Who is the Britax Marathon ClickTight Convertible Car Seat? Installation of the 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 is similar to that of the Extend2Fit 3-in-1. We have mixed feelings about that. The tires filled with water and the car continued heading straight, not taking the turn. Christina has three children, ages 2, 4, and 7; she can frequently be found ferrying them to soccer practice and play dates in her Honda Odyssey minivan. The proper care, treatment, and use of your car seat will help keep your little ones safe and sound. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. What kind of safety features does this Britax marathon clicktight convertible car seat? Check out some photos below. And it does a bang-up job of it: The seat absolutely does not budge. Not so with the Boulevard, since the ClickTight system is doing all the hard workwhich makes this seat an especially good choice for anyone struggling with strength or dexterity issues. That said, for the uninitiated, the ClickTight system may take a few minutes to understand, since the key and seat belt lock-off could be counterintuitive for parents familiar with a LATCH system. Then, as youre holding the belt tight, you must close and latch a pair of belt lock-offs, two plastic tabs that fold down over the belt to cinch it into place. At his current height and weight, he can still safely ride rear-facing in any convertible car seat, but he looks uncomfortable in many seats, and I have a hard time buckling him in since his legs are all scrunched up. The Foonfs footprint17 inches at its widest pointis among the narrowest in the convertible category, which makes it a good candidate for families that need to fit three seats across in a single row. If you like our runner-up pick, the Britax Boulevard, but want to spend less: The similar Britax Marathon ClickTight is currently around $30 to $70 cheaper, depending on where you purchase it. A kid can sit in a forward-facing seat until the tops of their ears are at or above the top of the seats head restraint at the highest setting (its okay for the top of their head to be above the top of the seat, as long as their ears are not), or until the shoulder straps can no longer be properly positioned at or above their shoulders. When the Wirecutter outdoor team goes car campingas opposed to backpacking and carrying gear into the wildernessthis is the gear they bring. Besides this, it has a narrow profile, so three across is doable. The results were factored into our final recommendations. Make sure you check out the manual before you start the process. Clek sells an Infant-Thingy insert for the Foonf that lets the seat carry babies as small as 5 pounds in rear-facing mode only; we recommend using a dedicated infant car seat for newborns. Yes, car seats expire. So do pick the second safest place, which is behind the driver. If keeping your child rear-facing for as long as possible is the number-one priority, then we think youd be better served by our other picks. But it was difficult to install snugly; our testers had trouble installing it properly without using a pool noodle or towel. Its straightforward, whether youre using the LATCH system or the vehicle seat belt; we prefer the LATCH install for this seat. Theyre also stain-repellant. With the Foonfs low sides and taut fabric, I felt like I spent less time fishing for the harness straps hiding behind my child than I did with any other seat we tested. It would certainly be more environmentally friendly if you could actually manage to purchase a single seat rather than multiples. (However, the fact that our TrioGrow SnugLock LX test model had an all-black cover definitely helped to keep it looking better than some of our other Graco models.) We also recommend the Britax Boulevard ClickTight for those whose top priority is ease of installation. Kids can remain rear-facing in the Extend2Fit Convertible until they reach 50 pounds, the highest capacity of the seats we tested. The SnugLock does the tightening for you, so you can achieve a tight install without any elbow grease. There are four different settings on the panel, so it can be extended for a total of 5 inches of additional legroom when rear-facing. We found that the harness straps could be difficult to tighten with a toddler in the seat, and the crotch buckle was hard to undonot ideal for caregivers who didnt have good hand dexterity. It sounds a little silly to describe a car seat company as having a cult following, but in the case of Cleka high-end, niche Canadian brandit happens to be true. Related: The best britax convertible car seat article. As they do with infant car seats, most kids will probably hit a convertible seats height limit before they hit its weight limit. What can the Britax Marathon ClickTight car seat do for you? Or, if you get a regular Boulevard and decide later that you want an anti-rebound bar, it can also be purchased separately. This would be the fault of the Britax car seat. The Boulevards harness has another trick up its sleeve: Its called a Click & Safe Snug Harness, because as youre tightening it around your child, it gives an audible click to let you know when its been properly tensioned. For some kids who get queasy, sitting in a C-shaped seat isnt great because it puts pressure on the stomach, said CPST Lani Harrison. This can serve as a rear-facing seat for infants and younger babies and a forward-facing seat for toddlers and preschoolers, and then convert to a booster for bigger kids. If youre carrying an infant in this seat, then the seat must be in the rear-facing position. The anti-rebound bar on the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 adds about $40 to the price of the seat, and it is easy to attach. The top tether is a strap that