Pros: high quality, safety, secure installation, higher height/weight limit keeps even big babies rear-facing
Cons: expensive, limited selection and availability, leg straps squash baby's thighs, crotch pad comes off
The Bottom Line: Britax seats are worth the money. They are far more comfortable, more secure, safer, and easier to use than others. Marathon in particular is a must-have for bigger babies.
chrismom's Full Review: Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat - Microdot Ta...
When my son outgrew his infant seat at only 3 months (he was already 26 inches tall!) we initially purchased the Britax Roundabout. Like most of the reviewers on this site, we loved the Roundabout- but my son continued growing so quickly that by 5 months he was almost 29 inches tall and rapidly approaching the RA's rear-facing height limit of 30 inches. The forward-facing limit is substantially higher, but it's absolutely not safe to turn a baby facing forward until he's at least one year old AND 20 pounds.
After lots of research, we came up with 2 options for keeping him rear-facing until that time: either purchase the infant-only Cosco Designer 35, which is the only rear-facing seat good up to 35 lbs/35 inches or try to find a convertible seat appropriate for taller babies. We couldn't find the Cosco 35 in town, except as part of a travel system- which we didn't need. We looked into some of the other convertible car seats, but we hated to give up the Roundabout's extra safety and luxurious comfort features. For those familiar with the Roundabout, you know exactly what I'm talking about:
-the thick straps that NEVER twist and can easily be tightened from the front (rare in other rear-facing seats!)
-the velcro straps on the sides, to keep the straps out of the way while you're putting baby in
-the extra EPS foam, like that used in bike helmets
-the rear-facing tether, so the seat doesn't budge and for achieving a perfect recline for babies
-the crotch pad, to protect baby from the metal buckle (my husband thought this was especially important for our little boy)
-the built-in locking clips, so you don't have to use those annoying metal contraptions to install in a vehicle w/o LATCH
-the confidence from knowing that the seat also meets rigorous European safety standards
While researching car seats on the web, I came across a web site comparing the RA with the brand-new Marathon, which was being billed as a larger, more extended version of the RA. The website shows a big 6-month old baby, similar in size to my son, seated in both the RA and the Marathon:
http://pages.ivillage.com/momika/carseatphotos/id21.html
One look at those pictures was all I needed to see that the Marathon was more appropriate for keeping a taller baby rear-facing. The Marathon is 28 inches long versus 26 inches for the Roundabout, which gives our son 2 more inches to grow (in torso length) before we have to turn him forward. The 2 inches in torso length probably translates to twice that in total body length- so this should last him until 1 year. Better yet, the forward-facing weight limit has been increased to 65 pounds (vs. 40 on the RA), which should hopefully last our son well into grade school!
Basically, the Marathon has everything the Roundabout does, except it's larger. The few differences I've noticed:
1) The base has been redesigned. It's now smaller and less contoured- I found the Marathon considerably easier to install than the RA, though I still had to put a folded up towel in the seat crease to make it flat.
2) A few cosmetic changes- different patterns, slightly different mechanism for retracting the harness (though equally easy to adjust), different lever for reclining the seat
3) It now has a rubber covering for the harness straps- meant to prevent the straps from chafing your little one's neck
4) One minor annoyance that didn't happen with the RA: the Marathon's crotch pad falls off every time I unbuckle the buckle. I'll have to stitch it closed- shouldn't be a big deal.
One big annoyance that it shares with the RA: the hip straps are positioned lower than on other car seats and tend to squash my son's chubby thighs. He doesn't seem to mind, but I'm not happy about it. This is the one thing I would change about both the RA and the Marathon and the reason why I'm only giving it 4 stars instead of 5.
The Marathon still has all the features listed above that I loved about the Roundabout. If you're considering paying $200 for the RA or $230 for RA w/LATCH, you might consider shelling out an extra $30 or $50 for the Marathon instead. That money will pay for itself later- the higher weight limit will save you from having to purchase a combination seat when you child gets taller or over 40 pounds.
A few caveats to consider, however:
1) The Marathon may not fit in smaller cars. Test it out at a local store before you buy!
2) For both RA and Marathon, make sure the seat fits your child's body type. When I called Britax to ask about the squashed thigh issue, they suggested the seat might be incompatible with my son's build. Make sure your child is comfortable in the seat!
And a couple of things I can't comment on:
1) My car doesn't have LATCH, so I just used the vehicle seat belts for installation.
2) I didn't attempt forward-facing installation, since my son is too young- but FF installations are almost always easier than rear-facing.
In sum, THANK GOODNESS FOR THE MARATHON! I don't know what we would have done without it. I paid full-price for it and it's worth every penny.
UPDATE:
3 months later: my now 8-month old son absolutely LOVES this seat. He used to hate riding in the car and would scream the entire time in his infant seat. I had to ride in the back with him to help calm him, so we never dared go anywhere with him alone. Even when we had the Roundabout, he often cried in the car. But since we got the Marathon 3 months ago, he never cries or fusses anymore! I can ride up front again! He usually just looks around for a while, plays with his toys, then drifts off to sleep. (Wish I had one for the house, LOL!) Since we have to travel long distances on a regular basis, that alone makes this seat worth it.
On the flip side, one other annoyance I've discovered about the Marathon: the rear-facing lock-offs on the seat are positioned at a weird angle- my seat belts won't go through them. It's not a big deal if your seatbelts lock automatically because you really don't even need the lock-offs in that case. But if you have an older car, the seatbelts may not have the automatic locking retractor, so in that case you do need to make sure that you can use the lockoffs with your seatbelts.
Finally, just wanted to share something I've since learned about car seats: rear-facing is MUCH safer for young children, even past the age of one year. To prevent serious neck injuries, it's safest to keep your child rear-facing until he/she reaches the weight and/or height limit for your seat. Here's an article for more details: http://www.parentsplace.com/babies/safety/articles/0,10335,240282_263876,00.html
The Marathon has such a long back, it won't be outgrown quickly by height and can support rear-facing longer than virtually any seat on the market. Since my son is so happy in this seat, I now plan to keep him rear-facing until he reaches the rear-facing weight limit of 33 pounds.
So, the bottom line remains: the Marathon is an awesome seat. If it fits in your car, don't hesitate to buy it. You won't regret it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 249
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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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