Side by Side Comparison of: Graco vs Munchkin vs Best

This is a huge improvement over our previous car seats. Lots of incremental changes that add up to a nice product at a reasonable price point.
Pros:
-shoulder straps automatically adjust as height is adjusted on the head area
-kids love the storage area below the armrests (perfect for small toys)
-quick and easy to take off cover for cleaning. tip: helps if same person takes off covers as puts back on
-straps that tie seat to car are nice and long, makes moving between cars super easy and quick
-for those using a vehicle seatbelt, you run the belt in a nice gap behind the back area. It is extremely easy and a vast improvement from other models.

Cons:
-the only thing that I struggled with was adjusting the crotch buckle. This was an extremely difficult task on both seats (I bought 2), and one that's usually easy on other car seats we've had. The buckle had excess fabric on the strap which made moving the buckle position tough. It required using a small flathead screwdriver to apply downward pressure. You only have to move the buckle position once in a while, which I'm glad!

Excellent sturdy car seat with cup holder and two little storage cubbies on the side. We have 2 of them and both have held up very well. My 6 year old weighs 40 pounds and is 42 inches tall. He still uses the seat harness which he can open and close himself. I tried out a cheaper evenflo seat which wasn't nearly as sturdy, gets dirty easily, and had only a lap belt. The lap belt did not keep a 40lb kid secure and he couldn't reach it himself like the harness.

I highly re command this booster. I purchased this one open box and it came in better condition than the non open box from Wal-Mart.

We have 2 of these (one each for a 4 year old and 3 year old), and they both love them. They are comfortable for the kids, I feel that they are safe riding in them, and the kids absolutely love the cup holder (and I love that it's built in and doesn't fall off like other seats we've had).

The versatility is great, I feel comfortable leaving my kids in the 5 point harness until they're big and tall enough to make the easy switch to the high back booster function!

My Daughter loved it so much we got another. Adjusting/moving the crotch strap can be maddening until you realize that you have to pull pressure from the top side and just start one end from underneath (into the slot) otherwise it bunches up and seems impossible. Lol I was ready to start slinging things then watched a YouTube video, then it was so easy it was embarrassing.

We did a LOT of research for our son's seat. On paper many seats look great, but after feeling them in person we were able to narrow it down quickly. For me, it's all about safety (obviously) but also comfort. My little guy hates the car already so an uncomfortable seat is out of the question. This seat has the BEST padding. Many other car seats have a great insert but the padding on the actual seat is very disappointing. This seat is soft (almost like memory foam) on the actual seat and back. The insert is just bonus on top of that. Not to mention the fabric parts are easy to remove and machine washable.

Also, many other seats have a "mushy" clip, like it just kind of slides in and out and you really have to push the button down hard while sliding it with your thumb. This harness audibly clicks open and closed, very satisfying and easy to open with one hand.

A few reasons we went for the LX vs just the basic Nautilus 65: even better seat padding and the little pockets that hold your seat belts to either side so you can load baby without having to dig the seat belts out from under him, as well as the no-fuss height adjustment. Also, by purchasing an open-box model (which was completely new and perfect in all the packaging) we were able to get the LX for LESS than the basic 65.

Lastly, the recline is fantastic. It's not dramatic but it tips the seat back enough so my son is leaning back and his head can rest against the head supports, not fall forward. The seat itself fits great in the middle row of our minivan on one of the captain's seats. It doesn't block the "aisle" or stick out past the seat on any side.

We might remove the shoulder strap pads because they are a little cumbersome and make it a little hard to tighten the belt but they just Velcro right off. All materials and details are high quality and well-designed. This seat is perfect for us!

Love graco seats. Upgraded my 2.5 year old to this from her convertible graco seat so our 8 month old could be moved from his baby carrier to the convertible seat. Our daughter loves her new seat and immediately started putting things in the cubby holes. Pattern is attractive and gender neutral. I only wish it wasn't as hard to tighten the harness strap, but I can live with it because I like the seat that much.

So far it's been pretty great. Set up/installation was relatively straightforward.

Pros:
3-in-1
Good sturdy design
Good cushioning

Cons:
Tightening the straps once the child is strapped in is surprisingly difficult. I can get over this by reaching behind and making sure everything pulls smoothly. This is the reason it's not 5 stars.

