Graco Nautilus 65 LX Review

In 1942 Philadelphia, Russell Gray and Robert Cone first started Graco fabricating car parts. After some time, Gray left, and Cone hired an engineer specifically to create baby gear. The first product he designed was an infant swing. The swing was inspired by an outdoor glider a coworker used to soothe their crying baby. The innovative swing sold millions and was responsible for putting Graco on the map in the baby gear world. In short order, they became one of the world's leading manufacturers of baby products including high chairs, play yards, strollers, car seats, and more.

Performance Comparison

The headrest in the Graco has thicker padding than some of the competition, but it is difficult to say this increase safety.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Crash Test

The Graco has less impressive crash test results than some competitors. While all seats in this review have passed Federal requirements and are, therefore, considered safe, some seats have crash test results that are better than the competition and indicate an additional margin of protection. The Graco is not one of those seats as its results are below the average for the group.

This graph is a comparison between the Graco's head (HIC) results (in black) and those of the UPPAbaby Alta (in green) which is the booster with the best HIC results in the group.

Credit: MGA, BabyGearLab Staff

The head sensor in the crash test dummy used in the Graco had a result of 759 HIC in our crash tests. The maximum allowed by law is 1000, where the lower the results are, the better. While The Graco HIC is below the max, it is not as low as the top performer with a HIC of 390 for the UPPAbaby Alta.

This graph is a comparison between the Graco's chest (g) results (in black) and those of the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Flex (in green) which has the best g results in the group.

Credit: BabyGearLab, MGA Research

The chest (g) sensor on the crash test dummy recorded 46 g, where the maximum allowed is 60 g, and the lower the results, the better. The Graco result is below the maximum but higher than the average for the group and 7 g higher than the best results in the group of 39 g.

Little ones can buckle themselves into the Graco once they are big enough to reach the buckle.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Use

The Graco is fairly easy to use, though not the top of the pack. Buckling the Graco is easy, but children do need to reach back pretty far, thanks to the seat's height. The vehicle belt retainers do an excellent job of keeping the belt positioned correctly, and children didn't have any trouble using them.

Attaching the booster to the car isn't too tricky and can be done using LATCH (above left) or the vehicle belt (above right), depending on the size of your child or your car. LATCH can still be used when the seat is in booster mode, which means your booster won't be flying about the car when your child isn't in it.

The headrest release button is easily accessible (above left) even with a child in the seat. But, the headrest itself doesn't slide very easily, and it takes some jiggling and two hands to get it to move (above right).

The Graco offers a single cup holder and trays that store in the armrests.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

The Graco has a cup holder molded into the end of the right armrest and trays recessed under the armrest on each side. These are handy convenience features not seen in some of the competition.

This product is also harder to move from ar to car thanks to the heavier and wider size and the hook style LATCH anchors that are harder to use in general.

Weight and Size

The Graco is somewhat wide and heavy. It weighs 19.1 lbs with the back on and has a seat width of 18.9 inches. There are only three other products that weigh more or are wider. This makes the Graco hard to use for carpooling or travel as the width may not fit next to other car seats, and the heft will be hard to carry. The Graco can be used as a backless booster (above right) for children between 40 and 100 lbs, making it better for travel, but the width remains the same even if the back is gone.

Testers did not think the Graco was as comfortable as some of the competition.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Comfort

Compared to the competition, little testers weren't that impressed with the comfort level of the Graco. The cushion and headrest are nice enough, but the padding and fabric are average. Our testers didn't care for the flap of material in the middle of the seatback or the awkward angle of the armrests.

The Nautilus can recline by pulling the handle under the seat bottom, but it doesn't improve the nap-ability of the booster.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

The seat does have a recline feature with a lever under the seat bottom, but it doesn't recline enough to improve napping possibilities.

While the Graco earned an above average score for quality, it still isn't as nice as some of the competition.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Quality

This product earned above-average quality, which is the best score Graco earned in any metric. This product has the appearance of a high-quality seat, but when you look deeper, it starts to lose some of its luster. The shell is not fully contained, and there are open parts that could collect grime or wear on the vehicle seat. The fabric looks nice but feels cheap compared to the competition, and there isn't much padding for comfort. On the upside, we didn't see any defects in our product or inconsistencies like poor stitching or loose connections.

Should You Buy the Nautilus?

The Graco is one of the lowest scoring options in the group and earned a low crash test result. Even though we can see how parents might be drawn to the lower price or the brand name, there are better options in this review no matter what you value in a safety seat.

What Other Booster Seat Should You Consider?

If your budget is tight, the Evenflo Spectrum is less than half the price but earned better crash test results and is easier to use. The Evenflow is significantly lighter and offers more for comfort. If you have a little more to spend, the UPPAbaby Alta has a higher crash test result and is easier to use with increased comfort and quality. If you want the best for crash test results, the Clek Oobr is the one you want, but the price could make it a no-go for those on a budget.

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