Britax lovers- I need your input

[blessedby3]

I am looking at carseats- wont need one for a while as DD is due at end of Sept.- but wanted input on the Britax models. I never had these for my other 3 kids, but was looking into them because so many on these boards love them. Which model would you suggest for a baby coming out of an infant seat at 6-9 mos? What are the benefits of the Britax brand? There arent many on store shelves where I live (I think Target carries one model) and thats about all. Since I cant actually look at them I wanted to get input as to what is best and the best place to purchase one. Thanks for the help.

 

[earthfaries]

I don't know our Britax model number but it is the Marathon. They were $250.00 each at Babies-R-Us three years ago. I love them. I bought that brand because that year they were rated above the rest in Consumer Reports. My two youngest still fit great with tons of growing room and they are almost 5. The carseat comes with a pad and headrest so newborns can fit into it also. Here is a pic of the one like we got :

http://www.britaxusa.net/products/browse.aspx

Ours is on the left, the Marathon, but blue like the top right one.
They are great car seats though, and very safe.

 

[blessedby3]

I don't know our Britax model number but it is the Marathon. They were $250.00 each at Babies-R-Us three years ago. I love them. I bought that brand because that year they were rated above the rest in Consumer Reports. My two youngest still fit great with tons of growing room and they are almost 5. The carseat comes with a pad and headrest so newborns can fit into it also. Here is a pic of the one like we got :

http://www.britaxusa.net/products/browse.aspx

Ours is on the left, the Marathon, but blue like the top right one.
They are great car seats though, and very safe.

Thanks. Im sorry, I didnt mean a model #, but a model name like Marathon, Roundabout, etc. Thats great to hear that at 5 they have tons of room left still. We dont have a Babies R Us, only a Toys R Us and they dont carry much at all. We used to have a BRU, but it closed down 5 or 6 years ago. Thanks again for the help. Anyone else?

 

[WDWorBUST]

We also own 2 Marathons. I LOVE them. We got one for my mom and one for our car since she watches DD and they have been worth every penny. The straps are easy to adjust and they are easy to care for as well.

 

[djmeredith]

I purchased two Britax car seats: 1 Marathon & 1 Roundabout for my sister when she was pregnant with her first child in 2005. They were rated highest in safety. Luckily, I found them both on clearance while she was pregnant. I would recommend the Marathon over the Roundabout because the weight and height limit is higher. My 4 yr old nephew still rides very comfortably in his Marathon in his mother's van. Although he has switched to a booster in my car and my mother's now.

As far as boosters go (even though that's not what you asked about), I have the Britax, but prefer the Compass Folding Booster my mother has...and it's quite a bit cheaper! My nephews also prefer the Compass for comfort.

 

[WDWorBUST]

I think Target carries the Marathons now.

 

[grlpwrd]

I have a Marathon and a Boulevard for our youngest 2.

Don't forget there is also the Fisher Price Safe Voyage which was manufactured in colloboration with Britax to make the carseat more affordable. Less bells and whistles, but it goes for around $180 and can be used up to 55 lbs.

 

[bumbershoot]

Well, we got the Roundabout. I will say, though, that DS was in the Roundabout from even before 4 months old, b/c he outgrew the Graco by *height* so darned fast! I think anyone who gets beyond that is lucky. (DH and I are NOT tall people, so it was NOT expected!)

We wanted the Marathon, but it was just SO big, and we had a Golf. We kept DS rear-facing until the limits of the Roundabout, and it definitely impacted how we sat in the car (DH had to drive or sit in back b/c he coudl't sit in front of the carseat).

Also, those seats do have infant inserts and whatnot, they've been tested safe for babies over 5 pounds (if I recall correctly). Since now we know that somewhere in our genes lurks a TALL gene, should we be fortunate enough to have another baby in the future, we're just going to get a convertible seat from the beginning, with all the manufacturer-included infant inserts, etc. We never used the infant seat as a carrier anyway (heavy! ergonomically junky! helped to teach DS to fall back to sleep quickly while being carried! and so on, LOL), so there was no need to have the Graco to begin with. I knew that too, but chickened out, LOL.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

DD had a Roundabout and now the Parkway booster. DS is in a Marathon. We have loved them all.

BabyUnviverse.com has free shipping on most of their Britax right now. I believe we ordered all of ours from Babies R Us.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

We had the Roundabout for both DDs. I didn't try the Marathon, so I can't compare. We liked that it was well padded for comfort, installed easily and securely, and was tops for safety. After we started using it for a while, we started loving it for other reasons. The top strap on the five point harness is a buckle, not a little clip. Our backup seat for our first DD had a clip, and DD wasted no time in figuring out (at about 2 years old) how to unhook the top part of the harness in the car. That was the end of that seat! We also liked the circular buckle guard so the girls didn't burn their legs on a hot buckle in the summer time (a baby in shorts, a NC summer and a metal buckle are a VERY bad combination!). We lived far from family when DD8 was an infant, and we wanted a seat that would be comfy for long car rides. The Roundabout was the best - the girls were each comfortable for long trips and didn't complain. The cover was easy to remove and wash. It was just a great seat all around. We use the Britax boosters now and love those.

I would go to Babies R Us (if you have one nearby) and try the Roundabout and Marathon in your car to see which fits better. If they both fit well, it is just a matter of preference.

 

[all4fun]

I stole this off a car seat forum. I think it breaks down the differences of the "Big 3" pretty well:

What are the differences between the Britax Marathon, Boulevard, and Decathlon?



“Marathon- The most basic model of the three. It harnesses to 65 lbs, rf 5 to 33 lbs. It has a rf tether, ff and rf lockoffs. Has the lever style harness adjuster, 4 harness heights, and the crotch strap does not adjust. It is very padded and comfy just like all the britax seats, and has about a million cover choices. Will last till the child is ready for a booster most likely. Good for children that need to rf still (under 33 lbs).



