Britax Car Seats - Havertown,PA

I have both the Roundabout and the Marathon... and I love the Britax carseats. My mom had a Graco in her car for my son, and even though Graco is a reputable name, and it was a decent carseat, it didn't compare to the Britax in comfort, or in wear. I can't speak to the safety of it because we never had any problems with it in that way. I have washed the cover on the Britax in the washing machine numerous times, and it comes out looking like new every time, and it's easy to get on and off.

My only advice is to go with the biggest seat that will fit your child now. I first bought the Roundabout because it was a little cheaper than the Marathon... I was anxious to get my son into a convertible seat at about the same age as your child, because my son was big for his age, and didn't fit comfortably in his infant seat anymore... but I ended up getting the Marathon about a year later, because even though the Roundabout is up to 40 pounds, my son was already getting kind of big for that seat and I felt like he would be more comfortable in the bigger seat, and he seemed to be. My son is just approaching the weight limit on the Roundabout, which we still use as an extra seat in my dad's vehicle, and even though he has not exceeded the weight limit, he looks too big for the seat, and doesn't appear to be nearly as comfortable as in the Marathon. I don't think we could have used the Roundabout as an everyday seat up to the weight limit. It just wouldn't have been comfortable or roomy enough. So from my experience, I would definitely recommend the Marathon... and they have some really cute seat patterns to choose from too...

He is now 3 1/2, and still big for his age, and the Marathon continues to be very comfortable for him. I don't even plan to move him to a booster seat until he completely grows out of this seat. I figure if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I have no desire to take him out of a five point harness until he is 12 or 13. Just kidding... sort of... LOL

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I have the Britax Marathon and I LOVE it! My son was always a bigger baby and I was told to try to get a roomy seat. Well he's 3 1/2 now and still loves the seat and isn't even close to growing out of it. Plus it's so easy to buckle and unbuckle. I would highly recommend Britax!

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Hi there M.,

I have a Britax Marathon convertible for my daughter. Love it. Looking to get another for my son. I did a lot of research b/c I too wanted a convertible one. I learned that the Marathon is the best if your child is on the taller side. It has three (I think!) settings for straps and therefore accommodates a taller child. That's why I decided on the Marathon. I would not recommend the Roundabout; it seems like you will then need to get another seat a little while down the road.

Check out sites such as Albee baby (I THINK that's it) for less expensive Britax seats with free shipping. I'm thinking of going with one with a floral print (yellow, flowers) to replace my daughter's Cowmooflage one which I will then give to my son. This yellow one is only 179 with the three shipping.

Be wary of stuff on Ebay. You want to make sure you are getting a NEW carseat, not one that may have been in an accident! But I'm sure you already know that.

Good luck!

T. :)

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The Britax Marathon rocks! I have the Roundabout also...it's less comfy and it does not 'grow' as well with a child. In my opinion, the Decathalon is too padded, and most kids I've seen get sweaty and uncomfortable with all the padding pressing against them.

Happy shopping!
-T.
www.onefitmama.com

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Hi M.. Before I bought my seats I did some research on the britax website to see which models would fit my needs. I own both the roundabout (for my little chunker who grew out of the infant carrier at 4 months!) and the boulevard (which has the side impact protection for the head) for my almost 4 year old. Both are convertible seats but the boulevard can hold up to a 60lb kid I believe. All reports these days recommend kids stay in full seats rather than boosters for safety, so having a seat that will go the distance will save some money too. Either way try to go to babies r us with hubby and baby. You can take each seat down from display to get an idea of how each holds her and the ease of buckling her, etc. Grab a sales associate and then bring the car around to try a few in your car too. They are large seats and it's helpful to see how they fit in your particular vehicle. Good luck!

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Hi M.,
I LOVE our Britax car seat. At the time it was the top of the line model but I don't recall the specific name...maybe Boulevard? All I know is that we chose it because it will take our son to the highest possible weight compared to others. The five point harness is key even after our son gets big enough to be in a booster seat with a regular seatbelt. I'm not taking any chances!

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I bought a Britax Roundabout almost 6 years ago and used it for all 3 of my children. It's a great seat and stood up to almost daily wear for 5 years. It's still in such great shape, I just gave it to my sister-in-law for her 2-year-old. If you want to save a bit of money, scan the internet for discontinued fabric patterns. Best of luck!

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We have the Britax Marathon. It's a great seat. I think the Britax Roundabout had higher safety ratings for smaller babies though. So, check that one out. The Roundabout goes up to 40 pounds (I think). The Marathon goes up to 80 pounds. Either seat would be a winner, and these 2 weren't as expensive as some of the other models of Britax. I don't think you can go wrong with Britax.

