It's been many years since I've had the need of a car seat but with the birth of my granddaughter a few months ago, I've found I need one.  I take care of her 3-4 days a week and when I have errands to run, I need a seat that is designed to keep my granddaughter safe and one that eases my worry when we travel.  My daughter and I were switching out her car seat but that became a hassle so I decided to buy a seat for my car and after a lot of research, I chose the Britax Marathon 70 (the newest version), in Onyx.

Using my Prime Membership I ordered the Britax Marathon 70 Car Seat, in Onyx, from amazon.com for $218.  I didn't have to pay tax or shipping and it arrived 2 days after I ordered it.  It arrived in a huge box and I wondered at the size of this monster.  No need to worry, it just comes in a large box.

My son-in-law installed the car seat in the second row of my 2002 Toyota Highlander.  It does take up one side of the car seat and leaves room for one passenger.  I do have the option of a 3rd row in the very back seat of my car but we never use it.  It stays flat and is used for storage.  After reading the booklet that came with the car seat, you may want to check to see if your cars seat belts are compatible.

Read the booklet (I had a lot to learn as it has been many years) so you'll know how to install the seat and understand the functions of the belts and buckles.  There are 3 reclining positions and you'll want to set your position before you install it.  Savannah does not have full neck/head control so we have it set between the 30 and 45 degree angle

You can use this car seat with babies that weigh from 5 pounds up to 40 pounds using the rear facing seat position when the top of their head is at least 1-inch below the top of car seat's shell, and when the harness straps are at or slightly below your child's shoulder.

You can use this car seat with babies that weigh from 20 pounds up to 70 pounds using the forward facing seat position when the top of the ears are below the top of the child seat's shell and when the harness straps are at or above your child's shoulders.

My granddaughter is over 3 months old and we're still using the rear facing position.  Putting her in the car seat was rather awkward at first as I had to adjust the harness and buckle positions.  Once we mounted that obstacle, putting her in the seat got easier.  There seemed to be more steps to secure a child in the new car seats of today than when I used them in my day but I'm glad for these steps as they keep my granddaughter more secure.  We never had the rear facing seats - only the front facing ones.

As soon as I put Savannah in her seat and we're out the drive-way, she's fast asleep but I still lull her to sleep with country music CD's or listening to local Nashville radio stations.

Putting her in the car seat:

Important: The harness adjuster lever is under the front cover between Savannah's legs.  You'll have to feel around for it but once you locate it, it's easy to find.  This lever was easy to find in my daughter's car seat and I was a bit put out that I had to hunt for the one in my seat but now that I'm more in tune with the car seat, I'm rather glad it's position isn't so obvious.  The strap is easy to pull and once adjusted, it hangs over the bottom of the seat.

The harness needs to be pulled loose (via the adjuster lever) so once I have it pulled out, I adjust the shoulder straps and lock the chest clip.  Then I insert both buckle tongues into the buckle (one at a time).  These "tongue's" are metal and over an inch in length.  They snap in the buckle with a click so you know when they're secure.  When it comes to loosening them, you have to depress the harness buckle and pull them out.  This was a little hard for me at first due to the arthritis in my hands but it got easier as I became more familiar with the seat.  

Step-by-step instructions:
1) Loosen harness
2) Put baby in seat
3) Adjust harness over baby's shoulders
4) Lock chest clip
5) Insert tongues in buckle
6) Pull adjuster until harness has baby secure.  Make sure your can insert one finger between the baby's shoulder and the harness.
7) You're done.   

What Britax says about the Marathon 70:
SafeCell Technology is designed to compress in a crash which significantly lowers the center of gravity and counteracting the forward rotation of the child seat which normally propels the child toward the front seat.  The integrated steel bars strength the connection to the vehicle and reduces forward flexing of the child during a crash.  The side impact protection is comprised of deep side walls line with energy absorbibing EPP foam distribuges crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion and contains the head, neck and body.

The Versa-Tether is used (needed) if you need to carry the seat from one vehicle to the other.  I keep the car seat in my car at all times and have no need of the Versa-Tether.  If you do need to use it, the booklet provides information on the anchoring and removal of the strap. 

The cover can be hand washed when it gets dirty using cold water and mild soap.  To keep it from shrinking, line dry.  Do not bleach, machine wash, machine dry or iron.  I've washed mine in the kitchen sink using Woolite and a small amount of fabric softener.  The harness and shell can be sponge cleaned with warm water and mild soap.

Product Dimensions: 21 x 18.5 x 26 inches; 18 pounds

Final thoughts:
I'm pleased with my Britax car seat so far and we're all happy knowing we'll not have to buy a new one any time soon, if ever.  My granddaughter can stay in this seat until she reaches 70 pounds and let's face it, that's a long time and she'll be out of it long before then.  The construction is very sturdy and I can see us using it should we be blessed with another grandchild in the future.

The many safety features Britax has built into their Marathon 70 assures me my grandchild is in good hands.

If you can afford the $218, this is a great car seat and one I recommend.

 

Britax Child Safety, Inc.
13501 South Ridge Drive
Charlotte, NC 28273
1-888-427-4829
www.britax.com




ddustyrose December 9, 2011






A huge thanks to Anna for adding this to the data base for me.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): $218.00
Age Range of Child: Other