attaches from the back of the car seat to a tether anchor built into your car. The Boulevard can be used in the rear-facing position for kids up to 40 poundsthe size of a typical 4-year-old. If you want to add yet another optional safety feature for your rear-facing child, Clek also sells a Q-tether strap. If your kid isnt bothered by scrunched-up legs, then they dont pose a problemtheres no inherent safety issue. For a better angle you can use a pool noodle. If you want an all-in-one thats affordable and easy to install but isnt as good for extended rear-facing: The Graco TrioGrow SnugLock LX is technically a cousin of our all-in-one pick, the Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1, but their designs are fundamentally different. As previously described, the Foonfs rear-facing install takes more effort than the rear-facing install of our other picks. A turn was coming up, and they didnt see the danger. Safety experts generally agree that it is better to stay rear-facing longer, as is staying in a seat with a five-point harness for as long as possible before switching to a seat beltdependent booster seat. After careful consideration and consultation with experts, we reached the decision that field testing alone, without crash testing, should dictate our picks within this guide. But we dont think its great for everyday use. They are comfortable and safe at the same time. We evaluated independent crash-testing scores and ease-of-use ratings (when available), as well as the seats individual safety features. Have you ever wanted a car seat that can be installed after watching just one video? These car seats come with many car seat color options. Best of all, I dont have to call my husband for help. However, with the panel extended on the Extend2Fit Convertible, he has more room to stretch out, and I have more room to get him buckled. But for most situations, we dont think all-in-ones are the best option, and heres why: We began this process by examining online customer reviews and existing media coverage from other media outlets, including BabyGearLab, Car Seats for the Littles, and The Car Seat Lady. If you want a cheaper, smaller version of our also-great pick, the Clek Foonf: The Clek Fllo is a more lightweight alternative to the heavy-duty Clek Foonf, and it currently costs around $100 less. This can be because its easier to see them or hand them things from the front seat when theyre facing forward, because caregivers are hoping to reduce car sickness, or because their child simply prefers it. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Its one of the top rated convertible car seats you can go with. And its a heavier seat, at 23 pounds, versus the 3-in-1s 19 pounds. The head cushion is not good enough. And, as previously detailed, the Extend2Fit Convertible wasnt as easy to clean as our other picks. The clicktight technology helps you install the car seat faster and better. Education & Inspiration from Pregnancy through Parenthood. Wipes.) The Foonf is also the priciest seat among our picks. One of our favorite things about the Extend2Fit Convertible is how exceptionally well it facilitates extended rear-facing riding, with a 50-pound rear-facing weight limit. The forward-facing LATCH limit for the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 is the same as it is for the Extend2Fit Convertible: 45 pounds. (Because the Nunas rear-facing LATCH weight limit for a baby is 35 pounds, we recommend seat belt installation so you dont have to make the switch as your child grows.) Seat dimensions: 19 inches wide by 24.5 inches tall (with the headrest in its lowest position), Passenger booster mode weight and height range: 40 to 100 pounds; 43 to 57 inches; also, at least 4 years old (but most experts recommend waiting until at least age 5). Different car seats require different cleaning methods; the particulars are spelled out clearly in your owners manual, and they should be heeded. Graco, the manufacturer of our top-pick convertible, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible, makes a lot of convertible car seats, including the Graco Contender 65, the Graco Admiral 65, and the Graco Sequence 65. The maximum weight limit for a rear-facing rider in this seat is 50 pounds, same as for the Extend2Fit Convertible. Though the process is fairly intuitive, it does require some force and coordination to get those tabs closed. With many car seats, getting a tight install relies on human force or skill. Before you get started make sure you read the instruction manual for seatbelt installation (seat belt installation). There was a voluntary recall (PDF) issued on Clek Foonf and Fllo seats manufactured prior to May 21, 2021. If you want me to review a different one, let me know below. The Graco 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 is an all-in-one seat that converts into both a high-back and backless booster. However, if a fast and convenient install matters most, then the Boulevard is your best bet. A properly installed car seat is a safe car seat, so we sought seats that made the process easy. However, while the Extend2Fit Convertible has a 45-pound rear-facing weight limit for the LATCH install (which we appreciate, since installing this seat rear-facing with LATCH is the quicker and easier method), the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 has a 40-pound rear-facing LATCH weight limit. (Because it can be tricky to get the seat belt tight and locked, we prefer the LATCH install method for this seat.) All Clek seats last nine years from the date of manufacture before they expire, and they have a three-year warranty, if you register the seat within 90 days (one year if you dont register it). Normally, my almost-3-year-old can get himself into the seat on his own.