Customer Reviews

Marathon Convertible Car Seat - Portland

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I just wanted to confirm that there are two websites that carry this carseat for much less than it is being offered here and at Babies R Us. I just purchased this seat (03/05) online for $215 with free shipping and no tax! The websites are
www.safeandsecurebaby.com and www.travelingtikes.com-- both websites are selling this seat for $215 no shipping. Also, they have many color choices. I was able to order a yellow one with flowers on it for my daughter, which is so much nicer than these drab brown colors. I hope this helps everyone!

This seat has all of the great features and benefits of the Roundabout, but allows your child extra grow room in height and in weight allowance (Roundabout is 40 lbs., Marathon is 60 lbs.). My 3-1/2 year old daughter still uses hers with room to spare! It is very comfortable, and as with all Britax seats, has more seat padding to make extended trips easier on your child's behind! I would never buy any car seat but a Britax. I am expecting again, and will move my daughter up to the Husky seat, use the Marathon for the new baby, and get my son the new Bodyguard booster.

My husband and I have owned many different car seats including Alpha Omega, Eddie Bauer and Evenflo. This carseat (the Marathon) does not even compare to the others. We have latch in both of our Hyandai cars. I have an Elantra (small) and my husband drives a Sonata (midsize). This carseat fits fine in both when placed in the middle seat both rear-facing and forward facing. My husband is 6'6 and has to have his seat all the way back and this carseat still fits. Perhaps not roomy but fits nonetheless. My son is 18 months and is an angel in the car (and this is from a very active toddler)! We have even taken two seven-hour drive trips and he never complained once (Of course he slept for three hours--thanks to the padding-- and watched Elmo the rest of the time with only one small stop to change his diaper and eat). We are registered and did receive the replacement even though ours was not needed. Please read reviews and reports on Britax---you will find nothing better or safer. Just by looking at this carseat you can see and feel the quality, especially compared to the plastic on our other carseats. With latch this seat does not budge and we will never buy anything except Britax and believe me we can't afford it either, but since we received it as a gift and have compared it to our others, I am willing to pay the price for the next one! I wish we would have known about Britax when he was born!!

I read a review on the Babies R Us website by a mother of two boys that expressed her happiness with her most recent purchase of two Britax Marathon's. After a considerable amount of research I was sold on the Marathon for couple of reasons. The first and foremost was that my little girl will be secured by a five-point harness until she weighs 65 lbs. The second is that the Britax is the only seat that has patented lock-offs that hold the Britax seat securely in the car in a forward or rear facing position. As I have tested other seats at my local stores none offered the safety and security as the Britax line. Im very happy that other parents too have remarked at what a fantastic seat this truly is. I took the advice from the many parent reviews and purchased my seat from travelingtikes.com whom I have visited before. Their staff is so very friendly and knowledgeable. Their low prices, free shipping and no sale tax didnt hurt eighter. I paid $214.99 and it arrived in just a few days to my front door. I chose the Asley Floral pattern. Thank you everyone for helping us with our decision!

We have been using our Marathon carseat since our son was 6 months old (he's nearly 2 now). Although the price of this carseat is nearly the highest of all carseats, it is well worth it. Britax makes a superior product hands down.

The built in locking clips make installation extremely easy, even if you don't have LATCH in your car. If you do have LATCH, installation is even easier.

We have a Honda Civic - not exactly a roomy car, right? Well, contrary to what other reviewers have written, the Britax Marathon fits quite well in our car - both rear facing and forward facing. The smart thing to do is to visit your local retailer and TRY OUT THE CARSEATS IN YOUR CAR. See what fits in your car before registering/buying a carseat. I cannot stress how important this is.

Other positives: The cover is easy to remove and machine washable - we experienced this after our son threw up in the car. The seatbelt clip is easy to lock - other carseats have complicated locks which only a locksmith could figure out. I also like the additional foam padding which I like to think makes my son more comfortable and safe. He loves riding in his Britax and hops in it as soon as I open the car door. Also, Britax has had less recalls than most carseat makers. I think that shows the product is safe and superior.

When it comes down to it, the only negative thing about this carseat is the price. If you can afford it, buy this seat. It's an investment in your child's safety and you can't put a price on that.

I have had eddie bauer, graco, and peg perego seats. This one is the easiest to install and maintain. The straps never twist up and the seat is lightweight.