This is a great seat for the price! Super easy to install, sturdy cup holder, storage compartments, and 100% washable fabric. I installed this seat in my '16 Mitsubishi Lancer, and it's a perfect fit. Our previous car seat was a Recaro Performance Ride (which we loved) but is an enormous seat and we reached the point where I could no longer get our daughter in the seat without hitting her head on the roof/door opening because that car seat is super tall! (Common complaint with that seat!) Anyway, other reviewers have dinged this seat stating they cannot get it secured in their vehicle, but it was a cinch in my car. I wonder if the other reviewers didn't know to switch the vehicle seat belt to the automatic rectractor function in order to keep the car seat tight?? In my car, it has the seat belts that can be switched over to automatic retracting instead of emergency retracting. This is imperative to installing a car seat using the seatbelt instead of latch! See your vehicles owner manual to see how to switch your seatbelt to the automatic function!!!
So here's my review on this car seat after having it for two weeks now... It's a great seat for the money! I got this seat during a lightening deal for $89. A steal if you ask me.
Pros:
Easy to install (if you know what and how to properly do it)
Nice, sturdy cup holder with storage compartment on each side for snacks
Fully removable fabric, machine washable, nice color combo (black/patterned)
Recline function
No thread harness
Pretty good padding
Doesn't take up too much space on vehicle seat, able to have other passengers
Low seat position, closer to seat and makes putting child into seat much easier! No more hitting her head on the roof *sorry kiddo*

Cons:
Harness belts twist easily
Harness belt pads twist too
Seat bottom additional pad insert isn't stitched on and can bunch up.

All in all, this is a very user friendly seat for me and our 2.5 year old. Definitely worth the $90! (I gave it 4 stars because of the harness belts twisting so much while trying to get her harnessed in. Also, there isn't much recline to this seat and sometimes her head will tilt forward while sleeping, but usually she leans back.)

It is a great seat, very sturdy and well done, and my son seems to be confortable there. He promptly learned to use the cup holder (he's only 1y4m) and likes to throw his pacifier there.
Some cons: since my car does not have isofix, the seat is held in place only by the car's seatbelt, and if you shake it there is some lateral movement. Also, it does not recline (in theory it does but to a minimun extent) so if my son falls asleep, his head tilts to the front and wakes him if I hit the breaks just a bit more suddenly. This has not prevented him from taking long naps there, over one hour. Overall, I am very satisfied with the seat.

Like the carseat, except for the recline option. We bought this specifically for the recline. With all 3 positions combined it goes back maybe 1/2", not even worth having the recline option.

The strap buckle that comes up from the seat bottom and connects to the side harness straps is very hard to adjust. There is considerable comment online about the difficulty; we found two YouTube videos that showed us how to adjust this strap. We watched them and then adjusted the strap without too much difficulty -- but only after many minutes, many trials and having given up on it.

I like so many things about this car seat. I love that it's a 3 in 1. It is the last car seat I will have to buy for my toddler. It's soft, sturdy, has the side compartments for my son's toys, and the cup holder is nice. I don't like that it is difficult to pull the bottom strap to tighten the harness straps. I usually end up having to put my hand behind the car seat to manually pull that strap that tightens the harness straps.

I READ SEVERAL REVIEWS BEFORE ORDERING, ONE LENGTHY REVIEW STATED SHE OWNED A HONDA PILOT AND PUT 3 OF THESE ACROSS THE BACK SEAT, WELL IN HAVE A FORD EXPEDITION AND I CAN GET ONLY TWO WITH NO ROOM FOR EVEN A STANDARD BOOSTER BETWEEN THEM. MAYBE HE/SHE WAS USING THE SECOND ROW AND I'M WORDING ON THE 3RD ROW, SO BEWARE IF YOUR THINKING 3 ACROSS.

It is okay, not made out of the best materials and no extra padding or cushion. Since the backrest has no significant slant, the toddler's head will bob when sleeping, and it could get pretty uncomfortable during long trips. The pockets for the metal ends are not easily accessible. I am returning mine because I did expect more value at this price point. Will be opting for something more expensive with extra padding and practical design.

I ordered two of these seats (in the Jetson color) primarily because I liked the idea of the "Simply Safe Adjust harness system, to adjust the height of your harness and headrest in one motion." I deeply dislike having to rethread those pesky straps, so this feature sounded like a dream.

However, as you'll see from these photos, the seats I received do not feature the "Simply Safe Adjust system." I've attached photos that clearly show slots for rethreading. Additionally, Amazon's product description touts "fuss free harness storage" -- little pockets for storing the harness buckles. My seats lack this feature as well.

