Britax Marathon Car Seat

As some of you may know or may have read from my earlier blog entries, I was in a car accident earlier this summer. As some of you may also know, if a car seat in involved in an accident, it is recommended that you get a new one. Even if the car seat is not in use at the time of the accident, it is still recommended to get a new one. So, I was back in the market for a convertible car seat for my 3 year old.

So, first things first I went to my favorite mommy message board (www.mommiesnbabies.com) and asked what their recommendations were. Again and again I got the same answer, Britax Marathon. When my son turned 1 year old, I had posed this same question and had gotten the same answer. So, when the answer was the same two years later, I decided to look into it some more.

I went to many websites to research cost and read other people's reviews. Every thing I read told me that this was the car seat to get, and that it was totally worth the money. I checked Toys R Us, Target and Sears online. I found it cheapest at Sears for $240.00, plus shipping. I know that may seem expensive to some people, but as it was posed to me, can you really put a price on your child's safety?

One of the reasons I wanted a Britax Marathon is because a friend had one for their son when we took a trip to the zoo. On the way home when our children were sleeping, my son was slumped forward in his seat, and their son never fell forward. When I asked what kind of seat they had, low and behold, it was a Britax Marthon!!

And the perks don't end there. After we got the seat, it was time for the dreaded installation into my vehicle. Unlike most car seats, the latch system uses two separate straps insead of just one. There is one strap on each side, connected to a metal bar, which is screwed into the side of the seat. And instead of the usual clips at the end of the belts, there are connectors that are more like a seat belt, which you just push onto the vehicle's latch bar in the seat...and it has a release button just like a seatbelt! And when it's time to tighten the belts, you tighten each side, instead of on just one side. I usually struggle to get the latch belt tight enough, but this was very simple!

The recommended weights for this seat are 5-35 pounds, rear facing. And front facing is 20-65 pounds. Recommended max. standing height is 49 inches. (For more informaiton, please visit the Britax website.)

Of course my son, Caiden thinks the new seat is really cool, and he also loves the fact that he sits up higher!

And for the final test, Caiden fell asleep in the seat during an hour long drive home, and never once did he slump forward in his seat!!

I strongly recommend the Britax Marathon for anyone who is looking for a convertible car seat. It is 120% worth the cost of the seat.