Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat Review

The Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat attempts to remove the need for buying new car seats throughout the life of a child. How well does this 3-in-1 convertible seat concept work? Read on to find out just how good the Graco Nautilus is, and why it can save you a lot of money on car seats in the long run.

At a Glance

The Graco Nautilus is a front facing adjustable/convertible car seat that can accommodate children and toddlers between 20 and 100 pounds. It features an extended 5 point harness for children between 20 and 65 pounds.

As your child grows, the seat can convert into either a High-back belt positioning booster or a backless booster for older children. In other words, this seat can grow with your child.

The Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 car seat features a strong steel reinforced frame, making it extremely durable, rugged and safe.

Comfort and Safety Features

Since you’ll most likely be using this seat on long trips in addition to short ones, comfort is very important. Keeping children quiet and still on a long journey is a challenge at the best of times, and even more so when the child is not comfortable. So, while safety should be the most important feature of a car seat, comfort should go hand in hand with it to avoid it becoming an impractical and useless for the job it was designed for.

As far as comfort is concerned, the Nautilus features EPS energy-absorbing foam, which is both safe and very comfortable. Other comfort features include:

- Easily adjustable head support helps to keep your growing child in a comfortable position
- 3 position recline to keep your child comfortable
- soft, cushioned seat
- wide, contoured arm rests
- handy cup holder and storage space in the side

As for safety, the Graco is one sturdy chair and meets or exceeds major US safety standards. These include:

- U.S. Compliance Standard FMVSS 213
- NCAP (New Car Assessment Program)
- Extreme Car Interior Temperatures testing
- Side Impact Tested with the 5-point harness

This is a safe, comfortable seat that you can use with confidence.

Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat Pros and Cons

+ Competitive Pricing

The Graco is very affordable and cheaper than many of its comparable rivals. On a purely dollar for dollar basis, this seat is hard to beat with the safety features and comfort it offers.

This is a solid, comfortable seat. We feel that the padding could have been thicker, but the seat seems to be comfortable enough, with the exception of one little problem discussed in the cons below.

There can be little doubt about the safety of the Graco. It has met or surpassed the relevant safety tests, and continues to be rated highly for its safety by users.

The instructions for installing the seat are clear. Graco even provides installation videos on their YouTube channel. The seat can be fastened either with the seatbelt on your vehicle, or with the LATCH system provided with the Graco Nautilus, which anchors the child seat to anchor point below the seat of your car. Your vehicle may or may not support this feature.

The Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat is available in a variety of colors, so you can choose one which either fits your vehicle or fits your child.

A common complaint with this seat is that it is too upright, and in actual fact cannot recline once installed.

Unfortunately, this is a payoff you need to accept in favor of safety. It is a safe, sturdy seat, and unfortunately that adds to its weight. As long as you don’t have to carry it around a lot you won’t mind this.

Another common issue is the crotch strap, which is simply too tight in the opinion of many users and becomes a problem for a growing child. One more adjustment slot on the strap would have made all the difference. Skinny children should be fine, larger ones may experience discomfort.

Since rear facing seats are recommended for toddlers up to 2 years of age, the Graco really isn’t usable for children younger than that as it is purely a front facing unit.

Sale Price:$189.99

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