Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat, Brooke

Product Review

The standard length for a marathon is 26.2 miles. The Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat will cover more than 100 times that distance. This durable, long lasting convertible car seat is one of the most functional car seats to ever hit the market. A little bit larger than other Britax Car Seats, the marathon is legendary for safety and comfort. The shell of the car seat is a little bit bulkier than others and parents should allow for about 31 inches of seat space when used rear facing. Some of the unique features on the Britax Marathon include a five point polyester harness with no tangle polyester webbing, which is certainly standard on most baby car seats. It also features built in lock-offs for the car's seat belts and a push button LATCH system with versa tether. This Britax Car Seat provides the most security in both forward and rear facing installations. Now, the Britax Convertible Car Seat has Expanded PolyStyrene to increase available shoulder width room. EPS foam also helps soften a blow to the head in collisions. Britax convertible car seats are equipped with their patented HUGS system. It is designed to better distribute webbing loads to reduce head movement and minimize the chance for the webbings edge to load on the child's neck. The Britax Marathon provides parents with an all around all-star car seat. However, it may be too large for some vehicles. For those looking for a smaller Britax Car Seat, the Britax Roundabout is a perfect choice. It is a little smaller than the Britax Marathon as it holds up to just 40 lbs.

Product Features

Convertible, rear facing five to 35 pounds and forward facing from at least one year old and 20 pounds up to 65 pounds
Side Impact Protection distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, and contains the head and body
Higher forward facing seat capacity allows children to remain harnessed up to 65 pounds
Tangle-free, five-point harness with four harness heights for a snug and secure fit
Premium push-button LATCH connectors for a quick, simple and tight installation

Accessories

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review

(75 customer reviews)

79 of 80 people found the following review helpful

The Roundabout is a better seat for boys than the Marathon, May 8, 2007

Justbooking - See all my reviews

This is a good car seat, with some observations.

Older children may not fit into the Marathon, as the base is too tall and they're likely to outgrow it in height way before they reach the 65 lb weight limit. In contrast, the Roundabout has a lower weight limit (to 40 lbs) and may be a better choice if you're transitioning from an infant seat.

The Marathon seat is shallow and the crotch strap is too short, especially for toddler boys. The Marathon measures 6 inches from the back of the seat to the base of the strap. The Roundabout is deeper, 7 inches from seat back to the base of the strap, which is perplexing. Why would Britax make the larger seat shallower, if it has to fit both infants and older children?

Second, the quick release of the Marathon is so easy to use (gently lift the metal part under the front flap) even a toddler can do it- if they fiddle with it they can loosen the harness while strapped in! Teaching the child the meaning of "no" and...Read more

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful

I love this seat!, March 4, 2007

Gingi1976 (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat, All-Star Blue (Baby Product)

Not too long after my son's second birthday I was rear ended and needed to replace my carseat. We had a Britax Roundabout (fantastic) but my son was quickly approaching the height/weigth threshold for that seat and developmentally we knew he was not ready for a booster seat. After being reimbursed by insurance we opted for the Marathon because of the higher height/weught requirements.

My family and I LOVE this seat. It's plush, comfortable, and my son loves the ball pattern. It was super easy to install (one thing I love about Britax ovewr Graco) and easy to move on those occasions when I need to give a carseat to someone else. When we were first in the market for a convertable carseat I resisted the Marathon because it was so big and in hindsight I should have bought this seat from day one. It grows with a child and after trying other seats it is most definately the nicest and the safest. We have a Graco comfortsport in my husbands car and there really is no...Read more

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

I love it, just one safety caution., June 30, 2007

M. LaSalle (PA, United States) - See all my reviews

I have two of these seats and I love them. The latch system is incredibly easy to use and my son is very comfortable in the seat. I've had the seats for two years now. On two instances my son (at 26 months) reached down and opened the velcro cover over the strap release and has actually released the straps all the way while in the car... And, YES, each time he has been strapped in CORRECTLY (tight with no slack and only able to fit two fingers under the strap). There were a few other instances that week when he tried to do this again but we were able to stop him. Since that week, about six months ago, he now knows it's not safe to touch that part of the seat and he hasn't even tried to loosen it again. Even in spite of this, I love the seats and plan on using them until he outgrows them. I just want to let people know that even strapped in 100% PROPERLY, there is still the chance that your child can reach the strap release. No one can predict all the possible outcomes of the curiosity...Read more