DONT BUY THIS! FAILED CRASH TESTS, thats why they don't make this anymore!
Check out an article below at the Chicago Tribune, most car seats are tested on sleds. These car seats were put in government crash tests for actual car crash safety tests. 31 car seats tested either flew off their bases or exceeded injury limits in a series of frontal crashes conducted by federal researchers using 2008 model year vehicles, a Tribune investigation found. The test results were never publicized, and even some infant-seat makers were unaware of their existence.

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"The Britax Companion, which can cost twice as much as some competitors' seats, exceeded injury limits both times it was tested. The company discontinued the Companion last year, although retailers continue to sell through their inventory."

I wouldn't buy this car seat, even if it seems like a deal. The Britax Chaperone is the new model, and is supposed to have fixed any flaws that the companion had. Do your research, sometimes there are very good reasons companies discontinue a product and come out with a new version! This is one of those times!

Impressed Nursery Staff
We purchased the Marathon for our oldest based on the reviews especially in regards to safety. She loved it and slept so soundly in it. Fortunately, we never had to test the safety. When we found out we were expecting our youngest we knew we would get a Britax. We were completely happy and impressed with this seat. Yes, it is heavy and sometimes the handle got stuck but after multiple uses the handle worked better. I loved the ease of adjusting the head pad - just a few pumps or press the release valve - no need to replace it as the baby grows. I loved the belly pad. What really impressed us when it was time to leave the hospital. The nursery staff had to inspect the seat and the one doing the inspection kept calling the other nurses over to show it to them. We showed how the head pad worked and that really impressed them. They are supposed to make sure the seat is properly installed but the nurse said if we got a seat like that she knew the seat was properly installed especially when she watched my husband jostle the base and it didn't move. Now our youngest is in the Marathon and our oldest has moved to the Parkway booster seat. She loves it - calls it her race car seat. Everyone comments on the booster seat and how it protects her head especially when she falls asleep and it helps her learn the right way to wear a seat belt. And yes the youngest will use it once she outgrows the Marathon. We recommend Britax to anyone who asks us and when they comment on the price, we just tell them when it comes to our children's safety we will spend the extra money cause it is most definitely worth it.

Thought I was buying the safest seat for my little one - I was disappointed
I thought I was buying the safest car seat for my family but I was disappointed. I was disappointed the minute I took the car seat out of the box. I knew I wanted a seat with a chest clip NOT a sliding clip. I had studied the picture and description on the website and that is what I thought I was getting. Our little one is now able to slip the strap off even if I have the straps tight. It is time for her to move to another seat but we were hoping to use this seat again if we have another little one. I will need to contact the company to receive a replacement part. Not what I expected from a company with such a good reputation. We went with a Safety First seat convertible seat for our daughter's next car seat.

Okay, but not great
We borrowed this seat from a friend for our 2nd baby. It was okay, but not the kind of quality and ease of use I have come to expect from Britax. As many reviewers have mentioned, it's *heavy.* I realize this is a trade-off. If you want a seat the holds a bigger baby and is strong and safe, it's going to be heavy. The TSIP head cushions are a nice safety feature, but they are also super-hot in the summer. My little girl was always a sweaty mess. The handle can be stiff. The canopy is not great. It was stiff and difficult to adjust. The fabric feels plasticy and did not hold up well. It has piping going across the canopy in several places to help it keep it's shape. After a while, the fabric covering the piping started fraying and wearing off. The canopy also got several white streaks on it, and I have no idea what from - maybe from rubbing on door jambs? As for the extended weight limits, we found them unnecessary. By the time our kids stopped sleeping in the car all the time (around 6 months), we moved them up into a convertible seat. No one wants to carry a 30lb baby around in a pumpkin seat!!

On the plus side, I did like the safety of the TSIP cushions. The seat is deep, and definitely more cushy and comfy than other baby buckets. It has a higher weight limit that the standard 22lb seat, so you should get a few more months of use out of it. Overall, I was glad we borrowed it instead of buying it. We have a Roundabout and a Regent, and we *LOVE* them. This seat just isn't up to Britax's usual standards. We certainly weren't going to buy this seat for ourselves when our third baby came along! I think there are other seats out there that are just as safe, easier to use, and less expensive.

Safety first, but the little things are annoying.
I like knowing that my baby is safer in this car seat, and I really appreciate the head pillow that it comes with, because all three of my children have been born under 6 pounds. However, I find myself frustrated in the day-to-day use by the difficulties I have getting it out of its base and by how hard it is to engage the buttons simultaneously to move the handle. The handle thing is the most annoying. If you're not positioned straight on, trying to engage the buttons for moving the handle, it's nearly impossible. Because of this, I hardly ever move it, which makes it less safe than it would otherwise be. I would probably tell a friend to look for another car seat with the same safety ratings.