Which Car Seat Should We Purchase??

We have two of the Marathon seats which we really like - my only negative on this carseat is that my son is almost three and the crotch buckle seems a bit short and I do not think it is adjustable which makes it difficult to buckle and seems uncomfortable, but he never complains.

We didn't purchase either for our daughter, but it wasn't b/c of the products - it was b/c of the price. But, we were going to purchase the Marathon based upon the advice of a salesperson that we trusted (I used to live in Babies R Us)
You may also want to check www.epinions.com for consumer ratings. Hope this helps

We bought our second Marathon (the first one we left with my parents). We love it. We attach little neck cushions to the straps that are purchasable at Babies R Us. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=240325.... The neck wings are a nice bright red color (as seen in the photo) not pink. This also looks good and may be easier because you can take it on and off easily and you don't have to navigate around the wings when putting the child in the carseat: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=230954...
Our son is very happy and comfortable in his Marathon. We have the dark denim fabric and like it a lot.

All the best in your choice.

A.

PS. Our son's middle name is Jackson.

We love our marathon!! We bought a roundabout first, which we also loved but then needed a second seat. I wish we had bought the marathon first because my daughter has almost grown out of the roundabout. I would not buy another seat. Installation was easy, and more importantly I have never had problems with the straps getting tangled. Easy in and out!

Good for you! We have the Marathon. The BLVD was not avaialble when we bought ours. Our daughter is 4 yrs now and she has been in the Marathon since 9 months old. The little extra money you spend now TOTALLY pays for itself over the years in safety, comfort and peace of mind you will get!

My friend sent me the following e-mail. The website is http://click.babycenter.com

Consumer Reports is known for taking safety to the next level, and in its most recent round of testing rear-facing, infant car seats, it went beyond the current federal safety standards for seat performance in a collision. The government tests seats in front crashes of 30 mph, but Consumer Reports simulated front impacts of 35 mph and side impacts of 38 mph (the same standards used for car safety testing). The results in this more stringent environment were dramatic, with 10 of the 12 seats either twisting too far or coming out of their bases.

Consumer Reports' testing also showed serious failings in seats secured by the LATCH system. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) itself calls the LATCH system confusing and Consumer Reports notes that the NHTSA is planning a public hearing on the system later this year.

Here's how the seats fared in Consumer Reports' tests:

The Good
Baby Trend Flex-Loc Adjustable Back
Graco Snugride with EPS

The Bad
Chicco KeyFit
Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP
Compass I410
Evenflo Embrace
Britax Companion
Graco SafeSeat
Safety 1st Designer
Combi Centre ST
Evenflo Discovery
Eddie Bauer Comfort

We love the Graco products. I bought the snugle one.. and my duaghter loves it. I also bought a umbrella foldable type to keep in the back of the car. Its just easier for storage and a quick run into the mall.

We had likes and dislikes on both of those models, so we went with the middle option which gave us features from both - the Britax Decathalon. You may even find it cheaper at www.albeebaby.com - they don't charge shipping or tax! We installed it 2 weeks ago, our son turned one this week and we put him in it and he loves it! I like that it has the removable toddler seat pad and strap pads, it makes it more snuggly for our boy!! Good luck!

My baby turned 1 on January 2. We purchased the Marathon and I LOVE IT!! I used to have the hardest problem with the straps getting twisted in her old carseat. That cannot happen in this. It's the coolest seat ever. I wish we had purchased it before she was born.

Hi D.,

I had the Marathon and I loved it until my boys shoulders got to broad to sit straight in it. That was whent ehy were about 3 years old. But, when we were using it, we loved it!

Good luck!

My husband and I have the Britax Boulevard for my son and he LOVES it even more than we do! This is such a comfortable and secure seat. We have the Britax in my car and a Graco in my husbands and my son DEFINATELY prefers the Britax. For some reason, he is not as comfortable in the Graco, so we ALWAYS take my car everywhere we go because it has the comfortable car seat in it! Good luck!