Product Description

The standard length of a marathon is 26.2 miles, and the Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat will cover more than 100 times that distance. The Britax Marathon Convertible car seat is one of the most functional seats to ever hit the market. Slightly larger than other Britax Car Seats, the Marathon is legendary for safety and comfort. It's important to note that the shell of the car seat is a bit bulkier than others, so parents should allow for about 31 inches of seat space when used rear facing. Some of the unique features on the Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat include a five-point polyester harness with no-tangle polyester webbing, built in lock-offs for the car's seat belts, and a push-button LATCH system with VersaTether. This Britax Car Seat provides the utmost security in both forward and rear facing installations. The Britax Marathon has Expanded PolyStyrene (EPS) padding to protect your baby in the event of a collision. Britax convertible car seats are equipped with their patented HUGS system, which is designed to better distribute webbing loads to reduce head movement and minimize the chance for the webbing's edge to load on the child's neck. The Britax Marathon provides parents with an all around top-rated car seat. However, it might be too large for compact cars. For those looking for a smaller Britax Car Seat, the Britax Roundabout is a perfect choice. It is a little smaller than the Britax Marathon, and it is designed for children weighing up to 40 pounds.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4614 in Baby Product
• Color: Cowmooflage
• Brand: Britax USA
• Model: E9W0634
• Dimensions: 22.00" h x 19.00" w x 20.00" l, 20.90 pounds

Features

• 5 point harness with patented Floating HUGS system and 4 harness heights
• Built-in lock-off clips, Versa-Tether & Safe Guard LATCH Connectors
• EPS and Comfort Foam for safety and comfort
• Rear- and forward-facing recline
• Rear facing: 5 to 35 pounds. Forward facing: At least 1 year old and 20 to 65 pounds

Amazon.com Product Description
The Marathon from Britax is a durable, convertible car seat that helps keep your child safe and secure in the car. Ideal for parents seeking premium comfort and a higher, forward-facing harnessed weight capacity, the Marathon fits children rear facing from five to 35 pounds and children forward facing from at least one year old and 20 pounds, up to 65 pounds. Both positions can accommodate a standing height up to 49 inches.

The Britax Marathon offers: HUGS system for maximum safety. Easy-to-use push-button release LATCH connectors. Five-point harness for a secure fit.

The Marathon's LATCH system is easy to adjust. (Crocodile color shown.) View larger.

An Easy-to-Adjust Design That Grows with Your Baby
The Marathon boasts an easy-to-manage design and enhanced features that can be safely used in cars with or without the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system. For one, it provides built-in lock-off clips that keep the seat tightly in place when using only traditional seatbelts at installation. Secondly, a simple handle pull allows the car seat base to be reclined when rear-facing, and soft padding and a stain resistant, removable and washable cover keep things cozy and stress-free.

In addition, the five-point harness system is made with strong polyester webbing, has tangle free straps, and fits snugly over your baby's shoulders, collarbone and hips to provide a secure fit. There are also four adjustable height positions so the seat can truly grow with your baby. Finally, the one-hand recline adjustment allows for proper positioning, which helps ensure your child's safety.

HUGS for Optimum Safety and Support
When it comes to safety, the Marathon truly delivers. First, the patented floating HUGS (Harness Ultra Guard) system exceeds U.S. safety standards by reducing forward head movement as it gently cushions the neck and chest with soft padding--a feature that's particularly important both in the case of an accident and during nap time. In addition, this system better distributes the webbing loads, reducing head movement and minimizing harness irritation on baby's neck in case of an impact. HUGS also reduces the chance of improperly positioning the chest clip.

Versa-Tether for Additional Security
Marathon also offers Britax's patented Versa-Tether, an anchor aid that provides additional security in the forward facing position for children weighing more than 50 pounds. The Versa-Tether fastens the top of the car seat to factory installed automobile anchor points, minimizing the possibility of a head injury in the event of impact. This system also allows for rear-facing tethering to help keep the seat consistently stable.

Weighing 16.5 pounds, and measuring 19.5 x 27.5 x 25.5 inches (WxHxD), the Marathon is also Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213 compliant, meaning it adheres to a strict set of quality control and safety standards, and is approved for airline travel. The Marathon comes with a 1-year limited warranty.

The Marathon is also available in the following colors: Onyx, Mariposa, Tan Swirl, Crocodile, Mossy Oak, All Star Blue, New Denim, and Granite.

