Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat Granite
by Britax USA
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Our Price: $299.99 Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat Granite
Customer Review: my son will finally sleep in the car!
Summary: 5 Stars
Last year, when my son was 10 months, I splurged and paid the big bucks for this seat. We originally bought a Graco Sport (very cheap) thinking that all car seats are alike. Well, my son couldn't ever seem to get comfortable in the Graco and he had trouble falling asleep, even when it was clear he was very tired... he would cry and toss his head back and forth. I tried wedging a rolled towel between the car seat and his head to get him comfortable but he would just pull it away. We do so much driving to see family that I decided it was worth the extra money if it would make him more comfortable. Sure enough, he now enjoys looking out the window (this one sits much higher than the Graco) and he leans his head to the side when he's tired, then closes his eyes and drifts to sleep. Amazing! We have now had the car seat close to a year and he is still enjoying it. I think this car seat is worth every penny. We are having another baby later this year and I'll definitely invest in another Britax.Customer Review: Beware of Rear Facing Lock-offs!
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought the Britax Marathon because I was impressed with the built in lock-offs. We don't have LATCH in one of our cars and we need to use the seat belts. A colleague at work demonstrated to me how easy it is to install the Marathon using the seat belt clamping devices that are built into the seat. In forward facing mode the seat installs very quickly and easily, maybe even easier than a LATCH installation.
While the lock-offs are a dream come true in forward facing mode, they are a nightmare when the seat is rear facing. The seat comes with two sets of lock-offs, the forward facing and rear facing lock-offs. They have different designs. When the seat arrived I attempted to install it in rear facing mode according to the instructions. To my astonishment, the rear facing lock-offs would just POP OPEN by themselves! Sometimes I would close the lock-off and it would pop open right away. Sometimes I would close it and it would hold a little a while, then pop open later when I was checking the snugness of the installation. I could never close them in such a way that they wouldn't pop open later. It goes without saying that this was unacceptable, since with the lock-off open the seat would be free to fly around in the car in a crash.
I called Britax about the problem and the representative was not surprised by my report and matter-of-factly told me there was no way to prevent the lock-offs from opening. Her recommendation was to use the locking mechanism on the seat belt itself. I had been down that road with our infant seat and know personally how difficult it is to get a tight installation using just the seat belt mechanism. I asked her about using a locking clip (the flat metal piece that is used to hold two belts together) and she said that Britax does not provide those so she can't recommend them. Further the Britax website says to use the built in lock-off instead of a locking clip.
All this information gave me a tough decision to make. I loved the seat in forward facing mode but couldn't get a safe rear facing installation without a locking clip, which the manufacturer doesn't recommend. In the end I went with the locking clip. I had the installation inspected by a certified inspector and with some changes the installation was deemed safe.
All of this took several days and was a major hassle. I would have been in better shape if the rear facing lock-offs weren't there in the first place. Even when you don't use them they are a nuisance because they are in the way. I only stuck it out with this seat because our daughter only needs to ride rear-facing for three more months.
I am amazed that the lock-offs spontaneously opening isn't reason enough for a product recall. Britax could easily fix them with a better design.
Overall my rating is 5 stars for forward facing and 1 star for rear-facing, which averages to 3. If you have LATCH, or you intend to only use the Marathon in forward facing mode, then I recommend this seat. If you intend on using the seat in rear-facing mode with seat belts, then be wary of the lock-offs!
Customer Review: Excellent Car Seat
Summary: 5 Stars
So many convertibles car seat to choose from but the Britax Marathon name kept coming up in every online review as well as every online forum.
I was very pleased that the Marathon can handle a child up to 65lbs in a five point harness. No other seat that I reviewed offered this feature. I also liked the fact that the seat was very easy to use and install with the latch and tether strap.
My son fit nicely at age 7 months and the transition from infant car seat was very pleasant for him as he did not like his Peg Perego Primo Viaggio.
The price for the Britax Marathon retails for $270.00 everywhere. However the price differed tremendously when I shopped online. I did find traveling tikes.com to have the most competitive price at $220.00. Their price included free shipping and I payed no sale tax as I lived outside California.
They offered a great selection of colors to choose from and had the color I wanted in stock.
I believe I made the best choice after very carefull review and hope that this add if published help those whom review my comments.
Customer Review: Not appropriate for a newborn
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased this carseat while pregnant with my first child, thinking that this would be the only seat I'd need for several years. I was wrong! This seat does not have nearly enough head and neck support for a newborn baby. I had to support my baby's head for her all the way home from the hospital, and that very day, I ordered a more appropriate infant seat. The Marathon remains in my garage, awaiting the day that I trust it to protect my precious baby.Customer Review: Totally Satisfied Cosumer!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Britax Marathon was the easy chioce for me. Excellent growth up to 49"-65 lbs as a 5-point harness. The seat was extremely easy to install with the latch system and versa tether strap.
I especailly liked the head support on the side which is reassuring for side impacts. The marathon is well padded and my 7 month old Jack looks so comfy in his seat that I wanted to jump in there with him.
There are better prices online as one amazon consumer stated in her review online about traveling tikes.com. They are selling the same marathon at $219.99 shipping and tax included. They had a great selection of patterns to choose from which made it easy for me to make my decision.
Im one totally satisfied consumer!