This was the only car seat my son used from the day he went home from the hospital until our second son was born 21 months later. Our second son is using it now. We have been very pleased with the quality and durability of the Britax Marathon seat. Here are my favorite things about it: 1. The shoulder belts are very easy to raise or lower. 2. The latch system and tether belt get this seat in the car very securely. 3. I like that the sides of the seat extend forward around the child's head a bit; it seems very safe. 4. There is enough padding to keep children comfortable. 5. The rear-facing weight limit allows children to stay rear-facing longer; my older son still fits the weight limit at almost 2 years old. There are a few things I don't love: 1. If you use the Infant Positioning Insert (also sold by Britax) to help newborns fit just right, it is difficult to get in just right, and it's hard to find instructions online. 2. The clip you have to squeeze to get the shoulder straps to loosen is hidden under a fabric flab, and it's difficult to reach. I wish it were easier to loosen & tighten the straps. Overall a great carseat!

blessedwithboys

USA

I did a ton of research before buying this seat since it will be protecting our little girl for several years! We wanted her to rear face as long as possible and the Britax had a very high rear-facing weight limit. Everywhere I looked people were recommending the Britax brand. The seat was relatively easy to install. I love that the straps are held in a rubber sleeve/guide of sorts. This keep the straps from getting too twisted. They do still get twisted at times at the top of the seat but are easily undone, unlike the infant carrier we had. I also love the velcro on the side o the seat to hold the straps in place when the seat is not in use! The padding on the seat is very nice, and definately better than the cheaper seats. We enjoy the bright colors and as Husker fans, we love the red and black! As to be expected, the black color does show more lint/fuzz that comes off of our daughter's coat or clothes. We don't use it often but the clicking feature is nice for adjusting the strap tightness to a safe level for someone who's not as familiar with safe settings. Overall, we love the seat and would gladly buy another in the future. Ease of Installation Very easy. .we've moved it back and forth to different cars with ease. Child's Comfort Still rear-facing at age 3! Durability In great shape still after 2.5 years of use!

ear2010

Hastings, NE

This is a really, really great car seat. I bought a Britax car seat because of all the great reviews and compliments about how safe this seat was. We used it rear facing until my son was one and then turned it around. I thought was pretty easy to install, just had to make sure it was tight enough with the seat belt. I have moved up the belt loops as my son has grown and that was also pretty easy to figure out. The buckles are easy to losen and tighten with a little button/lever. It is easy to clean and the cover comes up so I can get all the food crumbs out! The seat also wipe clean super easily. My son seems very comfortable riding in it. He has never complained that it was uncomfortable. His head has some support on the side when he falls asleep too. I love that this seat can grow with him. It is a bit expensive, but for how many years you can get out of it and how safe the ratings are on it I think it is well worth the price!

sheri701

Neenah, WI

The marathon carseat by Britax is the only one we could find that fit on an airplane seat. It is easy to install and looks great! I found that other convertible car seats were bulky and eye sores, but this one was everything we wanted! We have a Toyota Prius and this car seat fits perfectly in the back seat. I think you could even fit 2 of them if needed! I bought one for grandma's car as well! The price can be steep compared to other car seats, but I think it's worth the etra money because it will last! With the help of a couple rolled up blankets, you could easily use this for your newborn as well! Love love love it and can't say enough good things about it! I think Britax car seats are great!

rkca

Washington, DC

By the time our 3rd child was born, I was tired of shopping for carseats!  I really wanted a carseat that lived up to its name - both in safety and easy to use!  Was it possible to find such a carseat?  I hated putting in a carseat at this point or changing it from one car to another.  Everyone we had tried was such a pain. I told my husband, we are getting a Britax this time!  He was skeptical about the price!  Let me tell you -- my now 3 year old is still in this same seat and it has been worth every penny we paid.  So easy to put it in the car or change it to another car!  Stays tight and secure all the time.  She is so comfy and can stay in it for 25 more pounds! We LOVE our Britax!  Best purchase we ever made!

jjann

Columbia, SC

Bought our Britax Marathon based on the high recommendation of a few family and friends.  While it is more expensive than many other car seats, this investment is one that truly should be made.  Britax exceeds most others in the level of safety of their seats.  It is also very easy to install comparatively.  We have three different car seats and our daughter is most comfortable in her britax.  She falls asleep in minutes which makes for a calmer ride.  I love how easy it is to adjust the straps.  Some days she wears a coat others just a onesie and it's adjustable just by pulling the strap between her legs.  There is also a nice padding by the buckles so even when she is wearing only a onesie the buckles won't dig into her legs.  Thankfully I have not been in an accident to test out the safety features of this car seat, but the stability and quality of the seat make me confident she would be okay if something ever happened.

mzozzietj

Boston, MA

i could not reccomend a better car seat for safety. i researched all the car seats out there and this one was across the board (the us and overseas) the safest on the market. it does cost more than some out there but you get what you pay for in car seats. my daughter was in a cheap car seat before the marathon and i can't believe that we had her in it as long as we did after i researched how safe the britax is. this one is eventually going to be my son's carseat because there is not another car seat that goes foward facing up to  65 pounds and this one did. i am very happy with the britax marathon cs. i would purchase again.

courtneyrwhite

Kennesaw, GA