Thinking hard on getting a Marathon

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Feb 1, 2006

• #1

I previously made a post on a Scenera car seat for my son. This was for my truck as second seat. As the primary seat I initially got a Alpha Omega Elite. Due to fitment issues and further comments I have read on the internet doing research, this doesnt sound like the correct seat for my needs. My son is 6 mo old approx 21# and 27". The Marathon seems to be highly regarded. Although my wife and I dont want to spend the $260 price tag for this seat it sounds as if we would more than likely go through 2-3 seats in its place. I highly desire having the seat in the center position in the rear seat of our 2004 Hyundai Sonata, in the RF position. I am 5'8". The AO needed the seats relatively to far forward for comfortable driving and riding by the driver/passenger. I see other are also recommending the Radian. I have not found any reviews on this or seen it in a RF position in photos. Any info is appreciated in helping decide on a car seat. The Scerena is just fine, but am interested in something wtih more padding for the primary seat.

Thanks,

Jason

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Feb 1, 2006

• #2

i just bought 2 from babylove.com in shadow for $199 plus shipping and albeebaby.com has them in racer for $219 free shipping. works out to be about the same price from either place, depending on your location. babylove.com also has the roundabout for $139 plus shipping. only harnesses to 40 pounds, but it's a smaller seat, same rearfacing weight limit (though it has a shorter shell, so a lower RF height limit, though i don't think many kids outgrow it in height RF before weight) and just as cushy.

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Feb 1, 2006

• #3

Can you take back the AO? if so Id do that and get a cosco scenera for the time being while you decide which other seat to get. The scenera is only $40 at walmart right now and goes to 35lbs rearfacing. If you actually wanted to get the longest of harnessing you could you could use the scenera until your DC outgrows it rearfacing at around 3 and then get a husky/regent that would last until your DC was 9.

If you definitely want a nice convertible though Id go with the radian personally because it has an exp date of 7years(so starting at 6m of age with it you would get the most use from this), this buys you 1 more year in it vs the britax. It also has taller harness slots than the britax convertibles incase your child ends up with a long torso(like mine did). It is also narrow, so it wouldnt take up a lot of room. The downside is it hasnt been out long(only a month or so on the market) so it has no reviews but people do own them and have checked them out and so far there arent any real negatives. If you can put it off a month or so there will be reviews popping up. It also doesnt have any built in lockoffs like the britax do, but if you are use to non-britax seats then it shouldnt be a change. The harness is also being replaced because in order to make it to a large child it needed a little more length, but that isnt a big deal. I cant remember which month they fixed that but if you end up with one with the shorter harness you can still order the longer harness when the child gets that big IF it was a problem for your particular child(and the harness would only be a few dollars then). They are 179-200. Albeebaby.com has them on sale with free shipping for 179 right now.

I personally wouldnt get a marathon or roundabout from babylove.com that is on sale because it is at least a year old if not older(depending on the print) and so you would only make it until your child was 4-5 in it before it expired.

 

T

thepeach80

Senior Community Member

• Feb 1, 2006

• #4

If you order from BabyLove, the can tell you the manufacture date on any seat you order. I know their Huskys are from July 05, not too bad. We're getting the Radian for AJ, hopefully it'll come today! Remember, our seat doens't have to be reclined as much now w/ an older baby, it can be less than 45 degrees. We still have our AO on the highest recline, but our Scenera is pretty up and down. Neither child has a problem w/ it. If you go to the main site for the Radian, you can see rfing pics in the manual. It'll help a little till I get mine and post pics. lol

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Feb 1, 2006

• #5

I am taking back the AO. Already have Scenera for the truck. Taking a 800 mile trip to see parents next week. Need something prior to that. Any idea on fitment in rear seat? Will it interfere with front seats?

 

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Feb 1, 2006

• #6

I personally would use the scenera for the trip. Make sure that it is properly installed and you can use rolled up receiving blankets at baby's side if he needs a little more padding around him.

Id try the scenera in and see how it fits. It shouldnt interfere with the seat. Im 5'11 and sit my seat all the way back in my '03 corolla and our marathon still fit perfect in the middle at a 45* angle. It is ok for the seats to touch eachother I believe.

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Feb 1, 2006

• #7

A Marathon should fit fine in the middle of the Sonata. I know people who fit them in two-door sports cars. Something that might help to know is that convertibles don't need to be reclined a full 45 degrees once baby is old enough to have good head control. You can have it as upright as is comfortable for baby. Britax (and the Radian) have rear-facing top tethers. This means that after you install the seat using the vehicle belts or LATCH, you then attach the top tether to an appropriate location and tighten the tether to achieve the desired recline angle. And yes, it is fine for the front vehicle seats to be pushing back on the seat. In fact, it is safer that way.

 

S

SusanMae

Senior Community Member

• Feb 1, 2006

• #8

I've tried a Marathon in my car(2005 Chevy Malibu Maxx). I had it in the middle RF. I put the drivers seat in the position that my husband uses to drive. FYI he's about 5'11". The MA and the driver's seat didn't touch at all.

Another plus to the Britax seats is that they are able to be tethered RF. Think about your AO--you know how wobbly it was at the back....and it was able to flip towards the back of the car's seat? That's not an issue with britax seats because you can tether them to the front seat's track. It's not unsafe to have the seats not tether--but it is safER to have them tethered.

Think about how much you paid for the crib. Probably over $200, now how long is your baby going to use it. Until they are 2ish. Sure a Marathon is $260, but you will probably be able to use it until they are 5. What is the better financial deal when you look at it that way?

