Best Reviewed
Convertible Car Seats
- Best convertible car seat Britax Marathon 70 *Est. $280
- Best convertible car seat under $200 Britax Roundabout 50 Classic *Est. $180
- Budget convertible car seat Cosco Scenera *Est. $50
- Compact car seat Sunshine Kids Radian65SL *Est. $230
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- High crash ratings
- EPS foam padding
- No-twist straps
- 65-pound weight limit
- Expensive
- Harness must be manually rethreaded
- Big and bulky
The popular Britax Marathon Classic convertible car seat gets rave reviews from car seat experts and parents alike. Like the smaller Britax Roundabout 50 Classic (*Est. $180), the Marathon gets almost unanimously positive feedback for comfort, convenience and advanced safety features. BobbysBest.com calls the Marathon "sort of the big brother to the more popular Roundabout," with the main difference being the Marathon's larger size and better side-impact protection. The Marathon can hold children up to 49 inches tall, and from 5 to 35 pounds rear-facing or 65 pounds forward-facing. The Britax Marathon 70 (*Est. $280) boosts that forward-facing weight limit to 70 pounds.
But the bulky Marathon may not be a good candidate for small vehicles, reviewers say, and Britax convertibles aren't generally recommended if you need to install three seats in a row. If you need a narrower seat or you plan to transfer frequently between vehicles, experts say the Sunshine Kids Radian65SL (*Est. $230) is a better choice.
ConsumerReports.org offers no-frills ratings backed up by independent testing. "Baby Bargains" does the opposite: subjective but more detailed reviews. The authors base their assessments on parent feedback combined with their own research and experience. They also offer broader coverage. CarSeatBlog.com and BobbysBest.com both have their own write-ups for this popular car seat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tests the Marathon's ease of use. An enormous number of owners praise the Marathon at Buzzillions.com, making it that site's top-rated car seat.
Our Sources
1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
ConsumerReports.org crash-tests the Britax Marathon for its latest car seat roundup. Ease of use and fit to vehicle are also evaluated. To read the full test results, you must be a ConsumerReports.org subscriber, however.
Review: Convertible Car Seats, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, January 2010
2. Baby BargainsDetails/Subscribe
Authors Denise and Alan Fields rate the Britax Marathon for safety, ease of use, features and the controversial HUGS harness system.
Review: Convertible and Forward Facing-Only Car Seats, Denise and Alan Fields, Eighth Edition, 2009
3. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The Britax Marathon earns 3 stars out of 5 for overall ease of use in the NHTSA's tests. Testers also rate the Marathon's labels, instructions, installation features and how easy it is to secure the child both forward- and rear-facing.
Review: Child Safety Seat Ease of Use Ratings, Editors of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Blogger Heather Watson recommends the Britax Marathon as an excellent basic convertible car seat.
Review: Recommended Carseats, Heather Watson
This extensive review recommends the Britax Marathon as a good high-capacity convertible car seat. It points out pros (such as the Marathon's high weight limit) and cons (such as its bulkiness).
Review: The Product: Convertible Car Seat (5-70 lbs), Editors of BobbysBest.com
More than 1,700 owners have reviewed the Britax Marathon here, giving it an average of 4.7 stars out of 5. The website helpfully distills a list of pros and cons from the reviews, but the only complaint that shows up regularly is that the seat is bulky. Most reviewers adore the Marathon for being durable, comfortable, adjustable, easy to install and easy to clean.
Review: Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat, Contributors to Buzzillions.com
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