XP: Britax Marathon CS

browneyes_24b

As I'm beginning to shop for the future when DS needs a bigger carseat, I stumbled upon the Marathon CS.  I was planning on getting just a Marathon, but found the CS at close out prices ($100 savings).  Things is, I'm a little hesitant to buy a carseat that is closeout.  Anyone have feedback about the Marathon CS?

Mary0913

Not yet - what's the difference between the CS and the regular Marathon?

JARbaby

Mary0913:

Not yet - what's the difference between the CS and the regular Marathon?

The CS has a click feature where it makes a clicking noise when you pull it tight enough. It is the same as the regular Marathon except for this silly feature. If it is cheaper I would get it. But ONLY if you are close to using it. Carseats expire.

goodheartedmommy

I personally don't like the CS. They were designed to be easier to tighten, but that's not really the case. A close-out means nothing for safety--they can't be sold if they're not beating basic safety standards. Typically a close-out carseat is a discontinued pattern, sometimes a discontinued seat (again, doesn't mean it's unsafe, just that they're making something else or weren't selling enough of them), or it is an older seat. The CS feature is a relatively new one, but still probably 1.5 years old. I would call the company and ask for the date of manufacture. Carseats expire 6 years to the date of manufacture (there are a few that are shorter or longer, but britax is 6 years).

I wouldn't limit myself to Britax, though. They are not the end-all be-all of carseats that they were 5 years ago. In fact, to most techs, they're just the opposite. The hefty price tag does not mean you're paying for better safety--it just means you're paying for the label. The ONLY benefit of a britax now is the fact that they're so easy to install. In a case where a carseat would be moved a lot, I definitely recommend a britax because they're the seat that most people will get right on an install. For a carseat that will never be moved or not often, I'd go with another seat. Here are my recs (it's long, sorry!)

There is NO such thing as a safety rating for a carseat. Baby Bargains and Consumer reports are not reliable resources for carseat safety.

Every carseat passes the same crash tests. There's nothing more to it. The safest seat is the one you can use correctly 100% of the time. Beyond that, decide what is important to you in a carseat and what a reasonable budget is, and buy a seat that meets as many criteria as possible!


Here are my recs:

Convertible carseats (rear facing and forward facing)

Sunshine kids radian--I love these seats. They can be a bit hard to install in some cars, but they are barely shorter than the true fit in shell height, they have an 8 year lifespan instead of the usual 6, they tether rear facing, and they're the only company to release crash test data (makes them rather trustworthy, you know?). They are very narrow, but do take up quite a bit of room rear facing. The 65 model rear faces to 40 lbs and forward faces to 65 lbs and the 80 and XT models rear face to 45 lbs and forward face to 80 lbs. It has great leg room rear facing, and will get most kids to the stated rear facing weight limit, and will get most kids to an appropriate booster age (remember that seats are almost always outgrown by height before weight) $200-$275

First years true fit--super high shell (highest on market). The premiere version has an anti rebound bar. Anti rebound protection of some sort is a must-have for me. Some people find it unnecessary. If you google a bit, you'll find some info on it, but no one really agrees on it yet. It's just something you decide for yourself. Anyway, it will last most kids until an appropriate booster age because of the tall shell. The headrest is removable for smaller infants, which is great for smaller cars and babies who need to be more reclined. Rear faces to 35 lbs, forward faces to 65. $175+

 Graco myride--They technically rear face to 40 lbs. Most kids wouldn't make it that long in it, though, but should get past 35 lbs in it. They are similar in shell size to the britax marathon/boulevard. The shell is deeper, which gives it good side impact protection. When I tried my son in it the other day, it actually seemed like it was a bit taller than the marathon. It looks very comfortable, and I think I've heard it's pretty easy to install.  Forward face to 65 lbs. $150+ (you can always find a good deal on one, though!)

Britax Boulevard or Marathon--These have a lot of qualities that made them my favorite seats for a long time. I love that they have a rear facing tether. They are the easiest seats to install (I moved seats a lot for a long time, and could install them correctly in seconds). These used to be the tallest seats out there, but that's not true any more. Britax has continued to sit and watch competitors come in and create tall seats with higher rear facing weight limits at a lesser cost. I personally would not buy another one.They rear face to 35 lbs, and forward face to 65 lbs. The bottom slot on these seats is high, so it won't fit most babies until 4-6 months. $200+. You can usually get a good deal on them.

Evenflo triumph advance--also similar to the britax seats. I love the infinite harness--by far my favorite harness out there. The way it tightens is awesome. I have no experience installing them. They rearface to 35 lbs, forward face to 50 lbs. $119+.

Safety first complete air--this is the other seat that could actually get a child to 40 lbs rear facing. I've heard a lot of good things about it--it's very tall, and could get most kids to booster age, too. I personally am not comfortable with a heavier rear facing child not being tethered, so I would not buy this seat, but a lot of people don't think they tether is necessary, so it makes this a nice seat!  Forward faces to 50 lbs

If these aren't in your budget (all that I listed are $250 or under, most around the $150-$200 mark), I'd go with a no bells-and-whistles cosco scenera ($40) for now, and save for a taller seat--because you will need one. 

Avoid seats with small shells like the britax roundabout or diplomat, evenflo titan, and graco comfortsport. The shells and top harness slots are so short, and they're always outgrown too early. You'll optimally want to rear face to at least 2 years old, hopefully longer, and the absolute minimum booster age is 4 years/40 lbs. 5.5-6 years is a more appropriate age for a booster, so you really want to get a seat that will last you a long time rear facing and forward facing, so you don't have to buy a lot of carseats. Seats are almost always outgrown by height before weight, which is why a tall shell and tall top harness slot are so important.

 Also avoid the 3-in-1 seats like the alpha omega and evenflo symphony. While they are taller than the ones from a couple of years ago, they're still outgrown rather early, and they make an awful booster.

If you are tight on space and the seats I recommended will not work for you, I would get the combi coccoro over the seats like evenflo titan and britax roundabout. While it won't last until booster age, it can get most kids until about 3 years rear facing.


A few more notes:

For rear facing, straps should be at or below the shoulders. A carseat is outgrown by height rear facing when the top of the head is within 1 inch of the top of the shell. Straps are too loose if you can pinch the strap at the shoulder. The chest clip should be at armpit level. For forward facing, straps must be at or above the shoulder, and the seat is outgrown when the top of the ears is above the back of the carseat shell. Coats that require you to loosen the straps should never be used in a carseat, as they compress in an accident, making the straps not tight enough, and potentially causing ejection from the vehicle. Bundle-me's are also not okay, along with any other after-market product (might-tite, seat covers that are not made by your seat manufacturer for your seat, shoulder pads).

Remember that rear facing is 500 times safer than forward facing, so a child should rear face as long as the seat allows. Feet touching the back of the seat is not a problem. When forward facing too soon, a child risks internal decapitation in a crash. There has never been any evidence of legs breaking in a crash with a rear facing child. There is evidence pointing to there being more damage to legs in forward facing children.                  
 

goodheartedmommy

Oh, and be aware that it takes anywhere from 4-9 months for most children to fit in a britax. The bottom slot is so high that it takes a long time before a baby fits height-wise.

browneyes_24b

goodheartedmommy:

Oh, and be aware that it takes anywhere from 4-9 months for most children to fit in a britax. The bottom slot is so high that it takes a long time before a baby fits height-wise.

Wow!  Thank you for all of that information!  You have a lot of knowledge of carseats.  I really appreciate it!

dejavu

DH and i were looking at car seats today and wondering the same thing about the CS version.  this is a fantastic post.  thanks for the info on all the other car seats and their options!