Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Since 2001 I've been hooked on Britax car seats. The quality and ease of use of their seats puts them above their competition. When I was presented with the opportunity to review the Britax Marathon 70-G3 I jumped at the chance to see how it differed from the Marathon 70. We own a Britax Marathon 70 so I decided to put it next to the Marathon 70-G3 for a side by side comparison. For the most part the seats are practically identical with a few small differences. The harness adjustor strap's release mechanism is the same, and I still find it awkward when compared to the Marathon and Roundabout 55 classic seats. Instead of pressing down, you need to press up. After nearly 11 years of dealing with seats that have easier releases, I still find this to be awkward. Harness height adjustment on this seat is a snap compared to the seats where you need to rethread the harness. You simply have to squeeze and pull (or push) to adjust the height of the harness straps. The ease of use for this function is on par with the simple adjustment of the back on a Graco TurboBooster. Parents who travel frequently and find themselves lugging their child seat through airports will appreciate the added touch of an area to clip the versa tether strap to be used as a carry handle. The difference between the Marathon 70 and 70-G3 lies in the versa tether and the harness buckle. The versa tether on the new Marathon 70-G3 is energy absorbing and works to reduce forward movement and rotation in a crash. The seat also has the EZ-Buckle System which keeps the harness buckle in a forward position and keeps your child from sitting on the buckle. I can tell you that this feature is quite nice. I have been using a Roundabout 55 Classic with our nine month old and I can't tell you how often she ends up sitting on the buckle and freaking out while I try to pull it out from under her. The new design really works nicely to keep the buckle out of the way when loading the baby into the seat. The design reminds me of the harness buckle on our B-Agile stroller. Installation of this seat was a snap. I installed it both rear and forward facing in my Toyota Sienna and it was easily and securely installed in both positions. Because the seat is so large, it is possible that this seat may not fit well in smaller cars when used in the rear facing position. Overall, this is a great quality seat that will keep your little one safe, comfortable and secure for many years. In the nearly eleven years that I've been using Britax seats, I have found each of them to be worth the price.