hmmm...which one?

I am having a bit of a dilemma with which car seat to keep for my 5-year old. Now that i have figured out how to adjust the height, I am totally torn on which to keep. Here's what i have and what the pros and cons are for US personally.

SK Monterey
pros:
~width adjustment - the 5-year old is thin, but the 3 year old who might be going into it later is broad. This would be helpful, i guess.
~up to 120 pounds:
this is a pro AND a con, it's great we will use this until our 5 year old is in college, but then that means my first pro above doesn't matter, since the younger son will never really go into it, we will most likely get him his own seat so that the older son can stay in his as a backless booster until it expires.
~9 year expiration
~lightweight
~backless booster option
~packs flat, we travel a lot
~great side/head wing protection
~AMAZING $ deal - Brand new, i got it at wholesale price and spent WAY less than any car seat that compares to it.

cons: only 1
~NOT a 5-pt harness which we REALLY wanted for 2 reasons:
A. it keeps him safer
B. it's easier to get him in and out of a 5-pt than the seatbelt. DH gets SO frustrated with the seatbelt car seats.


Britax Frontier
pros:
~MAJOR pro is the 5-pt harness up to 80 pounds. safer and easier to manage
~great side/head wing protection
~up to 100 pounds
~pretty lightweight
~9 year expiration

Cons:
~does not fold up nicely
~does not go backless, therefore once our son outgrows the height for the head, it is finished. HOWEVER, then it could go to our younger son.
~Cost us a heck of a lot more $ buying it at retail price
~Our older son will definitely outgrow the harness by height before weight. So, is it really worth keeping it solely for the purpose of a more manageable and what we feel is safer car seat (5-pt harness) for only the next 6 months??

I just cannot decide...There are definitely more pros to the Monterey - key ones being the backless option and that it lasts longer (120 pounds). With a 9-year expiration on it, we will have it until ricky, our oldest, is 14! and our youngest is 12. We will DEFINITELY get use out of it. However, the 5-pt harness on the Frontier is such a huge help for easier in-and-out access and we feel safer.

I guess we could always sell the Frontier and buy the Nautilus, that way we aren't spending TOO much on an "extra" car seat to sit around in between kids if it happens AND we do get the 5-pt harness for 6 months on our older child. Then he could go to the Monterey. The younger child then can go into the Nautilus when his expires, if he meets the requirements and we feel it's safe for him at that point. Then they both end up being able to stay in backless boosters in the long run.

Make sense? WWYD?

I'm not ready to put my 5 yr old in a booster so I would vote for the Frontier. How big is your DC?

He is 44.5 inches and 40 pounds. In my conclusion, I am thinking i won't put him in a booster, i will get the Nautilus after selling off the Frontier and then wait until he outgrows it to put him back in the Monterey. Sound good?

My dd is 49lbs and 44 inches and the Frontier would last probably 1 1/2 yrs if not a bit more in the harness mode.
But buying the GN would probably be the best thing if the cost is an issue.

From the reviews though, the Frontier doesn't seem to offer anything the Nautilus doesn't right? If im reading correctly.

The price is only an issue because i JUST bought 2 new seats - a Radian80 for our baby and the Monterey for our 5 year old. Eventhough i got them at wholesale, much much cheaper than retail, i then bought the Frontier. So now I am still sitting here with 2 carseats for one child and we only need 1 right now, but could use the other later on. Im just wondering if the Frontier is doing anything special for our personal concerns or needs that the Nautilus couldn't do also? Is it worth having a $280 carseat rather than the $150 Nautilus, considering the frontier doesn't go backless for later use? I just think at this point my husband might just bite my head off with how much i have spent on car seats in just 2 weeks LOL

I just want to make sure im not going to regret selling the Frontier because late ri find out it would have done something especially different than the GN. I am hoping to be corrected if need be.

As long as you use the seat right either one will work

Tomorrow i am going to the store to see how the Nautilus fits in our car. That will be the deciding factor most likely.

Yeah, fitting the seat first is definately a good idea. Hope it all works out.

pregodego2 said:

From the reviews though, the Frontier doesn't seem to offer anything the Nautilus doesn't right? If im reading correctly.

I just want to make sure im not going to regret selling the Frontier because late ri find out it would have done something especially different than the GN. I am hoping to be corrected if need be.

Click to expand...

The Frontier doesn't offer too many different features no. It does have a 9 year expiry on the whole seat (so there's the pass-down option). It also adjusts quite a bit higher in booster mode, and likely WILL last your oldest until he's ready for a seatbelt. If you want to check it out, undo the little screw and lift the lever we were talking about in your other thread (or search here for Frontier booster pics). It's got 24" belt guides IIRC.

The Nautilus has a 6 year expiration on the harness and highback portion. The backless part is 9 years.

Also, since you said your second child is stockier, THEY may feel more confined in the Nautilus. My 6yo doesn't complain about his Nauti, but the Frontier is definately roomier overall.

If it were me? If we could afford to, I'd keep both the Frontier and Monterey. The Frontier has a longer lifespan and DOES adjust higher than the Nautilus. The Monterey could be used in a second car for the 5yo, and on any field trips. But at 40# he's really on the small/young side to be out of a harness.

When did the Monterey get a 9 year lifespan? Last I heard, it was a disappointing 6 or 7.

I'd pick the harnessed seat for a 5 year old.