Hello Mamas,
I recently just moved my 4yo from a Britax Roundabout to the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 because he was over the height limits for the RA. So far so good in the Nauti. I was all set to move my 7 month old to the RA but decided to sell it so that I could buy her the Britax Marathon instead in hopes of it lasting her longer than than the RA did my son (although 3 1/2 years was pretty good). Well I just installed the Marathon today and I'm not in love with it. I adored the Roundabout, thought it was safe, comfy and so easy to use and I expected the same of the Marathon but it is SO BIG, I don't like the harness adjuster (the RA had the easiest little button to push) and the crotch strap is already so close to my baby I can't see how it will last til she is 4 like my son, let alone 65lbs!
I guess I'd love some feedback and maybe some convincing to fall in love with the Marathon like I was with the Roundabout!! Here are my questions:
1. Has anyone used both of these seats? If so any comparisons you can share? Does the crotch strap still work even though it is 2 inches closer than the RA?
2. Anyone with a Marathon still have her child in it past age 4?
3. Anyone with a Roundabout doing extended rear facing ERF)? If so, will it last til 2 yo in rear facing mode?
4. Is it really realistic to use this type of seat past 40 lbs anyway? Is 65lb limit overkill?
Help me decide!!! Do I keep the Marathon and get used to it or should I exchange it for the Roundabout I already know I love?
My nearly 4 year old (he's long) is just about too big for
his Marathon, he's still in it, but, I was wanting to change
to something better for him probably by the end of the summer.
K
My sons are 3 and 1 and I have all 3 of the seats you mentioned. I used the Roundabout rear facing until my older son was 18-19 mos and it was great. I will do the same for my younger son. I think you will easily be able to use the seat rear facing until 2. My 3 year old fits great in both the MA and Naut. I do not think he would fit well in the Roundabout due to height...so if you have tall kids, i'd go with the MA over the RA.
My son loves his Marathon and is perfectly comfy in it. He'll be 5 in August. He's only 40 pounds now, so we'll use it until he reaches the limit in height. The hard-push button is there for safety reasons -so kids don't free themselves while the car is moving. I love the straps; they feel sturdy and easy to use when compared to those of the other, cheaper, car-seat we have.
Nicole -- I have 2 boys - 5.5 and almost 4. I own 3 Marathons and 1 Roundabout. My 5.5 year old is still in the Marathon (and in fact, he sits in the Roundabout, though I'm going to move him to the bigger one very soon). The Marathon is just as easy to use (once you get used to the lever instead of the button. The straps have much more room for them to grow and there is still plenty of room for them to grow. The crotch strap is close, but the only time it seems to be any kind of issue is when they're really bundled up in their winter stuff — and even then, it's just that they're kind of sitting on it (which can happen with any of them). It's not a problem for fit. I can't speak to extended rear facing, because we only used them rear facing until a year or so. But, I still love my Marathons. The only reason I'm not going to buy another is that Sam will soon be 6 and I figure it's smarter to buy him the bigger seat now (the one that goes to 80 pounds)...
M.
Hi there,
I have to Marathons, for my 3 year old daughter and one year old son, and I love them. My kids have very different body builds, and both seem comfy. Like one of the other responders said, the lever is there for safety... you'll get used to it.
Good luck deciding. There is just too much baby equipment to choose from these days!!
I have a tall nearly 6 year old in the Marathon since she was about 2. She never complains, sleeps comfortably in it, sits for hours. My very small 4 1/2 year old has been in the Roundabout since 6-8 months. Because I had the Marathon first, the Roundabout seemed odd to me when we first got it! We are in the City so not in the car a lot except during the summer. I think the Marathon definitely has a long shelf life. Good luck...
My son is 5 and has been in a marathon since 6 months. We recently went on a trip and used a booster seat (that we took on the airplane w/ us)--we used that when we got back in the car to drive home and he asked to keep that one instead of the marathon. He weighs around 50 lbs. So, yes, you definitely can use it--even though it looks so big now--but at some point they may want a booster instead :-)
I haven't used an RA or Marathon, but have tons of friends who use and love the Marathon. I use the Fisher Price Safe Voyage delux and it's made by Britax with a not so fancy cover and sold under the FP name. It is, in fact, a Marathon shell. My 20 month old daughter is still RFing in it. She is in the 95th% for height and 75th for weight, too, so she's a big kid. I think we should just about make it to 2 years. The height might be an issue soon, but I think we'll make it to 2.
As for the other stuff - ease of adjustor, size of seat, etc - I think you'll probably get used to it in time. Like I said, everyone I know who has one loves it.
Hi Nicole!
I have both the Roundabout and Marathon. My daughter was in the Roundabout until about 2.5 and then I moved her to the marathon because my 8 month old outgrew his infant carrier. She is now 4 and I just moved her into a fullback booster because she was complaining about the straps around her leg being too tight plus my now 2 year old outgrew the roundabout. Anyway, I liked both seats however did think that the roundabout looked more comfy. I am sure you could stretch the use of the marathon past 4 if your children don't max out the height requirement. Good luck!
We have 2 marathons for our 1 and 2 yr old kids and love them. We had our daughter rear-facing comfortably until 2yo and we're doing the same with our son now. Judging from other questions that I've seen on here, all carseats are different and take some getting used to if you're switching from one to another. When we got ours, we took them to the police station to have properly installed. I'm sure they'll also adjust the straps properly and show you how to use it. (Or if there's a carseat check coming up soon in your area, they're great to go to. They even measure the kids and fix the straps and really take the time to teach you how to use them. The police will, but they're really busy, so the people at a check take a little more time with you.)
We love our marathons and have already gotten much more use out of them than our friends who have gotten cheaper seats and had to buy new ones at a much lower weight. Our kids are both very comfortable in them for short or very long rides. The policeman who installed them couldn't say enough about the safety of Britax seats.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
I have the Marathon. My sitter has the Roundabout. In my opinion I wish I bought the RA. Although my daughter may outgrow it sooner than the mar. I feel the RA is more comfy for her and easier to use. Besides I bet I will put her in a booster when she outgrows either of them. I would return the Mar. for RA...plus you know you love it!
