This seat is really great, I can't say enough good things about it.

First of all, my 7 month old son fits perfectly and rides so comfortably in it. He outgrew his carrier, and I wanted a safe, and snuggly seat for him to move into. He not only loves the look of the cow print (he smiles and laughs at himself in the Baby In Sight mirror!), but the fabric is so plush and soft. If you're going to get a top of the line model, I figure take advantage of the fun prints that are offered! It's great because it is so soft and lush, but he doesn't sweat in it at all, and he's a big sweater! The BRU exclusive fabric, Racer, looks chic, but is very rough to the touch down the center stripe.

Also, this seat was almost too easy to install. It was so simple, I felt like that couldn't possibly be "it". But it was! The LATCH connectors have clicks similar to seatbelts, and easy to pull straps - this was nothing like trying to install the base to my Graco Snugride. I'm confident that the seat is installed properly, and it's not difficult to remove and install quick in another car, if need be. The tether anchor was also much easier to hook up than I anticipated. It's a great safety feature that only Britax has. The seat is large, but does not take up the entire back seat, still allowing two other passengers to ride back there.

While the carrier was great for the early months, this is the absolute best for older babies, and kids. I would recommend Sleepy Wings or extra head support for newborns, however.

The Marathon is the way to go for durability, safety, luxury and longevity for your child. I guarantee that this is worth the extra money! I am forever a Britax customer!

we originally got the Evenflo Triumph V in Aztec, which is a great seat, but our baby girl is not like my second child, who was 30lbs at 1yr... she is long and slender like my oldest... so she would have outgrown the seat at 18mo for rearfacing and outgrown the seat altogether before being ready for a booster.

We saved up our money to get her the Marathon, because I knew it was the seat that would get her to age 5-7yrs.... I had wanted to get it when she was 2mo and hated her carrier, but my mom was buying the seat and wouldn't buy britax because of the price.

it installs like a dream, is solid as a rock, and the straps don't twist... she's so comfy and it feels more plush than the evenflo seat did... and the cover is so soft.

she's barely on the 2nd set of straps... she was using the 2nd set for two months in the triumph before we got this new seat.

I tried my 4' tall 5yr old in this seat and he would still have 2" above his ears in this seat... so I know that it will last my daughter longer, since she is only in the 50 % for height... my son is in the 96th %.

we love this seat and I would recommend it to anyone.

Kat

Both of our children have been in Marathons since they outgrew their infant carriers and we have been extremely happy with both seats. We have found them to be far more user-friendly than other seats we have used and even though our daughter is now able to use a booster seat, we continue to keep her in the Marathon. Convenience aside, mom ran a red light and t-boned a Montero last month. The Montero was totaled, our tank-like Range Rover sustained over $8K in damage. Our son was in his Marathon and when Mom turned around to make sure he was okay, he gave her a big toothy grin. Not one single peep or tear from the little guy! When insurance offered to replace the seats, we went straight back to the Marathon.

We bought the marathon carseat when my daughter outgrew her infant seat, about 2 years ago. Unfortunatly we have been in two car accidents with her in the car both over 50mph. My daughter did not even budge in her car seat, actually didnt even wake up during the second accident. The paramedics were all really impressed with the Marathon car seat as my daughter escaped both accidents without injury. I would never buy any other seat but a britax. She is now turning 3 and her brother will move into her Marathon. We are buying a britax booster!!!!

My Four month old son just outgrew his infant seat. He still weighs below the 20 pounds it can carry but he has outgrown it in height.....26 inches is the max and he is 27 1/2. After doing research online and reading all of the reviews I decided to go with a Britax Marathon as it seemed like the safest option. This car seat is worth every penny you will pay for it. These are the reason why:

1. It installs in about 5 minutes flat. The instructions are easy to read and follow and the latch belts make it a breeze to install.

2. The seat cushion is padded and comfortable as well as being soft. The fabric is also very durable.

3. The HUGS sit perfectly on the baby's neck and protect them from the straps rubbing against delicate skin.

4. The belly pad keeps the buckles from pressing uncomfortably on your little one.

5. I drive a Chevy Malibu.....The Graco Snugride was a tight fit in my rear passenger side seat.....The Britax marathon fits perfectly.

6. My son adores the cow print and loves to watch himself and look at it in the Baby in Sight mirror.

7. My son screamed bloody murder everytime he was in his Graco Snugride and there were few car rides where he did not scream the entire time he was in the back seat. The first time he ever was in the Marathon he babbled happily and then went right to sleep. He has no complaints about the Marathon.

8. My son is not sitting up yet although he holds his head up very well. I have had no problems with his head hanging forward in the seat while he is sleeping. (This was a problem even in the Snugride) The HUGS keep his little head right where it should be.


I feel this was the best investment we have ever made in an item of baby equipment. I could not be more pleased.

This is a great car seat for my daughter, but it is a nightmare to carry between cars, or worse through an airport. It is very heavy, large, and lacks any logical handle. The seat appears comfortable even on long drives, but I wish it would recline further for trips when I know (hope) my child will be sleeping most of the ride.

