Graco Nautilus car seat

At eight months, Dylan had already out-grown his first car seat. So with his comfort in mind and plenty of driving on the horizon we fitted our new Graco Nautilus car seat.

From boxed, we had the new seat ready in moments. The instructions were simple and plentiful. We sat Dylan in the seat to adjust the straps before putting him in the car. All, very easy work: with a flip of a switch we had him strapped in and smiling, the photo doesn't lie.

The Graco Nautilus is incredibly versatile. It'll seat Dylan until he's 12  – it becomes a booster seat for older children. (The specifications say it's suitable for babies weighing 9-36kg / 20-79lbs.) In its present form, it's certainly very easy to fit into the back seat of a car. One three-point seatbelt easily holds it in place, without a base, that means it's easy to take out and refit quickly. What's more, its "universal" design means it'll fit most vehicles.

On our first outing the the Graco Nautilus, Dylan sat and chatted to himself, giving us big smiles whenever we turned around throughout the hour-long journey. His big smiles meant big smiles for us. He was comfortable, upright and cosily cushioned on both sides of the seat; and secure with an easy-release, over-the-shoulders seat belt. The only downside we thought was the seat didn't recline far, so on the return journey a tired Dylan wasn't ideally seated to sleep.

That said, the Graco Nautilus seat is simple, stylish and practical; it even comes with a cup holder. And we're already looking forward to lots more family trips with Dylan happily smiling away, all the way.