Frontier vs Nautilus with pictures at BRU

The Bjorns

New member
I wanted to do a post for everyone who is on the fence about the Nautilus and the Frontier. While I have not purchased either yet, I did have fun trying out seats at BRU with my DD.

She is 4yr10mo, almst 50 lbs and right around 44". I don't know what her torso height is as it changes every time I try to measure, although I know she is long-torsoed. She is within a hair's breadth of being level with the top slots of her MA for size comparison.

I have a bit of a concern about the pictures of the Frontier--should the head rest be higher? If I did one more click higher, the straps were really high and she didn't like the placement of the side wings of the head rest (said it was too tall). She has 3 clicks of adjustment left on the Frontier and only two clicks on the Nautilus.

Side-by-side of both seats
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This view you can really see that her shoulders are nestled in the Frontier and are a bit on top of the side of the Nautiuls
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Close-up of hip room comparison
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Close-up of shoulder harness (on the FN it looks like the harness is too low, but it was actually pretty close to being level, but almost ready for the next slot)
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Sitting, not harnessed, just lounging in the aisle
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And just for fun
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What my DD said about the two seats:
* Loved the cup holder in the Nautilus, but was consoled by the pull-out version in the Frontier
* Wanted to nap in the Frontier rather than the Nautilus
* Thought that the Frontier was softer and cushier

What I thought about the two seats:
* DD's shoulders are more squished in the Nautilus
* Not much growing room width-wise in the Nautilus
* She's more nestled in the seat in the Frontier
* Love how easy the straps adjust on the rollers on the Nautilus
* The seat is deeper in the Frontier for more leg support
* I think the Frontier will sit lower in my car and block less of my rear view
* Both arm rests are too low to actually be of use as an arm rest
* Crotch strap in the Nautilus is pretty close to DD, but did not bother her, but she had a lot more room in the Frontier (more of a boy-issue)

We did not have the opportunity to try either seat in my car. After seeing DD in both seats, I think the choice for her is the Frontier. I think given her shape, the Frontier will be the better option. When she had previoiusly tried them out individually she liked them both equally, but when she when from one to the other quickly, she did prefer the roominess of the Frontier.

Do the experts agree that she seems to fit best in the Frontier?
 
ADS

ctbcleveland

Well-known member
Not mentioned in your comments, but the Nautilus seems to be pushing her head forward - which looks uncomfortable to me. In the Frontier, her neck and head look straight.
 

Mommy0608

New member
Thank you so much for sharing the pictures!! What a great comparison! :thumbsup:

I think she looks more comfy in the Frontier. I'd be a little concerned about her comfort in the Nautilus (crotch and shoulder areas specifically). They have almost exactly the same harness height, so that probably isn't a deciding factor.

Really, it's a matter of preference... both are great, safe choices, but if she's more comfortable and likes the Frontier better, it might be a wise choice. :twocents:
 

firemomof3

New member
Its hard to tell by your pictures, but how does the crotch room compare? Is the crotch strap longer on the Frontier? I think your dd would have more room in the frontier, it seems to fit her better....but the nautilus is sooo pretty :)
 

Heather98012

New member
My first thought was "she looks MUCH more comfy in the Frontier" so I'm not surprised by what she said.

My :twocents: : Get the Frontier. It looks like a way better fit for your dd. (my dd loves hers!)
 

Splash

New member
Oh dang it. The first two pictures I saw the tag with the swirly dots on the GN and I was SOLD, ready to go buy it tomorrow, until I realized it was just the tag and not the cover. Rats.

I actually think she looks more comfortable in the GN, but eh...

Glad to hear there is more crotch room in the Frontier. Charlie's man bits are getting squished a bit in the GN, but he hasn't complained.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
FR crotch strap is about as deep as the Regent....Leah's on the middle and it's still very roomy, the farthest out would be the middle of her thighs, I think, lol.
 

The Bjorns

New member
The crotch strap on the Nautilus was close and it was on the farthest out setting. On the Frontier I think it still had one adjustment left and she had plenty of room. DD is used to a snug crotch strap on her MA, but other times we've tried out the Nautilus it was on the closest setting and she was sitting on top of it. and we couldn't even buckle it. Really more of a boy issue, but the Frontier seems much roomier in the crotch.

I just keep wishing she wasn't quite so wide in the shoulders because I really like a couple features of the GN better--straps on rollers, better arm rest/cup holder, no fraying meshy fabric, pretty butterflies.

