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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
Safe & Comfortable at a premium
The Britax Marathon CS is an upgraded version of the regular Marathon. The only difference is the CS, Click & Safe Harness Adjuster, which tries to notify you of the proper "snugness" of the harness with audible clicks. What most Amazon readers probably want to know is, is this car seat worth the premium and how is it different from the other Britax models? Hopefully...
Published 11 months ago by Mute208
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Rear-facing installation issues
After reading all the reviews, I bought this car seat with high expectations. It was intended to replace a Chicco Keyfit 30 infant seat with a 30 lb weight limit. I planned on installing the Marathon in the safer rear-facing position until my child had reached the full 35 lbs. After reading the manual, I installed the car seat using the latch system behind the drivers...
Published 6 months ago by Lola
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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
Safe & Comfortable at a premium, August 28, 2009
This review is from: Britax Marathon Click & Safe Convertible Car Seat - Crimson (Baby Product)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Britax Marathon CS is an upgraded version of the regular Marathon. The only difference is the CS, Click & Safe Harness Adjuster, which tries to notify you of the proper "snugness" of the harness with audible clicks. What most Amazon readers probably want to know is, is this car seat worth the premium and how is it different from the other Britax models? Hopefully this review will help you make the best decision for you, but I cannot provide a definitive answer to the question of whether it is worth the premium. It is to my family.
My Configuration:
2000 Jetta 4DR
Forward Facing
LATCH Install
PROS:
- First and foremost, highly rated crash protection (Very Good by Consumer Reports)
- Side Impact Protection
- Fantastic weight range (5-35lbs rear facing) (20-65 forward facing)
- Comfortable cover with shoulder and belly pads
- Push-button LATCH connectors
- Versa-tether allows tethering even if your vehicle does not have built-in tether anchors
- Simple install
- Fits smaller vehicles better than other Britax models
- Easy to recline
- Expires 6 years after manufacturing date
- Britax website provides manuals and video installation guides
CONS:
- Expensive, expensive, expensive
- Harness adjustment requires rethreading
- No ball/bubble recline level indicator
- Click & Safe system marginally useful
- Serial number difficult to locate
The Marathon is one of 4 high-capacity convertible car seats that Britax currently sells. The others are the Britax Decathlon, Britax Boulevard, and Britax Advocate CS. The Marathon and Boulevard are also sold with CS (Click & Safe). From what I can tell, the Marathon and the Decathlon have smaller bases for installation in smaller vehicles. The Decathlon has an infant body pillow and multiple buckle positions, but otherwise, it is similar to the Marathon, including height and weight ratings. The Boulevard and Advocate CS are very large yet still have the same child size ratings, but incorporate what they call True Side Impact Protection. The Advocate is their most advanced, and expensive convertible, because it adds Side Impact Cushion Technology.
The Marathon CS is one of three Britax car seats that we actually own. We started with a Boulevard 2 years ago and recently got an Advocate CS and the Marathon CS. We installed the Marathon CS in our Jetta in a forward facing position for our toddler. The Marathon is smaller than the Boulevard and Advocate and it actually fit our Jetta quite well. It wasn't so tall as to block our rear view at all and the front seat could still be far back enough to be comfortable for adult passengers to ride in. The smaller size was the main reason we decided on the Marathon for our toddler. If we had more room, we probably would have gotten the Boulevard or Advocate, which are both in our larger, Toyota 4Runner.
The LATCH installation took me 5 minutes, no lie. I have some experience installing car seats and I watched the installation video and read the manual before installing so that may have sped up my install time. I recommend that new owners do the same. The push-button LATCH connectors are so easy to hook on and tighten that it was almost too easy and I got paranoid. I took the seat to our local police station for a car seat check and they gave it their blessing.
Our toddler really likes the Marathon and sits comfortably in the seat. The shoulder and belly pads help make it more comfortable. However, the police officer recommended that we remove them because they can hinder getting the correct harness tightness. The Click & Safe system is supposed to help alert you when the correct snugness has been reached, but from my experience, it's not really that useful.
The service life for Britax car seats are 6 years from the manufacturing date. I had to look this up on their website, which has a lot of useful information including installation videos and user guides. It would be nice to have the expiration date located right on the serial number sticker. Until recently, I wasn't aware that car seats even had an expiration date. The serial number can be hard to find on the car seat itself so be sure to make a copy of your registration card, which has all of the information on it.
