Marathon quality problems old or new?

[cluelesswonder]

Hello.

I had thought my final choice for the new car seat for my 37" tall 30 lb 27 month old had ended with the Britax Marathon. (We have the RA and have loved it in the van and on the plane, but she's at the top slot now and really need the new seat.) We really need a comfortable airplane seat since we fly cross country from NJ to CA 4-5 times a year. I started doing more "in-depth" research at epinions.com and amazon.com.

I was dismayed to find several old as well as recent posts (between Jan and May 2004) slamming the seat and not just for the cost. I am wondering if these are problems that other folks have had and/or if there really is an issue. If these are issues, is there a better seat?

Ok here's the problem list:
1. The MA has a lever system to loosen the seat harness which some children can actually reach and manipulate to undo the seat belt! (The RA has the button release which can only be done by someone not in the seat. Why did Britax change a good thing?!)

2. The seat belts actually ratchet to tighten instead of the smooth glide on the RA. Is this true? Why!?!

3. Doesn't fit on airplane seats. The MA is larger than the RA - is this an issue? ( We usually fly continental and the RA facing forward has been a little challenge not due to it's base width or depth but due to it's making DD's seat raised enough that she can't use her tray table and her legs would be crushed if someone in front wanted to recline.)

4. The floating HUGS is actually some kind of rubber strap cover that may get hot enough to burn a child - but after market (correct terminology?) strap covers are discouraged. The straps on the RA can get hot enough to burn my daughter so we put the covers on for safety and comfort.

5. There were one or two posts about the lock off clip actually breaking off and with each replacement Britax sent, the problem recurred. Has anyone experienced this? Is this an old manufacturing problem?

6. Many complaints about the instruction manual - layout, unclear wording and pictures. Is this really a problem if you read the booklet completely first?

Thanks all!

Karen
Not so clueless anymore.

[pamela mom of 3]

I have had my marathon quite awhile now...i use it with my almost 3.5yo.

1. Never had that happen, i'm sure as with all seats none are totally beyond every child that is determined to get themeselves out, we do have a roundabout also...that i use still in one car.

2. It isn't as smooth as an RA but as i said above i bounce back and forth between the two and am quite used to it, and compared to other seats it is still easier IMO.

3. Never flown but it is bigger, taller really than an RA.

4. They are rubber yes, but no can't say he's ever been burned by them, if someone is concerned i'm sure throwing a towel over the seat while not using it would help reduce the heat build up.

5. I use it with latch, cannot comment there.

6. Well i went from an RA to the MA ..the instructions didn't bother me any but then i am far from new to carseats or britax.. ;)

As i said i really like our MA, pretty soon i'll be needing another as ds is getting pretty big for his RA, the MA is soft, easy to operate and fits my car rock solid, i wouldn't use anything else...britax has worked the best for us and our kids.

HTH :)



~Pamela Mom Of 3

http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/...blobflower.gif

[Melanie]

Our Marathon is in Dh's car, so I mostly use the RA. I do like the RA a lot better b/c of the button adjust vs lever. The rubber hugs things are annoying, too, and I still don't understand the point but apparently you shouldn't remove them. However, I've never felt it was unsafe, just not as user-friendly as the RA. We've had ours since last year, though.

Someone suggested to me that the change from the button TO the lever in the marathon was to accommodate the curious older child who could possibly push the button. Interesting that you've heard the opposite occurs.

[Joolsplus2]

I find the harness adjuster smoother than ANY other seat besides the Roundabout. You get used to the HUGS, and every other seat feels naked and freakishly unsecure withOUT them. There are shoulderpads that come with the seat and are perfectly safe to leave on the harness. The lockoffs break, and they are easily replaceable, for cheap or free. Almost all manuals are unclear and written at a confusing 11th grade reading level...Britax is not alone, I'm afraid. It DOES fit in airplane seats, no problem...just raise the armrest if you have to. Bottom line, if you need a higher weight harness seat that you can fly with, it's this or the Nania Airway...and if you want to see an almost universally hated seat, read the Airway reviews...the Marathon is a champ compared to the Airway in terms of ease of use.
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[Melanie]

Can you explain to me what you mean by: "The lockoffs break, and they are easily replaceable, for cheap or free"?

Also, I detest those shoulder pads as they hide the strap making it hard to know if it's twisted or not. However, all of the pluses outweigh the minuses for me, with this seat. I'll be enjoying Ds staying in the RA as long as possible, though.

[Joolsplus2]

It's just that almost everyone's lockoffs break on both of these seats...I don't know if it's a design flaw or what, but they are cheap and easy to replace...it's just a matter of doing it, and if your car has locking belts (as they all do after 1996 and all lapbelts), then you really don't even NEED the lockoffs for proper installations.
I don't use the shoulderpads or belly pad either...just more stuff to fiddle with...some people love them, and that's great.
I think almost everyone who started out with a Roundabout prefers it to the Marathon (though there's a post from a mom who took both on a cross country trip and swears by the Marathon hands-down...just preferences, I guess :) )
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[Melanie]

Okay, What IS a lockoff? LOL..That is what is confusing me.

[Joolsplus2]

Oooooh....Oooops!!!! :D

They are little clips on the side of the seat that clamp the seatbelt. They are used instead of locking clips to hold the seatbelt tight in older cars, and are much easier to use instead of locking clips, but aren't the sturdiest part of the seat, being as they are just plastic clips, basically.

Hope that helps a little, sorry!
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[Melanie]

OH! Thank you! We don't use those, yet, with our Marathon, it is LATCHed. It will be a disappointment when he's bigger and we'll need to use the seatbelts. Our RA is installed non-LATCH (we couldn't wait for Britax to release LATCH so we have an older one), and we've not had any problems.

[lbess]

Hmmm... I've just finished buying a Marathon and an Airway, and was feeling pretty good about my choices, but now I read this thread... Can you point me to the Airway reviews that you mentioned? I'd like to read through them, since there may be something in them that will suggest ways to make the seat as user-friendly as possible (given that I already own it now).