Recline Problem? I have read hundreds of reviews on this car seat on Amazon as well as Walmart , Target and Babies R us. My first thought was to buy this seat. I wanted something that was going to last awhile being as tho my son is 2 yrs old 36 inches and 31 lbs. My First concern is that we are going on a road trip several from now until December so we are going to be in the car for longer than a 6 hour period. Im worried that the seat will not recline enough for him to be comfortable while napping... I dont want his head bobbing all over the place. Does this seem to be an issue that anyone else is having? Are you able to recline it enough for them to be comfortable. I have a van and the seats are able to recline. Please help Recline Problem? I have read hundreds of reviews on this car seat on Amazon as well as Walmart , Target and Babies R us. My first thought was to buy this seat. I wanted something that was going to... » Read More Recline Problem? I have read hundreds of reviews on this car seat on Amazon as well as Walmart , Target and Babies R us. My first thought was to buy this seat. I wanted something that was going to last awhile being as tho my son is 2 yrs old 36 inches and 31 lbs. My First concern is that we are going on a road trip several from now until December so we are going to be in the car for longer than a 6 hour period. Im worried that the seat will not recline enough for him to be comfortable while napping... I dont want his head bobbing all over the place. Does this seem to be an issue that anyone else is having? Are you able to recline it enough for them to be comfortable. I have a van and the seats are able to recline. Please help « Show Less
829172
The Graco Nautilus is a good car seat all in all, but has bad reclining feature. I agree, the recline feature seems to be only for fitting it into your car, not for the comfort of your child. My son is 2 years, and we keep struggling with his head bobbing around with every turn or when the car slows down (momentum pulls his head forward) - poor guy... You may want to try it out in the car you're fitting it in to see if it helps to adjust the car seat while the grace is fixed into it.
829173
We bought 2 Nautilus for our 3.5 and 1.5 year olds, and deeply regret the buying beacuse of the poor reclining feature. We have a total of one hour commute and our kids fell asleep with their heads not properly resting. Maybe it would be ideal for shorter commutes or bigger kids.
829174
We just installed this seat today. The recline feature is bogus. If your idea of reclining is 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch, then maybe your child will like it. I Googled the reclining 'feature' issue and this seat definitely causes what is termed 'head slump'. Head slump is when your child's head dangles forward with their chin resting on their chest. - Like a zombie. I think I'll return it ASAP and get something else. I have it installed front-facing in a 2006 Accord.
155855
Personally, I wouldn't put a newborn in the fully reclined toddler seat. It doesn't seem very safe and comfortable when they are so little. I have used the bassinet for my baby from 0 - 7 months and now (she is 8 months) I am using the toddler seat. I think Britax also says that the toddler seat is not for children under 6 months.
98192
the seats don't necessarily recline. There is a clasp behind the seats (similar to a seat belt) where when you unclasp, the canvas seats give and drop down an extra 2 inches or so. I purchased the stroller when the twins were 8 months and it's perfect for every day use, and they are big enough so that their head hits the top of the seat that gives and it gives enough for them to nap - the clasp part is closer to the top - if twins are newborns and tiny - they may not be tall enough to hit the area that gives. you may need to wait a few months. Hope this helps.
1066349
There are 2 reclining positions. The recommended position depends on the seat it sits on. I think it's a 45 or 35degree angle. No it can't be reclined when the baby is in the seat. It has to be set when the carseat is installed. I purchased this carseat for my 8month old. I would purchase this seat again. Britax is better quality and has more metal protection than any other carseats I have found.
1233394
My son is five and weighs 45 pounds. He was about your son's size when he was 2, but then he thinned out. This thing is good up to about 100 pounds for front facing five point restraint. The five point restraint is simply the safest. We also have a booster for when he goes with family or friends, as this is not as convertible. But, overall, I love the britax 5-point restraint seat for longer trips especially as when he nods off his head has a place to rest. Your son is only 2, so I would recommend investing in this. Poorly fitted boosters can cause evisceration of organs and spinal cord injury to children. Why risk it? My son is five and weighs 45 pounds. He was about your son's size when he was 2, but then he thinned out. This thing is good up to about 100 pounds for front facing five point restraint. The five point restraint is simply the safest. We also have a booster for when he goes with family or friends, as this is not as convertible. But, overall, I love the britax 5-point restraint seat for longer trips especially as when he nods off his head has a place to rest. Your son is only 2, so I would recommend investing in this. Poorly fitted boosters can cause evisceration of organs and spinal cord... » Read More My son is five and weighs 45 pounds. He was about your son's size when he was 2, but then he thinned out. This thing is good up to about 100 pounds for front facing five point restraint. The five point restraint is simply the safest. We also have a booster for when he goes with family or friends, as this is not as convertible. But, overall, I love the britax 5-point restraint seat for longer trips especially as when he nods off his head has a place to rest. Your son is only 2, so I would recommend investing in this. Poorly fitted boosters can cause evisceration of organs and spinal cord injury to children. Why risk it? « Show Less
387221
Supposedly it is for children 5 to 65 pounds. I wouldn't recommend it though only because it doesn't recline as far back as the infant car seats. It also is not portable. You would have to take the baby in and out of the seat at each stop. I would highly recommend an infant seat for the convenience. It is a great car seat though!
1339616
A lot of car seats stats are greatly exaggerated. Maybe in some circumstance with a tall 5lb baby it worked, but 99.9% of the time it won't. I've heard this seat doesn't fit most babies until at least 5-6mo. Since your baby is on the smaller side I would give it a couple more months.