For me, there are only two drawbacks to the Marathon. The first is that in order to adjust the harness height, you have to rethread it. This means that if you have it forward facing, you have to remove the seat to do it. The second, is the price. We could have easily bought two of the Consumer Reports Best Buy recommended Evenflo models for the price of one Marathon CS. We decided on the Britax anyways because of the number of safety features available along with our previous experience with Britax. The fact that the car seat technicians at the police station and AAA both said that they chose Britax car seats for their children, only reinforced our decision.
We are very happy with the Marathon CS. We feel confident that our toddler will be safe and comfortable in the Marathon and that it will easily last the full 6 years of service life. It is not the best value out there for sure, but that wasn't our number one priority. I can only justify the cost for ourselves and I certainly would not fault anyone for going with better value alternatives.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Versatile and (Generally) Easy to Use, but Most of All - Secure, August 27, 2009
This review is from: Britax Marathon Click & Safe Convertible Car Seat - Crimson (Baby Product)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Britax Marathon convertible car seat is definitely pricey, but it makes good on that investment by its versatility. It can handle not only smaller kids in a rear-facing installation, but also larger kids if it's place forward-facing - up to 49 inches and/or 65 pounds. That's considerably longer use than most convertible seats allow. However, in order to do so, the Marathon needs to be taller than other convertible seats - this is a very large unit and may not fit well in smaller cars.
INSTALLATION
The Marathon is equipped to be tethered via either the LATCH system or else standard seat belts. LATCH installation was extremely simple, as it is with just about every other car seat. However, if your car is older and doesn't have LATCH hooks, then seat belts are you only option and in most cars this is a dreaded exercise in pushing and tugging to get the seat sufficiently tightened down. The Marathon was a pleasant surprise - I was able to get it installed forward-facing with a lap-and-shoulder belt with much less effort and frustration than any other car seat I've ever used before. The anchoring points on the seat itself are visibly strong - iron bars that the seat belt easily loops through. Other seats make it difficult to see/feel if the belt is threaded correctly and not twisted, but this is easy with the Marathon.
For additional security, I also used the Versa-Tether strap that connects the top of the seat to an anchor in your car's back deck or your SUV's cargo area. This was also easy to install and once I'd pulled it tight, the seat was absolutely rock-solid. Installed this way, the Marathon had much less wiggle than any other car seat I've owned.
USAGE
The Marathon touts its "Click and Safe" system for tightening the harness once your little one it seated. However, I found this to be a detractor for a couple of reasons. First, you tighten the harness by pulling downward on a strap that dangles from the front of the seat. You must pull it straight down/forward, which can be difficult to do since you're reaching into the car from the side, especially in a car that's low to the ground. I prefer the design of other car seats that puts the tightening mechanism on the side via a knob. Also, it claims that the harness is sufficiently tight once you hear a click, but I wasn't convinced - the straps always seem to have a little too much slack after the first click, so I end up fiddling around with them for a while until it passes the test. This can often lead to a fussy passenger. Loosening the harness, on the other hand, is very quick and easy.
Also, every kid will be different, but my two-year-old complains (sometimes pretty forcefully) when being buckled in to the Marathon. I think that it has a wider buckle in the crotch than our old car seat did and that must be uncomfortable. However, after he's in for a few minutes, he never fails to tell me that he likes the new seat, especially the neck protectors that keep the harness straps from digging in.
MAINTENANCE
I really appreciate the open-back design of the Marathon, not only for the ease of installation described above, but also because it makes it easy to adjust the height of the harness and remove the cover for washing. Other car seats often conceal the back within a clamshell which then requires tools to remove anytime any such adjust or maintenance needs to be done.
SUMMARY
The Marathon is not perfect, but close. It's also pricey, but a worthwhile investment given how long it can be used. I highly recommend it as a consideration when you're shopping for a convertible car seat, especially if you have a roomy back seat and a higher-sitting vehicle.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
great car seat.. comfortable, well made., September 17, 2009
This review is from: Britax Marathon Click & Safe Convertible Car Seat - Crimson (Baby Product)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Britax Marathon is a larger car seat that supports from a five pound infant (rear facing) up to a 65 pound child (forward facing). The seat is very comfortable for our 13 month baby--judging by the long naps she takes in it. The seat has well-labeled, heavy clamps for securing seatbelt straps. There are multiple ways of anchoring the seat, which can be confusing, but the helpful decals and attached manual (it stores under seat cover) help you figure it out. For cars with car seat anchor bars, there are easy latches with buttons that make installation very easy.
The seat is pretty large and deep. The bucket shape is apparently designed for side impact protection. Overall, this is a very nicely designed and built carseat.
Pros:
- Quality, furniture-grade fabric/upholstery.
- Accommodates from small infant to larger children.
- Plenty of anchoring options which are well-explained.
- Very comfortable.
