My 11 month old, who will be a year old in a little over a week , is currenty in a Graco Safeseat infant car seat which goes up to 32 inches long and 30 lbs. She is 29 inches long and 23 lbs right now so we're starting to think about getting a convertible in the next month or two.

I really like the Britax Marathon, but dh likes the Graco ComfortSport better (I think $$ has something to do with it too ). Anyone have any experience with one or the other?

Thanks for the help!

I have no experience yet, but I did research some car seats when making our baby registry. The britax got lots of really good reviews! We decided to go with the brand, although I cannot remember which model. You can look fro reviews on sites like babiesrus.com and target.com. I am sure if you typed "car seat review" on google you would find more sites. hope that hels!

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I bought the Britax Boulevard for my son when he was the same age as your daughter but I didn't use it until he was a year when we installed it forward facing. I chose the Boulevard over the Marathon because it has the True Side Impact Protection and the head support. He's now 15 months and we both love it. I would definitely reccomend it. I bought it on Amazon and it's still the same sale price of $230.

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We have the Graco Comfort Sport and are very happy with it. We had to get it for him when he was 9 months old b/c he was too tall for his infant seat so we initally used it rear facing. We did not consider the Britax b/c of cost, although I know it has very high safety ratings. When looking for his convertable car seat I looked up the safety info on the Dept. of Transportation website and found that the Graco was rated high in safety and ease. I feel very confident with it and it is easy to get in and out of the car when needed.

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Both my kids are in the Britax Marathon. DS is almost 3 and DD is 8 months old. We bought DS's when he was 6 months old and already had to be turned front ways since his long legs were at a 45 degree angle smooshed up against the car seat when he was rear facing. We put DD in hers when she was just 3 months old...I got tired of lugging around the infant Graco seat. Besides she would always wake up as soon as the car stopped anyways, plus I just feel that the Britax is much sturdier and safer than the Graco Snugride infant seat. Plus the weight limit goes up to 65 lbs. which is required weight limit in CA for kids having to be in a carseat or booster seat. So i figured this carseat was a onestop shop for me as I wouldn't have to buy a booster seat later on down the line. Both kids love their carseats and will take naps in them on long rides and the incline on the seat and padding on the straps helps to keep their heads from leaning to one side when they fall asleep. And the covers are easy to get off and throw in the wash. And it is easy to install. We first had DS's in our Toyota Camry and then migrated it to our Toyota Siena when DD was born. I have also transferred both car seats into my parents Toyota Highlander and my sisters little Mazda 6 without any issues.

So many positives for this car seat. The only downside is the price...but can you really put a value on the safety of your kids?????

Oh, and the Britax ones are FTA approved..so if you plan on doing an airplane rides, you need an FTA approved carseat for any child/infant sitting in their own seat (2 and older are required to sit in a carseat in their own plane seat).

Check ConsumerReports.org - Find Product Reviews and Ratings from Consumer Reports for their comparisons of the carseats. You can also check PriceGrabber.com - Comparison Shopping Beyond Compare for price comparisons. i bought DS's through ebay and DD's at BRU when it was on sale.

Sandra

we have the Britax Marithon and we LOVE it ..it is so easy to install correctly, I got it beacuse my dd neeeded it before she was 10 months old. She out grew her carrier seat both weight and length. Also beacuse it goes up to 65 lbs. I also when traveling took it and my nephew whom was 5 at the time fit in it perfect. So I am really sold. I won't have to buy another seat for dd. Well unless we have a #2 and if it is a boy we will just buy a new cover. Another this is I love love love the strapes in the 2 plus years I have been using mine the straps have not once got tangled, twisted or anyting of that nature.

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Our Marathon is huge, but so comfy and we love it. She was quite chubby until recently, and it just was so comfortable for her. To me, since it's something they will use for 6 years, and possibly use just about every day, it's worth it to go the extra mile and buy the Britax. They all meet standards, but Britax surpasses them, and has some cushy extras.

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My DH and I just had this same issue. We researched, shopped around, etc. and finally decided to go with the Britax Boulevard! We have only used it a few days, but so far it is great! Very easy to install (in an SUV and a small car) and we both feel completely safe putting DD in it. While it is VERY large compared to the infant seat we were using, I can tell it will last a long time and feel confident in our decision. Like the person before, we decided the Boulevard because of the side impact protection. We got ours on closeout for $229 a piece.

ITA! Britax car seats are crash tested at higher speeds than other car seats. We were willing to spend the extra money for that peace of mind. I know it's a lot, but we decided we'd just have to cut costs somewhere else. In fact, we bought one for each of our two cars, because we both felt it was safer to leave a properly installed car seat to stay put(we always have them professionally installed) rather than removing it frequently to go from car to car. Money well spent! My daughter loves her car seat, and she HATED her infant seat, although that was a Britax also.

We just moved our 5 MO DS to the Britax Marathon. So far we really like it. It was pricey but a good investment since it will last a long time. Shop online if you want more color choices. Also because of the price the shipping will probably be free on most sites.

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