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Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat Granite
From Britax USA

Keep little ones safe and comfortable during trips with this quality car seat that can be adjusted to two positions (rear- and forward-facing) depending on your child's development. Features: Rear-facing position holds up to 33 pounds; forward-facing holds up to 65 pounds. Patented Versa-Tether. Comfortably fits larger, older children. Removable, washable fabric cover. Patented HUGS system. Belly pad for comfort and protection. Built-in lock-offs. Sculpted base for a perfect fit. Flexible buckle LATCH system. Comfort foam and EPS protective foam. Tangle-free polyester 5-point harness. Belt holders keep belts aside for boarding. One hand recline adjustment. Recommended Ages: Birth - 3 Years.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19867 in Baby Product
• Brand: Britax USA
• Model: E9L0627
• Dimensions: 22.00 pounds

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.

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.

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.

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.

The legendary Britax Marathon convertible car seat is renowned for safety, comfort and convenience and for the ability to keep your child in a harnessed child restraint up to 65 pounds. Unique features including a sculpted base, push button release LATCH system with patented Versa-Tether, and built-in vehicle belt lock-offs, make a tight installation in your vehicle quick and simple. The tangle-free polyester 5-point harness helps to effortlessly secure your child every day. The Marathon also offers a patented HUGS system, belly pad, and a plush & washable seat cover for that ultimate comfort experience for children rear-facing from 5 to 33 pounds or children forward-facing from 1 year old and 20 to 65 pounds.

Potential Safety Concern for Rear-Facing Installation
Before identifying a potential problem with this carseat, let me say at the outset that we purchased a Britax Marathon for our toddler two years ago, and it is, hands down, the best car seat I have ever owned. Now that my eight month old is outgrowing her infant seat, we are most likely going to purchase another a Britax for her. As a busy mom, I appreciate that I have never had to fight with twisted straps or straps that snag and won't tighten the way they should!

That being said, I think it is important to be aware that Consumer Reports, a non-profit organization which tests and rates consumer products, noted in a recent test of this carseat that, when the carseat was installed in the rear-facing position and attached with the LATCH system, the seat tilted back on impact more than the federal standard allows. (This was not a problem with the Roundabout model). To avoid potential injuries from this problem, Consumer Reports recommends installing this carseat with the car's safety belt instead of the LATCH system.

Obviously, if you are purchasing this car seat for a toddler and will be installing it in the forward-facing position, this is not a concern. However, if you are planning on installing it in the rear-facing position, I believe this is something parents should be aware of.

Wish they made them in my size
We have 2 car seats. An Evenflo Triumph 5 in a 2003 Honda Accord and the Britax Marathon in a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport. We went the "economic" route first and bought the Evenflo ... we find that it's a cumbersome piece of equipment (my wife hates it). Then we bought the Britax ... wow ... LOVE it! I know the Britax is considerably more money, but if you can afford it, I would recommend spending the extra cash. It's a nice seat. For long trips, we generally drive the Honda and switch the seats for his comfort and our convenience.

Pros:
- Getting our son in and out is very, very easy
- He can comfortably sleep in this seat without any head bobbing
- Easy installation; of course the LATCH system is nice in general (Honda has it the Cherokee doesn't) but Britax takes it to another level (at least compared to Graco and Evenflo) with seatbelt-like push button releases so you don't have to dig your fingers in the crack of the seat trying to unhook to straps
- The back of the seat is open so you can slide the belts through easily

Cons:
- A little bulky. This car seat is in the Cherokee and if I'm driving, I have to keep the driver's seat scooched forward a little so our son has enough leg room (I'm 6'). My wife doesn't really have this problem (she's 5'7"). However, the Cherokee is a relatively snug SUV in general, so I'm not sure this is a big issue. We do not have this problem when the seat is in the Honda.

In short, the additional $130 makes a very small part of your life so much easier. We'll buy a second when our baby outgrows his Graco ... if we have the extra cash :)

DANGER - Toddlers can loosen shoulder straps
My toddler son can easily reach down, lift the Velcro fabric patch, lift the metal release clamp and loosen the straps on his car seat. This happened the first time when I was driving in the HOV lanes during morning rush hour. It was quite a shock, and created a very dangerous situation. Fortunately, I did not have an accident, as my child would surely have been seriously injured.

We own the Wizard car seat, but the Britax Boulevard (the replacement for the Wizard) and the Marathon seats all use this faulty shoulder strap system. Many other parents of toddlers have reported the same problem with these seats, and there is at least one other specific complaint re the Marathon on this comment page.

We are loyal owners of Britax car seats (we own one Roundabout and two Wizard car seats), but I am appalled with the design of this strapping system and outraged by Britax's response to my complaint.

Britax first denied this was a design flaw and informed me that I need to teach my son the meaning of the word "no". Then they told me that I should use a safety pin to secure the fabric cover. Other parents posting on BabiesRUs and Babycenter.com have reported this same response to their complaints.

I also filed a written complaint with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and with BabiesRUs. Since Britax is not voluntarily responding to this dangerous situation, parents must take action. Take a look at the placement of the metal clamp on the Blvd., Marathon or Wizard seats. If you have had a problem with your child pulling up the clamp and loosening the straps, or if you just agree that this situation is dangerous, first file a complaint with the NHTSA at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/, then post your comments on this web site. Of note, the NHTSA ratings give all three seats the top A rating for "ease of use" for securing the child. I agree the seats are easy to use; however, they are so easy to use they are DANGEROUS.