- Energy absorbing features such as tether which gives under stress and impact foam.
Cons:
- One size fits all approach: you can use this seat for a longer amount of time, but it takes up more space in your car. The height makes it a little harder to put a child in compared to our Britax roundabout (rear facing mode).
One final comment about the new click & safe feature. We didn't really understand it. We listened for a click when tightening straps but didn't hear one. This doesn't distract from what is an excellent product in our opinion.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
I LOVE IT!!, October 6, 2009
This review is from: Britax Marathon Click & Safe Convertible Car Seat - Crimson (Baby Product)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
!. It is EASY to put in and take out of the car when you mUST
2.It is easy to buckle/belt baby in
3. It is well constructed and comfortable as well.
4. It is SAFE !! It is EXACTLY as the description on Amazon says. It is strengthened and supportive, with the secure 'lock in' extras. THIS DOES NOT MOVE AROUND or NEED THE POOL NOODLES POLICE RECOMMEND to keep it STABLE ...it is like a rock in stability. We have wiggled and wobbled and pushed and it stays put. So now, as my 13 month old sits in this seat, I don't worry about his wiggling around. He is SECURE and SAFE.
5. Love the side impact reinforcements, the sturdy strap/buckle that holds him in and is easily adjustable.....he is the size if a 2 1/2 yr old in height and weight and it went from a wee 8 lbs to his current almost 30 lbs and 2 ft.+
and the whole unit is perfect for his size, just as it was when he was smaller. So it is just ideal.
SAFE and SECURE and COMFY !!
6. It fits well in both the bucket type seat and the middle of the car backseat as well as in the more smooth 'bench' like seats...we transfer from car to car.
7. We have had at least 4 other car seats and this is the BEST...only the more expensive version of this car seat is a touch above..and almost $100 difference....but no other seat has been so nice, so safe and so easy.
8. I forgot to mention specifically, it faces backwards or forwards and is the same in ease , safety, and sturdy stability.
I do not know how anyone else feels but SAFETY is #1 with me but EASE of USE is a close second. This is 5 stars in both areas.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
safety! safety! safety!, August 27, 2009
This review is from: Britax Marathon Click & Safe Convertible Car Seat - Crimson (Baby Product)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I was in dire need of a new, reliable car seat, so I decided to give Britax a
chance. Where shall I begin? First off, installation is easy, the seat itself
is strong, study, and comfortable (my child told me so). The car seat's
harness is tangle-free, and I can easily adjust seating angle, which is a
major perk for us, since this adjustment makes it comfortable and convenient
for my child during long distance drives (for people like us who are always on
the road!). Also, which is a major bonus for my son, the seat enables child to
view his outside surrounding much better. The car also seems safe, and I seems
carefully because, unfortunately, it will take an accident to find out just
how safe it really is, and I hope I never have to go through an accident to
find out. From what I can observe, my son is comfortable and safe, tightly,
but not uncomfortably, fitted to his seat. I'd compare this seat to
first-class seats on an airplane, without the feet placement, of course.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Rear-facing installation issues, January 14, 2010
After reading all the reviews, I bought this car seat with high expectations. It was intended to replace a Chicco Keyfit 30 infant seat with a 30 lb weight limit. I planned on installing the Marathon in the safer rear-facing position until my child had reached the full 35 lbs. After reading the manual, I installed the car seat using the latch system behind the drivers seat of my 2008 Mercury Sable. I had the following problems with installation.
1.) Even in my full size sedan, the marathon barely fit behind the drivers seat.
2.) There was no one-pull tightening strap for the latches like there was in my old seat. Each latch had to be tightened individually making it difficult to tighten them evenly. Even when I put my knee into the seat and used all my strength, there was still some right to left shift in the seat.
3.) I wish the seat would have come with a bubble indicator to be sure that the base was level, especially after all that tightening.
4.) The latch loops slide along a bar on the seat, and are supposed to be placed within different sets of guide arrows depending on the installation method. I placed both loops within their sets of guide arrows for rear-facing latch installation, but even after tightening, they could still be moved out of their designated spots when moderate force was applied.
5.) My son is 1 yr old, 23 lbs, and 30 inches tall. He uses the lowest harness belt slots and with the neck pads and the hugs system, there isn't much belt left over for tightening. This isn't really an installation problem, but I can't imagine using this seat for a smaller infant, especially since it didn't come with any real padding. There is also no visor, which our son needs since our rear windows are not tinted.
This seat is probably excellent in the forward-facing configuration, but it doesn't have much value as a convertible in my opinion. I'm glad I had my infant seat, I'll probably use it until he outgrows it. Not sure the convertible is worth the price, I probably could have saved lots of money buying a forward-facing only seat.
