RF Britax Marathon questions

happymom

New member
Ok, after about 6 months of research and debating among lots of seats, I chose the Britax Marathon for my son. We had tried it in the store a few times before eventually ordering it online.

We've been using the seat for about a month now. I had the install checked by a tech (who I felt knew a lot less about car seats than I do). She told me that the tether doesn't really do anything and when I asked about rebound she said that the tight install takes care of anything, but didn't tell me I should remove it. Britax manual recommends always tethering, even in rear facing mode.

I feel pretty confident about my knowledge and that the seat is installed correctly. The tech I had look at my seat just checked it and did not install it herself. I just know that every parent *thinks* they are using their car seat correctly and only 1 in 5 seats is actually used correctly. I want to make sure my son is strapped into one of those 20% that is actually correct.

FYI, my son is 14 months, 28" tall and weighs 17lbs.

I have a few concerns. The harness straps seem very wide to me. With our infant seat (Graco Snugride22) the straps came out of the seat a lot closer to his neck. With the new seat, there seems to be so much more space and the straps are closer to the edges of his shoulders....I dunno, maybe he has skinny shoulders? When I am putting him in and getting his straps tight, if he is leaning to one side, one of the straps slips off his shoulder (I always fix it, but it's annoying). He has never been able to wiggle out once the straps are tight....but does this sound right? I thought I would really like a seat with strap covers and HUGS cause it seemed to prevent twisting, etc, but everything just seems so bulky when I put him in and it takes twice as long because I pinch test every time I put him in the seat and working around the strap covers is difficult.

Also the lever to loosen the harness is REALLY hard to find sometimes. It doesn't line up with the hole/slot in the cover (it's about 2" closer to the front of the seat) -- I have to dig for it every time I need to loosen the harness. Is something wrong with my seat or are all Marathon's like this?

P.S. I am using the rubber Britax seat protector mat for under the car seat after watching the video's on the carseatblog and doing a lot of my own research. I know a lot of techs do not recommend them but I do not feel like it's compromised the install at all and the tech I saw did not mention that it could be a safety concern. One thing I keep seeing is that it can "mask a poor install" -- is there anything specific that I can check for to make sure the seat protector is not masking a poor install?
 
ADS

Stelvis

New member
Which Marathon do you have? The "classic" or the G3?

Personally, I don't adjust straps each time. I just leave it set where it is and check it periodically.

The shoulder straps are generally a good fit for most kids, but if you're concerned, could you post a picture? You can leave the face off for privacy if you wish.
 

happymom

New member
I don't loosen the straps each time, but sometimes I have to to get him in the seat. He fights me so hard sometimes and stands up and flips around and does everything he can to keep me from strapping him in.

This picture only sort of shows the problem with the straps. Maybe I'm crazy and inventing things to worry about, cause the straps are so much closer to the tips of his shoulders (haha tips? I dunno what else to call them).

I got this seat cause it was supposed to be super user friendly - but I have a hard time deciding whether the straps are tight enough! Sometimes I think I tighten them too much forcing my boy to slouch in his seat (initially I put him in with the harness on the lowest setting and still was feeling like it was a bit above his shoulders - he is 14 months and outside of the weight limit to still use the infant insert)....but then I realized that he was slouching, and it may have been from overtightening? I dunno, he is on the second or third "slot" now.
 

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jordansmom

New member
The HUGS pads are removeable for use rearfacing and might help you feel better about the snugness and overall fit of the harness straps. Keep them in a safe place though since they are required for use forward facing!
 

creideamh

Well-known member
^ yes, this. I'd remove the HUGS (and strap covers, if you feel the need.) That should help with the harness issues. The adjuster is buried, though I don't think any more so than other seats.
 

Stelvis

New member
It looks okay, but you can take off the HUGS if you want. The straps don't have to be tight on his belly, just at his shoulders and hips.

The adjuster is a bit buried so that children can't reach it and loosen themselves!
 

