Review of Britax Marathon 70 Convertible Car Seat

Customer Ratings:

This thing is the rolls royce of carseats. I seriously regret not getting a Britax for my first child. I thought "How can it be so much better?" In every way its better! It is thick, substantial padding, awesome convenient features. I have a giant 21 lb. 6 month old baby. I searched for a rear-facing car seat with a good recline and I got it. He reclines very comfortably in this. The latch and tether on this are very solid. It also has a feature that makes changing the harness height literally a snap. It takes a second and it is secure. I will never go back to less expensive brands. I have a reputation for being frugal and this is something that is worth the price!

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We bought this car seat because our baby outgrew his infant car seat. We installed it rear-facing and placed our baby in it and was absolutely shocked by how little leg space there is. My 17 month old baby is in the 60th percentile for length/height, so he is not too tall and his legs are no unusual length, but his knees have to bend at least 45 degrees because they hit the seat of our car and his legs look very uncomfortably scrunched up when we place him in the seat. There is no way we can have him ride in this car seat like that! I guess that all the positive reviews is for the safety aspect of the seat, or the front-facing use, or maybe some paid reviewers, because I cannot imagine any child being comfortable in this seat rear-facing unless they are still very small or have REALLY short legs. This seat would probably be fine forward facing, since it is room in the seat part and well cushioned but PLEASE test out the chair in your car with your child in it before buying. We tested the seat at the store to make sure it fit in our car, but we didn't think of testing the child in it too, big mistake! We are returning this seat ASAP.

NOTE: I just read that the Britax Marathon 70 was rated #1 in having the most toxic chemicals, so consider this before buying.

UPDATE: Upon further research, I've found that most convertible carseats in the rear-facing position offer little leg space for toddlers and that it is "normal" for kids' legs to bend or rest on top of the back of the seat in which the carseat is on. Rear-facing is still safest for kids under 40 lbs. However, some carseats do offer more leg space than others. We are continuing or search for the right one....

UPDATE: After hours upon hours of more research, reading a ton of reviews and accident annecdotes from parents,and even subscribing to Consumer Reports to gather info., we've decided to buy the Britax Advocate 70. Britax continues to outrank all other carseats in safety (usually the Britax Boulevard 70 and Britax Advocate 70 had best reviews by consumers and various "specialists" with the Marathon 70 coming in a close second). In regards to the toxicity levels, it depends on the color, with onyx being the highest. We chose the opus grey, which had a "medium" rating in toxicity level, which was the lowest level for Britax carseats. The chemicals are used to protect against fire. Other carseats are ranked as less toxic, but none are as safe in crashes as Britax. To further comment on the lack of leg space with the seat rear-facing (found out lots of parents are concerned about this too), various sources say that despite the lack of leg space and its seemingly awkwardness, there is still a 75% HIGHER risk of serious injuries including leg injuries in the FORWARD facing position.

I changed my previous 2 star rating to 4 stars based on the updated info.

Whew! So much info out there, hope this helps.

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I just had this car seat installed RF in my VW GTI and it fits perfectly fine with room for someone to sit in the front seat. I had looked all over the internet for this info but could not find it so I was concerned I would have to return the seat for lack of space. Pleasantly surprised I didn't have to!. Also, I had it professionally installed but I was there as it was done and it looked like a breeze (RF with the latch system).

Honest reviews on Britax Marathon 70 Convertible Car Seat

I seen there were 2 One Star reviews. I also went into research mode.

According to the HealthStuff.com site, YES, this car seat is considered HIGH on the Toxicity Chart.

And no, I'm not concerned.It states that there is a large measure of Bromine in the clips on this safety seat.

I looked up what that is used for, and why it's such a big deal.

You know what I found? Bromine is used as a Flame Retardant. You see the importance?

Think about being in an accident, the car in raging hot with flames. You are scared for your child's life, not sure if you can get him/her out quickly.

Then you take into consideration, there is Bromine on the clips so they DON'T MELT in the extreme heat.

Therefor, you un-clip and free your child easily and are away from the vehicle in an instant!

See what I did there? I don't wish that on ANYONE... But doesn't it make sense?

Besides, how many of you see your children chewing on something and getting poisoned by something that's resistant to extreme heat like fire?

This is a worth while seat for the price, and ease of mind.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Britax Marathon 70 Convertible Car Seat

First of all, watch the video. That should be the main reason why you buy this seat. My husband was very hesitant on spending over 200 dollars on a car seat but once we looked at them in the store and did our research this was the best we could get for our family so we made the purchase. I ordered the seat late Sunday night and it was at my door Weds. morning.....almost unbelievable (I live in NC). It came in the Britax box and was ready to be put in the car once I adjusted everything to my 11 month olds comfort. It is so well made and the latches were another selling point for us. Unlike the Graco and other brands all you do is press a button and pop it on the latch, no pinching and doing crazy wrist movements, pinching fingers, getting AGRAVATED anymore for us!!!! We bought the cow print and couldn't be happier with it (we have two girls but are planning on adding two more children to the family). If you are looking for a car seat that meets your safety needs to a T, A+++++ this car seat is for you. It is one of the bulkier car seats but my children's safety is #1 to me. I know it is an investment and we look forward to many years with our Britax!!! We are awaiting the arrival of the Parkway Britax for our older daughter, we are so excited!!!