Let’s just face it: our children deserve only the very best! When it comes to toys, not a problem! When it comes to shelter and food, not a problem (my wife is an excellent cook)! When it comes to safety, my heart is to provide the most secure environment possible for my little ones, so when I started researching car seats and what they offer in way of both support and comfort, the only thing that truly caught my eye was a small little advertisement for a toddler car seat, as it had more features than I could have every dreamed of!
It had everything short of lie detector: self training buckling, extra padded lining for maximum comfort, EPS foam for heat absorption and recycling… truly, our toddler car seat is the panicle of our times!
Okay, I might be over exaggerating, but not by much. For example, I have been known to worry from time to time about how I was going to train my children on various things: using the toilet, how to finish their homework, organization, riding in the car and, eventually driving. All of these things have been known to keep me up at night, researching and speaking to other parents within my family, my wife’s family, even the hundreds of open forums currently operating on the internet. When it come to riding in the car, I knew that I needed a tool, an aide of some sort, that will assist me in training them on the importance of buckling their seat belt, watching what is happening out on the street in front of us, how my wife and I react to situations that occur almost daily when driving in a metropolitan area. The one tool that I found that has worked swimmingly is my toddler car seat.
I know that my child is a little too young to learn how to drive, but experience through observation is everything (or so I have read). The toddler car seat I purchased allowed my toddler the opportunity to learn how to buckle a safety belt before the car begins to move through its self buckling system. It is really simple, as all it really does is allows the safety belt to travel through the toddler car seat, onto their laps, giving them the chance to buckle themselves. This training technique offers hands on experience, as well as habit forming repetition, as neither my wife nor I will turn on the car unless their belts are fastened. They can reach the belts, they can buckle it themselves, and it has become a rather amusing game between both my daughters when they compete against each other to see who fastens their seat belts first. One day, we took the winner out for ice cream (don’t worry… we secretly treated the other on later).
My recommendation: purchase a toddler car seat that includes all of the aforementioned features! You won’t regret it!
Filed under Child Car Seat Articles by on Feb 25th, 2010. Comment. 
The Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat delivers a 5 point harness system with Britax’s patented Floating HUGS padding support on side and head positions. EPS energy absorption foam has also been included within the padding, offering the child the maximum allowable comfort level.
Along with the EPS foam, Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat was also designed with a Versa Tether Safe Guard LATCH system, providing the additional security all parents’ desire.
Actual Customer Comments:
A portion of an actual customer review found on amazon.com
“A Miracle”
A portion of an actual customer review found on amazon.com
“Amazing!”
A portion of an actual customer review found on amazon.com
The overall reactions offered by the product’s customers state that the new Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat is actually a rather impressive piece of car seat technology. The only real negative thing that was mentioned had to deal with the structural integrity of the seat once placed in a rear facing position. The seat itself seems to be rather secure when in forward facing mode, but when it is installed to face towards the rear, the seat becomes shaky, less than reliable. That said, that same customer that brought the defect to light later stated that he would still purchase the product for its ability to provide security / safety (if installed properly), as well as comfort.
The overall verdict:
Average. According to the customer reviews posted for the new Britax car seat model, there are both praiseworthy features and less than admirable defects. One customer stated that his experience with the Britax Marathon model was an excellent one, that is, until he attempted to adjust it to front facing. Based on this particular review, when this car seat is adjusted to a front facing position, it becomes a little shaky, that is to say, a little less founded. The main praise customers are offering, however, have to do with the high levels of comfort offered to the occupants.
Order your Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat Here!
Product Details:
Name: Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat
Company Name: Britax
Product Features: 5 point harness with Britax patented Floating HUGS padding for maximum side and head support, EPS Comfort foam, Versa Tether Safe Guard LATCH connectors.
Filed under Britax by on Feb 24th, 2010. Comment.
The new Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat comes fully equipped with EPS energy absorbing foam, providing a level of comfort well beyond the normal car seat design. With a 5 point buckle system, including a 3 slot positional adjustment, the Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat model more accurately delivers a car suite rather than a car seat.
Once converted to rear facing, this new Britax model supports up to 35 lbs per occupant, whereas 40 lbs of support can also be offered if reverted to its original forward looking design.
Actual Customer Comments:
A portion of an actual customer review found on amazon.com
“SAFEST OUT THERE”
A portion of an actual customer review found on amazon.com
“Love It!”
A portion of an actual customer review found on amazon.com
The overall reaction of the customers towards the new Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat is actually quite positive that is, with a few, extremely minor exceptions. The only negative comment that has been given about this new Britax model has to do with the manual. The manual was posted on the backside of the unit in order to be in plain sight, however, when someone tries to read the manual, the print was printed too small, making it extremely hard to read. The main positive note about the new Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat had to do with the level of comfort the EPS foam gave the children.
