Graco Nautilus 3 in 1-Galaxy Car Seat

[jmo]

Does anyone have any info on this car seat or is there somewhere I can find the safety ratings?

Thanks! I am 7 months pregnant and new at this.

[GraceH]

I have the seat in Reese, which is similar to Galaxy -- HOWEVER, please note the Nautilus is a forward-facing only seat that my 2yo DS is just now going to this seat (which many on this board would prefer to rear-face for even longer) -- I think that the Nauilus is a great 'bang-for-your-buck' seat, but since the expiration is 6 years on Graco seats (and many others), you're doing well to think ahead, but you're not ready to go there yet.

I would highly recommend that you give the SnugRide32 a good look -- actually, it will be re-named snugRide35 shortly and there's a great discussion thread about it and the new patterns projected for it (cleverly named 'SnugRide35') -- I loved that I was able to use it for 2years (av. outgrowth is 16-18mo), getting us to the point that we decided to switch to forward-facing (legally, you must rear-face until baby is 1yr AND 20 lbs, which the smaller traditional infant seats are unlikely to get you to... the AAP recommends at least 2yr... people here prefer as long as possible, which for many here is over 3yr)

There are many of us here to help you learn -- feel free to ask plenty of questions! (I have asked plenty myself!:loveeyes:)

[mom2binsd]

Great advice from PP....many new parents will try to get baby equipment that serves dual purposes and on the surface a 3 in 1 seat sounds great.....but there are quite a few out there that don't do a good job of keeping an infant, toddler and older child safe. The Nautilus is seat we usually recommend for a child of at least 2 years, preferably older as rearfacing as long as possible is safest.

Also please don't use the Consumer Reports for your safety info and often the reviews on the retail sites are not the best either...I use the techs/parents on this board and those over at www.car-seat.org for my car seat information.

Like PP mentioned I'd look at either the Graco infant seats, there are basically two types, the regular ones that will likely last about 6-9 months, as they top out at 20 or 22 lbs...if you get one of these I'd only recommend one that has the harness adjuster in the front (it's like a tail hanging at the front). The higher weight Graco seats, aka the SafeSeat1, renamed the Snugride 32 and soon to be Snugride 35 will last much longer and also come with a great feature called Lock offs on the base that allow you to use the seatbelt install in the preferred middle position in the car (most cars don't have latch in the middle).

The Chicco Keyfit 30 is another fav infant seat with similar features of the Graco higher weight infant seats.

Don't worry too much about getting a travel system either, you can usually use your infant seats with either a universal stroller frame or a variety of strollers (ask us which ones go with which).

You can also skip the infant seat and go directly to a convertible seat, but some of them don't fit an infant as well...personally I found the infant seat to be soooo convenient for so many reasons, not waking a sleeping baby going in and out of car/stores/etc....

There are also so many choices and depending on where you live you may not see many in your local stores, most of us here order our seats online, better choice of fabrics, cheaper too!!!

Knowing what type of vehicle you have is also helpful if you'd like some recommendations.

Welcome to the world of car seats and baby gear!!!

[Joolsplus2]

Graco confused things by calling it a 3-in-1 :(. Typically that denotes that it could be used from birth rearfacing, then harnessed forward facing, then as a booster. But they made up their own meaning for it's three stages...it can be used forward facing harnessed (for a child age 2 or older), then it is a highback booster, then it is a backless booster.
As everyone else mentioned, you want to look at an infant seat because they tend to fit newborns the best while also fitting in the widest range of cars the easiest.

[AnnieW625]

I have some friends who love their Nautilus, but that won't be a good seat for a baby coming out of a regular infant seat that only goes to 22lbs and 29" (Graco Snugride 22 or Chicco Key Fit), especially since it's the law that children 1 year and 20lbs or less must be rear facing. My daughter started getting uncomfortable in her Snugride 22 at around 7 mos. old. I do have one friend who has a super tiny 1 year old who is still in her SR22, but that's pretty rare. Like GraceH said you might be able to get to 2 in a Snugride 32, but even at 18 mos. I don't think I'd put my child straight into a Nautilus, but I have never tried so that might be something to look into once the baby has grown out of a higher weight infant seat (if you decide to make that choice).

I honestly think one of the few ways you could get away with only two seats until your child is ready for a belted booster at 5 or 6 (some people do harness until 7 or 8; you'll know what you have to do when your child is that age) is to get a Combi Cocorro, which is a convertable seat, but has lots of cushy infant padding and will work for a child until they are 40lbs, and 40", so around 2/1/2 or 3 depending on size (most kids will outgrow the convertable by height before weight so keep that in mind too; there are measurements for that too, but I won't bother you with that now:)).

It's soo hard to make a decision now, but those are just a few of the options on the market these days, and good luck with the last two months of your pregnancy!

Combi Cocorro,
http://www.combi-intl.com/Products/Item.aspx?Item=12

[jmo]

Thank you so much for all the helpful the info. I actually registered for the snugride infant car seat as well.

I have one more question... I registered for a graco frame to fit the snugride carseat, but I still need to register for a stroller. I like the jogging strollers. My husband and I don't jog all that much, but we do a ton of walking and we live in Ma where the winters are pretty bad. Do any of you have any recommendations?

