I currently have a Britax Roundabout for my 18 month old, but was looking to get another one for our other car. Also, I'm expecting our 2nd in April, so another car seat will come in handy. I figure our next baby will be able to use the Roundabout when he/she outgrows the infant seat, so I'm looking for a seat for my son who will be around 2y.o. I would like something that he could use for as long as possible. Any suggestions? I'm thinking about the Marathon, but there's the Boulevard and a few others..and I'm not sure what all the differences are? Any suggestions or advice?? Thanks!
We got the Marathon and love it. Many of my friends have that one too- same feelings about it. I can't remember why we didn't get the Boulevard. We were going to and there is a reason we didn't and ended up with the Marathon.
The Marathon and the Boulevard won't last you all that long. They say 65 lb. weight limit, but it goes by weight and height. They will outgrow it by height long before 65 lbs. I did a ton of research on this and most people outgrow it around 45 lbs. I bought the Boulevard and a Regent, but I switched my son at 1 year. If I were you I would buy the Frontier. My mom has this seat for my two boys and I love it. My 2.5 year old fits great in it, and the Regent was too big for him in my opinion. The Frontier will last you the whole time until it expires, which I think is 7-8 years, I can't remember. It's so versatile being a car seat and then it can switch to a booster. The Frontier is easy to install and very comfortable. If you have any questions about it, please don't hesitate to contact me via PM. You can also check out www.carseat.org. It's a great forum that has a ton of info on all the britax seats.
when my dd ws an infant we bought the marathon for my truck and the rounabout for my dh small car
she outgrew the roundabout fairly quickly
but she is now almost 5 (decemer) 43 pounds and 46 inches and still fits in it fine
we love it and will buy another for baby due in february
J.
I don't really know which one you should get, but www.babycenter.com has up to $30 off right now and free standard shipping on Britax. There may be more reviews there, too. Good luck!
We have a Britax Marathon and are very happy with it! I believe it is taller than the Roundabout and holds up to 65 lbs. My sister-in-law ended up selling her Roundabouts and getting the Marathons for her twin girls who are tall for their age. The Boulevard has the Side Impact Protection which is great for safety, but I have heard it can be annoying for the kids. I don't think you can go wrong with any Britax, it is just a matter of preference and the size of your child. Good luck!
Go to www.healthycar.org to also check the toxic levels in the car seat. The marathon ranks worst in toxic levels (that was the original one I registered for and took it off). You can have the best of both worlds, I bought the boulevard and it also came recommended by www.safetysquad.com (a place I highly recommend when it comes to installing your carseat, they will come to your home too). But please check that website for toxic level rankings.
Good luck!
J. W. MPH
Lifestyle and Wellness Consultant
IF they are forward facing, I would go with the Frontier. I just ordered it from albeebaby.com for my 2.5 year old. It has a 5 point harness until 80 lbs and the same price as the Marathon. I feel that I can't go wrong.
My 5 year old is 44 inches tall and still fits her MA very comfortably...she just moved to the top harness straps but will likely fit for another 9-12 months...she is long legged...how long they last depend on their torso length...most kids get to at least 4.5 years....I love our 4 MA's, we also have two Regents....I've sat my 28 lb son in it (he's still rearfacing) and he was engulfed by the Regent...I'd wait to put a little one in a bigger seat, plus if he's under 33 pounds he can remain rearfacing...the safest way to ride!
Travelingtikes.com has quite a few Britax on sale right now, also ableebaby.com
The toxicity that another person responded to was specific to different covers...the Marathon Onyx was the worst...but based on what I read I didn't feel that the covers I have were a problem.
The other benefit to the Marathon is that there are so many cute covers to chose from....watch out on ebay though..there are custom covers that are not crash tested and not advised.
B.
We have a Marathon and are very happy. My daughter is 40 lbs and 39 inches tall at 2 1/2 years old and she is not showing any signs of growing out of it. It probably depends on the child and you may want to consider taking your toddler to the store and letting him sit in a display model to see.