I'm puzzled. The boxes I received are printed with "Nautilus LX." The owners manuals are printed with only "Nautilus" and include instructions for rethreading the straps (grrr). I guess I'll call Graco to ask what's going on.

In the meantime, be aware that if you order the Jetson color, you might not get the product as described.

I returned it in place of the Diono R100. This just seemed needlessly bulky and uncomfortable. I didn't like the setup when I pulled it out of the box. Also not sure why those strap rings are right there (big red things at shoulder height). His shoulder were knocking on these (4yo).

major issues tightening, used once or twice a week as it is in our "other" car - wouldn't buy again

Really dislike this car seat. I have always purchased Britax car seats but decided to save a little money and go with this one since it had good reviews. It is uncomfortable for my son. The fabric is cheapy, the whole car seat seems cheaply made.

Our daughter is 33 inches tall but the shoulders straps thread into the carseat inches above her shoulders making the straps insecure. I tighten these almost every time I put her in because they seem to loosen on their own. :( Not safe at all. We are most likely returning it. We've examined the straps and they are as low as they possibly go.

Not as happy as I thought I would be with this seat. I've heard nothing but good things but I'm just not a fan. Its hard to tighten the straps when my daughter is in the seat, you need to pull very hard. I have to have my husband loosen the latch system as I can't do it, it's too hard. I tried for over a hour one day. Not a fan of the hooks on the latch system. I like the way our other bravo seat it. I bought to have in our truck but need it leave in my car as it can't be taken out as easily as the other. The one thing I do like is that it's smaller but I don't like that there is not enough side support as our other graco. I wouldn't buy the seat again or recommend it to anyone.

This is my first ever online review. I hate this seat so much I don't want anybody else to buy it. The straps are impossible to tighten. Even my 6'2", strong, husband says, "yes, the straps require some real elbow grease to tighten." He has to really yank hard to get our son in. And Th
The problem is they are so hard to tighten that I cannot get my child safely fastened in this seat. So I cannot use this seat without my husband present. You have to pull so hard, and as we have a sedan, I'm standing to the side so I can't get a good angle. Perhaps in a car where you can stand directly in front of the seat and pull with all your might, you could get your child fastened securely. This was such a waste a money and we have to replace it. DO NOT BUY.

The strap was very hard to pull to tighten the harness to his chest. My husband even said that it was difficult to tighten. I wanted to love this carseat because of the price and the side protection around his head but it was also too upright and my soon to be 3 year old could not get comfortable when he got sleepy.

Car seat is not user friendly when trying to adjust buckles for 5 point harness. I totaly get that you don't want them to come out but this was reduclus.

I bought this car seat based on high reviews and positive recommendation from CS but my experience is totally negative. It's almost impossible to adjust crotch buckle strap. After fiddling it for almost an hour i managed to move the crotch strap in middle position, and thought no big deal as we don't have to adjust the crotch strap regularly, but when i tried to install it in car using lower latches, i couldn't get it to tighten it securely. I have a Britax seat in my wife's car and car seats secures so tightly that it won't move even half an inch. On the other hand this Graco Nautilus never get straped tight enough in my car. I will be returning it and possibly fork extra money to get Britax and not deal with again

As a mother of 2, ages 8 and 3, there is a definite difference in quality and security in two of these models. I have an Nautilus 65 LX from 5 years ago and never had any issues with the product. The straps were fully adjustable and could be tightened easily without any effort. After purhcasing the newest version of this model, I have to say that I am extremely disappointed. The installation of this was horrible and does not tighten for that snug fit that I am used to where it doesn't even wiggle. I installed it into a 2016 Mazda CX-5, and it took 2 people to do it! Ugh. As if that was bad enough, the worst was realizing that it was not safe in the slightest. The straps DO NOT TIGHTEN properly with these auto-adjustble straps. My mother-in-law and I even took the car seat out of the car, checked the base, checked the straps threading, checked the tightening mechanisms, etc, and NOTHING is snagged/blocking it from feeding properly when you pull on the tightening strap. It leaves more than 5 cm of loose room for a child to wiggle with. God forbid there was an accident, it is enough to have a kid be ejected. This is such an unacceptable product. Maybe it's a defect, but either way, I'm done with this brand until they can ensure each seat comes off the manufacturing line in a working and safe condition