Thank you so much for your help :)

[AnnieW625]

I would've been lost without our jogging stroller. It was a life saver. I used it with an insert for infants that it came with so I could walk with DD starting at about a month old. I have heard wonderful things about the Bob Ironman, Bob Revolution, and the Baby Jogger series of joggers so I would definitely check them out. Unfortunately I can't recommend my jogger company Dreamer Design as they went out of business. You should be fine with the stroller frame (you might also want to look at the Maclaren Easy Rider frame as I have heard it's the best lightweight frame) for a few months so you can really research and see if you'll really want another stroller besides the jogger.

Maclaren Easy Traveller:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LF3TRO/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1/191-0880058-5794355?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=1G8YD864B96JAXHYAY5X&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_i=B000ELIY26

[GraceH]

Thank you so much for all the helpful the info. I actually registered for the snugride infant car seat as well.

I have one more question... I registered for a graco frame to fit the snugride carseat, but I still need to register for a stroller. I like the jogging strollers. My husband and I don't jog all that much, but we do a ton of walking and we live in Ma where the winters are pretty bad. Do any of you have any recommendations?

Thank you so much for your help :)


Which SnugRide are you registered for? The 'SnugRide' averages 6-9mo usage -- the 'SnugRide 32' averages 16-18mo usage -- this was especially handy for me to get through TWO Chicago winters with the option of bringing the seat inside (I imagine this will also be a consideration for you in MA).

I also would like to give a shoutout to my Graco Mosaic stroller, which has the convenience and compactness of a frame, ability to take a seat, yet for a few dollars more than the frame, you reserve the stroller option if baby is awake and wants out of their seat. I've been using the Mosaic & SR32 for 23 months and been VERY happy to have them both living in my car. (BRU has 'Jewel' in all their stores and 'Lemongrass' in some currently, which more expected in the new pattern releases... http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3601299 )

(I don't know much about jogging strollers, other than they are larger, making an unlikely choice for a live-in-the-car-trunk stroller)

[o_mom]

Thank you so much for all the helpful the info. I actually registered for the snugride infant car seat as well.

I have one more question... I registered for a graco frame to fit the snugride carseat, but I still need to register for a stroller. I like the jogging strollers. My husband and I don't jog all that much, but we do a ton of walking and we live in Ma where the winters are pretty bad. Do any of you have any recommendations?

Thank you so much for your help :)

You will still need a convertible carseat that can be rear-facing after the infant seat to keep the baby rear-facing until at least age two. I would take the Nautilus off the registry and put a taller convertible seat on instead. The Nautilus is a nice seat, but much more appropriate for a 3-4 yo who is too large to rear-face.

I would ask on the stroller board for strollers. :)

[mom2binsd]

Also about the Snugride, check to make sure it is one with a front adjust harness, on the picture it will look like a strap hanging out the front and should also say "front adjust harness" in the description- this makes it soooo much easier when you need to loosen and tighten the straps all the time.

As an aside, often new parents will register for a Bundle Me cover (this is NOT recommended) In cold climates like yours, you can use a "shower cap style' cover that fits over the infant seat, LL Bean and Lands End sell them as do other places. The Bundle Me attaches to the seat and can interfere with the harness.

If I were buying an infant seat I'd get the bigger ones, being able to get another 6-12 months out of it would be great. I loved being able to bring in DD/DS and set them down (contained) while I unloaded groceries, arrived somewhere, etc...and if they are sleeping you don't want to wake them, grocery shopping with a baby in the infant seat (put in the basket NOT on top) is so much easier!

[AnnieW625]

Also about the Snugride, check to make sure it is one with a front adjust harness, on the picture it will look like a strap hanging out the front and should also say "front adjust harness" in the description- this makes it soooo much easier when you need to loosen and tighten the straps all the time.


Yes please do! I was gifted one of the back adjust seats from Target and while the overall seat was nice I would've much preferred to have returned that seat and gotten the front adjust seat instead. Pretty much anything over $100 is front adjust.

[arivecchi]

Thank you so much for all the helpful the info. I actually registered for the snugride infant car seat as well.

I have one more question... I registered for a graco frame to fit the snugride carseat, but I still need to register for a stroller. I like the jogging strollers. My husband and I don't jog all that much, but we do a ton of walking and we live in Ma where the winters are pretty bad. Do any of you have any recommendations?

Thank you so much for your help :) I love my Valco Trimode and the Baby Jogger City Classic - both of which are excellent strollers that are good in the snow. I agree with the other posters that you should not register for the Nautilus. Instead register for a Britax Blvd or a Marathon or a Sunshine Kids Radian, so you can rear face your DC longer.

[jmo]

Thank you all so much! Great info.

[Happy 2B mommy]

I don't know if I missed it in the other posts, but most carseats expire 6 years after their manufacture date - not the date you start using the seat. Although it's nice to get those big ticket items at a baby shower, you'll get more use out of a convertible seat if you buy it when baby is close to outgrowing the infant seat. If you get a snugride 32 you'll use it for a year to 1 1/2 years. During that time a convertible seat you got for your shower is sitting in storage and although it is not being used, it is still 'aging'. by the time you actually start to use it, it will be nearly 2 years old -which stinks if you want to use it for future kiddos.

I would get a higher weight infant seat (chicco 30, Snugride 32 or 35) and when your baby is close to outgrowing it buy a convertible seat like the Britax marathon.