Question regarding standing height limits vs seated shoulder limits (Roundabout vs Marathon)

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ntepper

New member

• Apr 25, 2008

• #1

My daughter will be 3 in June and is currently in a Britax Roundabout and is about to grow out of it. I was going to get a Frontier or Nautilus but now feel like I would rather just get a Marathon and give these companies more time to perfect their hybrid boosters. (I so wish I had known about this site 2 years ago . . . I would have never bought the Roundabout in the first place and would not be looking for a new seat right now!). Anyway, I was all set on the Marathon when I saw the standing height limit on it was 49 inches. The standing height limit on the Roundabout is only 40 inches so I figured the Marathon would give me a few more years. Then I noticed that the torso height (seated shoulder limit) on the Marathon is only 16 inches (got that off their site). The torso height on the Roundabout is 15 inches! Can someone explain to me how the standing height can be 9 inches different but the torso height can be only 1 inch? Am I missing something? Does the torso grow that much slower? Will I really have that much more time in the Marathon or am I just throwing my money away?
Any help would be appreciated!

 

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Gypsy

Senior Community Member

• Apr 25, 2008

• #2

The top slots on the Marathon are about 16.5 inches (unless they changed the mold, which I doubt - someone measured one made in February and it was the same as made in previous years).

You would gain roughly an additional 1.5 years from a Marathon.

Have you considered a Regent or SafeGuard Child seat if you are unhappy with the Nautilus and Frontier?

 

firemomof3

New member

• Apr 25, 2008

• #3

You would get a few good years out of the Marathon in height & weight but the problem I have found is leg support. My 4.75y/o will fit into the Marathon fine, but she has no leg support:

If this isn't a concern for you, then the Marathon is an excellent choice. But if it is then some other options would be the Graco Nautilus, Radian and Compass True fit.

 

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ntepper

New member

• Apr 25, 2008

• #4

Their site says 16 so who knows. I have a friend who has one and I might put my daughter in it this weekend just to see how much room she has. I will measure it too! I guess its not worth it just for a year or so.
I have considered the Regent. Its just SO big! I have never seen the SafeGuard in person, just on their website. Is it as big as the Regent? If you were going to get one of those (regent or safeguard) which would you get?

We actually have the SafeGuard Hybrid (the GO booster) in my husbands car. I like that but not for everyday.

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Apr 25, 2008

• #5

It's a little bizarre that they say the seated height is 16 when the slots are 16.75...color me confused... http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=43739

Still, it's probably not the seat I'd get for a nearly 3 yo unless you have a younger child to pass it down to, or you wanted to rearface her again if she's under 33 pounds. Oh, wait...I DID get the Marathon for my 3 yo, lol... she fit in it till she was 6 and about 45 inches. But that's kind of a lot to spend if there's no younger sibling. You might consider the Radian, but I think the Nautilus and Frontier are really worth looking at

 

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ntepper

New member

• Apr 25, 2008

• #6

firemomof3 said:

You would get a few good years out of the Marathon in height & weight but the problem I have found is leg support. My 4.75y/o will fit into the Marathon fine, but she has no leg support]

This is the problem I currently have with the Roundabout. The top harness slots are still above her shoulders but she has no leg support at all. She is very tall and its all in her legs. She is always trying to find something to do with them. Half the time she is resting them on the seat in front of her.

Click to expand...

 

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ntepper

New member

• Apr 25, 2008

• #7

joolsplus3 said:

It's a little bizarre that they say the seated height is 16 when the slots are 16.75...color me confused... http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=43739

Still, it's probably not the seat I'd get for a nearly 3 yo unless you have a younger child to pass it down to, or you wanted to rearface her again if she's under 33 pounds. Oh, wait...I DID get the Marathon for my 3 yo, lol... she fit in it till she was 6 and about 45 inches. But that's kind of a lot to spend if there's no younger sibling. You might consider the Radian, but I think the Nautilus and Frontier are really worth looking at

Click to expand...

I might give them a call. But either way I am going to try her in it myself just to see how much room she has. I do have one on the way so it does make some sense. I have not looked at the Radian. I will go do that now (online!). I like the Nautilus, I loved the Frontier . . . until I found this site! So many issues . . . I just feel like if I can wait a year or two these companies will perfect their hybrid (harnessed) boosters. Even though the Nautilus is good I feel like if I wait until next year it might even be better! Does that make sense?

 

TerisBoys

Well-known member

• Apr 25, 2008

• #8

The top slots on the RA are about the same as the second-to-top slots of the MA.

I'm another one that bought one for my 3yo when he outgrew his (handed-down) RA. It didn't buy me the grow-room that I really needed for him, and he wasn't comfortable in it.

I sold it shortly after I bought it, and ended up with a Nauti recently. We love it.

I suggest taking her to BRU or some other store that carries HWH seats and try her in them. What works for one kid might not work for another.

 

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ntepper

New member

• Apr 25, 2008

• #9

I just called Britax . . . they said its 16 and its always been . . . who knows!

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Apr 25, 2008

• #10

They used to claim their top slot was 18...I think that's measured without the cover on, but they definitely had it listed as 18, and most of us complained it was 17... So I think they are feeding you a line about 'always' 16, lol <eye roll at Britax CS and their flip floppy answers> ..

Check out this page for size comparisons and different kids in different seats (clicking the thumbnail brings it up to full size and a description...) http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/FFalbum.aspx it'll give you an idea on some seats (my dd, Sarah, looked to be at the top slots but really did fit in that pretty yellow MA for another 6+ months, and she comfortably rested her feet on the vehicle seat with no complaints about lack of leg support).

I'm pretty sure the Nautilus isn't going to change... it's possible the Frontier might allow a different seatbelt installation method, so that might make it work.. Maybe Evenflo has something in the pipeline? The EFTA is actually taller than the Marathon, might give it a look... (Safeguard is a little narrower but a lot taller than the Regent...crazy but true!)

Good luck shopping!!!

 

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ntepper

New member

• Apr 25, 2008

• #11

Thank you so much for all this info! I just found this site a few weeks ago and I love it! I am obsessed with it actually! I know so much more about car seat safety than I did before! And I even got a mom to take her 3 year old out of a booster and put her back in her Marathon (which was sitting right there on the seat next to the booster).

 

tl01

New member

• Apr 25, 2008

• #12

Do you have a store near you where you can try a Compass True Fit? It seems to be a little bigger than a Marathon and doesn't cost quite as much. It might be a good option for you for now.

 

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ntepper

New member

• Apr 25, 2008

• #13

Do you know where they sell them? BRU, Target?