I *love* this seat. I *hate* this company. It's an akward position to want a safe, comfortable car seat for your child but to not want to support a shady company. Do a little research on Britax and minimum retail price. They are not the only baby gear company that does this by any means - but in my opinion, when it comes to car seats and child safety, this practice is unacceptable. But what can you do? If you want a 5 point restraint that will last a long time - you don't have many choices. So it annoys me to no end. I won't boycott them but I want other parents to realize this. Every once in a while you can get a deal on an attractive Britax seat - snag them while you can!!! (At least one retailer is allowed to sell at a slight discount all the time but do you think it's coincidence that the seats they carry are ugly?) We just snagged two of these in the Ashley print for my twin girls who we can no longer stuff into their baby buckets easily. It's a very cute print. We have the Marathon in Granite for my son who will be 5 tomorrow so I have a lot of experience with this seat.
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br /Now here's why I love it.
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br /First - your child will be in this seat for a LONG time. We had a roundabout to begin with with my son - the Roundabout is a waste of money IMO. Britax pricing and your child will likely outgrow it when you're not ready to put them in a booster - skip the Roundabout, go for a Marathon. Like I said, my son will be 5 tomorrow and he is still in his Marathon. He's a big 5yo, though - he's been in a booster in my husband's car for a while and will soon be moving to a booster in my car. I hate to move him to the booster - I feel he is safer in a 5 point harness PLUS he still often falls asleep in the car and the Marathon is way more comfy for that. But you have to move them out eventually and I am glad we got as much use out of this as we did. (Just know the weight limit is not completely useful - he is no where near the weight limit, he's maybe 48 pounds - it's height that will limit your use)
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br /Second - it is ridiculously easy to install. We have used this seat in a WIDE variety of vehicles (for a while we had to fly to visit family which meant lots of rental cars and such) - sedans, minivans, SUVs - we have never had a problem getting a rock solid installation. And while we never used this rear facing for my son (I think he was 20 months when we upgraded to the Marathon) we did try it rear facing in a few cars just to see if it would work. It worked just fine in a Hyundai Elantra and a Toyota Prius, neither of which are monster cars. Now we have a Sienna and there's no question of it fitting since that is a monster car. The rear-facing tether strap thing is pure genius - we did use this with the Roundabout and the concept is the same. Forward facing or rear facing, any vehicle, you will be happy with the installation. If you need to move the car seat to someone else's car - it will take you less than 5 minutes and there will be NO SWEARING. (I had to move a cosco seat once and that is what really drove home the point that not all car seats are equal)
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br /Third - comfort for the child, which might just fit under the car seat having a high weight limit. Like I said my son still falls asleep in the car. It's pitiful to see him sleeping in a booster seat - he's all flopped over and contorted. When he sleeps in this, he looks perfectly comfy. The nice, soft covers are a plus, too (though they do come in some odd fabric choices as well).
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br /Fourth - washability! You can take EVERYTHING off of this seat - cover, foam pad, straps, buckles - toss it in the washer on cold/delicate... then hang it to dry - it will look brand new. So spilled milk, a power barf, or a blown out diaper are no problem. (I think the manual may suggest washing the cover by hand and spot cleaning the straps but let's live in the real world here... I have washed my son's cover and straps many times and have had NO problems, and many other parents I have talked to have said the same. Hand washing takes time and spot cleaning is no match for the messes kids can make...)
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br /There is one thing I do not like about this seat and that is the weird fabric wings on the straps. A lot of car seats have these and they seem to annoy a lot of kids. They used to be velcroed on so you could remove them easily but now they are sewn around the straps so now you have to remove the straps to slip them on and off. Probably saved Britax a buck or two to eighty-six the velcro.
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br /Overall this is an awesome seat. The only reason I give it four stars instead of five is because of my feelings about the company.

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.

(...)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.

The Britax Marathon is wonderful. As a concerned parent I wanted a seat that would offer a 5-point harness for as long as possible. Thats where the Britax Marathon shines through all the other seats that I reviewed. The Marathon allows any child to remain in this seat up to 49" in length and or 65 lbs. Thats equivelent to a five your old.

Not so happy with the color selection that Britax offers for a boy. (...)
The seat arrived shortly thereafter and was nicely boxed. I did have difficulty finding the instructions that were tucked underneathe the front seat fabric which I thought was a strange place to put them. However the seat was extremely easy to install and did not take up much room in my VW Jetta.

Wonderful Seat and price!

When my son was 5 months old, he was almost too tall for his infant carseat so my husband and I started looking for a seat that would last him until he was old enough to ride without one. Initially, I wanted the Britax, but I didn't know anyone who had one and I was really afraid to spend $300 (including tax) on a seat. So we bought the Eddie Bauer. I didn't hate it, it was ok, but it did NOT fit in our car (Toyota Rav-4). So we gave that seat to my mother so she could use it on occaision when she babysits and we bit the bullet and bought the Britax - OH MY GOSH. We love it! It installed in like 2 minutes, I'm not kidding. I could not BELIEVE how simple it was. My son (who is now 6 months) LOVES it - he is so comfy and he can sleep in it without his head leaning way over like it did in the Eddie Bauer. He never cries when he is in it - it sits up straight enough that he can look around which he also loves. The fabric feels so wonderful and wipes clean pretty easily. I love the one hand strap adjustment and the velcro that holds the straps out of the way for boarding. We're planning a plane trip in May, and I can tell you we'll be taking this seat. And when our next baby arrives, he or she will be riding in a Britax. They ROCK!

We were in an accident today. Someone hit us hard from behind on the highway. We have the Britax carset. We have had it since my daughter outgrew her infant seat. WORTH EVERY PENNY!!! She was completely fine!! It was so scary. She is 2 1/2 years old and was kept safe. SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A BRITAX CARSEAT!!!!!

I love Britax car seats. They are so easy to install and are sooooo comfy for the lil ones. I have 3 in my Truck and they all fit perfectly. It took a little longer to get a snug fit with my oldest ones seat as he can't use latch but the little ones were installed in a few minutes by the husband who can never get a good fit :-)
The fabrics are great. They are colorful, yet durable. I have no problems cleaning them and they look great.
The fact that you can forward face to 65 pounds is a dream. My almost 5 year old still fits nicely and is comfortable and safe in this seat. Hopefully he will still fit for a while yet as I am not ready to put him in a seat belt.
I honestly recommend spending a bit extra and getting a marathon. They will last a lot longer, are safer and more comfortable.

I wish I would have bought this before I bought the roundabout. My child grew out of the roundabout at 3 and after much research we felt that the Marathon was a safer option than a booster. This seat is great, easy to use, very comfortable and easy to clean.

if you have a medium sized sedan....like a vw passat....expect to move the seat in front of the installed car seat way up.....i like the car seat....but it's extremely big for my car...you need to have an suv with a lot of back seat space or maybe even a mini van.....otherwise it's very cute.

I ordered this seat because of the safety ratings and because my 3 month old is already outgrowing her infant seat (she is 26" long).
It is a very nice looking seat and I like that you can order different covers for it.
On the downside, I have a Grand Cherokee and we had to put a towel under it to get the angle right for rear facing (and her head still falls forward when she falls asleep.) The manual says to roll a towel and put it in the crease of the seat, but the very next sentence says not to put anything under the seat. Which makes me feel not so good about the safety of it. I asked my husband whom does child safety seat inspections, if I misunderstood and that the towel should be in between the vehicle seat & car seat, he says that is very unsafe because it pushes the child seat away from the vehicle seat. I also don't like that I can no longer see my daughter in the rearview mirror (we have a fisher price auto mirror) I now have to turn around to see her in her mirror.
I would have gave it less stars, as an infant seat it is maybe 3 stars. I also would NOT recommend it for a newborn. The harness is so big I really don't see how you could strap them in, unless they are extremely large. My daughter is in the 96% for height, and if she were any shorter it would be too big.
But I do think it will be an excellent seat once she is old enough to turn it around. So I am guessing it would be 5 stars as a forward facing seat.

After much consideration I chose the Britax Marathon for its safety and features. As I have an older car that does not have latch. I was pleased to see that the Britax Marathon with its built in lock-offs allowed me to secure the seat in place with our cars shoulder lap belt. Although I did have to add a anchor for the tether strap, the seat stayed firmly secured and did not move at all once installed.

I was especially pleased with the thought that my child will remain in a five point harness up to 65 lbs. That is comforting knowing that most convertibles go to 40 lbs and then a child is transitioned into a booster that only has a shoulder lap belt combo.

