marytara's Full Review: Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat - Microdot Ta...
When my baby daughter was getting to heavy for me to carry her in her Baby Trend Latch-Loc Infant Carseat we knew it was time to go out and get a convertible carseat. At the time she wasn't yet a year old so she needed to be rear-facing. And even though she was still within the height and weight for the infant seat she was approaching the limits for both. When my son was a baby he rode happily and safely in a Britax Roundabout. But, we'd long since gotten rid of it - so it was time for a new seat and we came home with the Britax Marathon. It cost around $265 which was an 'ouch', but money I feel has been well spent for the safety of our little baby girl.
Britax Marathon Stats
-Convertible seat which can be used Rear-Facing to 33 pounds and Forward-Facing to 65 Pounds & 49 inches tall.
-Can be installed with LATCH or vehicle seatbelts, and a versa-tether
-4 Harness Height Positions and Britax patented "HUGS" system on straps, Easy-Adjust harness system & recline handle
-Padded, Removable and washable seat cover, additional seat covers can also be purchased in different fabrics and patterns
-Approved for use on airplanes
The Marathon is a convertible seat that can be used rear-facing for 5 to 33 pounds and then turned around for forward facing use for children 1 year and older and up to 65 pounds/49 inches tall. We used this seat rear facing for a few months after the baby had outgrown her infant carrier. I've read that they say you can keep your child rear-facing as long as they are within the height and weight limits for the carseat. My daughter could still be rear-facing in this seat for quite a while. When your child turns 1 year old you can turn them around forward facing and so after her first birthday we turned her to face forward which is how she is currently riding. According to the seat limits we could technically fit our 5 year old into this seat but I have never tried it!
The Britax Marathon carseat can be installed with LATCH or using vehicle's seatbelts - either lap only or shoulder/lap belts. My mini-van that I drive happens to be an older model without LATCH so we have installed it both rear and forward facing using shoulder/lap belt seat belts. When it was rear facing we had a lot of difficulties getting it installed so that it wouldn't budge at all using the seat belt and also the tether strap. Then when it was installed it took up so much room in the 2nd (middle) row of my minivan. The passenger in the front couldn't move their seat back - but hey, they baby is safe! And this is in a mini-van, I can't imagine putting this seat rear-facing into a 'regular' car! Forward facing, I'm happy to report that the seat doesn't take up as much space. To install it using the seat-belts is easy and there are instructions printed right on the side of the seat showing you where to thread the belts. There are also built in locking clips that hold the vehicle belt tightly in place keeping the seat installed solid so that it doesn't budge.
Our Britax Marathon has a tan velour type of cover on it that is really soft, plush and padded. I'm also happy to report that its removable and washable! Putting it back on is not too bad either (the straps part can be tricky but having washed babyseat covers over the years its something I've learned!) Britax also sells covers for this seat in several patterns and fabrics (they aren't cheap), but if you just have to have one in 'cow-moo-flage' you can get one!
This isn't our first Britax seat, so I guess I've gotten quite spoiled. I love the HUGS system they use on their harness straps. The Marathon has a 5 point harness and the shoulder straps are in these rubber bumpers that help keep the straps from twisting and also keep the chest-clip positioned in the right spot. So not only do they keep the straps nice and comfy they also help keep the baby safely positioned AND make it easier to load and unload them too. The HUGS straps are designed also to distribute the forces should there be a crash, lets hope there isn't, though. I've not had much problem with straps twisting in the Marathon as we've had with a few of our other seats (like the Husky). They say this seat is great for taller kids because it has 4 sets of slots to adjust the harness height. We are currently using the 2nd set of slots now that she is forward facing. In rear-facing she was still in the lowest strap slots. Moving the straps is not very difficult either. To tighten or loosen the straps is easy, there is a strap and clip in the front of the seat and it can be done with one hand! There is also a handle that you can recline the seat with - we've never used it, though.
I really am quite happy with our Britax Marathon and am content that my daughter will be in this until she is ready for a booster. The really only pain in the butt about this seat is that its really big and on the heavy side. Its a chore to move it around in my van or between vehicles because its so large. I can't imagine traveling with this as its not portable at all - though according to Britax this seat IS approved for use on airplanes!
If you are looking for a safe and comfy convertible carseat this is a really nice one. No bones about it, its costly at over $200 and it is quite large. So, if you have a small vehicle or need to put several seats side by side you'll want to try it out first to see if it fits in your vehicle.
We are unfortunately out of stock in this fabric.Product Features: • Britax - 2005 Marathon Convertible Car Seat Tan Microdot • Converts from rear-f...More at Albee Baby
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