Amazon.com Product Review
Britax International has been manufacturing innovative, industry-leading child products for over three decades. Their dedication to safety, comfort, and convenience is certainly apparent in this convertible car seat. Its ample attributes—both for parents and baby—and amazing attention to safety standards, make the Marathon a true front runner.
Safety first is a good rule of thumb, and one that Britax certainly heeds. The Marathon offers features you might find on many other car seats, such as convertibility, a five-point harness, and the LATCH system. But Britax enhanced and then went above and beyond the norm when creating the Marathon.
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| The Marathon can be easily rear-facing installed with today’s LATCH system. |
Their five-point harness system is made with strong polyester webbing, fits snugly over baby’s shoulders, collarbone and hips to provide a secure fit, and the straps are designed to remain tangle free. There are also four adjustable height positions so the seat grows with baby. A patented "floating" HUGS™ (Harness Ultra Guard) system better distributes the webbing loads, reducing head movement and minimizing harness irritation on baby’s neck in case of an impact. HUGS also reduces the chance of improperly positioning the chest clip.
Located near a vehicle's seatbelts, factory installed anchor points provide a secure and easy LATCH connection. In conjunction with this push-button release system, the Marathon also offers Britax’s Versa-Tether®, an anchor aid that provides additional security in the forward facing position for children weighing more than 50 lbs. The Versa-Tether® fastens the top of the car seat to factory installed automobile anchor points, minimizing the possibility of a head injury.
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| The Marathon can also be safely used in cars without the LATCH system. |
Need more? The Marathon provides built-in lock-off clips that keep the seat tightly in place when using only traditional seatbelts at installation. A simple handle pull allows the car seat base to be easily reclined when rear-facing. A smooth ride is guaranteed for baby through the comfy padding and soft fabric cover, which is stain resistant, removable, and washable. The Marathon is Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213 compliant, making it approved for airplane use as well.
It should be noted that the Marathon is larger (28"H x 19.5"W x 25"D) than most car seats, and can be a tricky fit, especially in the rear facing position in a smaller car. Allow for 31" of backseat space to properly accommodate this model. With its bigger size this car seat is also heavier than many. Completely empty the Marathon weighs nearly 18 pounds. But these same features are what allow the car seat to have a higher weight capacity and therefore last well into childhood.
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| A simple handle pull allows the car seat base to be reclined when rear-facing. |
Since car seats are mandated by law, it’s nice to know that Britax is at least making the choice simple for you. The Marathon is easy to install, super comfortable for baby, available in a wide range of colors and patterns, and, most importantly, safe!
Comparing Britax Car Seats If you’re debating between the Britax Marathon and the Britax Roundabout, think of the latter as the little sibling. They are identical in comfort and convenience features, but the Marathon has a higher weight maximum, and is therefore larger than the Roundabout.
The Britax Decathlon is also similar to the Marathon, but offers two features you might need. First, the Decathlon offers additional padding for newborns with an infant positioning system, giving more peace of mind to first time parents. Second, the Decathlon offers an adjustable three-position crotch strap, which makes the seat more comfortable for toddlers consistently at the top of their height percentage.
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