MommyShannon

New member
My 11month old is in a MA70. When I'm putting the straps on her, they do the same thing if she leans to one side. It seems to just be from not being buckled up and she can lean out of one strap. Once everything is buckled and the chest clip is positioned, the fit is always great.
 

maramarrie

New member
I agree with PP. Everything looks/sounds ok with your fit/install. I have the Boulevard G3 and I think I have the same problems with it. I don't worry that the straps are wide set, but I think that the strap covers and HUGS pads make it very difficult to see if she's tight enough. Every time I tighten her she complains that it's too tight, so I back off a little and it looks too loose. I'm learning to take out the slack without making it dig into her skin...and we've had the seat for 6 months already. The ratcheting bar is a little hidden, and it seems like there are 2 slots to reach through (one is the extra buckle strap slot). I find it much less user friendly than our "Classic" britax models, but it does have extra features....and I'm stuck with it, lol. I have considered putting her back in her Classic Roundabout 50 and using the G3 for our spare seat. She likes her Roundabout better than the Boulevard for whatever reason. I think that if I remove the HUGS while she's RF we/she might be happier with it.
 

happymom

New member
Thanks everyone! I'll go through the manual and learn how to remove the hugs. I'm glad I'm not the only one with these issues. It doesn't seem like this seat would fit a newborn well, at all, but I know people who have used it from the start. I'm hoping over time I get used to it and like it! I hate that I spent so much time choosing the right seat and still missed some stuff! Oh well :) I'm stuck with it now!
 

happymom

New member
The ratcheting bar is a little hidden, and it seems like there are 2 slots to reach through (one is the extra buckle strap slot).

HAHAA!! I didn't realize there were two slots and I've been reaching through the extra buckle slot!! Woo, mom of the year over here!! haha.

Anyway, it is MUCH easier to find and use when reaching through the correct slot and I'm actually a lot happier with the seat now (although I still wish I could have got the foonf....just couldn't justify the price....and I'm not sure if it would have fit in my car anyway).

Thank you all!!
 

happymom

New member
Just wanted to post here since so many people suggested removing the hugs pads. The owners manual that came with my seat says to never remove them (I had to take my whole seat apart yesterday because we had a vomiting incident in the car...fun)



image-967838090.jpg

I've read a lot of advice suggesting that it is ok not to use them in a RF position but it seems I contradict the owners manual. I actually can not even imagine how to remove them unless you take apart the harness....
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Page 2 says HUGS are optional RF... http://www.britaxusa.com/uploads/cms/file/p435000_r1_mar 70 usa.pdf
You just first buckle the harness, so nothing gets tangled or confused, unhook the straps from the harness yoke/metal plate thing on the back, pull the straps all the way through to the front, and unthread the HUGS and chest clip and put the chest clip back on. Do one at a time so you don't forget what you're doing or put the chest clip on upside down.
Oddly, it's good to have more room at the neck on a wee one, that gives more neck room for them as they get older and thicker (rearfacing kids don't depend much on the shoulder straps to hold them in place in a crash, the seat shell does most work, and the lap straps also hold them down, so a little wide is ok, hence the super wide apart set True Fit being ok, even). Glad you figured out the harness adjuster slot, man, that MUST have been a pain! (the old seats were way, way too easy for kids to self-adjust, which was a nightmare for moms of houdini children, lol, this one is way better).
 

nataliem257

New member
Before you remove the hugs I would try to remove the harness covers. That made all the difference in the world for my daughter, the velour material doesn't contour properly or something. Just an easier option before you take off the hugs.
 

happymom

New member
Why would it say in one part of the manual that it's okay in RF mode and another part of the manual say to never take them off?? (not that I'm doubting you at all....I looked for myself and it does say that it's ok on page 2).

The page that tells you to never remove them is on the pages about how to remove the seat cover and how to clean the seat. These manuals are confusing.
 

Stelvis

New member
Why would it say in one part of the manual that it's okay in RF mode and another part of the manual say to never take them off?? (not that I'm doubting you at all....I looked for myself and it does say that it's ok on page 2).

The page that tells you to never remove them is on the pages about how to remove the seat cover and how to clean the seat. These manuals are confusing.

They're telling you that you don't have to take them off to clean the cover.
 

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