Britax Marathon ClickTight
Britax Marathon ClickTight Review Facts
There are thousands of different car seats on the market, and choosing just one for your child can be a bit of a difficult task. However, there are some that have undoubtedly received much better reviews than others. For example, the Britax Marathon ClickTight seems to be a favorite among many parents. The seat can be used for a long time- from when your child weighs between 5 and 65 pounds- and it has all the safety features necessary in order to protect your child from any possible accidents.
It’s also comfortable and easy to install, so you aren’t going to have to spend hours simply trying to figure out how the seat goes in your car. The 14-point harness is great for when your child gets bigger and you have to adjust the seat in order to be able to accommodate them. Plus, you won’t have to rethread the harness thanks to this feature when you want to be able to adjust the height of the seat.
There were some complaints that people had, such as the fact that the recline handle sometimes gets jammed, the price, and the fact that the seat is a bit bulky, but there were also many people who gave this car seat high ratings.
Without further ado, in this article, we will talk about all the different features that the Britax Marathon ClickTight car seat has to offer, as well as what parents had to say about it.
Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
- Comes with many safety features
- Comes in different colors
- Can be used in rear and front-facing positions
- No LATCH installation necessary for the rear
- The harness has 14 positions
- There are 7 reclining positions
Cons
- May not fit in some cars
- Handle for recline might have issues
- No rebound bar
Basic Features
There are a lot of features that this seat has to offer, many of which we will talk about in further sections. But first, the seat is convertible, which means that it can be used in the rear and forward-facing positions. This means that you’ll get a lot of use out of it. The rear-facing position can accommodate a child who weighs between 5 and 40 pounds, and the forward-facing position can accommodate a child weighing between 20 and 65 pounds who is shorter than 49 inches. The seat is easy to install and it comes with extra padding for impact protection and comfort.
Size
This is a pretty large car seat, so if you have a smaller car, you may find that it is a little too bulky for your liking. You will want to measure out the interior of your car first before you purchase it, and take into consideration how many people typically use your car to begin with. It’s not ideal if you want to be able to fit three car seats in the back seat of your car- that is, unless you have a particularly large back seat.
If you have someone who is a bit tall sitting in the passenger seat, they may have to compromise some leg room with this seat. The width of the seat is 18.5 inches, the height is 23.5 inches, and the depth is between 10.5 and 11.5 inches. So, you will want to make sure that you measure the back seat of your car- especially if you have a small car- to see that you’re able to fit this seat inside.
If you have someone who is a bit tall sitting in the passenger seat, they may have to compromise some leg room with this seat. The width of the seat is 18.5 inches, the height is 23.5 inches, and the depth is between 10.5 and 11.5 inches. So, you will want to make sure that you measure the back seat of your car- especially if you have a small car- to see that you’re able to fit this seat inside.
Ease of Use
One area where a lot of parents had great things to say about this car seat was when it came to how easy it is to install. According to many, it is one of the easiest seats that they have ever had to work with. The ClickTight seat belt installation method helps to make it simple and quick. You simply have to push and turn a button that lifts up the seat, and then you thread the seat belt through.
You have to make sure that the belts are laying down flat before you go to close the panel. It is recommended that you move some of the slack that is in the seat belt if you find that the seat moves around a lot. Some people did notice some issues with getting the seat belt tight, and others thought that the ClickTight release button was not easy to work with.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you won’t be able to use this seat with inflatable seat belts that are available on some airplanes and in some cars, so you will want to check this out before you purchase it. There were some issues reported with the recline handle as well, where some people claimed that it got easily jammed, which thus made it harder for the seat to recline as it should. And others reported that the padding of the seat wore down in quality when they had to install the seat. So, while the seat is easy to install in your vehicle, there are some other issues that might come about that would have an impact on its ease of use.
You have to make sure that the belts are laying down flat before you go to close the panel. It is recommended that you move some of the slack that is in the seat belt if you find that the seat moves around a lot. Some people did notice some issues with getting the seat belt tight, and others thought that the ClickTight release button was not easy to work with.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you won’t be able to use this seat with inflatable seat belts that are available on some airplanes and in some cars, so you will want to check this out before you purchase it. There were some issues reported with the recline handle as well, where some people claimed that it got easily jammed, which thus made it harder for the seat to recline as it should. And others reported that the padding of the seat wore down in quality when they had to install the seat. So, while the seat is easy to install in your vehicle, there are some other issues that might come about that would have an impact on its ease of use.
Accessories
There do not appear to be any accessories that come immediately with the car seat upon purchase, but there are many options that you will be able to choose from. First, you can buy a cup holder separately that is meant to be compatible with the ClickTight seat.
You can also choose to purchase a seat protector that would protect the back seat of your car. Some people notice that using car seats also ruins their actual seats, so purchasing a waterproof seat protector that is compatible with this car seat can help with that. It also will be able to protect your back seats from any spills that your child may have. There is also a waterproof seat liner which is meant to help absorb moisture if you have a child who is wearing a wet bathing suit, has had an accident, or has spilled something. This will fit in any Britax product that you have.
And finally, as we said, the seat does not have a rebound bar, but you can choose to purchase one that Britax made specifically for its ClickTight seat. It’s meant to be used when you use the seat in the rear-facing position. It also will help to protect the seat against movement during an impact.
You can also choose to purchase a seat protector that would protect the back seat of your car. Some people notice that using car seats also ruins their actual seats, so purchasing a waterproof seat protector that is compatible with this car seat can help with that. It also will be able to protect your back seats from any spills that your child may have. There is also a waterproof seat liner which is meant to help absorb moisture if you have a child who is wearing a wet bathing suit, has had an accident, or has spilled something. This will fit in any Britax product that you have.