Decathlon- Harnesses to 65 lbs rf 5 to 33 lbs. Has rf tether, ff and rf lockoffs. The ff lockoffs may damage seatbelts. It has a push button style harness adjuster, 4 harness heights (rumor is they may be a little taller than the ma/bv), and a three position crotch strap that gives 1 more inch of room as compared to the marathon and boulevard. It has infant inserts so is great for a small baby. It also has a removeable toddler head pillow. It has more limited cover choices than a marathon. Will last till child is most likely ready for a booster. Good for very small babies because of the infant insert but a ma/bv may be a better choice for an older child that won't need the infant insert.



Boulevard- Harness to 65 lbs, rf 5 to 33 lbs. Has rf tether, ff and rf lockoffs. It has true side impact protection (the "wings"). Has a lever style harness adjuster, and instead of having to remove the seat from the car to adjust the harness height you just turn a knob on the side of the seat, and it does not have an adjustable crotch strap. It has a removeable infant pillow so is also a good choice for a very small baby. Will last till the child is most likely ready for a booster. Good seat for any child. Especially one that will have to be on the side of a vehicle without side curtain airbags.”

The Roundabout is a good seat but for just a few dollars more I'd get the Marathon because it will last you literally years longer, especially if your genes tend to be on the taller side!

hth

 

[lclark0621]

We had DS in a Marathon from about 4 months old & loved it.

We have since moved his Marathon to DH's car & bought a brand new Brtax Regent for my car. I LOVE it. DS loves it. It is comfortable for him & will keep him harnessed much longer then any other seat.

 

[caracap]

DS 3.5 & DD 2 are in marathons, DD 9 mos in a Roundabout. The only difference I think is, Roundabout goes up to 40 lbs, Marathon 65. Also, DS went past the ear height limit. So, they grow out of the RA faster. LOVE those seats!!

My mom has the FIsher Price one in her car, and it's great!

 

[tanyaandallie]

The biggest benefit of the Britax seats is that the big 3 (marathon, dec & blvd) rf to 33 lbs, ff to 65 lbs and have top harness slots of 17 inches. This means that your child can stay rear facing longer than many other seats and can stay harnessed ff for much longer than most other seats. These 3 seats last the average child to about age 5 or 6. Also, Britax seats can be tethered in the rf position. There are only a couple of other seats around that allow rf the rf tether.

The roundabout is a good seat, but like pp said, for a little more $$ you can get one of the bigger 3 and your baby will stay harnessed in that seat far longer. Also, fwiw, these seats do not make great seats for infants. While they are approved for a 5 lb baby, the average infant does not fit well in one of the seats b/c the lowest harness slot it just too high.

 

[hmillerbarilla]

I have a Roundabout. My favorite thing about it? Being able to carry it with one arm over my head while holding a baby boarding a plane. It is so lightweight, yet SAFE and very easy to use. LOVE IT.

 

[northriver]

I totally agree with the PP about taking the Roundabout on the plane, it is super easy to manuver through the airport! The bar on the back makes a perfect handle to carry it around!

We have used our Roundabout from birth. The bigger seats do not fit rearfacing in ANY of our cars, at least if you want to ride in the front seat in front of them, which we need to do. So the Roundabout has been perfect, and I drive a small SUV (Toyata RAV 4) so my car isn't exactly tiny either. DD is still rearfacing, she just turned 2 and is nowhere near the rearfacing limits on the seat.

I have a Marathon in the other car and I love that too.

I have a Decathalon in my mothers car and the adjuster strap did not work very well, it did not adjust at all when we had that seat rearfacing and is just now loosening up - we have had the seat for a year and use it maybe once a week. Maybe the new ones don't have this problem but it seems to be just the Decathalons with the "stiff" adjuster straps - not sure I would recommend them for a newborn when you want to make sure that strap is perfectly adjusted every time - that is WHY I buy the Britax seats! Once that straps finally loosens up, it is a great seat, lots of extra padding and very comfortable.

Hope that helps.

 

[Minniemouse07]

There are new higher weight seats from other manufacturers available now that could be options as well.

Check out this link. I know it says that they are "Options for kids over 40 lbs with lap only belts" but there are a number of convertibles there you can look at.

Additionally, Recaro is coming out with two new convertible seats next month, you can read about them here(the new seats are the Como and the Signo).

Don't get me wrong, I love Britax seats (we have an Advantage, two Huskies and a Boulevard) but there are other options available now that weren't there 1-2 years ago.

 

[blessedby3]

Thanks everyone for your wealth of information. I was worried about the size of the Britax seats fitting in my minivan. Some posters said that certain seats were too big for their vehicles. I have a Ford Windstar. Anyone have any experience with a rf britax in a windstar?

 

[Manda]

DS was in a Roundabout from birth - we never had one of those infant bucket seats. He used it until a month or two ago (he's almost 4) when we moved him to a Regent. I loved the Roundabout. I sorely regret not getting the Marathon though. At the time 40 and 65 pounds seemed terribly far away and very big and I wasn't even worried about that and hadn't thought much about what comes after growing out of the Roundabout. So, now I've paid another $250 to have another 5 point harness for him. If I would have started with the Marathon, I'm sure I could have used it for his entire car seat career and saved myself a lot of money. He's only just now approaching 40 inches and has several pounds to go before he hits 40 pounds. I'm sure the 65 lb limit would have fit him for years.

 

[designermv]

I have a Britax Wizard and love it! When and if we have another child, we'll get a Marathon for him/her.

You can get a 2007 Britax Marathon for $209.99, free shipping at Albee Baby's online store. I don't think I can post the link here. It's the Portland fabric. Great buy!