I shopped around online and found babies r us to have a good selection but made my purchase at traveling tikes an online store. Their store offered free shipping and no sales tax as mentioned by a parent at babies r us online kids review.

I can can now rest assured that I made my purchase with safety confidence in mind.

With my first son I like many parents that I have recently talked to did not pay attention to the height restriction on the infant carriers. My second son though only in 20 % for weight he had reached the height restriction at only 6 months therefore still having to be rear facing. I did not want to have to purchase two seats one rear facing for the next 6 months until he was one and could be front facing and have to puchase another. I had heard about the Britax and decided to look into them. With wonderful reviews I decided to give it a try. I now have had this car seat for 2 months and still absoultly love it. We do have a large SUV and would not recommend this seat for anyone with a smaller vehicle as it is large. But we love it. All the wonderful reviews it has gotten are right on target. It is easy to install. Very plush and comfortable for my son. It has a very fun soft material. (I love cows so this was the print I had to have) The straps on this seat do not get twisted like all other seats we have. I have never felt like my child was more safe in a car seat out of the many many many we have tried. I am not sure how the lady who said her son reached the latch that loosens the straps. When in the rear facing position it touches the seat and has a cover over it. Maybe she did not have her sons strapped in tight enough to start with. (You should only get one finger under the straps) Now with Baby number 3 on the way we know exactly which seat we will get him/her!!!! I highly recommend this seat, it is well worth the money!!!

No complaints. The seat is seemingly safe, according to all the reports, and is seemingly comfy. My daughter seems to enjoy riding in the seat, which is a good sign.

Installation is fairly simple, though it does take some muscle if you're going the seatbelt route (vs LATCH.) I figure this is the same scenario with any carseat.

This is not a small seat by any means. I am petite (5'1", 110 pounds) and have to sit a bit sideways when sitting next to the now front-facing, center-mounted seat.

As far as cleanliness is concerned, the seat has endured multiple milk spills, ground in food - you name it - and hasn't had problems coming clean and remaining "cushy" to the touch.

I already owned one of these so the decision to get another was a no brainer. We wanted one for each car. I think this one is softer than my other one. The other is just a grey cloth but this one is super soft and therefore more comfortable (i suppose since i cant fit to try it out). The little one really seems to like them and with this one she very rarely sleeps with her head tilted forward... we always worried about airflow when she slept with her chin on her chest. It is a large car seat though. I drive a 2000 Jetta and I have to move the passenger seat pretty far forward for it to fit. In my 2001 Passat station wagon its not a problem but the Jetta has much less space. I highly recommend the seat though!!!

I bought this seat when my son was 8 months old as he was too big for his Graco sung ride. I have a 2005 Honda CRV. In the rear facing position the seat belt was not long enough to strap it to the seat. My SUV only has the LATCH system on the side seats and not the middle seat. I spoke to the car safety officier for the police department and he told me to place him in the side seat behind the passenger seat as this would be the safest place in regards to incidence of accidents since I could not use the middle position. The reason he told me not to use the LATCH in the middle position (by using the side seats LATCH system) since my SUV is not equipped with it is because the LATCH is connected to the car frame and if we were in an accident and the frame of the car bent it could tear his seat in pieces. I was not aware that the LATCH was connected to the frame.

So the officier told me that when he is able to be forward facing I should be able to put him back in the middle seat as it shouldn't require so much length of the seatbelt.

I love this seat and so does my son who is now 9 1/2 months. It is very soft and cushy. I probably wouldn't have bought the infant car seat if I was aware this seat could accomodate even a newborn.

I would definately recommend this seat. It was very easy to install.

It does not have a cup holder and that is the only thing I wish it had for when he is older.

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!

This is the second marathon convertible car seat bought to us. The first one belongs to our two year old son Dylan, it still looks as good as the first day we got it. (Even though it has had a considerable amount of food spilled on it and got some rough use). He finds it very comfy and has no problem falling asleep in it. We also like it because of its security. We now love the idea of the COWMOOFLAGE pattern, very cute. Thankyou so much Tutu.

With so many baby car seats to choose from out there its no wonder why it can become so confusing. Infant car seats, convertibles and boosters. 20lb's, 40lb's 65lb's Yikes! What's a mother to do?
I did my research and found that the Britax Marathon gave me more value and safety for my buck than any other car seat on the market. The Marathon is a Convertible Child Seat with LATCH that can be used rear facing for children 5 to 33 pounds and forward facing up to 65 pounds. The child's height should be between 18 and 49 inches. Not to mention that your little ones are secured by a five point harness that displaces the energy evenly across their precious little bodies. The Marathon with its patented lock-off, versa-tether and latch belt make this the easiest and most secure seat to install. Even though I was not thrilled about the color choices for my son online. I chose the Racer pattern and found the best price of $219.99 offered at travelingtikes online including shipping and I paid no sals tax. Do yourself's a favor and invest in your child's safety. I know that when I get behind the wheel of my car that I feel more confident now knowing that I have a Britax, than when we had our first infant car seat. Happy travels!

I am a busy mother of two and my toddler loves her "cow seat".
After trying many other seats that she did not like and wasting money on them this seat is definitly worth the extra money. It is very easy to install and adjust the straps for one person. She will actually fall asleep in the seat and that makes it worth the extra money too.

We love this car seat! So easy to install - it took us about ten minutes and the instructions are attached to the seat. The cow print is so cute and gets comments from everyone who sees it. Our six month old, Charlotte, seems very comfortable in the seat - the seat is wide and there is more padding than her infant carrier. Although technically the seat is larger, it takes up less space on the backseat of our X5, leaving more space for passengers. The straps are so easy to adjust - so easy I thought I was doing it wrong! It feels great knowing I purchased the Consumer Reports top rated car seat and I've been nothing but impressed with its performance.

This seat seems very comfortable for my little girl to ride in. Like the Decathlon Odyssey, it reclines very well for rear facing (we haven't used it forward facing yet) and is also very padded for her comfort. The print is so adorable and super soft. I love that Britax has the "hugs" system because not once have I had to untwist those darn harness straps like in her infant seat. This seat is also a breeze to install. This is definitely one I recommend!!! 5+ stars!!!!

This is a great convertible seat. It had good reviews everywhere and it showed as the lowest content on chemicals on the cover([...]). Fits great on a 2007 Jetta, so any car this size or larger will work quite well. Baby is confortable and does not complain.
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br /Este es el mejor asiento que he encontrado, cabe muy bien en el coche y el bebe esta muy agusto en el. Un estudio sobre contenido quimico de asientos infantiles le da muy buena puntuacion en cuanto a bajo contenido de quimicos, lo cual fue uno de los factores importantes.
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br /Highly recommended. Muy recomendable.

