Moved up from Marathon to Regent
Pros:
Useful up to 80 lbs, may be easier on car upholstery than some other seats
Cons:
No tilt, may not be as comfortable in long rides as other seats.
The Bottom Line:
A good solid child's seat, goes up to 80 lbs, and it may cause less damage to car upholstery over time than seats that sit on a larger base.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
When my first child grew out of his Graco infant seat, we bought the Marathon. I heard that Britax had a good reputation in car seat safety. And I selected the Marathon because it could be used up to 65 lbs. When our second child grew out of the infant seat, we put her in the Marathon (since it has more of a tilt) and bought the Regent for our son. The Regent carries up to 80 lbs.
Functionally, I don't see a big difference between car seats. They all have the same belt system. Though for whatever reason I've had more problems with the Marathon buckle twisting up. The Marathon sits higher up on an undetatchable base. But the Regent is a good solid seat and has a high back. In an SUV I could see the high back possibly being a bit safer in an accident, in protecting the child from objects that may fly around from the back cargo area.
The Marathon looks like it may be more comfortable than the Regent. It looks more padded, and it may be easier for your child to take a nap because it does it does sit at a slant. If you take long trips frequently, that may be something to consider. But if I had to buy all over again, I'd probably buy two Regents, and not mess with the Marathon. Part of the reason is because the Regent carries up to 80 lbs and can be used for longer. I like the higher back. But the other reason is that the Marathon sits on such a large base that will probably cause larger permanant dents in the car upholstery over time. The Regent sits lower, has a smoother area that connects with the upholstery, and a bar in the back. When putting in the new seat, I realized that even though any kid's car seat is going to cause permanent indentations in your cars upholstery, the Regent is probably not going to cause the large indentations that the Marathon will.
