Britax Marathon $199 - anyone know of anything better?

[MickeyMom2Boys]

I need to buy a new carseat. It will definitely be another Britax Marathon (I absoultely LOVE this seat). It turns out mine is expired. Albee baby has one for $199 with free shipping. I know there are a lot of other Britax fans on the DIS. Has anyone seen the Marathon any cheaper recently?

TIA!!

 

[pilesoflaundry]

The only advice I have is check to see if albee lists the DOM in the description. I've found they are cheaper becaues their seats are close to a year old. I had that experience with a booster.

 

[sydneysmom]

We've got the Britax frontier and LOVE it !! very sturdy, safe.....compared to other brands, the Britax is far superior for safety. As for prices, that I don't know. I think we got ours for around $249 on sale last year.

 

[vicki_c]

Someone posted that they found one, new in the box, at their Goodwill for something like $35. Apparently Target gives their unsold items to Goodwill (I didn't know that until I read that post) and that's where it came from - brand new.

 

[sunshine1178]

Someone posted that they found one, new in the box, at their Goodwill for something like $35. Apparently Target gives their unsold items to Goodwill (I didn't know that until I read that post) and that's where it came from - brand new.

slightly OT, but the Goodwill near me usually charges *more* for the Target items than the Target clearance price.

I'm in the market for a second Britax Roundabout. I Get a 10% off a shopping trip for every $1000 I charge on my Target Visa, so I think I'm going to combine my next 10% coupon with the next Target baby sale. Britax just isn't cheap, but I learned with my son that cheap doesn't last, so it's worth it to me to spend more upfront.

 

[thebeesknees]

Our Target had Britax seats 15% off this week in the baby clearance section.

 

[Bren's Mom]

very sturdy, safe.....compared to other brands, the Britax is far superior for safety.

As a CPST, I have to say that while Britax seats are sturdy and safe, they are NOT 'far superior' for safety. It's fine if anyone is a Britax fan, loves 'em, won't buy anything else...but that statement simply isn't true.

For the op, Britax is releasing brand new versions of several of their most popular seats very soon. And, as a pp said, Target is clearancing out their current versions to make room. (Some Targets anyway.) So if you can wait a little while (if you have a spare non-expired seat to use in the meantime) then you might be able to grab a great deal.

One question, though. Is the Marathon for a child who is already forward-facing? If that's the case, and if you don't have a younger child to pass it on to...you might want to consider a different seat.

 

[mmkk]

Amazon currently has the Marathon Labyrinth pattern on sale (closeout) for 189.46 and free shipping. http://www.amazon.com/Britax-Marath...=slickdeals&cur=forums&ses=#productPromotions

 

[onyx8]

Rumor has it that Target has them on clearance and I heard you can nab one for $109 if your Target has them.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Rumor has it that Target has them on clearance and I heard you can nab one for $109 if your Target has them.

Ours had a Roundabout 50 on *clearance* for $168... not enough of a bargain for me!

 

[Mrs. Charming]

As a CPST, I have to say that while Britax seats are sturdy and safe, they are NOT 'far superior' for safety. It's fine if anyone is a Britax fan, loves 'em, won't buy anything else...but that statement simply isn't true.

For the op, Britax is releasing brand new versions of several of their most popular seats very soon. And, as a pp said, Target is clearancing out their current versions to make room. (Some Targets anyway.) So if you can wait a little while (if you have a spare non-expired seat to use in the meantime) then you might be able to grab a great deal.

One question, though. Is the Marathon for a child who is already forward-facing? If that's the case, and if you don't have a younger child to pass it on to...you might want to consider a different seat.

I'm out of the loop, and DD is only 3. What are the better car seats now?
I googled it, but came up with not one consistent #1. I swear some of these lists are sponsored.

 

[britfish]

not sure about pricing but once you find a good price go to diapers.com they will price match same product (has to have same cover). Then they usually have a 10% off code listed you can apply, and Parenting/Parents mag. almost always has a $10 off coupon. Sometimes you can even get a better deal by adding a small package of diapers and getting a little more $ off.
If you need the $10 off coupon I have a few in my current magazines.