The seat seemed quite comfortable for our 9 month old baby. But now at 10 and after another growth spurt I can't wait until we can turn the seat forward as her poor feet meet the back seat and she looks "squished". I preferred our previous car seat, the Graco SnugRide infant car seat for ease of installation and removal (a God send during travel). Which brings me to my biggest complaint; sub-par installation. It just doesn't seem as safe and secure as our previous seat. What's more, not everywhere we fly to has a car seat rental option with the car rental - more remote, smaller airports. The Britax seat is clumsy and frustrating to remove and the plastic seat belt security clips feel very cheap. It looks like a nice, comfortable seat but it just doesn't feel as safe, from a car safety viewpoint.

My son likes the car seat. Today he spit up in it and I had to take the seat cover off. Britax has a video to show you how its done, but in their demo, the seat is not in the car - so of course it is easy! Most of us will try to remove the seat cover while the seat is STILL in the car. You have to undo 3 buckles (difficult when the seat is still attached) and pull the straps through the seat (gross when the seat is covered in spit up), so the straps got spit up in the process. Britax really ought to come up with a design where the seat cover is easier to take off especially when most of us will take the seat cover off when its gross (and do you really want to struggle 30 minutes pulling straps through a spit up car seat!!!!)
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br /Worse of all, after I got the seat cover removed, the tag in the back said "hand wash only"!!! If I knew that, I wouldn't have removed the seat cover in the first place and would have simply cleaned it while it was still on the seat.
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br /Very frustrating!!!

We've had this seat for two months now and love it. It is very easy to install into vehicles with the latch system and is equally easy to remove. We also like the pull strap at the front of the seat to tighten the shoulder harnesses after buckling in the little one. Our biggest complaint is that the shoulder straps seem to twist and tangle quite often, making it a challenge to buckle in a squirming child at times.
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br /Overall, a great seat and great pricing service from Amazon.

We already had Britax carseats and ordered two more because we were so pleased with them. We'd highly recommend!

We have had this car seat for about a month now and we do like it. The only complaint I have is that the straps do twist every now and then if you do not velcrow them out of the way when putting child in and out of the seat. It was easy to install, I did on my own without my husband it does not budge!! It is very comfy and my child has no problem being in it and falls asleep just as easy as he did in his infant car seat.

I decided to fork out the cash for the Britax even though I don't normally go for top of the line things. After reading tons of reviews I figured this was an investment in my child's comfort and safety for the next several years as well as my convenience. I have not yet been disappointed.

We've been using the Britax Marathon for about a month now and it seems to be great. It was easy to install and seems to be very comfortable. I also like how easy it is to buckle my 12m old son. One thoughtful feature is the strips of velcro that allow you to secure the straps to the side as I place my son in the seat. That way I don't have to fish the straps out from underneath him. The only problem was that the straps that are used to secure the car seat to the car were installed backwards by the manufacturer. My husband was able to fix it in about an hour, but it was really frustrating. Otherwise, it's a great car seat.

My daughter grew out of her first car seat. After reading rave reviews about this one, we chose it in a heartbeat. The chair itself is perfect. She is comfortable in it and if fits well in my car. My only complaints are about the straps. They twist around very easily. You have to make sure they are untwisted before attempting to put them on your child. Second, the straps are very hard to tighten. You have to use all of your might to get them tighten up. I'm talking pulling like you pulling tug o' war with the car seat. Third, the release button is extremely hard to push. You have to use both thumbs to push the button down and even then it's still hard to push. But other all, I feel like she is very secure in that seat and she is comfortable in it. I just wish the straps weren't so hard to pull.

I would say this product was easy to install and is the Mercedes for Car Seats! Although the box arrived thrashed! The car seat was in fine shape with no scratchs/dings. We've got 2 and they seem more comfortable than the competitor brands seen in the store. Wait for a season change and you'll get one at a much lower price! Our kiddo is safe and secure! I would say he's more secure in this seat than an infant pull out seat for sure!!

We love this car seat, in fact, its our second marathon carseat. The wife loves the cow pattern, our other is a standard gray color. Our child outgrew her infant car seat so we moved to the convertible, she is much more comfortable in it and we will be able to use it for the next couple of years, unless she grows too fast. Easy to install if you have the latch system, installs in minutes. It is rather large, but it fits into a smallish A4 backseat, granted the front seat is almost as far up as it can be. No regrets with this purchase.

Well after doing much research, and listening to the ladies on my messageboard talk great about this seat...I decided to give this a try. Before i bought this product, I went to BRU and actually tried the demonstration models out in our vehicle to see if they fit properly. I recommend doing this with any seat. We had to raise the headrest in our Windstar to get this seat to fit forward facing, but my son is rearfacing, and he will be rearfacing until he reaches the max wieght for his safety. OMG--this seat is sooo soo comfortable. I love the adjuster on it, and the neck cushions. Obviously the Cow-Mooflage pattern is FUN and everyone gets a kick out of it:) I cant say enough about this. My son is a petite lil guy(he's 15months now) and I'm assuming this seat will be used until the expiration date.(6years). I cant say enough about buying it through amazon. Great service, I got it cheaper w/coupon code and free shipping, no tax, and It came with 5 days of ordering.. Wow thats fast. I highly recommend this seat, and recommend buying from amazon. Oh, it is easy to install, but I highly recommend taking to your local certified car seat inspector for installation.

My son HATED his infant carseat carrier when he was little. When he was six months old, we got him a Marathon, and the screaming in the car ended instantly. He's still sitting in that seat, and he still loves it. When his little sister arrived, we thought he might want to graduate to a booster seat, but he didn't want to give up his Marathon, so we bought a second one (Cowmooflage) for the new baby. Now I have TWO Marathons in my back seat- one facing forward with a 40-lb five year old, one rear-facing with a 7-lb one week old infant. The baby is equally content riding in her seat, and I sure don't miss lugging the "baby bucket" around.

The only word of caution I'd offer if using this seat for a newborn is to cover the velcro on the harness straps (used to hold the straps out of the way while placing the child in the seat) with a little piece of fleece or something, to keep the rough "hook" side of the velcro from scratching the baby's delicate skin when her hands fall into her lap while riding in the seat. I also added an infant head support. Works great, and we know from experience that we'll get years of enjoyment and peace-of-mind from this seat.

While I hesitated with the price, I now realized it lived up to its reviews. It was so simple to install, I over complicated it. I assumed it would be as difficult as the other pricey car seat we bought for my son. easy to install, comfy and will grow.

only downside- we have a Jetta Wagon, It makes the seats in front have to move very close to dash when in rear position. But, worth the money anyway

We love this car seat it is super comfortable.. However I must say is is a bit large for our car, we have a VW passat. Our son loves it and falls asleep pretty quickly in it!