From the Manufacturer
The legendary Britax Marathon convertible car seat is renowned for safety, comfort and convenience and for the ability to keep your child in a harnessed child restraint up to 65 pounds. It is a convertible car seat ideal for parents seeking premium comfort and a higher, forward-facing harnessed weight capacity. Unique features including a sculpted base, push button release LATCH system with patented Versa-Tether, and built-in vehicle belt lock-offs, make a tight installation in your vehicle quick and simple. The tangle-free polyester 5-point harness with 4 harness heights help to effortlessly secure your child every day. The Marathon also offers a patented HUGS system, belly pad, and a plush & washable seat cover for that ultimate comfort experience for children rear-facing from 5 to 33 or 35 pounds or children forward-facing from at least 1 year old and 20 to 65 pounds. The Marathon offers rear- and forward-facing recline for child comfort and positioning. The Marathon is made in the USA with U.S. and global components.

Customer Reviews

Great, but not perfect.
Don't get me wrong....I would own nothing other than Britax seats at this point. We have 4 children and we've tried various models. We've donated the others to Goodwill. We currently own 5 Britax car seats for 4 children. We have 2 Regents, 1 Parkway(used as a spare), 1 Marathon, and 1 Roundabout. I feel as though I'm a walking advertisement for Britax and we've been accused of being uptight about car seats.

As far as I'm concerned, there are three main features that we look for in a car seat:

1. Does it fit securely in the vehicle?

Forward facing, this seat is awesome. We don't have the latch system in our van, so we never had the opportunity to use the latch belts although I'm sure they work fine. We use the shoulder belt and we've never seen any other seat get as secure as our seat. When we try to move the seat side to side, the van moves instead. The beauty of the system is that after you've tightened the lap part of the belt down as far as you can, you then slide the shoulder part of the belt into a slot that latches down on the side of the seat. Once you've done this, the belt doesn't develop any slack. Then for good measure, you attach the tether to the underside of the rear of the seat (or a tether hook in some cars). This seat doesn't move after that.

Rear facing, the seat could be improved. This is why the seat doesn't get 5 stars from me. The side lock down mechanism is tightened more by the thickness of the belt. Unfortunately, it can pop open without much pressure. (As a side note, the lockdown on the side of our older Roundabout works great. It is a different design. I'm not sure if Britax thought they were improving and have changed the design or if they have a different lockdown on this seat.) The annoying thing about this is that you have to continuously check to see if it has released.

2. Condition of the straps is important. I haven't seen one manufacturer compare to the quality of the straps. The shoulder straps are thick and wide. They don't fold up on themselves or get tangled. They are also wide across your child's shoulders.

3. Child's comfort. The side guards around the head are great for when they are getting tired and the safety foam is the same as you would find in bike helmets.

Overall, the seat is great. If I could have given it 4.5 stars, I would have. The rear facing problem was minor to us because we could use our Roundabout rear facing, but for someone who needs to use it rear facing for a while, it might be more of a problem. I'm hoping Britax improves that one thing, but overall, this seat is highly recommended by me.

A Miracle!
This car seat was a life saver!

Our daughter is almost 4 months now and cried everytime we placed her in her infant seat, except on the day home from the hospital. We couldn't drive down the road without listening to screams - the only time we went anywhere was if she was asleep and often she woke up the minute we put her in her seat. My 8 year old and I would both sit in the back seat with her, it didn't matter. I read the reviews on this seat so we went to 2 different stores and placed her in the demo. She was fine. My mother offered to purchase it for us so we got it.

Sketptical?
I was skeptical, so I first took her for a 5 minute ride - no crying. The next day I chanced 15 minutes - still no crying. The third day we went to my mother's - a 40 minute drive each way. Within a week we were willing to try her on a 3 hour trip. She did great!

I think the key for us was my daughter can see out and doesn't feel confined like the infant seat. She spends most trips gazing out the window and quietly sucking her thumb.

Size
I've read people complain about the size, but it fits fine in our Toyota Prius and our Subaru Outback. In fact it actually allows the front passanger seat to be further back than our previous car seat with a base (Graco Snugride).

Buy Two!
We've had the seat now for 3 weeks and no crying! My husband asks me everyday "How was she in the car" and everyday I say "GREAT!" We bought a second one for the other car.

Installation
This is the easiest car seat I have ever installed, we use the latch system in the Prius and in my mother's car. IT is so much easier than the latch with the Graco seat. Using latch it takes only minutes to go from one car to another. In the Subaru we use the regular shoulder/seat belt (it's 8 years old so latch wasn't available). Which I still like better than the Graco.

It is quite expensive, but to us well worth it. If you're still reading this then you want this seat! (It doesn't feed hungry babies, so they may still fuss.)

A year late...

My daughter is 15 months now and the seat is still wonderful! We now have the seat facing forward and we still love this car seat.

Amazing!
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!