Confuzzled - WHY is she outgrowing the Marathon?

CandCfam · Mar 6, 2007

Her torso height is 14.75 inches, and she's got MAYBE 1/2 inch before she is even with the top slot. If it has 17" top slots, how is this possible? Is it the comfort cushion taking up space? I can't imagine taking that out to give more room, that seat would not be comfortable with that out of there.

I'll try to get a pic in a bit, but it seriously has me confused as to how she could be so close to outgrowing it already (already being 4 years 11 months).

Oh, and I'm posting this in Coffee Break because I don't want to scare any newbies posting in the car seat forum, away from getting a Marathon.

Splash · Mar 6, 2007

Charlie doesn't have much more room in the MA either, less than two inches, with a 14" torso. He has loads of room in the Triumph, though, which only has 15.5 inch slots. It's all in how the kid fits, more than anything else. If I use a recline bar on a Regent, he can also fit below the 12" bottom slots.

There is nothing mathematically correct (or even possible) when it comes to car seats. It's just one of those things...

Jewels · Mar 6, 2007

I think it may also have to do with the angle of the cars seat. My MA is in the middle of my car and the seat as a whole is more reclined there then it is one the sides where it is more upright. My DS sit differently in his MA in those two spots

Also I am think the angle/recline of the actual carseat where there bum sits might affect how they sit as well.

Really I don't know, my DS outgrew his comfortsport at around 2 with a 13/13.5" torso when I measured 15" for the top harness slot. So I figure it has to do with the incline/reclines of both the carseat, the cars seat and the child!

kelly · Mar 6, 2007

Try installing it more upright. In both our vehicles, the MA wants to go in pretty darn reclined. If it spend the time to fight it in more upright, my daughter gains a noticeable amount of room.

It is one of those strange mysteries though!

Yoshi · Mar 6, 2007

My daughter isn't even 4 yet, and she only had about an inch left in the Decathlon.....but in the Radian she has 2.5". Her torso is about 14.5". I know people love these Britax seats for SO many reasons, especially if you use one from infancy, but they certainly won't last all kids until 5 or 6 yrs old. She was SO uncomfortable in it with her legs hanging down and knees over the edge of the seat. We use the Radian exclusively now. Someday I'll get another Regent unless I like the new Recaro better.

LuvBug · Mar 6, 2007

you arent the only one

DS only had a max of 3/4-1" growing room in his marathon when we got his husky(little over a year ago). He only had a 14.5-15"ish torso at the time.
I think a lot of it has to do with the shape of the seat, but also how DS sits in seats. He sits with his but all the way to the back of the seat(which is how they should sit) and doesnt slouch. If he slouches he fits better. He has actually started to slouch in his husky/regent and suddenly he needs to be moved back down. I try to keep him sitting upright but the crotch buckle is so far away he slouches until he reaches it. I think it might have something to do with being in the MA all that time with the crotch buckle always coming out from under him.

arly1983 · Mar 6, 2007

Jackson is the same way. He sits lower in the Radian. He only has .5 in in the Marathon. I had expected him to be in taller slots in the radian.

scatterbunny · Mar 6, 2007

I usually say that "most" kids make it to 4-6 in a Marathon, because most kids CAN make it to 4; the kids who can't are the kids who would have outgrown almost all other convertibles even sooner. I've only heard of a select few kids who are too tall at 3 or sooner.

The Radian would be my favorite convertible if it installed better in a wider variety of vehicles, but since Britax is generally easier to install I recommend it more.

Installation angle and angle of vehicle seat does make a difference in how a child fits.

CandCfam · Mar 6, 2007

Hmmm... well, I don't think I can install it any more upright than it is, but I surely will try that if I can eek out any more growing room for her.

It's just boggles my mind that she's already growing out of it when the numbers say she should still have 2 + inches left in torso growth.

I'm sure we'll make it to 5 (next month), and probably another 4 - 6 months in it to grow in torso the remaining room left. I can cross my fingers and pray we get 6 + more months.

Amaris · Mar 6, 2007

That's really odd. I don't know if ours was more upright or what but Michael outgrew it with a torso measurement of 17.5 inches!! He outgrew the blue on first though, so I think the padding of different covers might have a little to do with it, but probably not 2-3 inches.

Confuzzled - WHY is she outgrowing the Marathon?

CandCfam

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Splash

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Jewels

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kelly

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