One last thing I forgot to include: Britax recommends that the versa-tether always be used with this seat, even in the rear facing position. One might not realize this unless they read the entire manual because it is not discussed in the rear-facing installation section. When it is tethered to the anchor location behind the seat it makes it VERY difficult to put a toddler in the seat because you must scrunch his head underneath it. Using the tether adapter to secure it to the floor eliminates this problem, but it was difficult for me to find an anchor point in my vehicle that did not interfere with positioning my drivers seat.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Fantastic features, but very heavy and bulky., October 21, 2009
This review is from: Britax Marathon Click & Safe Convertible Car Seat - Crimson (Baby Product)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
There are some fantastic reviews written on this product detailing the pros and cons of its features related to other car seats. My comments are these...
PROS:
Very safe.
Very well cushioned.
Easy to install.
Extremely east to adjust.
Very comfortable.
Effective head rest actually supports sleepy little heads.
Does not move around in the vehicle once installed properly.
Doesn't require tons of reading to figure out how to use.
CONS:
Very heavy. This is awkward and a little hard on my back.
My toddler does not like the 5 point harness.
The weight capacity is a very nice feature, covering 2-3 standard car seats, so you could end up saving money that way, buying only one.
The straps are not adequate in heigh adjustment for a taller child.
This is pricey. If you only buy one car seat and use it from infancy to toddlerhood, this would be reasonable. However, if you're already invested in a couple of car seats, it's expensive. On the original thought, if safety is of the utmost importance to you, or you travel a lot with little ones, it's wonderful to see a head support that truly holds us little heads. It made me cringe to see my babies with their heads dangling on bumpy roads while we were driving. That has not been the case since we installed this car seat.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Great car seat!!, September 10, 2009
This review is from: Britax Marathon Click & Safe Convertible Car Seat - Crimson (Baby Product)
This is a great car seat. I have a big baby so it's nice to find a seat that goes up to 65 pounds. Installation was easy and I love the "click" feature. It's reassuring to have the car seat "tell" you when you have the straps tight enough! It is more expensive but worth it!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
A safe and comfortable car seat, August 30, 2009
This review is from: Britax Marathon Click & Safe Convertible Car Seat - Crimson (Baby Product)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
There are some things that are worth paying more for, and the safety rating, with its side impact protection and comfort of this seat make it worth the price. I found it easy to install, and the easiest seat to strap my grandson in. You can feel the difference in the thickness of the cushions, they feel plush and soft. It has a weight range from 5 to 65 pounds. I also think it is more attractive than many seats, with its pretty removable cover. The only thing I would add would be a cup holder, a convenience I miss with this seat.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Great product - but few bells & whistles, August 27, 2009
This review is from: Britax Marathon Click & Safe Convertible Car Seat - Crimson (Baby Product)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I have never owned or used a Britax product before but have heard nothing but great things about them. After receiving this, installing it and using it, I like it very much. I'm not entirely convinced that I would ever spend this much money on one of these myself but if I'd had the money to buy one when my daughter was first born, I very well might have (had I had the money). I hate to put a price tag on my child's safety and well-being but some people (myself included) simply do not always have this much money to spend, despite the quality of the car seat and all that it offers. I originally purchased an Evenflo convertible car seat for less than a third of this Britax's cost and while it has plenty of downsides, it was what I was forced to go with due to our budget.
Here are some pros and cons to the Britax that I see as they apply to me and my situation, my observations, and my preferences.
PROs:
- Luxuriously soft, velvety material lines the entire seat
- Extremely sturdy construction
- Pads on belts by child's neck to prevent rubbing or possible injuries from contact with belt
- Nifty placement of latch belts behind seat (instead of coming from one spot at the top, they come from two places on either side for better stability
- Has small velcro strips to the sides to hold the belts in place away from the seat of the chair when unbuckled so when the child sits down, he/she won't be sitting ON the belts (LOVE that feature!)
- Nest-like for small babies
CONs:
- Insanely expensive
- No cup holders
- Does not convert into booster seat
I suppose those last ones are either subjective and relative (expense), entirely dependent upon your own preferences (cup holders), or nit-picky (booster seat), but those were seriously the only things I could say even remotely negative about the seat. Of course, you will pay more for any car seat that converts into a booster so price ranges have to be taken into account. However, if you buy this at the time the baby is born and begin using it right away, you will get at least 5 years of use out of it and it will be well worth it.
(But really, for $300 couldn't they have added just one cup holder?)
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This product
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$299.99 $259.99
In stock. Processing takes an additional 2 to 3 days.
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