Can you stand another car seat question?

[laughinplace199]

DS is 6 months and we will be buying him a convertible seat soon. We will either get him a Britax Roundabout (which is what our older two kids had) or perhaps a Marathon. I'm leaning toward the Marathon because my older DS5 outgrew the Roundabout way before he hit 40 pounds. My question is, is the Marathon too big to bring on the plane? We never had any problems flying with the Roundaout. If the Marathon is too big, is there a less expensive smaller seat that we should consider purchasing just for travel?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Disney Ron]

I am interested in hearing about flying with the Marathon also.

I just bought the Marathon for $229. What a nice carseat. I did research before buying and remember reading on one thread someone flew with it all the time. The person mentioned they used a Gogo Kidz Travelmate to help transport it in the airports. Here is theat link: http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_kids.html

Mrs. Disney Ron

 

[tanyaandallie]

Definitely get a marathon, decathalon or boulevard over the roundabout. The roundabout is a great seat but not worth the money since most kids will outgrow it by 3 and before they hit 40 lbs. The marathon is a much better investment since the top straps are much higher and will keep most kids until they are 5 or 6. I have 2 marathons and love them both.

IMO for travel they are big and bulky. We took my dd's on the plane with us when she was 15 mos old. It's a big seat and she was pretty squished when the person in front of her leaned his seat back. The seat does work on a plane. Lots of people use them but they are big. Don't let that stop you from buying it, though. It's a great seat.

We are traveling again in the next few months and we are buying inexpensive lightweight seats for travel. For a child your baby's age I would recommend the Cosco Scenera (with the 5 point harness). It's only $40 at Target/Walmart. It comes highly recommended on the carseast board I visit. RF to 35 lbs and ff to 40 lbs. It's a no frills seat but very lightweight and much smaller than the Britax. I just bought one for my 2 year old and he still fits in it rf.

 

[laughinplace199]

I definitely think I'll get the Marathon, thanks.

About the Cosco Scenera, is it a safe seat? Why is it so inexpensive? It just seems so inexpensive that I'd be worried it would fall apart or something. We will need a seat for flying and to use in the rental car. It seems to good to be true to find a decent car seat for travel that is so inexpensive.

 

[dhardawa]

The Marathon will fit fine on the plane, but it is a bit of a pain to get through the airport.

The Scenera is actually a decent seat. It is a total no frills seat. Would I want it as my every day seat? No. Is it good for traveling or in the car that is used once a month? Yep! Over time if it is used daily, you'll find that the harness twists up and the adjuster can get harder and harder to use. But, for limited use it is a very good option.

 

[bellarella]

Actually, I would get the Roundabout. The marathon is big seat and while it can go on planes, it is a RPITA. State laws are getting stiffer on requirements for car seats. By the time your DS is 5 years old it is likely that the state law will be either 6 years, or even 8 years and you might need to get another seat after the marathon. I go from the roundabout to the Regent, which goes all the way to 80 lbs. I like having a more portable seat when they are little, and then I have the Regent for when they outgrow the Roundabout.

 

[bumbershoot]

The Scenera is a really good seat, especially for travel. Nice and roomy. Sometimes I think DS prefers it to his Roundabout, though once we get him a Boulevard or whatever we're getting him soon, that might change.

The Scenera is also much lighter than even the Roundabout, making it a bit easier to lug around the airport. By the way, since you're not supposed to hold a seat by the straps (which many people do), we got a bag for the carseat, made by Eddie Bauer, purchased at Target. You have to take the seat out at security, but once you're through security and on the plane, the bag makes a nice carryall for random things you might have pulled out of your other carryon bag(s).

 

[laughinplace199]

Thanks for all of the help. I will definitely look into the Cosco Scenera for a travel seat. I am still trying to decide between the Roundabout and the Marathon, but I have plenty of time to decide. DS will be 6 months on Sat. and is only about 14 or 15 pounds (he will get weighed on Monday at his 6 month check-up), so he can be in his current seat (Graco Safe Seat) for a while longer.

 

[TravelinGal]

I'm a Britax gal too - and I just got the Cosco Scenera-Touriva 5-Point Convertible Car Seat from Wal-Mart for under $40.

It's SO light! And really easy to put in the car. Since we will only be using it for flying/vacation, I removed the LATCH belt (which was only held on by one screw to keep it from getting lost) and the tether and just put them in the box with the cup holder that we won't be using either. While I know the rental car will be new and have the LATCH system, the car seat has such large holes for the seatbelt (easily fit your hand in each side to pass the belt through) I decided it was much easier to not deal with extra straps and junk on the plane. (And yes, hooking it up with a seat belt is just as safe as using the LATCH system.)

 

[bumbershoot]

(And yes, hooking it up with a seat belt is just as safe as using the LATCH system.)

Definitely. About half the time, DH can get a tighter fit with the seatbelt and Scenera than the Roundabout and LATCH. Even the lesser fit is still a great fit, but he can get it ROCKsolid more often with the Scenera than the Roundabout...