Picking out a car seat was one of the most intimidating tasks I completed as a soon-to-be parent.  I can remember how daunting it was knowing that your brand new bundle of joy would be protected by the piece of equipment you selected and how you weren't allowed to leave the hospital with your baby without first having a car seat properly installed.

Once Riley outgrew her rear-facing car seat, we received a hand-me-down from a friend, but it didn't seem very comfortable and it definitely wasn't convenient or well-designed.  Britax, a leader in quality mobile safety products for over 70 years, allowed Riley and I to review the MARATHON 70 Car Seat in Onyx.  Keep reading to learn more!

The Britax MARATHON 70 Car Seat in Onyx is a plush, well-designed car seat that looks to be the epitome of comfort, style and safety.  This car seat can be used as both a rear facing and forward facing safety device, making it extremely versatile and able to be used from birth until your child reaches 49 inches in height or 70 pounds in weight.

The first thing I needed to do in order to configure the MARATHON 70 for my 2.5 year old toddler, was to change the length of the five point harness as well as the position of the buckle.  This was extremely quick and easy and was completed in minutes.  Next, I was able to adjust the harness height in a matter of seconds, thanks to the quick-adjust harness.  Once these steps were done and I removed the infant body pillow, it was time to install the MARATHON 70 in our family vehicle.  Check out the video below to see just how quick and easy it was!

As you can see, using the Latch Method of installation was so simple and fast, that I was amazed!  The Energy-Absorbing Versa-Tether and premium lower latch connectors were two features that our last car seat lacked, but now I feel so much more at ease knowing that the Britax MARATHON 70 is so securely attached to our truck's frame.  If you need to use the seat belt installation method instead, rest assured that Britax has equipped this car seat with built-in lock-offs which hold the seat belt tautly in place, allowing you a secure fit.

Although installation was a breeze, I wouldn't be doing my duty if I didn't let you know all of the MANY safety features of the MARATHON 70 car seat.  Now, I have complete peace of mind knowing my precious little girl is traveling in one of the safest car seats I've ever seen!

• SafeCell™ Technology features SafeCells designed to compress in a crash, significantly lowering the center of gravity and counteracting the forward rotation of the child seat which normally propels the child toward the front seat.

• Integrated Steel Bars strengthen the connection to the vehicle and reduce forward flexing of the child seat during a crash.

• Energy-Absorbing Versa-Tether® features a staged-release tether webbing to slow the forward movement, reducing the crash forces reaching the child, and a two-point attachment to minimize forward rotation while anchoring the top of the child seat.
• Side Impact Protection comprised of deep side walls lined with energy-absorbing EPP foam distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, and contains the head, neck and body.
• Harness Ultra Guard System (HUGS™) provides resistance to forward movement in the event of a crash.
• Tangle-Free, Five-Point Harness distributes crash forces across the strongest parts of the body and provides a secure fit.
• Quick-Adjust, No-Rethread Harness repositions the harness shoulder height without disassembling the harness straps.

Riley thought that her new Britax MARATHON 70 car seat was much more comfortable than our previous model.  I'm sure this was because of the high-density comfort foam layer as well as the padded buckle protector included.  A few times, we've accidentally pinched Riley's inner thigh while fastening the safety buckle, but now the padded protector will ensure this no longer happens and the buckle won't have the opportunity to rub uncomfortably against Riley's legs either.

She also commented on how smooth the MARATHON 70's Easy-Remove Cover was.  I'm happy knowing that should Riley have a spill or get it dirty somehow, the cover will easily come off of the car seat without having to uninstall the entire seat from the vehicle.  Now I can toss the cover in the washer and it will be good as new again!

I couldn't be happier with the new Britax MARATHON 70 car seat, for it is the hallmark of classic design, safety and style, all rolled into one!  If you are in the market for an extremely versatile car seat, which could easily be used for many years, then don't hesitate to purchase the Britax MARATHON 70.