Britax Marathon ClickTight Convertible Car Seat

When my due date got closer and closer the one thing that really stressed me out was which car seat I should buy. I remember searching the net reading reviews after review then heading into the stores to actually test out and see the seats in person. In my eyes the car seat is one of the most important purchases I was going to make and I wanted to make sure it was the best possible seat I could find. It is crazy to see how things have changed in the last 8 years.

I was able to review the Marathon ClickTight from Britax with my 27 month old. Britax has taken the ClickTight design and made car seat installation a breeze. Literally it takes seconds to install the convertible car seat in the vehicle. With this option I found that no matter who installed the seat I was confident it would be done right with a simple click of the seat belt. That didn’t mean I never double checked of course.

The Marathon ClickTight quick adjust no re-thread harness has 12 postions and a 2 position buckle. This allowed me to easily move the harness and provide my little guy with a comfortable and secure fit. I really loved this option as I did not have to deal with taking the seat out to re-adjust the harness and if need be I was able to use the same seat with my nephew with a simple and quick adjustment.

I did learn something new when checking out this car seat and that is it comes with HUGS pads. I personally had never learned about them so was excited to find out what they were called. They can be removed when the child is rear-facing, but are required when the child is forward facing.

Curious what HUGS pads are?

“The Harness Ultra-Guard System assists in reducing forward movement of your child in the event of a crash by adding friction to the harness against your child’s chest as they move forward.
Although the HUGS chest pads are recommended for children in the forward-facing installation mode for seats that come equipped with them, they are optional in the rear-facing installation mode where your child is instead cradled by the child seat back in a frontal impact.
Select BRITAX car seats feature HUGS Chest Pads with SafeCell Technology, which further reduce the risk of head injury.”

Britax recommends this seat to be used rear-facing for children weighing between 5 to 40 pounds and whose height is 49in. or less. For forward facing children are to weigh 22-65 pounds and whose height is 49in or less and ABLE to walk unassisted.

 Britax Marathon ClickTight Details:

• SafeCell Impact Absorbing Base compresses to absorb crash energy and counteract forward movement keeping your child clear from the seat in front of them.
• SafeCell Impact Stabilizing Steel Frame gives you peace of mind knowing there is strength where you want it most, through the spine of the car seat reducing forward flex and at the connection points to the vehicle.
• SafeCell Impact Absorbing Tether minimizes potential seat rotation with our unique two-strap design and slows forward movement with our patented rows of stitching that “give-way” one at a time.
• SafeCell Impact Absorbing Harness slows forward movement in the event of a crash.
• 7-Position Recline with Automatic Level Indicator adjusts for your child’s comfort while ensuring the best installation angle for your vehicle. Plush Foam Padding in the cover, buckle pad, shoulder pads and removable pillow surrounds your child in comfort at every touch point.
• Quick-Adjust, 12-Position Harness and 2-Position Buckle allows you to easily move the harness upward and buckle outward for a comfortable, secure fit as your child grows.
• Anti-rebound bar to limit child seat rotation in a crash when installed rear facing.
• Easy-Remove Cover for cleaning convenience.
• EZ-Buckle System keeps buckles and straps out of your way when placing your child in the car seat.
• Certified for Aircraft Travel
• MSRP (CAD) $369.99

I found the seat to be well padded and a great choice from the newborn stage till the preschool stage. The easy to remove cover was a great idea as we all know kids are not always tidy and there is always a mess to clean up. The ClickTight system allowed for ease when installing but I did find the seat to be fairly heavy so it wouldn’t be something I would be moving around very much. (This is not an issue for us as we only have one vehicle). My other issue was the short buckle strap, I found it to be in an odd position at its biggest setting and was a little difficult to get to when having to buckle or un-buckle the straps.

Overall I found this to be an amazing car seat. Like I mentioned it was well padded, easily adjusted and felt secure when installed. I felt confident that my child was safe when riding in the car seat. Not only was he safe but he is now riding in style.

For more information visit the Britax website and follow along with them on Facebook and Twitter – @Britax!

Contributor Tiffany is a wife to a wonderful man and a mommy to two beautiful boys. She works outside of the home by day but enjoys playing and getting dirty by night.  Her life can be crazy, but that’s what makes her blog Naturally Cracked so interesting as there is always a new adventure to be had.