True Fit or Nautilus

[Niranut]

I can't seem to work out what will be best for us...  Here's our current setup--

5yo DS is in a Nautilus (and will be until he's 65lb harnessed & 100lb boostered)

3.5yo (37lb) DD is in a Britax Marathon (love this seat, but it's almost expired so needs to be replaced)

2.5yo (27lb) DD is in a Graco ComfortSport (not too crazy about this seat, but it's all we had and it's good til 2013)

We live overseas and I'm debating whether to have my mom bring us one or two car seats when she comes to visit next month.  And also not sure what kind to have her bring.

Our car does not have any latch/tether points, and also does not have locking seat belts.  Our Graco seats came with locking clips which do the trick, but they are no fun to install.  The Nautilus is also a bit of a pain to adjust/clean, as it means I have to take the whole thing out.  

I looked at the True Fit manual and it looks like when you thread the seatbelt through, the seat has an integrated locking clip-- is that right?  Our current Marathon has this, and it always installs great every time. 

Any thoughts on the True Fit or the Nautilus??  I was planning to just get two more Nautiluses, as I know they are great seats-- just annoying to install properly and clean and such.  But not the end of the world if I know my kids are safe.  But then I started looking around here and looked at the True Fit more closely.  While I won't be able to use it as a booster after 65lb, I think it would be *much* easier for me to install with just seatbelts. 

I also like that the True Fit is a little cheaper than the Nautilus right now, which would be nice, esp. if I buy two.

Am I missing anything?  Is there another seat I should be looking at?  Basically, I need something I can use as.long.as.possible that can be installed using non-locking seatbelts... 

Edited by Niranut - 5/28/11 at 9:11pm

[leighi123]

If you aren't going to use it rearfacing, there is no point in getting the Truefit.  The GN is FF only.  So it depends on what you plan on using it for.  

[indignantgirl]

If you are okay with FF'ing your older DD then you can get a Nautilus for her, but I'd recommend a True Fit for your youngest so he'll be able to continue RF'ing for a while. We have 2 True Fit Premiers and love them.  The TF is easier to install (in the cars I've tried them both in) and it's very roomy; it actually seems to have more seat room and depth than the Nautilus.  It also has a nice tall shell, and by the time your youngest grows out of it she can be bumped up to her big sister's Nautilus for booster use.

[Niranut]

Hmm...  I'm confused now.  I for sure need to get something for the 37lb. 3.5yo, as her Marathon will expire soon.  She would be FF in the new seat.  I am looking at the TF 630 and it looks like the child can be FF til 65 lbs.  So why isn't it a good idea to use the True Fit FF?  I know that it will only be good til 65lbs, whereas the GN goes til 65lb harnesses and then 100lb boostered.  The main reason I was considering the TF is because it has a lockoff for seatbet installation.  

Is the GN a better idea because it can be used as a booster beyond the 65lb harnessed point?  Would it be better to go with the TF because it has a lockoff and would work better with our seatbelts?  IDK...

For the 27lb 2.5yo, I think a TF is definitely the way to go, as she's also the tiniest of my 3 and will likely be within the height and weight limits for the entire life of the seat :)

[leighi123]

There is no problem with using it forward facing, its perfectly safe.  

But why pay for a seat that goes rearfacing, if you will never use it rearfacing?   Its like getting 1/2 the use out of the seat and in 2-3yrs you would have to buy a seperate booster.   The GN is forward facing only, but converts to a booster.  So it will be useful for longer for a child who is already forward facing.    Do your seatbelts not lock at all, or just not at the retractor?   In my car, they lock at the latchplate.  Its mostly real old cars that have ELR seatbelts (ones that only lock in a crash)

Is your 2yr old rearfacing?  If so, the TF is a great choice, we loved ours.    My ds (almost 4, and 27lbs) is RF in a radian XTSL, but fits nicely in the TrueFit as well.  

[Niranut]

Ah, I see what you meant now :)

Sadly, our car has the ELR type belts.  It's a 2003 Toyota Sportrider (not sure what a comprable U.S. model would be), so it's not that old, but ELR is all they offer here.  I have heard that some of the higher end models in recent years offer the ALR belts, but it really doesn't matter since our car is just fine and we have no plans/budget to upgrade any time soon. 

For the 3.5yo, I'm was on the fence just because of the installation issue.  And then I discovered there is a "Nautilus Elite" model which has lockoffs!!  So I do believe my problem is solved for the 3.5yo.  It costs about $30 more and doesn't come in pink, but I think we can manage :)

The 2yo is rear-facing for now, but I haven't weighed her in a while and I'm pretty sure she's about reached the RF limit for the ComfortSport. I agree the TF is the way to go for her, but now I can't decide if I should spend an extra $40 to get the rebound plate which would help a lot with our belt-only install...

Thanks for the feedback.

[chickabiddy]

Very few children will make it to 65# in the TrueFit before outgrowing it by height.  The Nautilus harness is a full inch (and maybe even a little more) taller.

Of course, most children are ready to use boosters safely before they are 65# anyhow.