Review: Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat

Our family recently expanded with the arrival of “baby brother.” We had three car seats already (an infant and two convertibles) but were looking for another seat since both of us would be driving the kids to or from daycare in a few months. This time around, I was searching for something that would last a while. Well, with the Graco Nautilus, I believe we found the last car seat we’ll ever need.

I picked it up at a great deal a few days ago from Target for $159 (originally $179). Installation was a snap (quite literally, it was a matter of snapping the headrest in place). It’s very well padded and the material on this particular style, “Reese,” is soft and plush. I would say the comfort level is definitely an improvement over the Fisher Price Safe Voyage seat and almost as comparable to the Britax Decathlon. The anchor and tether straps are very easy to use. The harness straps are easily adjustable and don’t twist easily. The headrest adjusts for taller kids, and the crotch strap has two adjustable positions.

We’re currently using it as a car seat with the built in harness strap, but once Pooky outgrows that we can take out the harness and use the seat belt, and the last stage would be to disassemble the other parts and use it as a booster. I’m thrilled she’ll be safe in this seat and we won’t need to buy another one. Pooky liked it immediately and couldn’t wait to sit in it. She was especially excited about having a built in cup holder and two open side bins that she could use to stash small toys.

The car seat is extremely heavy, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re needing to move it around a lot or take it with you through the airport. It comes in several different styles, including the “Matrix” style pictured above.