Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat - Microdot Tan

Pros: Comfortable, 5-point harness, easy to install with the 'latch system'
Cons: Maybe a little hard to 'click' the buckle.

We bought this seat when our baby outgrew his first car seat. He sat in it backwards for a few months before he turned one and we faced it forwards. We love this seat. He seems much more comfortable in this one than the grandma's seats. My favorite thing is how the straps have the cushioning around them so they don't cut into his neck. Also, their is velcro that holds the straps 'open' so it is easier to get him in. We definitely recommend this seat.

Pros: Very safe. Very cushy.
Cons: Large size makes it hard to fit into small cars.

my son is now 7 months old and we got this carseat for xmas. I got the Faux Paws cover and I have to say it is toooo awesome! its soft and safe and its easy to install. I have a minivan and it is a bit big, but my son loves it. He grew out of his infant carrier at 5 months old. He was way too long for it. He has to much room to grow in this carseat! I love the no twist straps and the little belly/leg cover thingy. The strap covers are awesome, makes it so the straps dont cut into his little neck and gives him a place to rest his head. I have to recommend this carseat to anyone who is looking! It may be pricey, but its worth it for all the safety features. its got the extra foam and super padding.

Pros: Love this seat for an infant or a toddler.
Cons: It is a bit more in upfront costs than other seats.

We splurged and got the Marathon for our 4month old son when he was already outgrowing his infant seat. We wanted a seat that would grow with him and wouldn't have to be replaced any time soon. The Marathon was the best choice out there. While it was a bit on the pricey side it really wasn't if we would have gotten it for him from the start. We eventually bought a second one for our then 3yr old and now have a 3rd one for our second car. We will be getting a 4th one for out other vehicle as well. It goes up to 65lbs so we will more than likely not need another carseat. The seat is comfortable for a small infant yet my toddler fit in it just as comfortably. It was a tad larger than the other convertable seat we had for our toddler but the harness system was much easier to use than other seats we have tried so well worth the little extra space. It is easily buckled in our van and if we had "Latch" system it would be even easier still.

Pros: Comfortable, durable, easy to use, safest car seat on the market.
Cons: Large, expensive, can be difficult to instal in some smaller cars.

We've had this car seat for one whole year now and it's been absolutely problem free. The material stands up to repeated washing and is plush enough to be comfortable but strong enough to resist stains quite well. The five point harness is strong and secure and very easy to adjust. Unlike other car seats that require freakish manual dexterity or strength to adjust the straps, the Marathon's flip latch is incredibly easy to use. The soft plastic guides and padded guards are very functional. We use the LATCH system in our VW Passat and the car seat is incredibly stable even on semi-rugged terrain. I cant say enough about this car seat....it's wory free. Best of all, you can use it until your kid is like 5 or 6! Well worth the extra cost! Highly recommend it.

Pros: easy to use. easy to install. Reclines. Very secure.
Cons: Price. No canopy to shade from the sun.

This is a wonderful carseat. It is easy to use and install and my daughter is very happy and comfortable in it. The straps don't tangle, and the carseat is reclining so my daughter's heads doesn't slump forward when she falls asleep. It is very pricey, but worth it.

Pros: Straps are sturdy and do not easily become tangled. Chair seems comfortable.
Cons: The height of seat is not proportional to width needed.

I had invested in this carseat because it was touted as a convertible seat that would take the child past 50 pounds.

It was fine when my child was younger, but he is now 24 months old and about 31 pounds. His shoulders are tight in the seat. There's plenty of head room for height, but not for his width...he's not even overweight for his height.

I have to now go shop for another convertible seat or a 5-harness booster. He's still too young for a regular booster seat.

My investment in this seat did not pay off. If you really want to buy a Britax, I would suggest the Roundabout. My son actually borrowed this seat, and although it looks smaller, his body fit better in it.

So, if you are purchasing this seat because you think it'll accommodate a large child and save you money in the long run, you may be mistaken.

Pros: Safe, Secure and comfortable
Cons: Absolutely none.

I was involved in a bad car accident and both of my children ages 2 and 3.5 were secured in the Britax Marathon carseat. My mini-van sustained 15K+ damage to the front and as soon as the shock of the accident wore off, both of my children were running around playing without so much as a mark on their body or a whimper. I, on the other hand was not as lucky. I do not think my children even budged an inch in these seats. $269 seems like a small price to pay for that kind of peace of mind. The carseats look fine, but I am purchasing two more Britax Marathon carseats to replace the ones in the accident.
p.s. These seats are bigger than others, but they offer your child a better view while riding in the car.