This is our second Marathon car seat, we bought it as a spare for our second vehicle. My two year old daughter Kate loves the cow colors and claims her seat is very comfortable! We like the quality of this seat and the latch system is quick and easy to install in newer vehicles. The only shortcoming is my daughter wished the seat had a cup holder -- when she falls asleep her zippy cup usually falls from her hand to the floor.

-Kate's Dad-

This is our 2nd Britax. We absolutely love this seat. It looks awseome, my husband was worried it would look goofy in the car. But he loves it! Our first car seat is the Britax Wizard, which is in my car, we were supposed to switch, he'd have the Wizard and I'd have the cowmooflage- but now HE wants the cowmooflage. I have to say I like the Marathon better than the Wizard. Don't get me wrong, the Wizard is an awesome seat and the fabric is really cool. It looks much better in person than online. We just don't like the head support extension. My son has to lean froward to look around him and the Wizard really is much heavier than the Marathon. Also, when we had the Wizard rear-facing, the harness and headrest knobs dented the fabric to the backside of the front seats. the Marathon doesn't have the knobs. My car's not very big, a 2004 Accord, but I know that the seating space IS roomier than some. (for example, my mom has a CRV and my sister has a Pathfinder) They used to use the Wizard and it took up way too much space, the Marathon fits much more nicely.
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The only reason that a 20 month old would be able to reach down and loosen the strap would be if they weren't properly latched in to begin with. That earlier post is misleading. They should learn how to strap their child in before something serious happens. This carseat is wonderful and when properly used, one of the best seats on the market. Do the research and buy based on that, not someone's one comment w/ obvious user error.

I have 3 childre, two of them are still in carseats. I have a 6 year old son, a 3 year old daughter, and a 9 month old son. I use a different seat for my daughter, but have used the marathon since my 2nd son was born!

With infant head support (purchased separatly) I am possitive that this was the safest way to transport an infant in a car. Its so easy to install with the LATCH system in my car, or into my husbands car without the LATCH system, either way it stays in securely. I love the plush fabric and the color, my son has always been able to sleep soundly in it and he never swets either! I also love how its easy to change the possition of the straps, and that its easy to buckle and unbuckle him, especially with the velcro on the sides to hold the straps (doesnt annoy him though). I also love that the seat reqlines VERY well rear-facing, no need for the dangerous pool noodles for reqlining it.

I love my marathon, and only wish we could purchase one for our daughter without it being a ridiculous one...

My B/G twins are about 9 months old now, and they love their COWMOOFLAGE marathons!

These seats arent too expensive, and they arent too huge, the perfect solution for a mother of twins!

First of all instalation. Installing these seats was incredibly easy, my husband installed them in about 2 hours, ALL FOUR OF THEM! Yep, 2 in my mini van, and two in his Forester! They fit fine and it was deffinatly worth it. Hes a police officer and he knows that these will keep the twins VERY safe!

The harness was an issue on about every seat we saw at BRU. They would twist and tangle and be impossible to put the twins in, especially my daughter. Well the marathons belt is easy to use, and never twists or strangles them. Its not something we have to fight with to make it click into place, very easy. Its a little agrivating to adjust the settings, because you have to take off the cover, but I dont do that too often anyways! It also holds them in place very well, never does the belt seem too loose.

The cover is also fantastic! Its soo cute, and the twins love to look at it and themselves in their mirrors (they are rear-facing and the mirror is attatched the the actual car's seats headrest!) The covers can also come in a variety of colors and patterns, so you really cant complain! Its super soft and my twins are always sleeping safely and are always nice a cozy! The cover can be easily wiped down, and it can also be taken off and thrown into the wash no problem! Is never been scratchy, and the seats not too cold in the winter, or too hot in the summer (a problem with some carseat covers!)

The seats are also not too huge. They both fit nicely in the middle row in my van, one in the middle and one on the end with the other end seat folded down, making it easy to get to them! The seats also enable me to see over them through the back window, again a problem in other Britax seats and that HUGE eddie bauer. The seats also dont have those huge wings, that in my opinion are useless because my kids fall asleep with out their heads flopping in this seat, and the wings would make it impossible for them to see out the side windows, or to see eachother!

They are also very well padded and EXTREMELY comfortable. We take LONG rides to the city to see my parents, to Pennslyvania to see my MIL and FIL, and even to Nassau County to see friends and family and this seat is always nice and comfy! Our twins used to put up such a fight in their SnugRides and constantly scream and cry, well those days are long gone because the Marathons are so comfortable, spacious, and easy to fall asleep in!

These seats will also last us a long time, it can hold 33 lbs. rear facing, this means my tiny twins will be rear-facing until they are about 14-17 months old!The seat can also hold up to 65 pounds foward facing!!! Much better than those huge, expensive seats that hold only about 40 lbs!

The seat can also be used with large, or long infants who need headsupport and who growed out of their infant carriers, or for moms who HATE their SnugRides like me! My twins are SMALL (17th percentile for goodnesake!) and that seat was such a nightmare and they hated it. They didnt grow out of it at 6 months, but I just finnally couldnt take it, even though its conviniency in the double snap-n-go!!! This seat is soo much better!!

The twins are 9 months now and I really love this seat, we own FOUR and NONE of them have ever not proven their worth. They are the best in function, apeal, and conviniency. They arent too huge, or too annoying, they hold a large child, or a small one! They arent too expensive and they look so cute! You really should purchase the marathon, its the King of carseats!

My twins are 20 months old and are in the 27th percentile for weight and height. We got these when they were 8 1/2 months old (the outgrew their SnugRides). We have NEVER looked back

* The print is adorable, we get many compliments from friends and our babies love to stare at it next to them
* The seat is VERY soft and cozy, yet its not too "sufficating" in the summer, and its NEVER cold in the winter
* The seat itself was EASY to install, no problem and the LATCH system worked wonders.
* The Harness is NEVERY tangly and is very easy to adjust as well
* The seat is not too huge, it fits nicely in my SUV or my husbands pick-up truck
* The seat cover can go in the wash, very easy to take on and off, and its easy to spot clean
* The seat isnt too big or small, I think my boys will outgrow it at 3 1/2ish
* It works great rear-facing as well and was very easy to adjust and reqline
* My boys fall asleep comfortably in it, and they have never had car problems, at first I thought it may just be that they are great babies (which they are) but in a triumph that my mom has, they wouldnt sleep and they would constantly whine
* VERY safe, we have the fire/police department check our seats, and they are installed perfectly and are VERY VERY safe
* They arent outrageously expensive like the Decathalon, and they come in MANY MANY prints
* The carseats style doesnt pop out my sons legs like in the triuph, and they are GREAT for attatching Link-a-doos to

I love this carseat, We have 4, two for each car. We have never had a problem and would never buy another one, these are very safe and very secure... wouldnt trade our boys saftey for anything

This is our 4th Britax car seat and we love it. We have the roundabout and the frontier. I have to say that the frontier is really difficult to get in and out and is huge. I prefer the marathon by far.

