Question Seat similar to graco nautilus

seb3244

New member

• Sep 14, 2013

• #1

Hi I have finally saved enough $ to get my 6 yr. old niece & 3.5 yr old niece new car seats. We want to keep them in a harness as long as possible because they are not at all ready for boosters. Are there any seats similar to the Graco nautilus? If so which ones?
Also where can I buy the Graco nautilus cheapest?

And what are your thoughts on used carseats- i am scared of them.
Thanks so much for reading

 

Baylor

New member

• Sep 14, 2013

• #2

I would not buy a nautlius for a 6 yr old. That is great booster age and at that age they should be taught how to ride in one. You can get a great one with deep sides and head wings that will make it easier for her to stay in place.

The 3.5 yr old would be great in a nautilus.. The best price I have seen is usually at Walmart unless there is a sale at BRU.

 

Keeanh

Well-known member

• Sep 14, 2013

• #3

How tall & heavy are they? Why do you think the 6yo is not ready for a booster? If 6yo needs a harness for a little longer, you could maybe get a Nautilus for her and a less expensive seat for 3yo with the idea to pass the Nautilus down later.

Other harnessed FF seats are the Harmony Defender, Evenflo Securekid, Britax Frontier, Evenflo Maestro. There's also the Evenflo Sureride which is a convertible seat but has very tall harness slots.

 

seb3244

New member

• Sep 14, 2013

• #4

Thanks for your replies/feedback
My sis can measure them tonight when they get home. The reason for a 5 point harness is because 6 yr olds don't always follow directions, less room for error, and isn't it the safest so if she fits in the 5 point then why not have her in it?

 

Baylor

New member

• Sep 14, 2013

• #5

It is not safest at 6. Safest is relative. At 6 there is no data that a harness seat is better. She should be being trained to sit in a booster. It is important for her to learn the skill.

A great dedicated booster, is what I would get for a 6 yr old.

 

Keeanh

Well-known member

• Sep 14, 2013

• #6

There's no evidence that a harness is safer than a booster for a child over 40lbs & over 4-5yo who is mature enough to stay in position. And also stay in position while sleeping if sleeping in the car is a possibility. Since she's not your child, I can completely understand the "room for error" thing. With a harness you're not having to worry about her self-discipline so much while you're driving. But if she's mature and responsible enough to stay in position, and over 40lbs, I would definitely consider a booster for her.

 

thepote

New member

• Sep 14, 2013

• #7

Hi-

Here are a couple recent threads where the topic of extended harnessing vs. booster came up:

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=255274

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=252965

 

Keeanh

Well-known member

• Sep 14, 2013

• #8

Baylor said:

It is not safest at 6. Safest is relative. At 6 there is no data that a harness seat is better. She should be being trained to sit in a booster. It is important for her to learn the skill.

A great dedicated booster, is what I would get for a 6 yr old.

Click to expand...

I think you're jumping the gun here. Let's get some more info from OP. We don't know if 6yo is under 40lbs, or has special needs, or simply doesn't listen to her auntie all the time. We don't know if she's going on 10-hr trips and will sleep soundly in the vehicle. And since OP isn't the child's mother, it isn't really her job to booster train.

I've had two of my children in harnesses at 6yo, one part-time and one full-time. I expect #6 will be full-time harnessed at 6yo because she's very impulsive and energetic. I've also had 3 in boosters at 6yo. Either may be a suitable choice depending on circumstances.

 

seb3244

New member

• Sep 15, 2013

• #9

So my almost 6 yr old niece is not special needs she is very energetic & a boundary tester. She is a wiggle worm. They also sometimes drive 6-8 hrs so I am pretty sure when sleeping she would not stay correctly in a booster.

I clicked the links of the previous threads and I
also had never heard of the weight load on the neck head thing when harnessed until later. So interesting to know about the car seat laws in Sweden RF until 4 & then booster.

My sis and her hub are on a date so I think that is why she hasn't answered about the height and weight of girls yet.
I know they are both in like the 45% on height & weight for their ages.

I will be sure to post their stats as soon as I get them.