And finally, as we said, the seat does not have a rebound bar, but you can choose to purchase one that Britax made specifically for its ClickTight seat. It’s meant to be used when you use the seat in the rear-facing position. It also will help to protect the seat against movement during an impact.
Safety
There do not appear to be any accessories that come immediately with the car seat upon purchase, but there are many options that you will be able to choose from. First, you can buy a cup holder separately that is meant to be compatible with the ClickTight seat. You can also choose to purchase a seat protector that would protect the back seat of your car. Some people notice that using car seats also ruins their actual seats, so purchasing a waterproof seat protector that is compatible with this car seat can help with that. It also will be able to protect your back seats from any spills that your child may have.
There is also a waterproof seat liner which is meant to help absorb moisture if you have a child who is wearing a wet bathing suit, has had an accident, or has spilled something. This will fit in any Britax product that you have. And finally, as we said, the seat does not have a rebound bar, but you can choose to purchase one that Britax made specifically for its ClickTight seat. It’s meant to be used when you use the seat in the rear-facing position. It also will help to protect the seat against movement during an impact.
There is also a waterproof seat liner which is meant to help absorb moisture if you have a child who is wearing a wet bathing suit, has had an accident, or has spilled something. This will fit in any Britax product that you have. And finally, as we said, the seat does not have a rebound bar, but you can choose to purchase one that Britax made specifically for its ClickTight seat. It’s meant to be used when you use the seat in the rear-facing position. It also will help to protect the seat against movement during an impact.
Comfort
Considering the fact that your child is completely surrounded by padding, it should come to no surprise that a lot of people agree on the comfort of this product. The extra padding not only is meant for impact protection but also to ensure that your child will remain as comfortable as possible during longer rides. The harness has 14 positions, which means that you will be able to adjust it accordingly as your child gets bigger. And since the seat is meant for a child who weighs between 5 and 65 pounds, it obviously has all the mechanisms necessary for your child to be comfortable at any age. You can change the height of the seat easily, too.
Weight
For parents who were looking for a much more lightweight car seat, then this Britax one may not be the best choice for you. While it is a bit lighter than its other Britax counterparts, it certainly is not one of the lighter options that is available on the market. The seat weighs 28.5 pounds, which could make it a bit more challenging to use for parents who wanted a lightweight car seat specifically. You may not be able to travel as easily with it, although the seat has been approved for use on airplanes. However, the weight comes from the fact that the product is made out of some of the highest-quality materials on the market, including a steel frame, which will help to ensure your child’s safety. So, this may be something that you will want to consider.
Price
In comparison to some of the other car seats that we have reviewed and that are available on the market, the Britax Marathon is a bit expensive. Coming in at roughly $280 on Amazon, it’s definitely not an option for parents who are on a budget and who were looking for something that is less than $100. If this is you, there are plenty of great options for budget-friendly car seats. However, keep in mind that this is a convertible car seat, meaning that you will be able to use it for quite a long time. You won’t have to worry about purchasing another seat until your child is 65 pounds, which will end up saving you money. So, it is up to you to decide how much you wish to be spending on your child’s car seat.
Key Features
The seat is easy to install thanks to ClickTight technology
Harness has 14 positions, preventing need for rethreading
There are 7 recline positions
Impact protection provided thanks to side padding
Can accommodate a child between 5 and 65 pounds
Can be used in the rear and forward-facing positions
Has a sturdy steel frame
There are many color options to choose from
Harness has 14 positions, preventing need for rethreading
There are 7 recline positions
Impact protection provided thanks to side padding
Can accommodate a child between 5 and 65 pounds
Can be used in the rear and forward-facing positions
Has a sturdy steel frame
There are many color options to choose from
Bottom Line
Choosing a car seat can be difficult due to all the options that there are on the market. However, this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case all the time. The Britax Marathon ClickTight is a good option for if you want something that will provide extra protection and that is incredibly easy to install. There were some issues that some parents reported with it, including that the seat is heavy and bulky, the seat belt is hard to adjust, and the rebound bar tended to get jammed at times, but overall, the seat has gotten high reviews online and has been trusted by many parents to use with their children.
There is impact protection on the side in the form of extra padding, the V-shaped tether helps to prevent the seat from moving around and rotating too much in the event of a collision, and the seat can be used in the forward and rear-facing positions, which makes it convenient. It will be able to accommodate children between 5 and 65 pounds in both positions, too, which means that you will be able to use this car seat for a long time. While it is a bit more on the expensive side- it retails for $280- the seat does come with a lot of great features that many parents appreciated and were looking for in a car seat.
Despite some of the issues that some families had reported, there were still a lot of good things they had to say about the car seat, so if you were on the hunt for a convertible car seat, the Britax Marathon ClickTight might be one to consider.
There is impact protection on the side in the form of extra padding, the V-shaped tether helps to prevent the seat from moving around and rotating too much in the event of a collision, and the seat can be used in the forward and rear-facing positions, which makes it convenient. It will be able to accommodate children between 5 and 65 pounds in both positions, too, which means that you will be able to use this car seat for a long time. While it is a bit more on the expensive side- it retails for $280- the seat does come with a lot of great features that many parents appreciated and were looking for in a car seat.
Despite some of the issues that some families had reported, there were still a lot of good things they had to say about the car seat, so if you were on the hunt for a convertible car seat, the Britax Marathon ClickTight might be one to consider.