This car seat is awesome- fantastic price! I've actually purchased three of these previously for my son - one for my car, one for my husband's, and one for my mom). The kids are so comfortable in them - i will never use anything else! I started both of my children in the Graco Snugride, which is great for a tiny infant. However, both of my children grew very rapidly, and the Snugrides are only supposed to be for children up to 22 lbs. I believe my daughter is there already and my son was by four months, so what's a mom to do? This carseat is a fantastic option because it can be forward or rear-facing and it has a recline for rear-facing so the baby isn't thrown forward in the seat. My daughter is so comfy in it (at only 4.5 months). We didn't discover this with our son until he was about 10 months and his poor little legs always looked so uncomfortable in the snugride. So now we have purchased a total of 4 of these car seats. I intend to buy two more yet (one more for my car and one more for my husband's - my mom got this one and my husband and I are still sharing the Snugride for her, but not for much longer.) This car seat is pricy, but worth every penny. I highly recommend!

i love this car seat... we have an infant carrier and didn't want to buy a new car seat every other year. now that he's 9 months old, this should be his one and only! my baby constantly falls asleep, even short distances, so it must be comfortable. easy to tighten and loosen up for his bulky jackets.

We have three Britax Marathons (one for each of our children). I wouldn't purchase any other carseat. I was recently in an accident with one of our children in our minivan. She was in her Britax, and suffered no injuries. This is a great carseat and you won't regret spending the money to purchase one for your own child.

We purchased two of these car seats for our 8 month old son. We had an infant carrier previous to this convertible seat, but our son was approaching the weight limit and seemed to be getting too tall as well. I am very pleased with these seats so far. The instructions were easy to follow. It took my husband and I about 6 or 7 minutes to install. I installed the second one by myself and it took a few minutes longer. I would recommend two people if possible, but it is absolutely manageable on your own. Adjusting the straps is a bit tricky and when we have to adjust them again it will probably require removing the car seat, but I don't think this should be a deterrent for buying the seat. My son fits in this seat well and seems to like it. He does get hot when he's in the seat for a long period of time, but based on his infant carrier and reviews of other car seats this seems to be a common problem for most seats. Finally, the space it takes up in the back seat is the same as our infant carrier. The passenger's seat that it sits behind is adjusted at the same angle and distance back. Although, it does seem a lot bigger it still fits in our small cars.

I am a fan of Britax car seats. This is my second purchase for my second son. I checked out prices and amazon had best, probably because this was a closeout.

This is our third Britax and we still love them! The straps are study and don't twist when you remove the squirming toddler from their seat. The seat covers are plush and hold up reasonably well (our 2 1/2 year old Marathon is starting to show a bit of wear). They are always rated high on the safety standards and are so easy to install.

I own four of these - have six grandchildren that I baby sit and put them all in a big SUV. Had to get rid of two other brand car seats because they never worked properly or felt safe. The Britax are well constructed and reliable and come in all colors to match car interior - or not. They meet all safety standards and have good safety rating. Easy to take cover off to clean it too!

This is our second Marathon. The first was in a car that was, unfortunately, totaled. Neither my husband nor I gave any thought to replacing it with anything else. It's sturdy, easy to install and adjust, the fabric is durable and can withstand anything my 15-mo. old daughter can give it, and she's comfortable. The velcro near the armrests keeps the straps out of the way when placing her in the seat. If she's still using this seat when we have another child, we'll definitely get another for baby #2.

This is a really great car seat! I thought the price was too good to be true, but it wasn't. I received the car seat in new condition as stated and it came to my home extremely fast. I found the best price ever for a Britax carseat here on this website. I still can't beleive I got it for a steal, when in the stores this car seat goes for $279.99. This car seat is one of the safest out there, which is the most important reason why I purchased it!

This carseat is excellent. I'm glad we spent the money on it. My son falls asleep as soon as we start moving in it. I can't wait to turn it around when he turns 1 so he can see out the window. It sits high. No complaints. Recommmend!!!!

My wife and I wanted a seat that was rated good and had nice features. We picked the Britax Marathon based on user ratings and reputation of the company's product. This seat was so easy to install using the anchor system. The only "wish" I have is that the seat would recline a little more, it's a little steep for a rear facing infant. Other than that the quality is great and our son seems to love the chair. Well worth the little extra in price.

I have one for my son and bought this one for my daughter and both kids love it. I love the safety rating and the fact that these are made in the USA!

This is the best car seat I have ever used. When I opened the box, you could just tell how thick and sturdy the design is. The material is a velour not fabric, which is really nice. I have never used LATCH before because it always seems so awkward and hard to figure out, but with this car seat, I installed it with LATCH in less than 10 minutes. I was so impressed that I am buying another one for my son. The harness lasts up to 65 lbs, which is really safe, and it's high up so they can see outside the window better. It's also airplane safe which I really like. I have not used it rear facing, only forward facing. This was the best deal out there on these car seats, and it arrived less than a week after I ordered it!! Definitely worth the money, especially where your kids safety is concerned.

Our daughter was getting so upset being stuck in one position by her infant car seat that she would cry as soon as we put her in it. This britax is like a limousine for her. Spent 12 hours in the car returning from Canada Thanksgiving weekend and she couldn't stay awake it was so comfy!

The Britax Marathon is a great car seat. My son, 9 months old now, has used this car seat since he was three months old. It's easy to set up and my son seems to be very comfortable while riding in it. I bought one at Target for $279 and a few months later the price here on Amazon was so good ($185) that we bought 4 more of them!!! One for every family member's car (mom, dad, and grandparents). They are great seats... wouldn't buy any other brand name but Britax!!!

the car is perfect. Easy to install and high quality. You won't regret to pay the extra bucks for it.

I have several friends who have this seat and have been very pleased. I am as well. It is easy to install and my son appears to be very comfortable. Well, at least the screaming has stopped when we put him in the car =)
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br /I don't know that I would put a newborn in it though. We started using it around 3 months (12 1/2 pounds and 25 1/2") and would have liked to be able to tighten the shoulder straps just a bit more.
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br /Would buy again for a 2nd child.

the best- comfy, covers clean like charm, I always know he is the safest he can be...our 3rd Britax, 2 marathons, 1 roundabout...the a pair of frontiers will be the next...love them!

We bought this carseat after our Graco wouldn't fit securely in our 2008 Honda CRV. This one went in much easier and is very sturdy. Also, the straps are easy to adjust and baby seems very comfortable. I also really like the velcro hold backs for the straps. Makes it easy to load/unload the baby.

