REVIEWS

Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat Review

By Philip Yiga | November 19, 2015

The Graco Nautilus Matrix is a 3-in-1 (multi-mode) Car-Seat for little-children weighing 20-pounds to 100-pounds and this is actually the best car-seat you will ever buy for your child.

[See price on Amazon….]

The Graco Nautilus Matrix is ideal for children with ages of 1 to 10 years. In fact, the Graco Nautilus Matrix is an extended 5-point harness seat for children weighing 20 to 65 pounds and it also features an easy-to-install system with a lock-off buckle for easy and secure installation. Likewise, this car-seat can also operate as a high-back booster for children weighing 30 to 100 pounds and also as a backless booster for children weighing 40 to 100 pounds.

On the other hand, the Graco Nautilus Matrix features a steel reinforced frame which ensures durability coupled with a 3-posisiton recline for proper-installation and comfort. Lastly, the Graco Nautilus Car-Seat even offers easy-to-access storage and cup-holders thus offering your child with extra convenience, comfort and enjoyment.

The good:

The Graco Nautilus Car-Seat feels sturdy and solid because it features a reinforced steel-frame which ensures optimum strength and durability.
This is a 3-in-1 car seat with multiple-modes for extended use throughout the child of your daughter/son. This means that your little will continuously use this car-seat until he/she is capable of supporting him/her when in the car.
This car-seat also features EPS, energy-absorbing foam which ensures effective impact energy-management while offering your child with optimum comfort when sitting.
It has extra-comfortable wide-padded armrests coupled with an integrated cup-holder and storage that will work perfectly for your bigger kids.
The Graco Nautilus car-seat also features a 1-hand height adjustable head-rest coupled with open-loops at the top the seat in order to ensure easy positioning of the vehicle’s seatbelt.
This car-seat is also very easy to install and it even fits well in almost every car. In fact, you can install this seat firmly without using a lot of energy on getting-in seatbelts.
The Graco Nautilus Matrix car-seat is narrow enough to fit within the seating-section while still offering your kid with optimum comfort when sitting.
Lastly, this car-seat is long-lasting whereby it features a standard 6-year lifespan and the backless booster-option of the car-seat features an 8-year lifespan hence making the entire car-seat a perfect sitting-item for growing children.

The bad:

This car-seat is a bit complicated when in terms of removing the seat-pads for cleaning/washing. In fact, it will take you some time to remove the pads compared to other types of car-seat pads.
The third-crotch strap location on this car-seat works well for only thin to average size children but larger/ heavy children and even a bigger-toddler in a bulky-diaper may have issues with this strap.
The straps found on the Graco Nautilus Car-Seat feel a bit flimsier than those found on other types of car-seats like Britax.
Lastly, the clips/buckles on this car-seat are also a bit harder to operate compared to those on other car-seat brands. However, with time you get used to operating these buckles.

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Features overview:

3-in-1 car seat: the Graco Nautilus Matrix is three-in-one convertible car-seat that helps to keep your child secure in a 5-point harness from 20-65 pounds and from 27-inch to 52-inch. When your little-child is ready, this forward-facing car seat can be converted to a belt-positioning booster from 30-100 pounds and 38-inch to 57-inch and then as a backless-booster seat from 40-100 pounds and 40-inch to 57-inch. In fact, the Graco Nautilus is just like having 3 car-seats in one.

Meets or exceeds U.S. safety standards: this car-seat has been engineered and crash-tested to meet or exceed several safety-standards including: the U.S. Compliance-Standard FMVSS 213 and the New-Car-Assessment-Program (NCAP) for peak Crash-Force approximately 2-times the car-seat standard.

Fully Adjustable Headrest: The Nautilus Matrix features a one-hand height adjustable head-rest which easily adapts to your growing toddler’s-needs and this feature is loved by most experienced moms. In fact, it’s very important for the headrest and head-support to be in the right position in order to perfectly protect the child while sitting.