1884036
I probably would not recommend this seat for an infant even though is comes with an infant insert. We started out with the Chicco KeyFit 30 and loved it. He was in it until he weighed 30 lbs and it was very easy to get him in and out and with the base, made it particularly easy to take the entire seat out if he was sleeping without waking him. The Britax Advocate 70-G3 seems to be working out very well for him at this stage. We have it rear facing at this point but may have to turn it forward facing soon if he grows much taller as his legs seem a little cramped in the rear facing position.
98010
Hi, our baby was 9 months old when we got the seat, and she even seems too small for it....there are long plastic guides on the shoulder straps that i think would be too long for an infant...that's my 2 cents... i would get an infant car seat - it can get heavy but the ease of transporting the sleeping baby is well worth carrying it.Good luck!
1668762
The only that I found to be any type of an issue (and it was not that bad) was that when using the carrier in the back I was not able to recline that front seat too far back. Just a small bit of advise, is have the heavier kid in the back. It is easier to push that way. I did it the other way once and it was harder. I also put my carrier in the front if kiddo was sleeping so I could recline the back seat all of the way so he could lay down.
136659
Britax's website (I don't think I can post a link here but it's their name, then usa, .com). They have a great tool for side by side comparison for all of their seats, height & weight restrictions, etc) If I'm reading the specs right (please don't quote me on this), the height restrictions are the same (49'). It's the weight that's the big difference. It goes up to 40lb rear facing, 70lb front facing. My son is on the smaller side (he's 18 months and just now getting into 12-18 mo clothes) and I bought this seat because I knew it would last a while rear facing.
807574
I agree with one of the previous posters. Our pediatrician recommended not using this as an overnight sleeping option. We used it when we were traveling when our son was younger (up until about 3 months), but after that our son could roll over and preferred to sleep on his stomach. Not sure how tall your baby is, but our son was around 23-24" at 3 months and still fit but didn't have a lot of extra room.
1918484
I know that it seems that most people do not keep their children rear facing until at least 40 pounds, but in actuality extended rear facing is much, much, much safer for your child. Other countries keep children rear facing until age four and have much lower rates of child mortality in car crashes. Should you be interested in extended rear facing, I would check out the Diano Radian and the Clek Foonf. If your child is not tall, the Britax Advocate is another great choice. If you are set on turning your son around, I will say that we have this seat and absolutely love it. We use it for our almost 6 year old daughter and she is very comfortable in it. The seat installs like a dream and is very solid. It's heavy though, so I wouldn't choose it if you need to move it a lot. Hope this helps!
1762120
It depends on if you plan on using it rear facing or foward facing. My kid has no problem napping on a long car drive and he is still using it rear facing. The foward facing postion has less of a recline but to be honest it still looks like the child would be really comfortable.
2117266
We bought both this seat and the Britax Boulevard 70-3G. Both are great chairs. The Recaro's seat is not deep enough and makes it look uncomfortable but my kid doesn't complain. It has a really high back which makes it uncomfortable to get her in and out in our small car. If you're talking about a small infant, the seat does not come with an infant positioner that would make it more comfortable and more secure. The side protection wings also don't go all the way down for a tiny one. In my honest opinion, I think an infant car seat is better since it is built specifically for them. This one is much better for smaller toddlers. Pros: lots of venting so you don't have to worry about over heating. SUPER safe, steel frame. Cons: difficult install. Tall back even in a larger car. No infant positioner. I did LOVE my Graco Snugfit 35. They now make an even nicer Snugfit 40 that should last even longer than my 35. If I had to do it again, I would have gotten the Sung Fit 40 so that my 19 month old could still fit in it (35in height max) and then bought my Britax for ease of use again. I know I may have over burdened you with my answer. The seat is better for a toddler. But I wouldn't buy it again.
1459426
This seat does not support the head (if the child is leaning back, the back part goes up to about their neck I would say), but I bought this hoping it would help my son with his head control and I do think it did. When I first bought this, he would slump over (I love that this seat encircles the child so they can't fall out), but I would have him sit in it - I was with him the entire time - until he got frustrated, then I would take him out. He could sit in it longer and longer each time and now he has better balance and head control and he loves his seat. He can sit in it for quite a long time now! Love this FP seat! This seat does not support the head (if the child is leaning back, the back part goes up to about their neck I would say), but I bought this hoping it would help my son with his head control and I do think it did. When I first bought this, he would slump over (I love that this seat encircles the child so they can't fall out), but I would have him sit in it - I was with him the entire time - until he got frustrated, then I would take him out. He could sit in it longer and longer each time and now he has better balance and head control and he loves his seat. He can sit in it for quite a long... » Read More This seat does not support the head (if the child is leaning back, the back part goes up to about their neck I would say), but I bought this hoping it would help my son with his head control and I do think it did. When I first bought this, he would slump over (I love that this seat encircles the child so they can't fall out), but I would have him sit in it - I was with him the entire time - until he got frustrated, then I would take him out. He could sit in it longer and longer each time and now he has better balance and head control and he loves his seat. He can sit in it for quite a long time now! Love this FP seat! « Show Less
736261
I debated for about a month or two on weather to get the radian or a britax and I have a friend who was certified for installing carseats and apparently britax shortened their seats so kiddos outgrow them faster..the the radian has a steal frame..allows you to rear face til 45 pounds and lasts through a booster seat:) diono also just came out with a carseat called the Pacifica that actually allows you to rear face your child til 50 pounds and ya still in the same price range as the radian and britax:)