We are so happy with this seat. It is so much more comfortable for my 11 month old. I love the colors and the fact that there is velcro on the inside of the seat, which holds the straps away from my baby as I am loading her in and out of the seat. I would recommend this seat to anyone!

I purchased this seat and I have to say it is great! I read all the reviews and decided this was the best and safest seat for my little one. As a bonus the "graystone" color matched my interior perfectly! The seat is very comfortable for my little one and the straps to secure her in couldn't make it any easier. They have the velco to attach to the side so you dont have to always worry about them under your little one when trying to put them in it. The straps have 5 adjustable holes and they pull out quite far to give you room to put your little one in the seat. It has shoulder pads to keep your little one comfortable rather than the straps digging into their shoulders. INSTALLING the seat --WAS A BREEZE! It does not budge when you try to move it. My daughter loves it because she is higher up and can see better out the window of the Dodge Caravan. It is worth every penny! Don't hesitate, just buy it!

This seat is perfect. Fits vehicle well. Baby loves it. Waaaaaay better than eddie bauer seat previously purchased. All around excellent product.

We have two boys, one almost 5 and the other 2 1/2. We first got the Britax Marathon when our first son was born (almost 5 years ago!). We've passed the Marathon down to our 2 year old now.
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br /The seat is STILL in great shape and by far the best we've ever owned. (We've had 3 other brands). The cover and straps have been washed countless times and are also in great shape. I have not needed to buy a new seat cover yet.
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br /The carseat is sturdy, safe, secure. We use the latch system in our car but have used the seatbelt when we've been in vehicals without. Either way the carseat remains secure using either system. I also like it because it sits a little higher than other brands so our children can see out the window. They like that...
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br /I would recommend this seat to any parent. It is worth the money.
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We just received a this carseat as a gift. The person who gave it to us ordered it off of another website and was upset to see that, although it was new out of the box, it had been sitting in the box for two years. Carseats expire 6 years after their manufacture date. She wanted to return it but would have been out of sixty bucks shipping costs. I told her it was fine and that our son would most likely be in a booster seat within four years anyway. Has anyone purchased this carseat recently (Graystone) and looked at the manufacture date? We want to get the same carseat for our other vehicle. I am curious since this one is cheaper than the other prints. Thanks to anyone who can post a response to answer this.
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br /My husband installed the carseat in our Camry and it is a tight fit. We're excited to see how our son does in it for our long, five hour,trip home tomorrow.
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We've owned ours for two years now. I bought it for my son when he was 6 months old and we've been using it ever since. The covers come off and wash easily and the straps have help up VERY nicely. The seat easily installs into every car we've put it in. (Both with and without the LATCH system.) It is currently in my 1996 Eagle Talon and it fits in the back just fine.ALMOST as easily as it fits into my husband's 1993 Suburban. (I say ALMOST because the Suburban is a beast of a big vehicle. lol) I just don't see ever using another carseat for him.

All of my friends were right when they told me this is the best convertible seat on the market! You can't go wrong! My son loves his new car seat and it has the highest safety ratings! If you look around, you can get great deals when they have sales, usually in the fall and spring! They retail $280 and I got mine for $225 on Amazon!

This car seat is wonderful. I have two of them. One for each of my children. It is very easy to use and very safe. Since I already had one for my oldest and loved it, it was an easy choice to buy one for my second.

We just bought our second marathon for child #2. Our oldest was a bad car baby until we got the Marathon and now loves it. Our youngest was a good car baby before and now is even better. Compared to other car seats, the Marathon blows them away in terms of comfort and ease of installation. The one downside is the size of the thing. We have a Higlander and with 2 Marathons the middle seat has all but disapeared. Also, when installed rear facing the expanse of the Marathon restricts how far back you can move the front seat. Since we're short people it's not a problem for us but I can see it being a problem for taller folks.

After researching car seats online for some time, I caved in and spent the money on the Britax Marathon. It is worth every penny!! My daughter is 26 pounds and has so much room to grow. She falls asleep every time she is in th car now. It was so easy to install, took no time. I would buy this seat again without hesitation.

Great car seat, easy to install with latch system. Very safe and cool designs make it easy to spend the money.

This car seat is exactly what I was looking for! My 13 month old son loves it, especially now that he can sit forward-facing. We had no trouble fitting it in either our SUV or Honda Accord in either the rear-facing or forward-facing position. We ponied up the extra money for the Marathon because of the higher weight limit and I"m glad I did.

We love this car seat. My daughter is so comfortable in this seat and it has plenty of room. She's big for her age and this seat allows her to sprawl out and really get comfy. Although you pay a little more for the Britax Marathon, I would recommend this to seat anyone. It's worth every penny.

We own three of those, to accommodate our 1 year old twins and our 4 year old. The kids love the seats. They look really comfortable in them. The sides provide nice support when the child takes a nap. Removing the cover for washing is easy, the quality of the fabric is really nice. Especially notable is that these seats will be good for a child from about 6-8 months old to about 5 years old - the wide range guarantees that you will not need to worry about changing your child's seat for years. We could not recommend these seats more, worth every cent.

Seat has good features and is generally easy to install. The strap features are well designed and fits our 16 pound baby well with plenty of room to grow. The seat is very large and does not fit well in older cars without the new style anchors.

Our little girl loves her new big girl seat. I love the cow print! It was easy to install, it is easy to get her in and out.

Great carseat, easy to install, our 11-month old is happy and comfy in it. It fits fine rear-facing fully-reclined in the center back seat of our 94' Corolla.

br /We had this same seat for out first child and have been very happy with it so we got another one for our second child. Both kids are very comfortable in it, it is easy to install and we feel very confident that they are safe while we are driving.
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br /Only negative comment is about the tax we had to pay on the seat because we live in NY State.

While all the Britax fanboys are busy congratulating themselves over their beloved Britax seats, I will say that this is a poor fit for some vehicles. This seat is meant to be reclined quite a bit and doesn't fit in my BMW very well. The consequence of its mandatory recline position is that the front edge diggs into the seat cushion. It's not a good fit and not sufficiently adjustable.

I researched many car seats and settled on this one. Safe and cute! But it has a *major* flaw:

The strap that comes up between the legs is too close to the back of the seat. My daughter, only five months old, was already almost sitting *on* the belt where it comes out. This mean that the buckle was way too low and tight, forcing the belts to cut into her chunky thighs and pushing uncomfortably on her pubic bone.

I asked around online on some forums, and found many other mothers who returned this seat for the same reasons. Many mothers didn't find it a problem until their child was at least 20 lbs, but it was a problem for me already, because we use cloth diapers, so my baby's butt is bigger due to the 'padding.'

This car seat wouldn't work well if your child is chunky or uses cloth diapers... and even otherwise, I can't see how it would work for a child over 25 lbs or so... The Britax Roundabout has the croth belt at a different location, a few inches further out from the back of the seat, so it is the one I am getting as a replacement.