HTH

Susan

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Feb 1, 2006

• #9

If I can fit a Marathon Rf in a Jeep cherokee you can get it with room to spare into a Sonata.

 

BrookeSLP

New member

• Feb 2, 2006

• #10

You can't go wrong with a Marathon. They are easy to install and use properly, tether rear-facing, last your child for years because of the high weight/height limit, can be easily used on planes, easily transferred from vehicle to vehicle. You really, really can't get an all-around better seat. When you consider that your child will be able to use it until it expires (6 years), you are getting a good deal! I have two, one for each child, now ages 3.5 and nearly 2. We love them.

Good luck!

 

B

BabyRyan

Guest

• Feb 2, 2006

• #11

marathon for 1999 VW Jetta

I thought I'd just tag along here =)

I thinking to buy Britax Marathon for my 6 month baby. Would it fit in my VW Jetta 99? it looks kindda bulky and tall, but it has a really good reviews.
I wonder if anyone have picture of VW Jetta with Britax Marathon.


Thanks

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Feb 2, 2006

• #12

According to the Carseat Compatibility Database, it does fit in various years of the Jetta:

VW Jetta 1995 4 dr. Britax Marathon rf Center. OK fit.
VW Jetta 1995 Britax Marathon rf Center. Great fit. Does push front seats forward.
VW Jetta 1999 GLX Britax Marathon rf Outboard. Good fit. Pushes front seats far forward.
VW Jetta 2000 Britax Marathon rf Passenger outboard. Great fit. Easy install. Tethered to front seat rail.

You can have it as upright as is comfortable for baby, it doesn't have to be at a 45 degree angle once baby has good head control. Britax (and the Radian) have rear-facing top tethers. This means that after you install the seat using the vehicle belts or LATCH, you then attach the top tether to an appropriate location and tighten the tether to achieve the desired recline angle. And yes, it is fine for the front vehicle seats to be pushing back on/against the seat. In fact, it is safer that way.

Do you have a Babies R Us near you? They allow you to try floor models in your vehicle. You can try to install it (don't just sit it on the backseat and decide it doesn't fit; actually install with your vehicle belt and adjust the angle with the rear-facing top tether. If you need a crash-course in rear-facing top tethering (most of us do before our first experience with a RF Britax), this site should help: http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/isakswings/ratetherrf.html

 

B

BabyRyan

Guest

• Feb 2, 2006

• #13

Thanks for the info.

I guess now I need to find a store that allow me to test the carseat before buying.

I am in Toronto, Canada and Baby r Us here dont carry Britax.

 

Dillipop

Well-known member

• Feb 2, 2006

• #14

I have an 05 Elantra and I fit the marathon rearfacing using the seat belt behind the drivers seat. The seat is almost all the way back. Both my husband (5'10") and I use the same seat position when driving. There is about an inch between the drivers seat and the car seat. It was not tethered, since I was only trying to see if it would fit. If it fit with room in my elantra, it will definitely fit with room in your sonata, since I am guessing you have more room between the back seat and front seat in your car. The seat also fits like a dream ffing in all positions in the elantra, using both seat belts and latch. I do remove the headrests though to ensure a nice tight fit against the seat. Very easy to use in the elantra.

 

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BabyRyan

Guest

• Feb 3, 2006

• #15

After further research, I find that Britax Marathon in Canada is only up to 48lbs.

http://www.macklems.com/britax.htm

I confirmed with a local store and they told me the same answer.

Is it still worth to buy? consider Britax is more expensive compare to other brand. I have no idea how old the children is for 48lbs.

Any thoughs anyone?

Thanks.

 

B

BabyRyan

Guest

• Feb 3, 2006

• #16

After further research, I find that Britax Marathon in Canada is only up to 48lbs.

http://www.macklems.com/britax.htm

I confirmed with a local store and they told me the same answer.

Is it still worth to buy? consider Britax is more expensive compare to other brand. I have no idea how old the children is for 48lbs.

Any thoughts anyone?

Thanks.

 

Dillipop

Well-known member

• Feb 3, 2006

• #17

I am going to say it is still a good deal. Most children outgrow a seat by height before weight. In the US, I would say the majority of children in the marathon outgrow it by height before they reach 50-55 pounds. You will be able to get the whole weight use out of it up there in canada. Your son will be able to rearface to 30 pounds and then use it ffing until 48. If you go with a lower weight/harness slot convertible, you will have to get your son a higher weight limit seat when he outgrows the convertible. This will save you from buying 2 seats instead of 1 before needing a booster.

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Feb 3, 2006

• #18

I'm hesitant to recommend Britax in Canada because of the high cost compared to the harnessed weight limit. It is cheaper to go with something like the Touriva/Scenera/ComfortRide in the beginning and when the child gets too tall for that move to a Graco or Evenflo combination seat. In Canada, Evenflo combo seats harness to 47 pounds and Graco combination seats to 48 pounds. The Evenflo seats have top slots the same height as the Marathon; the Graco seats are just slightly lower. These seats harness to a higher weight in Canada because Canada requires top tethering. Unfortunately Canada has a ridiculous rule that CHILD seats are for CHILDREN, and that a CHILD is anyone below 48 pounds. I don't know why they pick such an arbitrary number (especially considering that my 4.5yo is pushing 47 pounds), but that's the way it is.

 

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BabyRyan

Guest

• Feb 10, 2006

• #19

hey there...

thanks for the recommendation.

My husband and I are still debating. For sure Britax Marathon is look so much nicer in our car. We haven't found other brand that come close to Marathon, in term of safety and 'beauty'.

The selection in canada is really poor.

We still have time to shop around.
Thinking to cross the border and go to baby r us in Buffalo =)