As we reported earlier this summer, Britax has launched a new generation of its best-selling seats: the Roundabout, Marathon, Boulevard and Advocate.
Now that the seats have been on the market for about a month, we are ready to issue our recommendation: the new Britax seats will earn our top rating in our next BABY BARGAINS book.
Here’s a quick overview:
- The seats now have higher weight limits: the Roundabout is 55, Marathon, Boulevard and Advocate are 70. All the seats are now rear-facing to 40 lbs—that is fantastic, as it will help parents keep babies rear-facing longer.
- The new safety features include deeper side walls for side-impact protection and foam that lines the entire seat. The redesigned shell features new technology (SafeCell) to absorb more energy in a crash.
- Prices are the same as the old seats: fortunately, Britax isn’t raising prices on the new seats.
Feedback from our readers on the new seats has been positive (although limited, as the seats are still rather new). Feel free to post your comments below or email us.
Overall, these convertible seats will earn our highest rating. From little touches like covers that now easily remove for cleaning to improved belt paths and LATCH attachments, these Britax seats are winners.
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We have the new Marathon 70 for our 10 month old and I LOVE it. She had a Chicco KeyFit as her infant seat, and she never seemed comfortable. First trip in the Marathon, she slept for 2 hours straight. That NEVER happened in the Chicco. The seat was easy to install, and it looks great too.
Eh, there are equally awesome seats for less money. Also, britax isn’t safer that any of the other car seat brands. They all have to pass the same tests.
Plus, these seats are not a bargain.. Odd.
I disagree that they’ll universally keep kids RFing longer — the shell height is actually shorter than the old Britax seats, so kids who would have outgrown by height (as mine did) won’t be able to RF for nearly as long. Kids who would have outgrown by weight, yes — but it isn’t win/win, unfortunately. There are other seats out there that test wonderfully and will RF for longer — love our Radian.
I bought the older Marathon and my son fit in it great and fit fine in my bench seats. But now it doesn’t fit in my new car correctly. The base was too narrow and it wouldn’t rest flat in the second row captain’s chairs in my car. Also the older version is so high that my headrests didn’t move so it was hindering the back of the car seat from resting on the back of the chair. When I saw the newer version had a wider base and a shorter back I tried it out in my car and it fit GREAT! Love the newer version of the Marathon! I also love the fact that you do not have to re thread the harness when it’s time to adjust the straps. Worth the money!
We have the Boulevard for the car we use the most, and we have the Roundabout for the 2nd car. The grandparents got a Roundabout, too. I was able to get all three for 20% off at different places (Amazon for two of them and at Babies R Us with a coupon for the third). We are very pleased with both models. They are easy to install, and I also love that the cover is removable. We also had the KeyFit 30 by Chicco, and our son was just getting way to tall for it. He seems much more comfortable now. I especially like how easy it is to adjust the height on the Boulevard. No re-threading the harness!
I don’t have one of the new seats (yet), but did try one “on for fit” at Babies R Us last week. We currently have a Roundabout, and my 25 month old is about to outgrow it height-wise for rear facing. The new version’s shell is at least 3 inches taller, so that he’d be able to RF longer, and I can pass our current seat along to the baby due in 6 weeks.
One thing I noticed (I was in a hurry) is that the button to adjust the straps isn’t as easy to use. Our current seat has an easy to find big red button. The newer version has a hard to locate, not really visible tab to push. We’ll be going back to try it out again before buying, for sure.
I have the Advocate and I love it- however, I have a CUV (crossover utility vehicle- which is bigger than a car but smaller than a SUV) and for the past year, I’ve had to sit in the back seat b/c it is SO big- the passenger seat was pushed almost all the way forward in order for the seat to fit properly. My suggestion? If you don’t have a big SUV or a minivan, wait to get this car seat until your infant can be turned around. Now that my son is 1 and I have turned it around, I love it! It is easier to install than the Roundabout!
We bought the new marathon 70 as soon as it hit shelves and our son loves it. It was very easy to install correctly and I love the ease of strap adjustment with the lift bar, rather than needing to re-thread starps. But, the main reason e purchased this seat was for the 40 pound rear-facing option. So much safer.
We bought a boulevard 70 and so far it’s good. My son is rear facing so Britax recommends that you use the tether w/ it rear facing also and that’s a bit obnoxious. The tether goes from the back of the sides of the head rest over the seat and tethers to the back of the bench seat that it’s strapped in. SO we have to cradle hold our son and dip him below the tether to get him in (easiest way) and then stand him up and bring him over the tether to get him out (easiest way when he’s not sleeping). I love the cushions as I feel he’s safe and snug in there and he doesn’t seem to mind the in and out process. Can’t wait until it’s forward facing, but my son is in the 5%ile for weight so that will be a while.
We have the new Britax Marathon, and we really like it. Until we heard of the updated model coming out, we were not planning to get one, but we’re very happy.
One important thing though is that it is at least as heavy as the Radian XTSL, and since that had been the big detractor for the Radian in the book, we ended up getting the Radian for our second car (and for travel) since that point was awash with the new Marathon.