I originally bought the Britax Boulevard for my son who is 2 and was out growing his regular convertable carseat. He is 35 pounds and needed a seat that would "fit" him. That seat was not so great. I sold it and bought this one instead. I bought the Zebra print. The seat is big and heavy, which I like since it looks and feels so safe. I like that the instructions are attached to the seat so you can't lose them. The seat was easy to adjust to fit my son and very very easy to install into my very small car (Suzuki Esteem). After installing it with seatbelt it DOES NOT MOVE AT ALL... which we all know is safe. Installation was so fast. I love the belt lock offs. The seat is very plush and soft. I love the many covers available. My son sits comfortably in this seat, there is plenty of room to grow, the crotch strap is so much better on this (than the Boulevard) and I am sure we are going to be able to use this seat for years to come. I am so glad I found this. Buy it, you will not be disappointed.

After spending much of my time reviewing convertible car seats I was able to narrow my decision to the Britax Marathon. The Marathon with its five point harness allows your child to remain in this seat until 49" and or 65 lbs, which is equivilent to a five year old. Thats reassuring considering that most boosters start at 30lbs and just use a shoulder/lap belt combination until your child out grows their seat. I also like the fact how easy the Britax Marathon was to install. Just latch in and tether down and your seat is safe and secure.

I made my purchase online at Traveling Tikes whom I have heard many great reviews. They included free shipping and charged no sales tax. They were pleasant and very professional in answering all my questions which is something that is lacking in this industry.

Sincerely,

Alice Lathers

We just received this carseat in the mail. The fabric is very soft. The seat was very easy to install in my vehicle. My son loves it. I'm very happy with my purchase. I should have bought the Britax when he was outgrowing his infant seat.

With so many seats to choose out there its no wonder that it can become so confusing. Infant car seats, convertibles and finally the boosters. 20lb's, 40lb's 65lb's Yikes! What's a mother to do?
Well I'll tell you what I did! I did my research and found that the Britax Marathon gave me more value and safety for my buck than any other car seat on the market. The Marathon is a Convertible Child Seat with LATCH that can be used rear facing for children 5 to 33 pounds and forward facing up to 65 pounds. The child's height should be between 18 and 49 inches. Not to mention that your little ones are secured by a five point harness that displaces the energy evenly across their precious little bodies. The Marathon with its patented lock-off, versa-tether and latch belt make this the easiest and most secure seat to install. Even though I was not thrilled about the color choices for my little girl online. I chose the Ashley floral pattern SO CUTE!!! and found the best price of $249.99 offered [...] including shipping and no sales tax as I live outside California. Do yourself's a favor and invest in your child's safety. I know that when I get behind the wheel of my car that I feel more confident now knowing that I have a Britax, than when we had our first infant car seat. Happy travels!
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I bought this seat for it's rave reviews and safety rating. I am confortable knowing my child is in the safest seat out there. I purchased two of these seats (an extra one for grandma's car) and received a reduced rate and free shipping for having bought two and taking the cowmoofladge pattern, which may not sell as well as others but is more attactive in person than the picture does it justice. I bought an onyx for myself, but now wish the cow pattern was mine, lol!

HOWEVER, my baby is five months old and about 20-lbs at this point. The reviews I read said that the seat "reclines" which was important to me. I want my baby to have the best of everything, to be comfy as can be and to be SAFE. But this seat has a minimal recline to it, and is no where near the amount of "recline-ability" that the infant seat I'd been using up to the point of getting this product. So his little head hangs in front of him when he falls asleep and he looks terribly uncomfortable. He cries sometimes when I put him into it and usually every time getting him out (if I don't get him out fast enuf). The seat is LARGE and obstructs my view out the rear passenger window. I can no longer see him the mirror on the head rest he faces, which I'd used before with his other seat in orfer see him from my rear-view mirror. Also, I no longer have the option of putting his smaller car seat into/on to the shopping cart when I go to the store--something to think about moms.

In time, my baby will grow and hopefully this seat will be a better product for him down the line. However, as things are now, I would not have taken him out of the seat he was in before this one, until later. And I might have reconsidered another model also, as far as being able to see out my window and using the mirror that I had back there to view him from.

I spent alot of money to end up having such mixed feelings.

:(

I bought this for my son. He loves it! It has survived spills and crumbs. Each time we were able to get the spills out. It is a great carseat.

I have an 3 1/2 year old daughter, and a 6 month old twin sons. We own three Marathons in the Cowmooflauge print.

First of all they are definatly the safest carseat on the market, they dont do as well rear-facing with the LATCH system, so we didnt use it. Foward facing is equally easy to do, and very comfortable! We have never used infant seats, finding them too uncomfortable and worthless... They are very secure, and easy to install! This makes it easy to also transfer the carseats between cars, as opposed to buying 6! the harness rests on the correct places, not on their thighs or anything. Theres velcro on the sides of the carseat (dont irritate baby though) that "holds" the harness, and that makes it easy to get them ALL out of the seats. My husband and I can easily unbuckle and buckle them in, and my daughter can snap herself in (we always check it though). Adjusting the width of the straps is just a turn of the knob, so depending on their clothing we can adjust the width easily. Adjusting the height is more "difficult" because you have to take off the cover, still easy to do but not a twist of a knob! We were able to fit two in the middle seats of my van (middle and behind driver) and than we can also get to our daughter in the last seat of the mini van. They are on the large side, so I do suggest "trying it out" as opposed to purchasing it online. The seat cover is very cute (comes in much more of a variety than Amazon provides) and our seat covers are plush and soft. Its easy to wipe them up with a baby wipe or a damp cloth, but also easy to take them off and throw them in the machine. Theres enough room rear-facing (at the right reqline) for the boys feet, they arent cramped and have ALWAYS slept through car rides. My daughter also loves her Marathon (before the twins were born we had a Graco for her, it was TERRIBLE so as soon as we decided to not use carriers, we bought her a marathon too!). The boys have always been good car passengers, and fall asleep easily. As infants we bought infant headsupport, and had NEVER had a problem. The nurses even proclaimed the Marathon as a much better choice than the commonly used snugrides for premies (our sons were 2 weeks premature). Even now they are small but still sleep soundly (their heads are cushioned on the sides) sometimes even before we leave the block! They can accomidate 22 lbs rearfacing, and 65 lbs foward facing... this may certainly be the only seat we would have to use again!

I LOVE the MArathon, and its well worth it to buy three! They have one of the longest "life-spans" of any convertable and our precious cargo are deffinatly worth the heafty price tag!

This seat looks nice and my 20 month old son is comfortable in it. However, last week as we were driving he reached down between his legs, lifted up the lever and lossened the shoulder straps. He is not a genius - any 20 month old child can do the same. I can't believe that BRITAX has not recalled this car seat.