An adjustable 5-point harness: On the Graco Nautilus, the 5-point harness is extendable in order to perfectly fit children of up to 65-pounds thus keeping them harnessed for even longer. This actually meets the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations which state that, when forward-facing, the child should use a 5-point harness for as long as possible or until he/she reaches the maximum height or weight limit for the car-seat.

Open loops at the top: The Graco Nautilus Matrix also features open-loops at the top of the seat which ensure easy positioning of your vehicle’s seatbelt while making it much easier for your independent little/big child to self-buckle.

Contoured armrests: this car-seat also comes equipped with contoured-armrests coupled with a cup-holder and storage-pockets. In fact, these wide, padded armrests provide your child with extra-comfort as he/she grows while the integrated cup-holder and storage for small games and toys are added features for bigger-kids and they will actually appreciate them.

EPS energy-absorbing foam: this car-seat is also made of EPS energy-absorbing foam for effective impact energy-management while offering you children with optimum comfort when sitting. Additionally, the cushioning and foam used in this car-seat is resistant to extreme car-interior temperatures.

Side-impact tested: although this car-seat meets or exceeds all applicable US safety-standards, it has been even side-impact tested for occupant-retention solely with the built-in 5-point harness system and this ensure optimum safety for your little-child sitting.

Steel-reinforced frame: The Graco Nautilus Matrix car-seat also features a steel reinforced frame that ensures maximum strength and durability. In fact, this car-seat feels solid and sturdy hence it is capable of lasting for a good number of years before buying a new one.

3-position recline: the car-seat has three different recline-positions and these make it much easier and simpler to get the correct angle for proper-installation and optimal-comfort.

Machine-washable seat cushion: the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat is also designed with a removable, machine-washable seat-cushion in order to ensure easy maintenance and care of the car-seat.

Age/ Weight Recommendations: lastly, this car-seat was designed to accommodate children from 20–65 pounds (27-inch to 52-inch) with the 5-point harness system, 30–100 pounds (38-inch to 57-inch) as a highback-booster and 40–100 pounds (40-inch to 57-inch) as a backless-booster.

[See price on Amazon….]

Product Quality:

The Graco Nautilus matrix is a good-quality, 3-in-1 Car-Seat that will help keep your little-child safe and secure from 22-lbs to 100-lbs. In fact, this 3-in-1 Car Seat can be converted from a harnessed-booster to a high back belt-positioning booster and finally to a backless belt-positioning booster so as to provide a comfortable sitting experience for your growing child. In fact, the harness booster can be used up-to 65-lbs and as your little-child continues to grow the Graco Nautilus transitions into a highback belt-positioning booster which can be used from 30–100lbs. likewise, this car-seat will finally transition into a backless belt-positioning booster for a comfortable-fit from 40 to 100 lbs.

On the other hand, the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat is crash-tested to meet or even exceed the U.S safety-standards, side-impact testing and even outfitted with a reinforced-steel frame for effective energy-management. Additionally, it features wide, comfortable armrests with an integrated cup-holder and storage-section while the 1-hand height adjustable headrest helps to keep your child comfortable even on the longest travels. All in all, the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat will actually last your little travel-companion throughout his/her childhood.

Who does it benefit?

Benefits people searching for a long-lasting car-seat for their little-kids: the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat that is capable of converting from a harnessed-booster to a high back belt-positioning booster and finally to a backless belt-positioning booster. This means that your child will be able to fit into this car-seat throughout his/her childhood hence making it a better car-seat for long-term use.

What Else Do You Need?

Munchkin Auto Seat-Protector (1-Count): you will need to place a seat-protector into the back-seat of your car before you place in the car-seat for your little-child. This is very important because it help to protect the back-seat area from getting scratched or damaged by the baby-seat placed over it.
Munchkin Backseat Organizer: this is actually a backseat bag in which you will place all your items before you insert the car-seat for your little-child.