# Britax Frontier or Graco Nautilus?



## Romana (Mar 3, 2006)

I need a new seat for my 10 mo ds. Dd is currently 29 lbs and in a Britax Boulevard. Ds is 21 lbs or more and is too big for his Graco bucket.

I was thinking about getting a new seat for dd and handing the Boulevard down to ds. Dd is NOT rearfacing and we will not be going back to rearfacing. I know she could RF in the Boulevard to 33 lbs; that was my plan, but she can get out of the seat in a few seconds flat if it's RF. So she's FF, end of story.









So my thought was to *put ds in the Boulevard, RF* (hopefully to 33 lbs!) and *get a new seat for dd* that will last her a long time. I was thinking either the Graco Nautilus or the Britax Frontier.

Which one would you buy and why? The Frontier goes up to 80 lbs and I like the longevity of the seat. However, I think it's about $100 more than the Nautilus.

Thanks. I find this stuff so confusing for some reason. I have to hurry up and buy something because ds is really too big for his bucket, but have such a hard time figuring out which to buy.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Both seats will last about the same amount of time harnessed. The Nautilus is more straightforward to install, IMO. So it's up to you whehter or not you feel that the frontier is worth the extra money. Personally, we bought the nautilus.


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## Romana (Mar 3, 2006)

Thanks. My dd is so small that it does seem kind of silly to me to be worrying about 60 vs 80 lb limits . . . she'll be in junior high before she hits 80 lbs, I bet.


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## janasmama (Feb 8, 2005)

I have a frontier and the straps get twisted up all the time. It's very frustrating. I bought Britax because usually their straps are really good about staying in place. I'm really unhappy with it. I called them and they sent me new ones because apparently they had changed the straps since our manufacture in 7/08 but they were exactly the same.

If I could return mine and get a nautilus I would.


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## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

We have one of each; a Nautilus in the nanny's car and a Frontier in ours.

* The Nautilus is cheaper. Hands down.

* The cupholders on the Nautilus are easier to use.

* I've heard the Nautilus is easier to install; I've only installed the Frontier, which is harder than a Marathon but not the bear I was expecting it to be (and that's with the belt install). ETA: Today I installed the Nautilus. Ok, you can't get much easier than that (well, except for the Safeguard!). Went in rock-solid in no time (in a Ford Expedition).

* The Frontier is way, WAY easier to adjust the harness on. Lift handle, position harness, snap handle back down. The Nautilus not only requires rethreading, but the strap ends get threaded into a roller assembly that's covered in plastic, and you have to reach through these finger-holes to guide it. (Both require uninstallation to change the harness.)

* The Frontier will last longer as a high-backed booster.

* The Nautilus can convert to a low-backed booster after one outgrows the belt positioner on the back.

* The Frontier, in booster mode, can have the LATCH anchors attached, removing the need to buckle the seat in when it's empty. (The Nautilus manual doesn't appear to prohibit this explicitly, but it does say "LATCH will not secure your child in booster mode" and definitely doesn't give instructions for installing the seat as a booster using LATCH.)

* The expiration of the Frontier is nine years, for the entire seat. The expiration of the Nautilus is six years for the back and harness, nine years for the bottom... so after the back expires, it has three years left as a low-backed booster.

* The Frontier is narrower.

* The Nautilus can be disassembled into two parts (seat and back) for storage or transport.

* Britax specializes in carseats. Graco makes a lot of things, including some fairly reputable carseats.

* Britax has an excellent reputation for internal testing and issuing recalls promptly if they detect any issue, even if it hasn't caused any complaints from the field. (I don't know Graco's track record on car seat testing and/or recalls, but haven't heard anything bad.)

So, all in all, I prefer the Frontier, but the Nautilus is certainly a reasonable seat, and if money is a big issue, it's a better choice.


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## Labyrinth (Apr 14, 2008)

I think most kids would outgrow both seats before 65 lbs. Nevermind 80 lbs. I like the GN, but I haven't actually touched the Frontier so I can't really compare. I think the GN has a very nice price point, and I really haven't been disappointed with the car seat at all. The GN might have a slightly taller (half inch to an inch depending who you ask) top harness than the Frontier, however the frontier has more space in the crotch buckle and doesn't squish kids quite as much.

I found the GN to be easy to rethread







. Especially compared to some of the other seats I've rethreaded. Actually, one day I assembled the seat (cover, harness, etc) in 5 minutes while having an asthma attack so I could go to the hospital







.


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## BeckC (Nov 27, 2006)

I think Ironica pretty much covered the Nautilus vs. Frontier.

I promise not to browbeat you about RF, but I'm curious. What was it about RF that made your daughter able to escape the seat? How old is she?


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## soccermama (Jul 2, 2008)

We have the Graco Nautilus in my car as well as H's car. DS loves it. "My neeeeew car seat" is what he says everytime he gets in it.








DS was outgrowing his Evenflo Titan and needed something that he would have for quite a while. The Nautilus goes up to 100lbs, can convert over to a standard booster when DS is ready for it. It's VERY comfortable, fits DS much better than his Titan, and the price is unbeatable. The one is H's car is a different model, so his was $149. In my car, we have the newer model that my mom bought us for Christmas and it was $179. DS will more than likely have this for another good 4 to 5 years.


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## APmom2Libby (Mar 18, 2006)

I got a Frontier and had to return it after I spent hours trying to get the latch to work in my 02 Odyssey. I have installed and tethered many car seats successfully (and very well, I might add







), but could NOT get this seat in securely.

I returned it and am now going to buy the Nautilus.


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

Ironica did a great job of explaining.....the only thing I would say is that the nautilus CAN be used with LATCH in booster mode. Graco has confirmed this, it just isn't in the manuals yet. So that particular issue is a wash, neither has an advantage.


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## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Good to know, Jess.

Though the Frontier does come with instructions for it, which is a *slight* bonus. ;-)


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