One last thing when reading the links of the previous thread I read that sometimes the Graco nautilus doesn't work well as a booster in some cars. I will have to try it out in their car and my truck.

 

seb3244

New member

• Sep 15, 2013

• #10

Almost 6 yr old is 49 inches 49lbs

3.5 yr old is 42 inches 38lbs

 

V

vangelder03

New member

• Sep 15, 2013

• #11

seb3244 said:

Almost 6 yr old is 49 inches 49lbs

3.5 yr old is 42 inches 38lbs

Click to expand...

What seat is the 6 yr old in right now? At 4 ft 1 inch I think she would be to big for the nautilus in harness mode.

 

Last edited: Sep 16, 2013

gsdguenter

Well-known member

• Sep 15, 2013

• #12

Do you have a budget? What seats are they currently riding in?

Definitely no to a used seat. It's just too dangerous not knowing the history of the seat and how it was cared for, kwim.

I have a newly turned 6 yr old and she rides in an Oobr and Monterey in two of the cars we have. Then in the other two she rides in a nautilus and fr85. She's smaller than your niece by a little but is in now way a wiggle worm. She is very much a rule follower, so that helps! She sleeps perfectly in her boosters. There's no way at that age I'd buy her a harnessed seat. Well, I take that back, I have a 4 yr old to pass it down to, so maybe. But that's a big maybe.

I think the thing with kids over 40lbs and 4-5 yrs old, you really have to evaluate their maturity and ability to stay in position when deciding what seat to get. Maybe try out an inexpensive booster like the turbo and see how she does. If she's not ready then put it aside for later and put her back in a harness.

I think the nautilus is a great idea for the 3.5 year old

 

seb3244

New member

• Sep 15, 2013

• #13

The seats they have now

3.5 yr old has the cheapest Older Graco not sure the exact model

The almost 6 year old has a cheapie Costco model.

Both girls are above the shell on their seats!!

Budget is $120-$130ish per seat. My mom may be able to help purchase them with me.

 

Y

YinzerMama

New member

• Sep 15, 2013

• #14

I agree with trying a booster for the 6yo. Kids can surprise you. Do you know anyone you could borrow a booster from to see how well she behaves? If it works out buy a booster.

 

Keeanh

Well-known member

• Sep 15, 2013

• #15

Yes, at 6yo's size it would be a waste of money to get a Nautilus for her. She's quite tall. Since she's plenty big enough for a booster and doesn't have any special needs to consider, I agree with a highback booster. Next question in that regard is -- Do all the vehicles have headrests in the seating positions she would be using?

If they have outgrown their current seats, they're not safe. Will 3yo fit in 6yo's current seat? If so, you could buy a Nautilus right now and see how 6yo does in it as a booster. Then you might still have the harness option to go back to very short term if there are behaviour problems (that is if her shoulders are under the top slot). And this would also buy you a bit of time to shop around for a dedicated booster. Finding the booster that works best for the child and all vehicles can actually be a bit difficult sometimes, so it would be good to have a bit of time to try out different options.

 

seb3244

New member

• Sep 15, 2013

• #16

Keeanh said:

Yes, at 6yo's size it would be a waste of money to get a Nautilus for her. She's quite tall. Since she's plenty big enough for a booster and doesn't have any special needs to consider, I agree with a highback booster. Next question in that regard is -- Do all the vehicles have headrests in the seating positions she would be using?

If they have outgrown their current seats, they're not safe. Will 3yo fit in 6yo's current seat? If so, you could buy a Nautilus right now and see how 6yo does in it as a booster. Then you might still have the harness option to go back to very short term if there are behaviour problems (that is if her shoulders are under the top slot). And this would also buy you a bit of time to shop around for a dedicated booster. Finding the booster that works best for the child and all vehicles can actually be a bit difficult sometimes, so it would be good to have a bit of time to try out different options.

Click to expand...

Ok this sounds like a good idea. To get one nautilus now & pass down the cheapie that way they are both safe right away.

Thanks so much for this input and advise.

Thanks to everyone who replied!