I have been a professional nanny for several years and also worked as a department manager at a Babies R Us store for quite some time. When I worked at BRU, I always recommended the Marathon first and foremost and I still continue to do so today. There is very good reason for my recommendation that goes far beyond the stylish patterns. The Britax Marathon (as well as the Wizard and Decathalon) all go up to 65lbs WITH a 5 point harness. Many other convertable car seats go up to 80lbs or higher but once the child hits 40lbs, the harness MUST be removed and the seat has to be used as a belt positioning booster seat. That means that the child can no longer use the 5 point harness and the car seat belt goes over the child and the car seat to hold it in. The car seat is no longer installed in your car and your child is no longer buckled into the car seat. The only exception is if you buy the 3 Britax carseats I mentioned above. They all allow you to use the 5 point harness up to 65lbs. That means that your child will be around 6 years of age before you ever have to put him or her in a booster seat. Some children hit 40lbs in the 3rd year and they still have to be put in a booster because the car seat they had was not one of the mentioned Britax seats. I have a friend who is a nurse in the Pediatric ICU and I have been telling her about the benifits of the Marathon and Wizard for years. Well, this morning on her way home from work she called to tell me about a patient of hers who had died. The young child was just over the 40lb mark and was in a booster when her car was hit. Because her booster could not be installed like a regular car seat, it flew out from under her and the impact of the seat belt in addition to wiplash caused her to have an internal decapitation. She had no chance of survival and had to be taken off of life support a few hours later. He parents did not do anything wrong, they followed the rules and had her in a weight appropriate car seat which is more than I can say about most of the patients my friends has to watch die each week. But my friend and I are both left wondering how differntly the whole thing would have turned out if the child had been in a car seat that goes above and beyond what the others do. We may never know, but I prefer to always be on the safe side when it comes to children and car seats and I know that if anything happened to my children or those I care for, I would never want to be left asking myself "what if"

I tried MANY car seats in my car and this is, by far, the easiest one to install. It literally can take less than five minutes to have a snug, secure seat for your child. The latch system is easy to use on this seat; the straps are also simple to operate. Britax thought of everything including pouches to hide away the straps you don't have to use as well as an attached operator's manual.

My son loves this seat and I often leave him in it to sleep when we return home. With the many choices of covers, the fashion conscious person can find one that matches your child's personality (or her own!). I wasn't thrilled with spending so much money for a car seat, but with the easy installation and comfort I get feeling that my child is safe, it was worth every dollar.

I also agree that they have the very worst customer service (just read all the complaints on the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration site - NHTSA). There are many problems with the seat. I have a brand new MB E-500 and there isn't a place to attach the `Versa-Tether'. The seat is big and blocks my rear view when placed backward facing. I had to move my seat forward to get the car seat fitted in the back seat. My six month old son does not like it because he can't even move his legs and the seat is too deep for him. I wish I had tried it in the store instead of relying on on-line reviews. There was a recall on the strap that the sellers did not inform us and we had to deal with manufacturer (ever at that point, our experience was disappointing). Safety was not the first issue on the rep's mind when approaching our concerns. I told her that slippage is occurring and she kept saying that it shouldn't because the manufacturing date is after the recall period!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is the recall info from NHTSA:
Model(s): All Marathon (E9L06), Wizard (E9L07), Husky (E9L30) child restraints, as well as restraints manufactured by Britax for Snug Seat under the model name Traveller Plus (E9L32).
Production Dates:
* Marathon - 8/2/02 - 7/23/04
* Husky - 8/11/02 - 7/23/04
* Wizard - 7/16/03 - 7/23/04
* Traveller Plus - 12/2/03 - 7/23/04
Defect: The A-Lok adjuster assembly can allow slippage of the webbing resulting in loosening of the harness straps. If the slippage were to occur in the event of a vehicle crash, the child would move too far forward, possibly increasing the risk of injury.
Corrective Action: Registered owners will receive a replacement adjuster strap by September 30, 2004. In the meantime, registered owners will receive instructions on how to check the seat for slippage after every use. If slippage is occurring before replacement straps can be mailed, the use of the restraint should be stopped and customers should contact Britax for further assistance. Non-registered owners may obtain the free remedy by calling Britax at 1-800-683-2045, or visit Britax's web site, www.BritaxUSA.com, to receive a free kit or get more information. Non-registered owners are strongly urged to register their child seat with the manufacturer in case of future safety recalls.
NHTSA No.: 04C002000
[Britax Safety Recall No. 080401]

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.