Question 3-in-1 seats?

[svickery614]

Looking for a new seat for. My daughter (almost 3, 34 lbs, not sure on height, but has always been about 80th percentile). She's handing her convertible down to her little sister, and I'm looking at a 3-in-1 for her. Was going to go with the Nautilus, mostly because all other seats we have are Graco (except the Scenera in DH's vehicle, but anyway....). Is there a major difference between seats at this stage? What are the pros and cons do this seat and any other that might be good for her?

It's going in a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer.

Hopefully I've got all the info here...

 

[MommyShannon]

If you plan to forward face her full time, you can scroll down to the Combination seats here. If you'd like to rear face longer, look at the convertible seats. http://carseatblog.com/carseatblogcoms-recommended-car-seats/
The Frontier 90 and Pinnacle 90 are the tallest harnessed seats available which is nice for tall kids.

 

[Brigala]

Just to clarify, are you looking for a seat that will rear-face, forward-face, and become a booster? Or a seat that will forward face, become a high-back booster and then a backless booster?

The Nautilus is the 2nd kind (forward facing and 2 styles of booster). But many parents don't realize this and purchase it thinking that because it's a 3-in-1 it will work rear-facing. So I just want to make sure.

Either option is theoretically appropriate for a 3 year old.

The Nautilus is generally well-liked and is a good seat for a child that age. Like all seats, there are some people who dislike it for various reasons. The biggest complaints I hear about it are that the head rest pushes some kids' heads forward when sleeping, and the crotch strap isn't very roomy for bigger kids. These issues bother some kids and not others. Personally, I don't like the way the harness is threaded; it leaves a lot of room for error when adjusting the height. But as long as you're careful and follow the instructions it's fine. It's just not as intuitive as some other seats, and most parents don't refer to the instructions as often as they probably should.

Bottom line: If you like the Nautilus, go for it. It's not a bad choice.

 

[svickery614]

Yes, I'm looking for a combination seat. I didn't know the term, so thanks for that.

I guess my question now is what is the upside to going with a Nautilus vs the Maestro which looks like it's cheaper? I read through the link posted; would it just be that the Maestro doesn't last as long in booster mode? Does it not become a backless booster like the Nautilus?

Is there another seat in this type that is better, for whatever reason?

I'm so indecisive!

 

[Keeyamah]

The issue with the maestro as a booster is it doesn't adjust in height, so just about when the harness is outgrown, the booster is outgrown as well. The Nautilus, Harmony Defender, Evenflo Securekid, and Britax Frontier all adjust taller after the harness is outgrown