Pros: well padded
Cons: unsafe

I bought this product because all of my research indicated that it was the safest car seat. Imagine my surprise when I looked in the rearview mirror and saw that my 12 month old was fastened only by her chest buckle. Thinking that I had not fastened the straps securely, I pulled over and fastened them again, only to watch her push the button and release them. I called Britax. They informed me that they did not have a button cover for this model and there was nothing they could do. I called the NHTSA and they told me that safety regulations only required the straps to stay fastened until released, even if the baby released them. I would highly encourage anybody thinking of buying a Britax to make sure the model has a button cover first.

Pros: Sturdy, comfortable, fits older/bigger children
Cons: Pricey, bulky

The peace and quiet outweigh the cost. Is there another product out there that may have done the trick? Maybe, but I am glad my daughter is finally able to nap on car rides. From day one, she cried and never napped peacefully while on car rides. The crying subsided after 3 months, but she never really napped for long. After purchasing the well cushioned Marathon model, we have been amazed at how peaceful the car rides have been, and for a non-napper, car rides now serve as nap time as well. Had I known what difference it would make, I would have bought one a long time ago!

Pros: Easy to install Safe, comfortable and easy to clean
Cons: I don't think there are any.

This seat is fantastic. We bought it for our fast growing 2 yr. old and it was the best purchase we ever made. It fits fantastically in our Chrysler Town & Country. He loves it, it's very comfortable and most importantly SAFE! I love that it will hold him in a 5pt. harness so long. A product you won't regret buying

Pros: Lots of fabric colors and bells and whistles.
Cons: Huge drop in overall ranking in Consumer Reports (see detailed review for more info.)

I just purchased this car seat based on Consumer Reports' top rating. Now, a few days after my purchase, Consumer Report has issued a new report concerning Marathon's poor performance with the LATCH system. See the report at http://www.consumerreports.org/main/content/display_report.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=579525&bmUID=1112710646446#. I am shocked and dismayed that Britax has not used similar procedures to test out their car seats and fixed the problem. They were probably sitting on their laurels for far too long.

So, I regret purchasing this product and wished that I had purchased the Evenflo Titan V instead.

Hopefully, Britax will recall and replace this defective product soon.

Pros: loaded with safety and comfort features
Cons: heavy and very big

I bought this car seat (with the Arctic Cat cover) for my daughter when she was 10 months. She is 2 1/2 and seems to find it very comfortable. When on road trips, she sleeps great in it. It is, however, HUGE and not easy to take on the plane. Since she has been 2, we typically rent a car with a carseat when we fly, but she can't seem to sleep or even relax in other car seats.
Most importantly, when problems were found with the straps on some of these seats, I was immediately sent a notice and a repair kit.

Pros: Rear-facing to 33lbs, Rear-facing tether (no other US app seat has that), QUALITY!!!
Cons: Price(but worth it) & belly pad slips off buckle(but not a safety issue)

I traded in my Costco Alpha Omega for this awesome seat. I had no idea I'd love it so much. The straps NEVER twist (like my AO did) and the quality is awesome. I love the extra safety features. Especially the rear-facing tether option. After seeing some crash-test footage of a forward-facing toddler(under 33lbs) and a rear-facing toddler, I decided that I much prefered the safety of keeping him rear-facing as long as I could. The rear-facing tether is so much safer and no other US approved seat has that option.

Pros: Easy to adjust, keeps looking nice after months of use, has sturdy straps
Cons: Hard to fish the seat belt through in the rear position -- it cuts you!

We've owned this seat for about 6 months, and have been very pleased with it. The straps don't get twisted (like they do in our son's Cosco), and the velcro strips work very nicely to hold the straps out of the way while loading our daughter.

It is also very easy to adjust the tension on the straps. I realize that the mechanism is fundamentally the same as most care seats--push a button and pull the strap--but it just seems easier to do on the Britax than on some others. The straps seem to slide more smoothly.

The seat cover material is very comfortable. I obviously haven't spent much time in it, but I wish I was sitting on something like that in the driver's seat.

The only drawback--not that it affects us very often, is the difficulty sliding the car's seat belt through the seat in the rear-facing position. The padding is very tight through this area and the plastic edges on the seat scrape your hand when you try to push or pull through the slots in the side. I end up removing the seat cover, which is, fortunately, easy to do.

Pros: Seems to have high-quality components.
Cons: Difficult installation

Absolutely THE most physically difficult thing I've ever done and I am a former Army officer. Forget it if you are using belts; if you tighten the seat adequately, you cannot fasten a mandatory clasp. If using the Latch system, the base of the seat is wider than the points to which the belts latch, making it extremely difficult. I am typing this 2 hours after beginning my installation. NEVER again would I use this product. Mom-in-law has an Evenflow Triumph and it is much easier to install. Were it not for the Marathon's higher weight limit (65lbs), we would have purchased the Evenflow (40lbs).