Hi all! Ok so I've been using a friend's convertible car seat for a month while I'm researching which one to buy. A month later I still feel a little lost. I've read all of the reports on safety and immediately decided on the Britax Marathon or Boulevard. Then I went in to look at them and saw some features that the other brands have that Britax does not. The two things that stood out were the recline option and the cup holder. Britax doesn't feature either of these on any of their convertible models. I know that safety IS the most important thing- not accessories, but these are nice features (especially the recline for napping).
So I'm curious if anyone knows why the #1 rated brand doesn't have these- is it safety related? I would love some recommendations!!! Should I stick with Britax? Thank you all for helping me!
I have the britax boulouvard. I love it and have had it since my son was 4 months(just over a year) since he was so big so early. It is great and I feel it is very safe. The only issue I have found it that it looks like it is going to be very hard to take a part and clean. I also liked that it had a high weight limit.
While I can't comment on the recling feature (though I don't think it's all that necessary - are you really going to pull over just to recline the seat? That really could be a safety issue), we have cup holders on my boys booster seats that are not worth the plastic they're made with. They're too shallow for their sippy cups, and end up on the floor every time. If it's a safety reason taht they didn't include them, it may be because a cup could hit someone in an accident?
We have the Cosco Alpha Omega which was #1 when we bought it 3 years ago (?) and we love it - would definitely get another.
I also have two Britax seats....saftey was more important than bells and whistles. Another tip is that the advice is that your child should be kept rear facing as long as the seat allows. I see so many kids forward facing too early. The Marathon is rear facing to 33 lbs and forward facing to 65 lbs. Some others only go to 40 lbs forward facing. Lastly although all seats sold in the US pass "our" standards, the Britax is from Europe where they have higher standards. I would say Britax are the best and worth the money.
I have loved all of my Britax seats. They are very easy to use (friends with cheaper brands have issues with belts twisting, etc...). We have used and loved the Britax infant, convertible and booster seats. The seats are very big, so I am thinking maybe they don't have a cup holder because that would make them even wider.
I have both an Alpha Omego Elite in Bella seat (~$169) and a Graco ComfortSport Convertible seat in Maggie (~79). I love both of them. The Aplha Omega Elite is our primary seat and is great for when she is in the car alot. I love the fact it reclines and it is easy to adjust the harness. The Graco is beyond easy to use and very secure in the vehicle. It is perfect for quick trips and my daughter is very comfortable in it.
I had a person who does car seat safety checks tell me that all car seats have to pass the same testing. So the least expensive car seats are supposedly just as safe as the really pricey ones. The ones that are ranked #1 are generally rated that way as because they are easier to install and install properly.
We have a Britax Marathon & a Sunshine Kids Radian 80 and like both a lot. I find that the recline in the Marathon is enough so that she doesn't have any issues napping in the car. Both have very cozy side rests so she doesn't typically lean her head forward ever to nap. I don't find the cupholder to be an issue. Right now, she just has her sippy cup next to her, when she is bigger, I plan on buying one of the accessories that you can attach to the side of any carseat that has a cupholder and pocket for books/snacks/etc.
Hey S.,
We used the Marathon until my 5 year old outgrew it this past spring. We had the Marathon in hubby's car and we had a Graco booster seat in my car for him. The Marathon DOES recline a bit...enough that they can tip their head back and nap. We didn't notice that much until we got the booster seat and even though the head rest has big, puffy sides, his little head still swings down in the seat, where in the Marathon it didn't.
I never thought about it, but I would guess the reason it doesn't recline more is a safety issue. I mean, it's said that adults shouldn't be riding in a car with the seat fully reclined as it's not safe. So why would a car seat designed to essentially keep your bundle of joy swathed in the equivelant of bubble wrap recline?
All my sisters-in-laws swore by the Bitax and none of us have ever had a problem. (And we love that quick-release tab feature they have for taking the seat in and out of a car!) We kept it until we felt it just wasn't comfortable for him as his shoulders were higher than the seatbelt holes in the seat(he's tall for his age).
I would highly recommend going with the Britax. Worth every extra penny in my opinion.