The overall verdict:
Average. Though the majority of the customer reviews are stating nothing but positive mentions, there have been a few reviews issuing concern for the lack of readability regarding the instruction manual. One customer stated that it was extremely hard to read as a result of the manual’s layout. The main positive mention, however, has to deal with the Britax Roundabout’s EPS foam padding, saying that it provides children a greater sense of both security and comfort.
Order your Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat Here!
Product Details:
Name: Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat
Company Name: Britax
Product Features: Versa Tether LATCH connectors, tangle free 5 point harness buckle with 3 potential adjustable positions, EPS energy absorption Foam for maximum comfort and security, 35 lb rear facing support, 40 lb forward facing support.
Filed under Britax by on Feb 24th, 2010. Comment.
If there is one certainty in the entire universe, it is this: our children will continue to grow up! If they are running, eating and breathing, they are going to get taller, run faster and begin to enjoy life just like we did back in the beginning of our youth! This is the glorious thing about being a parent… you get to watch this amazing stage of growth over the course of time. We become firsthand witnesses of a life forming, growing and maturing into what they have been designed to be! For me and my wife, it has been an incredible honor to bare witness to this transformation, but it didn’t come without us having to face a wide variety of trials. The main one – vehicles! Our babies were scared of the car and hated with a passion the transferring from the normal baby car seats to the regular, sitting all by themselves in the back seat. This is where car booster seats came in!
The car booster seats currently being offered are nothing like those we were forced to use as kids. I remember sitting on a little, yellow box, trying to figure out if I did something wrong, or whether or not this new kind of torture was some new, twisted method my mother was using to get her point across. Of course, car booster seats were not designed for that, and my parents had nothing but my safety in mind, but after a few years of sitting in that thing, I had grown to hate riding in cars, no matter what the destination was.
The more modern car booster seats have more than just a block as its base… it has cushioned lining, specifically designed to offer heat absorption from our children’s bodies for maximum comfort in cold weather! It also has an adjustable back support system, fully capable of reaching new heights when and if our children reach a growing spurt a little more quickly than we originally anticipated. These new designs offer a range of both comfort and flexibility that actually has made my children much more fond of riding in the back seat during those extra long trips!
The new car booster seats also have a small slot built right into them for the seat belt, making it accessible to our little ones, training them on how to use it and, with the help of their parents, understanding why it is a good thing to do every time they enter into a vehicle. That said, my wife and I have come to love the new car booster seats designs!
We have come a long way since we were children! Frankly, I have become jealous of all the comforts our children will have while growing up! In the words of my little Jessica, “I want it!”
Filed under Child Car Seat Articles by on Feb 23rd, 2010. Comment.
There is no doubt about it! Our children are born into this world completely ignorant of the trials and tribulations that they will face. I remember starring out of my bedroom window at age seven wondering what I will become, thinking to myself that I will be a millionaire ready to take over the world. One of my more intense visions was me becoming a famous pastor that will influence millions of people all around the world. Though these things have yet to happen (and, God willing, they just might), in foresight, all of the trials I have faced within my life thus far have shown me that, when I raise my children, I do not desire to hold back anything from them, that is, to inform them and train them so that they know what they are getting into. This may sound silly, but one of my biggest trials growing up was getting used to and not being afraid of my parents’ car.
Now that I have children of my own and have continued with my attempts to train them for the things that undoubtedly lie ahead, I have started to realize different strategies that will assist in their development. Though I do not have time to write about these different strategies, the one strategy me and my wife came up with was to train our children how to act in the car through the use of booster car seats. After they started reaching three to four years of age, we purchased booster car seats that have a solid, yet cushioned back support, so they can get used to have the car felt like. Then, we also noticed that the booster car seats we purchased have an adjustable back support, meaning that our kids, knowing that they are not yet old enough to take on the car full throttle, will be able to enjoy the continually increasing back support as they begin to grow.
This is just one of the main attractions that drew both me and my better half! The other thing was the gaining familiarity of the car’s seat belts. The booster car seats we purchased had a unique slot built into the design in order for children to learn how to buckle the seat belts whenever they get into the car. This assisted them in learning the importance of buckling their seat belts for safety reason, as my wife and I told them why this was so important every single time they buckled (this lasted a total of three years). It wasn’t long after that, that they desired to attempt taking on the riding in the back seat! Soon, they started desiring to ride in the front seat with their mommy (they liked her better early on). Then, my youngest son requested to “share the view” with their daddy… this made me feel that our mission was a success!
Filed under Child Car Seat Articles by on Feb 23rd, 2010. Comment.
