Nuna AACE is a comfortable seat and should fit tall kids for a long time
January 17, 2023
After extensive research, I purchased the Nuna AACE for my 5yo, who is in the 95th percentile for height.
What I like:
- tall 5yo is very comfortable in it, as is my petite 8yo.
- It will fit both of them for a long time (big reason for splurging for this seat)
- the seat pan can be lengthened as they grow, not just the shoulder space and head rest.
- rigid latch, and comes with latch guides - in our car, the LATCH bars are difficult to reach and the guides are VERY helpful!
- flame-retardant free fabric
- seat belt is a good fit on both kids (and is rated best bet for belt fit in any car by the IIHS)
- can be used without a vehicle headrest
- can be reclined for comfort when sleeping (not just vehicle seat fit)
- when my 5yo has fallen asleep in it, the seat keeps him upright and belt path remains optimal
What I don't love but aren't deal-breakers:
- upper seatbelt guide could be tighter/harder to undo - in our car at least, the belt gets twisted and comes out when unbuckled with almost every ride
- rigid latch is rigid, but has a hinge that makes it slightly less easy to line up with LATCH than our other boosters
- no metal in the frame (I know this is isn't necessary and asking for it is probably overkill, but it would still make me feel better!)
- the headrest connection has a lot of give when extended. While the manual states that the AACE can be used without a vehicle headrest (another reason I got it - our old car does not have them in the back seat), it doesn't feel sturdy to me without something behind it.
That being said, though I haven't found *the* perfect booster yet for my family, I like the AACE better than the other two seats we have, which are Peg Perego Flex (for travel) and Clek Oobr. In the Flex, both kids say because the headrest is so thick, it pushes their heads forward, though it's great for folding up and taking on a plane (it has to be checked but at least isn't an oversized item), and should still adjust to fit my tall kid for a long time. The main complaint with the Oobr is the short seat pan - for both kids, almost 3-4" of their thighs are unsupported by the seat in high-back mode, and they tend to scoot their bottoms forward from the seat back to compensate. Once they're old enough to ride backless, it shouldn't be a problem, but that's a long time to go with a less than ideal fit.
Pros
- - high height and weight limits with shoulder, headrest and SEAT PAN adjustments that actually allow up to these limits - seat will fit tall kids comfortably for longer than your average seat (and longer than some others that claim these same limits)
- - IIHS best bet for seatbelt fit in any car (both in HBB and without the back modes)
- - converts to a backless booster
- - flame-retardant free fabric
- - comfortable padding and fabric
- - rigid LATCH with LATCH guides
- - can be used without a vehicle head rest (in cars that don't have them, or where the vehicle headrest interferes with a good fit to the booster, aka almost any newer vehicle where the headrests tilt forward)
- - can be reclined for comfort (not just vehicle seat fit)
Best Uses
- - Tall/larger kids (though also very comfortable for smaller kids)
- - where you don't need to fit 3 seats across
- - if you need to install in a position without a vehicle headrest, or where the vehicle headrest tilts so far forward as to create a gap between the booster and the seat, and can be removed.
Cons
- - hinge in rigid LATCH makes it a little more difficult to install with LATCH than other seats where the LATCH retracts straight back into the seat
- - shoulder seatbelt guide doesn't keep the seat belt in line when unbuckling, so it needs to be untwisted and put back into the guide almost every ride
- - because it is designed to fit larger kids for longer, it is too wide for 3-across installation
