Britax Marathon ClickTight Washer Friendly Convertible Car Seat
Last updated: April 11, 2023
When it comes to ease of installation, the Britax Marathon can't be beat — just buckle a seat belt and you're basically done. Rigorous testing also reveals excellent safety, comfort and adjustment features that make it possible to keep even tall kids rear-facing for longer.
We looked at the top Convertible Car Seats and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Convertible Car Seat you should buy.
Product Details
Key Takeaway: The Britax Marathon ClickTight is super easy to install and has performed well during rigorous testing.
In our analysis of 88 expert reviews, the Britax Marathon ClickTight Washer Friendly Convertible Car Seat
placed 9th when we looked at the top 18 products in the category. For the full ranking,
see below.
From The Manufacturer
The Marathon ClickTight convertible car seat has the patented ClickTight Installation System, a layer of side impact protection, and SafeCell Impact Protection for peace of mind while you’re on the go with your child. Car seat installation is easy as buckling a seatbelt thanks to the ClickTight Installation System. In the Marathon Car Seat you are surrounded in safety. This convertible car seat features the patented Britax SafeCell Impact Protection system which includes a steel frame, energy-absorbing base, V-shaped tether to minimize seat rotation and staged-release stitches that slow and reduce forward movement in the event of a crash. Britax designed the Marathon ClickTight Car Seat with a strong layer of side energy absorption; a deep foam-lined shell will shield your child from side impacts. Plush foam padding and fabric, along with 7 recline positions ensures premium comfort for your child. The 14-position easy-adjust harness grows along with your child and you can change the height of the seat with just the push of a button – no rethreading necessary. The Marathon car seat can be used rear-facing 5-40 pounds and forward-facing 20-65 pounds, child standing height 49” or less. Car seat dimensions 23” D x 18.5” W x 23.5” H. 14-Position harness slot heights 8.35” to 17.7”. FAA approved.
Expert Reviews
What reviewers liked
After 20 hours of research, including testing nine popular convertible car seats at home and crash-testing six finalists in a top lab to measure their side-impact performance, we think the Britax Marathon ClickTight is the best one for most families.
ClickTight seats make it SUPER easy to install with a seat belt. “HUGS” pads on the harness straps absorb crash energy (in the forward-facing position) through SafeCells. The seat base is made of SafeCells, which compress in a crash to minimize the risk of head injury.
The Marathon ClickTight is Britax's flagship car seat, and in our testing, we found that it has high quality construction, great safety features, super easy installation, and comfort.
ClickTight feature provides excellent installation in vehicles in rear and forward-facing. - Dual range recline indicator
It has lots of adjustment point, 14 height adjustment points for tall children. No guess work on the tightness of your childs straps with the click type system.
The Britax Marathon ClickTight utilizes the ClickTight system that makes installation virtually foolproof and removes the need for extra strength out of the equation. We think the Marathon is a good-looking, high-quality seat that is very easy to use.
Better than average height and weight limits for rear-facing: even though the MA’s height doesn’t match the Boulevard CT or Advocate CT, it is still tall enough to get children rear-facing all the way to the 40 lbs. limit without outgrowing the seat by height first.
One great thing about the Marathon CT is that it has no seat belt lockoffs. Since Britax first introduced lockoffs, that’s a bit surprising. But the ClickTight panel takes care of that. It actually closes down over the seat belt to lock it in place. Boom. Done.
What reviewers didn't like
It doesn’t have a built-in cupholder, though.
It lacks the deeper head wings found in the Boulevard and Advocate CT
We also the crotch strap to be a bit short, resulting in the lower straps digging a bit into chubby baby thighs.
ClickTight feature can be difficult to open when removing seat.
The click- tight system can be a little tricky to figure out
It isn't the best choice for city dwellers as it is heavy and not suitable for carrying very far. It is also expensive and the crash test results are below the average in this review.
Newborn recline angle may be difficult to achieve in some vehicles without a pool noodle
Some parents reported the seat padding became loose after uninstalling and reinstalling the seat. The padding got in the way so it was more difficult to close the CT seat panel. Other parents said the recline handle jammed so they couldn’t get the seat to recline properly.
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