kbolton72's Full Review: Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat - Microdot Ta...
As a mother of 2 boys, a daycare provider, a future pediatrician, a car accident victim and a mom still building her family, I have to be able to TRUST whatever my kids, my future kids, and my daycare kids sit in!
No name brand loyalty here! I am not one of those people that keep up with the Jones, and have to have the best, despite the big price tag! My feet do not adorn Prada, my finger does not tote Tiffany, and my wallet is not held by Coach!
However, the safety of the children I love and am liable for, their tushies are in Britax!! We could all leave our children's safety in the hands of our family and friends who attend our showers, and buy us the $50.00 car seats. We could skim, thinking that these accidents that we see on the side of the road will never be us, but we would be wrong. Car safety is not a place that you want to chalk it up to superstition. Trust me.
Of course, my husband is on the opposite end of the spectrum. To him, and maybe like yours, a car seat is a car seat. He doesn't have the same mother instinct it takes to pick this out when car seat shopping. We had to look up alot of highway safety reports before he gave in and let me purchase this. It was worth waiting for!
For those of you reading this review out there in cyber space and are turned off by the big ole whopping $250.00 price tag (more or less, depending on where you buy it), please reconsider. It is not expensive because it is Britax. It is expensive because the extensive testing and safety measures it took to create this magnificent car seat took alot of man hours and scientific as well as crash testing.
And for Britax, do you think it is possible to find a way to make these a bit more affordable to the general public? Some moms are young, single, living below poverty level. Their kids are just as vulnerable (if not more) to safety hazards on the road, and they deserve the safety this provides as well. Something to think about for future donations/fundraising, etc....
OK! Lets all say "FEATURES" loud and clear!!!
Do I have your attention??
Those of you who are faithful readers of mine, know that I have a special needs child with mild CP and PDDNOS on the autism spectrum. He is no longer in this seat as he has finally hit the 70 lb mark, and has grown past the allowed 49 inches that this seat allows, but up until that point, he was riding in this very comfortably. Once we put this away, I began watching my little nephew who is almost 4 but weighs about 35 pounds soaking wet!! So, we are getting the miles for our money!! If you are a parent with more than one child under the age of 6, you too should get your money out of this is one outgrows it before the other one is due to change seats!!
The Britax Marathon has multiple safety features that I will try to get through as quickly as possible, because it is easier to put this in the car when you are actually doing it as opposed to reading about doing it!
This is why you want this over the average brand:
* It can face REAR or FRONT depending on the height and weight of your child. Rear facing can recline and fit anywhere from 5 to 33 pounds. Front facing children who are not TOO lanky can fit around 22 and up to 65 lbs (even though I personally would not recommend pushing the limit. You can always evolve into a booster seat at that point)Since this seat is so huge and bulky, the shorter and less your child weighs, honestly, the better off you will be. This is not a booster, so please watch your childs growth carefully and make certain that he or she is not cramped and their safety is not compromised.
* It is oversized and padded with very comfortable foam that is EPS or Expanded Polysystem foam that is actually made in sports equipment to reduce injuries! How ingenius! Comfort is a big issue when choosing a seat, as some hand-me-downs or less expensive versions seem to flatten after a few uses and the child may feel uncomfortable and may be prone to more outbursts in the car. I have two Jeep Cherokees, one Grand and one sport. This fits better in the Grand Cherokee because it is more roomy. Our sport can contain it, but there is little to no leg room, so it is for emergencies only! This would not do well in a truck that has an extended cab or a smaller Jag or BMW. The fabric is very soft and comes off easily for washing. Of course, you have to go through all of the gadgets to pull it off, so hopefully, the sippy cups and gummi bears do not do too much damage!
* It has what is known as a 5 point harness for safety. There are 4 seat adjustments to fit your child. There are LATCH connectors and the harness straps are twist free, and fit snugly over your child's shoulders, with a chest clip in the middle to reduce head and body movement in the unfortunate event of a vehicle collision, allowing the floating HUGS system, which is basically a rubber piece behind the chest clip that does all the work of taking the impact off of your child's body and protecting them to the best of it's patented ability.There is what is known as versa-tether which allows you to anchor the seat whether the passenger is rear or front facing and velcro tabs on the harness straps to ensure safety on every inch of the carseat, making it virtually impossible for it to fly forward or sideways in an accident.
Of course, you can read all of this in the instruction manual which is very easy to read for hands-on audible learners like myself who couldn't read a map to save her life (why I will never be a surgeon!) and it is also attached to the carseat (tucks into the foam padding) for those Type A's like myself who always seem to lose everything!!
Britax is as trusted a name as Fisher Price or Evenflo, and Consumer Reports and parents agree! Their customer service is outstanding, and they always make you feel like you are doing them a favor when you call with your 101 questions!
As stated in the beginning of the review, I am a car accident victim. I am only 5'2' and 130 lbs with a very tight, short, small trunk. If the seatbelt can hurt ME, how much more so a 45 lb child who is 40 inches??? Both of my boys were in the car with me, my youngest in the back where it was rear ended, and they both made it out without a scratch or a bruise!! There can never be a price on safety!
If you are a new family or a financially struggling family, see if there is anything you can do to help people pitch in and help buy one for your child. You can even email the Britax customer service and see if they ever offer coupons for new customers/needy families (I had alot of luck with Pediasure, so I know most companies are able to offer a one time discount if spoken to) You can visit them at www.britax.com
In any event, you know what is right for your child, your family situation and your car size. If can afford a top of the line, I would give thumbs up to this any day of the week!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 225.45
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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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