Best Car Seat, In My Opinion At Least!
Last week I discussed the new car seat regulations, so I thought today I would tell you about the best car seat in my opinion. My favorite car seat is the Graco Nautilus. This car seat cannot be used with an infant. It can only be used with a forward facing toddler or older child. The Nautilus is a convertible car seat that goes from a 5 point harness car seat to a booster with a back to a backless booster seat. However, even when being used as a car seat it looks more like a booster seat than most car seats. It has a cup holder in one arm and both arms have spots to keep toys inside. Both of my boys have the seat and love it. I love the fact that my seven year old is still in a 5 point harness and that gives me the satisfaction of knowing I have him in the safest seat possible. Currently, I do not know of any other seat that would allow him to use a 5 point harness that is in my budget. He is not crazy about using the harness at this point, but it makes me feel much better.
One of the reasons I think this is the best car seat is the fact that you can keep your child in a five point harness until they reach 65 pounds and about 52 inches. You do not want your child’s shoulders above the harness slot, so the height restriction will vary depending on your child. My 7 year old has long legs and shorter torso, he has just under an inch to go before he outgrows it. You can technically start using the booster seat with the back when your child reaches 30 pounds and without the back when your child reaches 40 pounds. You can continue to use the booster seat until your child reaches 100 pounds. I personally recommend using the 5 point harness until your child outgrows it. I remember speaking to a police officer at a safety event one day, and him telling me to keep my children in the harness as long as possible. He said that in all actuality our seat belts should be 5 point harnesses. He said the difference in injuries sustained during a crash when using a 5 point harness compared to a regular seat belt is amazing.
With the new recommendations that babies remain rear facing until the age of 2 I am recommending you end up purchasing 3 car seats. First, the newborn carrier, then a larger seat that can be used both forward and rear facing and finally the Nautilus. I understand that not everyone can afford to purchase 3 seats, however, if you can I highly suggest doing so. Being the safety nut that I am, I needed the safest seats out there to know that I was doing the best I could for my children.
