I am all for a deal. There are somethings that I will only buy if they are free. You all know I am all about value. Sometimes this value doesn’t come in the form of a dollar.
There are some things that I spend as much money as necessary to get the highest quality product available. One of those items is a car seat. You see, in 2006 I was involved in a very serious accident, where my SUV rolled twice.This was the scariest moment of my life.
Fortunately, my baby wasn’t in the car. From that point on, I knew that I could only have the best car seat available to protect Evan. No matter what the cost, my cargo was far to precious not to have the best. I know we often think it can’t happen to us, until it happens to us.
If you have a minute and want to hear a incredibly story of God’s grace and how the right car seat can make a difference, you have to listen this families story HERE.
Get a tissue, you will need it. It is just an amazing testament to the real value that the Britax car seat provided.
Fast forward to 2009, and my baby is no longer a baby. He is a vibrant, active 7 year old. We all seem to take car seat safety for granted once our child gets a little older. You still need a quality seat once they are age 6+
My problem is Evan is still just a little guy. While the laws all say age 8 to not need a carseat, he is no where near ready to be out of a car seat. I still believe he needs a five point harness. There aren’t many seats that are comfortable enough for him, even though he still meets the height/weight requirements. Enter the Britax Marathon CS. I wish I would have purchased this seat before. It really is super versatile. He is comfortable and will be able to be in this seat until he is 65lbs. (At this rate, when he’s 14) Ok, so he may just outgrow the 49″ height limitation, but he is really quite far off from that now.
The Marathon CS fits children rear facing from five to 35 pounds and children forward facing from at least one year old and 20 pounds, up to 65 pounds. Both positions can accommodate a standing height up to 49 inches. This car seat has more flexibility than any other car seat I have used, including other Britax models. While the safety features are all there on other Britax models, the Marathon CS offers it all. I say its the Volvo of carseats, safety and comfort all rolled up into one.
The Britax Marathon CS offers:
- HUGS system for maximum safety.
- Easy-to-use push-button release LATCH connectors.
- Five-point harness for a secure fit.
- The Marathon’s LATCH system is easy to adjust.
- Click & Safe Snug Harness Indicator, which is an audible aid that provides extra assurance when the harness is within range of appropriate snugness.
Even though the Britax might be slightly more expensive than some other car seats, it has tremendous value. Amazon currently has them on sale for $186.57, which is a huge discount over the list price of $289.00, you can check it out HERE
Is a car seat something you are willing to spend on ? I would love to hear your thoughts.
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
We have the Roundabout which is the smaller of the models but is great! I totally know what you mean about protecting your special cargo. I was also in an accident without my children, but agree that I would pay whatever cost to make sure my kid-o’s are safe!
Absolutely!
I am expecting now.. thanks for tips about the Marathon, can this be used for a newborn?
It’s amazing that we think of expense more than quality. This sounds like a great car seat!
Great blog! I found you through MomDot.
I have TWO Britax Marathons, matching, one for each of my children. We knew it was expensive but couldn’t put a price tag on our children’s safety and peace of mind. Of course we still bargain shopped and bought them with the 15% off coupon at BBRU and for the 2nd one I even opened up a credit account to get another 10% off, but they were STILL more expensive than that amazing Amazon price (it was a yr. ago that we bought the 2nd one). Thanks for sharing about these fabulous car seats!
I LOVE our Britax Marathon. I purchased this seat once my daughter outgrew the carrier seat. I believe this seat can be used for a newborn as small as 5 lbs (double check that to be sure).
Sometimes, you can get a good deal on a “retired” pattern. I believe we got ours for around $170 or $180 several months ago from allbeebaby.com. You do receive free shipping when you spend over $100. I am a bargain hunter, but I feel that this is money WELL SPENT.
I researched this alot when I was looking into getting a new seat for my small weight 4 year old, I got the Britax Frontier, because he can use that until he is out of a seat completly, it is huge but I love it! and so does he!
We have a Britax Marathon and I love it. We’re saving right now to buy a second one for son #2. He’s not yet at the requirement for moving out of his infant seat, but he’s getting closer and I love all the safety features Britax offers. As soon as we get the new one, he’ll be out of his infant seat!
Being the mom of four, the daughter of a Fire Chief, sister of a police officer and sister-in-law to a pediatric nurse I just don’t have it in me to be able to understate the importance of safety for our kids. If you asked a parent who lost a child if they’d be willing to pay $300.00 to get that child back I doubt you’d be able to blink before you had cash in hand. I’m guilty of having my son, who is almost 4 in a booster seat, I didn’t know until this post that you could get a 4 point car seat to fit a child his size. You’d better bet I’m on my way over to Amazon. Thanks Shannon, you keep me in the know on SO much and you may have saved lives here as well. I can’t tell you how much I adore ya!
