You may be surprised to find that you like one more than the other, or one might not install as easily for you.

The Super LATCH is only allowed to be used beyond the vehicle's stated weight limits in vehicles made in or after September 2005, so it's not useful to you with a 2004 CRV anyway. LATCH (following the weight limits of the seat and vehicle) and seat belt are equally safe options for installing your car seat; one isn't necessarily safer than the other, as long as you get a good installation (less than an inch of movement at the belt path).

Have fun shopping, and let us know if you have any other questions.

kalohabreeze · Sep 1, 2010

Okay so you don't think the tether is a significant enough option to go with the britax? is it worth the extra $100 ?

I mean do you honestly think it would make a huge different in a crash enough to justify the purchase?

Mommy0608 · Sep 1, 2010

kalohabreeze said:
Okay so you don't think the tether is a significant enough option to go with the britax? is it worth the extra $100 ?

I mean do you honestly think it would make a huge different in a crash enough to justify the purchase?

That depends. Do you have an extra $100 to spend? If it will put a crimp in your budget, and the tether is the ONLY thing holding you back from the Nautilus, then no, I don't think it's worth it. If you like both seats equally and have the extra money, then go for it, especially if you feel more comfortable with that choice. However, we don't have any real data that says that one type of tether is better than another. We do know that all seats have to pass the same standards, so the best advice we can give you is to try them both with your child and your vehicle, then choose the seat that best fits your child, your vehicle, your budget and that you can easily use properly every single time your child rides in it.

kalohabreeze · Sep 1, 2010

Mommy0608 said:
That depends. Do you have an extra $100 to spend? If it will put a crimp in your budget, and the tether is the ONLY thing holding you back from the Nautilus, then no, I don't think it's worth it. If you like both seats equally and have the extra money, then go for it, especially if you feel more comfortable with that choice. However, we don't have any real data that says that one type of tether is better than another. We do know that all seats have to pass the same standards, so the best advice we can give you is to try them both with your child and your vehicle, then choose the seat that best fits your child, your vehicle, your budget and that you can easily use properly every single time your child rides in it.

Thanks it's just something I didn't know about until I got my radian and I just want to make informed decisions ya know?

Mommy0608 · Sep 2, 2010

kalohabreeze said:
Thanks it's just something I didn't know about until I got my radian and I just want to make informed decisions ya know?

Of course! That's perfectly fine, and definitely some good questions.

I just wanted to explain that we really don't know if one is better than the other, but there's certainly nothing wrong with choosing the one that gives you more peace of mind.

I'd still suggest trying both seats if possible before you make a final decision. You might be surprised to find that you really like one more than the other based on how it fits your child and your vehicle. I thought for sure I was going to prefer the Nautilus over the Frontier for my DD (and I really wanted to get the Nautilus instead), but after installing both and having my DD try them both, the Frontier was the clear winner for us.

Athena · Sep 2, 2010

kalohabreeze said:
I like the tether on the radian so that might make me pull more for the Britax over the graco because that is very important to me especially with the fact that it's so crucial in preventing neck injury.

The Radian car seats are made by Sunshine Kids, not Britax. Did you mean the Frontier or are you also considering the Radians?

Sounds like you already got some great advice. Just thought it might be worth adding that the Nautilus can be very easy to install using the seatbelt instead of latch. Personally, I hate Graco's latch hooks, but like the Nautilus so that's what we do. Plus, we were close enough to exceeding our vehicle's latch weight limit that we soon would have had to switch to the seatbelt install anyway.

I hope you find a seat you like.

Mommy0608 said:
I'd still suggest trying both seats if possible before you make a final decision. You might be surprised to find that you really like one more than the other based on how it fits your child and your vehicle. I thought for sure I was going to prefer the Nautilus over the Frontier for my DD (and I really wanted to get the Nautilus instead), but after installing both and having my DD try them both, the Frontier was the clear winner for us.

We had the opposite thing happen (had chosen the Frontier and after trying them at BRU, got the Nautilus

) so I completely agree about the importance of trying them at a store first.

Another Frontier versus Nautilus thread...

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