Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Britax Marathon 65 Click & Safe Convertible Car Seat Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Britax Marathon 65 Click and Safe Convertible Car Seat

Product Description:
The Britax Marathon CS Convertible Car Seat (Crimson) features the innovative Click and Safe snug harness indicator, an audible aid to help determine when the harness is in the appropriate range of snugness. Delivering both comfort and safety up through the preschool years, it fits children in the rear-facing position weighing from 5 to 35 pounds, and children in the forward-facing position starting at one year old and 20 pounds, up to 65 pounds.

The Marathon CS
Convertible Car Seat
At a Glance:

Age/Weight Requirements

Warranty

Certifications

Ideal for:

Who

What

Where

The 65-pound weight capacity allows your child to remain in a 5-point harness longer. View larger.

The Click & Safe snug harness indicator provides an audible click when the harness is safely snug. View larger. Click & Safe Technology for the Safest Fit
When it comes to your child's safety in the car, it's vital that they are properly secured. The Marathon CS assists in the process of securing your child with the Click & Safe snug harness indicator feature, which provides an audible sound when tightening the harness to indicate when it is in the range of appropriate snugness.
Side Impact Protection for Added Security
To keep your child safe, the Marathon CS includes Side Impact Protection, which is a system composed of the rigid seat shell, the deep side walls, and energy-absorbing foam lining the shell that work together to distribute crash forces, shield from vehicle intrusion, and contain the head, neck and body.
Superior 360-Degree Protection to Minimize the Risk of Injury
The Marathon CS offers a variety of superior crash force management features to keep your child properly positioned and protected. First, the patented, energy-absorbing Versa-Tether has staged-release tether webbing, anchoring the top of the seat at two points to minimize forward movement. For growing babies, the tangle-free, five-point harness offers multiple harness heights for a snug, custom fit.
For additional protection, the Harness Ultra Guard System (HUGS) reduces forward head movement, while both the EPS foam liner and base are designed to absorb energy.
Superior Ease-of-Use for Safety and Convenience
Packed with perks for parents, the Marathon CS includes push-button lower LATCH connectors for quick, simple, and tight installation, and a front harness adjuster allows for easy loosening of the straps. Built-in lock-offs secure the vehicle seat belt and prevent the car seat from moving more than one inch side-to-side and front-to-back at the belt path.
A small contoured base ensures a tight installation in all types of vehicle seats, while convenient holders keep harness straps out of the way while you're placing your child in the seat.
The Britax Marathon CS Convertible Car Seat is backed by a one-year limited warranty.
What's in the Box
One Britax Marathon CS Convertible Car Seat and manual.