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I also have a Britax Marathon for my son. He has been in it since 6 months and is now 26 months. I love the Marathon.It is so easy to get them in and out of and to adjust the harness to fit them correctly. It also goes into the car very securely. I just got a second one for my daughter to transition into once she is out of the infant seat. I got her's through adolcebaby.com for $191 w/ free shipping. They have a code for 15%off ( I think it is BRITAX). That was the cheapest site I found it on and the manufacture date was July 2009. Albeebaby.com also has them pretty reasonable (but I read some negative feedback about them). Good Luck!

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Like most of the responses, this one is a big thumbs up for the Marathon. It has served us well & my daughter, who is 6 just transitioned out of hers to a booster only because of wanting to be more like a "big kid". She could have stayed in her seat until 8 or after due to her petite size. They are comfortable, sturdy, safe & look great! You can't go wrong with the Marathon! I would only buy Britax.

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I had a Graco car seat for my son and it was NOT safe at all! I bought a Britax Advocate and i couldn't be happier. It is so safe and comfortable for my son he LOVES the car now!

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I see you decided on the Marathon, which I totally agree with (we've had a roundabout and 2 marathons). The Britax seats are great, safe, and the straps don't get all twisted up. Just wanted to mention we (and friends) have found good pries at babyuniverse.com in the past, so you might want to check there too.

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I have the Boulevard for my toddler son and we also have a Roundabout (for #2) which is also a good seat (we used with my 1st son until we got the new carseat), but doesn't accomodate quite as much weight; love the Britax though - they are great car seats, super safe, and will grow with the child. Check for sales at retailers - I got a significant discount when they were on sale at Babies R Us - with an additional 15% off coupon and I signed up for a BRU credit card (another 10% off).

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I always thought the Britax seats were too expensive. There are plenty of seatst that are more expensive. I was actually going to get the Graco Nautilus, but it is only forward facing. (My sister-in-law has it and loves it.) I did some research and decided to keep my youngest rear-facing for as long as we all could take it. He survived open-heart surgery at 4 months so I'm not about to lose him in a car accident just because I want to turn him around.
Well anyway, I did splurge and get the Britax Boulevard. I thought about it for awhile and even kept the box for quite awile. (Just in case I wasn't happy with it.) It fits in the car GREAT. There's even a top tether for rear-facing. Never saw that before. The strap covers are kinda short and the belts were pinching him so I got really soft covers at Walmat for $4. The belts do not get twisted and tangled. A big PLUS is that you don't have to take the seat out of the car when he gets taller to adjust the straps. You just turn a knob on the side of the seat and the headreast and straps adjust perfect to him. That's awesome! I hate when you only have a few slots and sometimes they seem so far away from their shoulders.
I'm glad I spent the $$ on this seat. Look for sales and coupons for % off at Babies R Us. They have a limited selection of patterns though.
I would suggest trying them out in the store. Whatever seat you decide on, do some shopping on-line to get the best deal.

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I highly recommend the Britax Marathon. I love this seat as well as my daughter loves her "pretty" seat. It is a very safe seat and it allows me to keep my 23 month old rear-facing still which is the safest position for a child under 32 lbs!

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HI, I had two decathalons for my kids in my Mom's car, which is basically the marathon with removeable infant inserts and two boulevards for my car. I loved them, but my Mom just bought two new boulevards, so we will be selling the decathalons at a yard sale in a few weeks. They are great car seats, and you can't go wrong with Britax.

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I have a britax and love it. We have the larger one (forget the actual name sorry) but it has side impact protection as well and the weight limit is higher than the other models. I have a Subaru Impreza so it does take up a bit of room since we put it in the middle, but I honestly love it. It is roomy and seems comfy. My LO is 19 months and still isnt love with the car but i think the seat improved things some what. They are pricey but I believe whole heartidly they are worth the price.

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Hi M.,

I bought a Marathon for my daughter at around 9 months of age. She is a bit tall and I thought the Marathon would provide more growing room. She loves the car seat and we have used it extensively on very long road trips without complaints. Britax has a twice yearly sale and there are some discounts available online. Good luck.

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Hey, Just an FYI - I got an ad from Babies R Us, they are having a "trade in" event. If you trade an old car seat in, you can get 20% off a new one. Might help, that is how we are going to get my 1 year old his marathon!

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Britax is deemed the safest because they cost the most money....... but keep in mind that all carseats are approved by the same standards of safety. They don't sell car seats that are "less safe." They all have to be safe.

I do agree that a convertible style carseat is great because they sort of grow with the child... so you get more use out of it... but as far as brand goes - I don't see any reason why you have to buy a Britax... it is a marketing tool to make parents feel guilty if they buy anything less than the most expensive option.

We have the Britax Marathon and love it.

I have the Britax Marathon and very happy with it.