Oh well, don't want squishy kids. Looks like I'm off to order a Pink Sky!
 

munchkin

Active member
Did you leave the extra padding in on the Nautilus? That would make a difference with the side space and crotch space for the Nautilus. However, I still think there is more room in the Frontier than the Nautilus.
 

Yoshi

New member
In your pics, the infant padding is still in the GN, so that could be why she she has a bit less room in the hip area. And I have tried both for my almost 6 yr old (we use a GN, but I did try out a FN with her and returned it due to install issues) so I know that although it looks like the GN is pushing her head forward, installed in a vehicle, even w/o the recline, it is more of a slope backward. And we seem to have a GN with plenty of crotch room:confused:and my DD is not petite, either. I liked the FN, but it would not install with the crazy low belt path in either of our cars. Hope you have better luck-and you already know this but-she is a real cutie:)
 

Splash

New member
I'm trying to order one at hipmonkey.com, and it's coming in at under $200. I'm not sure it'll work, but for five bucks return insurance, I'll take the chance. It's worth five bucks not to drive to BRU to check it out.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I actually like the fit of the Nautilus better too, but I'm not a Frontier "lover" either.

But hey, if she likes the fit of the Frontier better, that's what I'd go with. :thumbsup:

(FWIW, the curvature in the Nautilus is designed to be the way that captain's chairs are for adults. It looks squishy, but because it's more gradual it doesn't seem to be narrow the same way as other seats that are narrow in the interior.)
 

katiesmommy

Active member
I'm not a frontier lover by any means, but her head looks very pushed forward in the GN, and it does not look like that would be comfortable.
 

arly1983

New member
I dont like the way she fits in either :duck:

It could be a combination of the angle of the pics, that both seats are on the floor causing her legs to sit at an awkward angle, and the GN's padding being in the seat.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Oh dang it. The first two pictures I saw the tag with the swirly dots on the GN and I was SOLD, ready to go buy it tomorrow, until I realized it was just the tag and not the cover. Rats.

My eye went there too and the thought went through my head, "I wonder how I can convince my husband that the kids (who am I kidding, I) need a Nautilus when I just bought 2 SafeGuards?" :whistle:

Seriously, Graco needs to get a new team on the Nauti cover designs, stat. Maybe the team that did the new SnugRide and SR32 covers.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
Is the Frontier narrower by any chance than the GN? I should just suck it up and buy 2 Radian XTs, but ugh. I don't know, I never know.
 

Splash

New member
Is the Frontier narrower by any chance than the GN? I should just suck it up and buy 2 Radian XTs, but ugh. I don't know, I never know.

You should do what I did, order from hipmonkey for $190 and suck up the $5 return insurance just in case. I figured to me it's worth the five bucks not to drive to BRU, fight with a sales rep, be followed to my car, be told 1967493 times that my son should be in a booster, be "helped" by a pimply kid named Steve, get rained on, yell at Steve to stop trying to touch my butt, figure out if the seat works or not, take it back in, explain to Steve that he's an idiot and I don't want his assistance ever again, and then explain to my son why we can't take it home right now.

Much easier to have it arrive at my doorstep, steve free, and install at my leisure after my son is asleep so he never knows it was here if it has to go back. Yes, that's well worth five bucks.

It should be to you, as well. ;)
 

doriansmummy

New member
Oh dang it. The first two pictures I saw the tag with the swirly dots on the GN and I was SOLD, ready to go buy it tomorrow, until I realized it was just the tag and not the cover. Rats.
That is so funny, I was thinking the same thing!
I was like, WHAT?! Look at that awesome cover.
Darn it.:(
 

Mama Jo

New member
Not mentioned in your comments, but the Nautilus seems to be pushing her head forward - which looks uncomfortable to me. In the Frontier, her neck and head look straight.


My DD has never complained about her head in her GN, but for fun we did the comparison of the two at BRU last weekend and that's I did notice that her head was pushed forward more in the GN than the FN... and that's when she said she liked the FN better and wanted to buy it because suddenly her neck hurt in the GN! Of course it did... Also to consider is that her GN is pink and the FN she was trying was brown and that didn't even seem to bother her, she liked it that much better. So our "fun" little experiment is going to cost me $229 for a new seat that I don't really need but kinda want now!
 

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