Absolutely. I could never forgive myself if something happened to my daughter because I was too cheap to spring for a good car seat. We’ve got a chicco keyfit now, and I love it. Britax is definitely on my list for when she outgrows that, though…
I have a new grandchild coming soon and I know that the most important thing is the safety of that child. You cannot put a price on that. But at the same time car seat manufacturers do have to think about those that could not afford the cost and should make every effort to keep the cost as affordable as possible.
I couldn’t agree with you more! We have both our children in Britax. We had to get the Frontier for my 3 yr old….she is only 38 lbs, but 42-ish inches tall! I am hoping to keep her in it as long as I can. She is super tall though, so I’m not sure how long she will fit it. We love our Britax seats and they are so easy to install, adjust etc. Worth every penny!
That must have been really scary. Thank goodness you are ok and your child wasn’t in the car. When my daughter was a baby we were driving home from my in-laws that live out of state 2 days before Christmas. We were almost home and we were driving on a two lane 25 mile an hour road. All of a sudden a car flew past us about 80+ miles an hour and almost sideswipped us. (there was light snow too!) He was being chased by the police. We had to swerve off the side of the road. Right after he passed us he spun around a few times and slammed into a telephone pole. The car was in pieces. We were extremely upset (however, my daughter was in the back still watching Barney like nothing happened.) We stopped for a few minutes to talk to the cops. We were upset all night and we pretty much knew this guy couldn’t have survived the crash. Well, Christmas Eve the cops call us to fill out a police report. When we got there, we found out that right after he crashed he fled the scene on foot. I was shocked. They found him later at a nearby hospital seeking treatment.
Anyways, that day was very scary for us even though we didn’t technically crash. I always make sure my daughter is in her car seat properly and never drive until everyone has their seatbelts on.
A car seat is something I splurge on too. My daughter is five, but I still won’t put her in the $10 backless booster seat. Her booster is an Evenflo with a back and has latches on it. Better safe than sorry.
I absolutely love our Britax seat! We got our 2 year old the Boulevard when he graduated out of his infant seat. Its a little pricier than the Marathon but its worth every penny to me. We are planning on getting him a Frontier in the next couple of months. He’s nowhere near the height/weight limits on it, but when our 4month old is ready to move out of the infant seat we plan on moving him to the Boulevard. The Frontier has the 5pt harness system good until 80lbs and then converts to a booster good to a 100lbs…and if they keep growing like they are, mine will age out or height out of the seat long before the weight limit.
I’m as frugal as it gets, but being frugal means getting the best value from your money – and we know that doesn’t always mean buying the most inexpensive thing. Safety is priority #1 and if that means spending more, that’s fine by me! I can always make up for it by pinching pennies on stuff that doesn’t matter, like cereal. ;)
I don’t want to intrude or bring up bad memories, but I’m curious what happened in your 2006 accident Shannon. It sounds pretty scary and I’m glad you’re ok.
Shannon Reply:
November 7th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Jasmine,
I was driving on a highway and it was snowing. A car sped past me and lost control and I lost control of my car. I rolled off the highway – twice – in my SUV. The car was like a pancake – every piece of glass was broken. I am still amazed that I made it through that.
Jasmine Reply:
November 7th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Wow, sounds horrific! :( It is amazing you made it through!
I’ve read that these are the best car seats around! What a great deal Amazon has on them now! Everyone should try it out! Thanks for sharing and so glad you’re ok after your accident!
We got a Britax Boulevard when our toddler switched to front facing and while I wasn’t fond of the price tag or large size…I can say it recently saved my daughter’s life. We were involved in a major car accident and my daughter walked away without so much as a bruise or scratch. The only problem is now we have no car seat but hopefully the insurance company will replace it.
When I have children, a carseat will be one of my top priorities. I would never skimp! Heard great things about Britax :)
This was a great post, and I think that looks like an awesome car seat. My son is outgrowing his, but my mom insists he stay in it for a few more years. Can’t be too careful though when it comes to my little guy.
A car seat is so important when it comes to your childs safety and as long as you follow guidelines for weight and height on the recommended safety seat it most definitely is worth searching til you find the right one. Looks like a great seat
We have a Marathon as well and another brand’s low end model in my car which we really only use to come & go from daycare. The difference is day & night. I truly believe that Britax makes the best car seats out there.
It’s also important to note that it’s best to rear face your child as long as possible. In some European countries they do it until 4 years of age.
WOW! That is a great looking car seat. They have sure come a long way since my kids were little.
I LOVE the Click & Safe Snug Harness Indicator. WOW! Car seats are so “hi-tech” these days. I wish they had that feature when my kids were still in seats. I love the 5-point harness too. I made sure my kids had car seats with that feature.
It’s very attractive looking too.
I’ll have to refer my friends to this car seat. Thanks for posting about it.