Hello
Here is the background info: I have a volkswagon jetta and got the britax roundabout for my son, because it is smaller than the marathon. However, it only goes up to 45 pounds.
My daughter is 10 months and ready to move out of her newborn seat. I dont know if I should get another roundabout, or if I should get a marathon (good up to 65 pounds) for my son and move my daughter into his old seat.
My car is so small, I dont know how the bigger seat will fit. However, I dont know enough about texasseatbelt laws and how big kids get to know how big of a carseat I need to have.
Should I get the roundabout and then, when my son hits 45 pounds (he is now 30) get a booster? Or should I get the marathon and hopefully not need to get another seat?
Thank you so much for all of your input. I ended up getting a Graco Nautilus - very neat seat - for my 2 and a half year old and moving my daughter into his roundabout. i love the car-seat.org site suggested. I've gone back to that and back to that over and over to read about carseats. Its the best carseat resource I have found, because the people are not unduly swayed by prestige or appearance of the carseats. Normally, everyone says, "Get a Britax!!!!" and you think, well, it costs more because its better. My husband was shocked when I picked the Graco Nautilus (Nearly half the price of the Frontier - he thinks I always pick the pricier item on principle) but after reading the reviews from the carseat techs, it seemed like the the Graco was the best option for me.
Thanks again! I love mamapedia!!!!!
According to Consumer Reports, the best convertible car seat is the Evenflo Triumph. It has a max weight of 50 lb. and is less expensive than either the Roundabout or Marathon. We have the Roundabout for our 4-y.o. but will be buying the Triumph for him when it's time to move our 8-mo-old to the bigger seat.
We owned a Roundabout and our daughter outgrew it when she was three by weight, which left us in a bind. In California, she couldn't move to a booster until four, so we had about six months to fill with some sort of seat. We ended up getting a Britax Frontier, thinking we'd just convert it to a booster when she turned four. Unfortunately, we discovered when she was four that it doesn't turn into a true booster. So, now the thing sits in our garage and we've purchased a regular booster instead. We got about six months' use out of a very expensive seat.
In your case, I'd go with the Marathon. That way, you're covered if your child crosses the weight limit before boosters are allowed. Just check online to make sure it will fit in your car. Then, when you want to use a booster, you can go out and get a regular one.
I could rear face our Marathon in my husbands work car, a Chevy Aveo hatchback! I didn't even have to move the front seats to do it. You just have to know how to get it in properly and take your time. And read the manual. THe Roundabout will only harness to 40lbs. Its outgrown rear facing when the child hits the weight limit (33lbs) or there is less than one inch of hard shell above the head. The harness should be just at or below the shoulders for rear facing.
A forward facing car seat is outgrown whe nthe child hits the max weight, the shoulders go over the top harness slot, or hte tips of the ears are level with the seat back. When even one of these things happens, the seat is outgrown and must be replaced at once.
That being said, the Roundabout is a good seat and as long as its less than 6yrs old (car seats expire after 6yrs), then I would purchase a higher harness weight seat for your oldest child (if he's forward facing), like the Graco Nautilus or Britax Frontier. These will harness the longest and then also booster so your son will be able to remain in a harness in a good seat for a few more years, then use it as a booster.
Then move your baby ot the Roundabout REAR FACING and leave her there until she outgrows it rear facing per the specs above. The AAP, SafeKids and NHTSA all recommend children remain rear facing until the max of the seat, or at least 2yrs and 30lbs. My 3.5yr old daughter is still rear facing at 37" tall and 28lbs.
Anyway, the logical thing ot do would be to purchase a new 'big boy' seat for your oldest, a Frontier or Nautilus. Then move your baby rear facing in the Roundabout until she outgrows it rear facing, then move her forward until she outgrows it forward.
How old is your son? If he is forward facing I love our graco nautilus it harnesses to 65lbs then goes to a booster then backless booster up to 100 lbs. If you go to babies r us they will let you try the seat in your car. If you have him forward facing I don't know if I'd get a seat that can't turn into a booster because then when he is out of the marathon you will have to buy another seat.
Our 18 month old is in the Roundabout, but our 5 1/2 year old son and 3 year old daughter are in the Graco Nautilus carseats....definitely recommend them! Check it out :)
We have the Marathon and love it, however, it is big. When our second was ready for another carseat, we moved her into the Marathon and our older was in a new carseat- fwd facing only, with a 5pt harness that will convert to a booster and then backless booster. When he's ready to move to a booster, we'll get him a simple one (least expensive of the carseat options) and move my youngest to this carseat. There will be no more need to buy an expensive carseat again! Will this work for you?
I would go to a baby store and asked them to try out a Marathon in your car. That way you will know for sure how the fit will be. If it fits fine, then I would get the Marathon. I would leave them in a 5 point harness as long as possible. A friend of mine was recently in an accident and the police officer said the only reason her 5 year old walked away from the accident with no injuries was because he was still in a 5 point harness, not just a booster seat. I don't think you will regret getting a Marathon, it is a wonderful carseat.