 

[bigmama67]

Look for other fabric patterns unless there is a particular one you like; some are less expensive for some reason. I paid $229 for one Marathon and $179 for the other with AB.

Also, if you are near a Buy Buy Baby store, they will accept the 20% off coupons from Bed Bath Beyond as they are owned by the same family...and our local Babies R Us also accept the Bed Bath coupons so they can compete with them.

Rachel ;o)

 

[labdogs42]

My Target has them on clearance right now. I forgot to check the final price, but they were at least 15% off, maybe more. I'd check your local Target before buying online.

 

[labdogs42]

I'm out of the loop, and DD is only 3. What are the better car seats now?
I googled it, but came up with not one consistent #1. I swear some of these lists are sponsored.

FYI -- My Target also had Graco nautilus seats on clearance. That is a great seat for a 3 year old and up. My son is 5 now and still rides in a 5 point harness in his nautilus. Love it!

 

[HappyGilmore]

Try Sunshie Kids Radian 65 or Radian 80 it allows the child to be in a 5 pt harness system until up to 65 or 80 lbs. There is a height limit also which I don't know off the top of my heard but do a google search for Kyle David Miller Organization. The advantage to these seats is they are skinnier than the Britax.

 

[Bren's Mom]

I'm out of the loop, and DD is only 3. What are the better car seats now?
I googled it, but came up with not one consistent #1. I swear some of these lists are sponsored.

This list is in no particular order. Among the reasons for seats being recommended are higher height/weight limits, lower cost (lower than Britax with =/+ features), ease of installation and use, extra leg room for extended rear-facing children (the recommendation is to the limits of the seats, for most kids that gets them to well over the age of 2, but in Britax seats there is very limited leg room). Keep in mind that seats are either outgrown by height or weight, whichever comes first. A seat with a 50lb weight limit and a really tall shell, might be outgrown the same time as a seat with a 65lb weight limit and a shorter shell.

Graco MyRide 40lbs rear-facing, 65lbs forward-facing
First Years True Fit 35lbs rf, 65lbs ff
Sunshine Kids Radian 40lbs rf, 65-80lbs ff
Evenflo Triumph Advance 35lbs rf, 50lbs
Safety 1st Complete Air 40lbs rf, 50lbs ff

Also, installation compatibility plays a factor. In many vehicles, the Radians are difficult to install. But they are narrower, so they're good for 3 across situations. (Like if you have 3 kids in the back seat of a sedan.)

When the new Britax seats are released and we start gathering data on installation and use, get some pics to see how kiddos are fitting in them, etc...then one or more of them might make it back onto the list of seats most recommended. But with the steep price, lack of leg room, still only 35lbs rf, they're not.

 

[amylynne01]

I'm out of the loop, and DD is only 3. What are the better car seats now?
I googled it, but came up with not one consistent #1. I swear some of these lists are sponsored.

If your DD is forward facing, I would not buy a convertible. You don't need the RFing part of a convertible, so it's a waste of money.

Some good seats for kids that are FFing are

Graco Nautilus (harness to 65lbs, booster to 100lbs)
Britax Frontier and the new Frontier 85 (harness to 80 or 85lbs, booster to 120lbs)
Evenflo Maestro (harness to 50lbs, booster to 100lbs)

The all-in-one seats (RFing, FFing, and booster) are okay for RFing and FFing, but they do not make good boosters. They do not position the seat belt properly on any child.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

I got the Roundabout 50 @ Target for $49.99 2 weeks ago. I had to go to a bunch of Targets to find it for that price. DOM was April '10.

 

[trinchick]

I have my DD (5 yo) in a Graco Nautilus, and we both love it. She is very comfy and loves the cup-holder and little cubbies on the side where she can stash her sunglasses. I love knowing that she'll be in the harness for a good long time.