Monterey vs. Olli vs. Nautilus

Kat_Momof3

New member
Okay... so many have wondered... which is better once you go backless... the Monterey, or the Olli... and I also wanted to try the Nautilus as a backless booster.

So... when I took the kids to the aquarium Sunday, I decided to ask Jeffrey which booster he'd like to ride in (he still uses the back on the Monterey, but I've wanted to get him in photos with both backless to do this comparison) and he said the Olli. He's only got 1-2 clicks left in the Monterey anyway, and his sister is now fast approaching the limits of her harness in the Nautilus, so it's time for the comparison shots. (I'll have another thread in the coffee break about her grow room lessening)

So... here's round one - the Olli

Jeffrey said he picked it because he likes the squishy foam under his but... that thing is super cushy... and because it is easier to buckle... he's right... with the Olli, I don't have to check that he tightened the belt enough... the armrests have a larger cut out area that lets the belt snug up super easy.

Though the seat doesn't look deep, when it's installed using latch, there is a little space between the seat bight and the olli... which adds a little depth as the child is more centered on the booster.

Jeffrey certainly was comfy and, as he's not leggy, it was a little easier for him to make sure he was seated all the way back in his seat.

For leggier kids, the angle of the seating area, going up at the knee area and being lower at the back will provide better thigh support and make it a comfy ride.

so here's a shot, showing him in the seat and showing the fit of the belt.

Jclekolli2.jpg


the shoulderbelt fit was perfect... full contact across the chest and totally dead center of the shoulder, though an adjustable shoulderbelt probably helps.

the lapbelt (if you can see it... his shirt is baggy and covering a good bit of it) is over his hips and lying nice and flat, touching his thighs... his pants are baggy.

A shadow hit across the top, but you can still see that, with the headrest on only the middle setting, he's got tons of room to grow.

One thing he and I both love about this booster is that it uses latch... he loves that it doesn't move a millimeter when he's getting in or out, on top of the super easy install that he can do all by himself. He can also remove it himself, but if he has trouble on bucket seats that require a little more lifting of the booster while tugging the strap, I help him.

It is this feature that makes me now wondering if I will even bother to get him a new spare booster when he passes down his Monterey to his sister... we may just utilize the carry strap and keep it hanging in the front closet so he can just grab it at every trip... it's that easy to put in and out and during the school year, he's just not in the vehicles as much.


That's part 1.

When he gets home, I'm going to do Part 2... the Monterey backless!
 
ADS

Kat_Momof3

New member
Part 2 - Monterey as backless.

Jeffrey has used it this way before, but never in a captain's chair.

I had not even thought about fit... it was hard to fit it properly and I probably would need to recline the captain's chair a notch or two if I wanted an easy fit... as it was, I just pushed down with one hand and shoved it back with the other to get it all the way back and it was fine. I don't know how much more difficult it would be if I'd bothered to secure the latch straps... but I had an antsy boy who wanted to play, along with cloudy weather that looks like rain, so there you are.

Belt fit - as you can see the lapbelt fit is perfect... it's over his thighs completely, due to the thicker armrests.

Jeffrey does have to be really careful to get it snug, as it's harder than the olli, so I check him on this... and without the back, it's still the same in that respect.

Not sure if you can tell, but he's not sitting as straight up in this photo as he was with the olli... the Monterey actually raises him higher... so there is less growroom because this booster is thicker throughout. For a leggy child, this won't be an issue and they may prefer how much deeper this seat clearly is. with the back, Jeffrey's legs bend easily at the edge... without it... they just barely come over the edge of the booster, with lots of room to go for depth either way, making this a great booster for kids who want a deep seat.

shoulderbelt - it fits properly, but is a little (barely noticeable) further out on the shoulder and it isn't QUITE as snug on his chest, but it's a good fit. I just like the fit of the shoulderbelt better on the Olli.

MontereyBacklessJ.jpg


So between these two, if you are looking just for a backless booster, I'd probably go with the Olli, however, unless there is a problem with the vehicle seating position, I have yet to see a kid outgrow the Monterey's back before passing the 5-step test.

Tomorrow, I'll take apart the Nautilus and get shots of him in that as a backless... for part 3.... and if anyone is interested, I could get shots of him in the FPSVB as backless.
 
Love these pics. Thanks for sharing. :) :thumbsup: (reping you).

I need to do a booster pic comparison tomorrow with Michael and my daycare girl(shoot need to get my turbooster from my friend now that she bought one).
 

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