Julie - Decathalon?

[raynjen]

Hey Julie,

We are visiting my parents in Texas, so now is the time to buy Noelle's next carseat. Noelle is 3, 27 lbs, 35". I was pretty set on the Wizard (if she is okay with the 'wings' - Marathon if she isn't), but now am seeing a lot of hype about the Decathlon. The Decathalon seems like it would be more for the parent who wants ONE carseat, not the parent who already has a 3 year old. Am I right on this, or should we be looking at the Decathalon as well as the Wizard and Marathon? Just hoping to cut down on places to visit!

Thanks for your expert advice!

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to a wonderful preschooler,
who just turned three, Noelle!

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, you're right...it's definitely a "from birth to booster" seat...BUT... for a three year old, it has the added plus of having three slots for the crotch strap (the Marathon only has one, and it's shallower than the Advantage...most kids don't have a problem with it, but I'm trying to give you all the little things to look for and consider ;) )...and it has a push button adjuster which YOU might prefer to use...some RA/Advantage lovers aren't fond of moving to the metal flap adjuster on the Marathon/Wizard/Boulevard.

Luckily, the DC is a BRU exclusive, and so is the Boulevard (the Wizard 2's new name...it has MUCH wider headwings and good padding, but is basically the same as the WZ/MA with the flap adjuster and shallow/short crotch strap).

When are you visiting? I think a big BRU will have all three seats right side by side, and if you are lucky it will have gotten rid of the Wizards (I don't have confirmation they are stopping production, but I can't imagine why they would keep up with it, either).

But I think they are all great seats, and you can feel free to be swayed by such considerations as bargain pricing and cute covers :D

I got to go to the Britax factory/test facility 2 days ago in North Carolina (during the Lifesavers conference) and it was so cool! Assembly lines where seats were being put together...a testing room where they tug straps and bake seats and test fabric UNflammability...an actual crash test of the 48 pound dummy in a Marathon, and walls lined with crashed seats for testing purposes...It was just the neatest place to go! (and they gave us pens and seatbelt cutters...whoop!)

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[raynjen]

Julie,

Thank you so much! I only knew of one specialty shop to try out the Wizard and they didn't have a Decathalon for me to look at. We are heading up to my inlaws house next and they have a Babies'R'Us not far away! Yippee! We are also test driving cars so I measured the Wizard (relative to our existing Roundabout) then carted around daughter, seat , AND tape measure. The sales person must have thought I was nuts!.

Another question, if you have the time, the cars we've settled on are the Honday Odyssey and the Honda Element. The Odyssey has side curtain airbags but will be our primary vehicle. The Element only has front side airbags but will be our secondary vehicle. I had planned on having the new Wizard in the Odyssey and the old Roundabout in the Element, but, on reflection, should I use the Wizard in the Element and keep on with the Roundabout in the Odyssey? She "test-sat" a Wizard and didn't mind the wings at all.

I wish they would just put all the good stuff on one seat so that I could feel comfortable that I am getting the best option for the next 5-8 years!

Thank again Julie, I really appreciate your time.

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to a wonderful preschooler,
who just turned three, Noelle!

[Joolsplus2]

I like your thinking, girl ;)

Safest seat in the less-safe car, for sure (though the Element IS very, very safe, I think...still, the Ody is going to be bigger, heavier, higher, and more airbag-laden).

When she outgrows the Advantage, hmmm...I'd probably move the Wizard back and forth till she's ready for a booster, or get a Husky :D

Surprisingly, the WZ is actually easier to install with the seatbelt than the LATCH anchors, I think, because there is only one point of atttachment to fiddle with (the buckle, compared to 2 latch anchors).

Anyway, I'm glad she likes the headwings...maybe you can order her a Foofy headpad just for fun (from the www.britaxusa.com site).

*Either* seat and either car is very safe, too...so really, if she's always in the Ody and never in the Element, you might want to put the WZ in there... You can't really go wrong either way.

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[raynjen]

Well, we went to the Babies'R'Us in Ft. Worth and they not only didn't have the Wizards ("those have been discontinued ma'am"), but tried to tell me that the Decathalon was the replacement for the Wizard. Neither the 'car seat specialist' nor their manager knew what I was talking about - it is sometimes frustrating to be so well-read and researched =)!

Of course their computer system wouldn't let me access the photos so I could "prove" that I knew what I was talking about! I plan on printing out a photo and showing them to see if I can get some kind of real response. Oh well, at least I know she can stand the headwings, and she is in no danger of outgrowing the Roundabout!

Thanks again for all your help!

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to a wonderful preschooler,
who just turned three, Noelle!

[Joolsplus2]

You've seen this pics, right?
http://www.pbase.com/carseat/lifesavers05&page=2 (password: darren)

Man, it's just amazing how people can be so out of the loop...Boulevards will be in in like a month, and they have no clue.

:D
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[raynjen]

Yes! I just printed them out so I can take them to the Babies'R'Us! It doesn't help that Britax's own site doesn't show the Decathlon OR the Boulevard yet (though I noticed that the Decathlon's user booklet is online). Well, the new Boulevard will match my husband's interior so I'm leaning towards that. You have never mentioned the Marathon's buckle location as a problem with either of your kids - do you anticipate it being a problem in the future, or should I just go with my gut and the Boulevard?

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to a wonderful preschooler,
who just turned three, Noelle!

[Joolsplus2]

The Marathon buckle seems to usually only be a problem at first, for some kids, or for some parents who are used to really long crotch straps and have a hard time learning to "loosen the harness every time you take the baby out, tighten it every time you put the baby back in--like tying and untying your shoes" (my mantra to all new parents, lol). My dd's never had a problem with it, and most kids I know never have a problem with it, at any rate :)

Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[raynjen]

Great!

Thanks again Julie,
Have a safe and happy year!

Jen

[birdsmama2003]

Jen,

I have a wizard for my 27 lb, 35 in tall 19 mo old. We love it! I love knowing that her head will be better supported in a crash and the seat fits awesome in our new Odyssey! Super easy to install (at least compared to the snug ride). We went to BRU in OKC last weekend and tested out the decathalon. Cool fabric, push button was weird to me (since I am used to the metal flap) but it seemed very big. I was actually a bit worried about putting her in it now due to the lack of head supports. But I am in need of a new seat because her sister is ready for the WZ. Maybe I'll check out the Boulevard as well. But for sure I am staying with the britax seats. After having one I would never choose another brand!

Amy