Britax Boulevard vs Marathon – Which One is the Best in 2024?

The father didn’t notice the puddle and the car was already heading toward the tree…
We’re driving more and more every year. This is why we need the best protection for ourselves and our little ones.

Since we can’t prevent accidents, we have to prepare ahead of time. As parents, we must keep our young ones safe. By getting the safest car seat possible, we can keep them from harm’s way.

This is why I’ve created the Britax Boulevard vs Marathon comparison article. By reading it until the end, you will know exactly which car seat is the best choice for you.

One of them has saved the life of a child. Stick with me for a bit, and you will know which one was it.

Look:

Here’s the bird’s eye view of the Britax Boulevard ClickTight Car Seat. It’s a long-lasting car seat (10 years). Real good value for the money. It has a five-star safety rating.

Here’s the bird’s eye view of the Britax Marathon ClickTight Car Seat. Easy peasy install. It will protect your little ones in case of a crash. It will serve you well in the years to come.

Related: Best Britax Car Seat

Direct Comparison Britax Boulevard vs Marathon

	Britax Boulevard ClickTight Convertible Car Seat	Britax Marathon ClickTight Convertible Car Seat
Safety	SafeCell Tech Steel Frame Double Side Protection 5-point harness	SafeCell Tech Steel Frame Side Impact Protection 5-point harness
Size Limits	Rear Facing 5-40 Front Facing: 20-65 49”	Rear Facing 5-40 Front Facing: 20-65 49”
Installation	ClickTight	ClickTight
Fabric/Material	Machine Washable	Machine Washable
Bonuses and Features
Cup Holder	1 Flexible	No
Recline Position	7	7
Headrest Position	14	14
Rethread Harness	No	No
Breathable	Yes	Yes
Extended Use	Yes	Yes

Breaking it down

The table above is my go-to checklist when I’m looking at a new car seat. The most important item on the list is safety. Now all car seats on the market are safe, so I’m looking for the ones that went the extra mile.

Size limits are the second most important thing on my list. Every car seat has different measurements. Also, this is my favorite spot where I can save money. More on this a bit later.

Some brands have a bad rap when it comes to installation. Luckily the Britax brand is not among those.

My last item on the list is the fabric. Kids will be kids; they will make a mess and spill something. That’s guaranteed. Now by knowing how easy it is to remove and wash, you know which the best one for you is.

Last but not least, I tackle the small features. Sometimes when there’s not much difference, this can give the final verdict.

Let’s get this Britax Boulevard Vs Marathon ClickTight Car Seat comparison started. Just one more thing…

I have something special for you in the end. I have compiled a quick pros/cons list. The things I’ve found are quite interesting, to say the least.

Safety

As I mentioned above, safety is crucial. Now to give you some good news, all car seats on the market are safe. It there were any type of issues, the recall would be immediate. The big difference between cheaper and expensive brands is that cheap ones tend to barely pass government tests.

On the other hand, expensive car seats go above and beyond them. I usually take the most protection that I can get.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight Convertible Car Seat

The Britax brand is known for its reliability. Also, they have top-notch security. The car seat’s frame is made out of steel. This gives sturdy protection. It’s also equipped with the SafeCell tech.

During a collision, there’s a lot of energy traveling through the car. The SafeCell tech absorbs it and prevents your child from being exposed to it.

Side impact protection is very important. Just recently car manufacturers started to pay attention to it. And our body wasn’t designed to take side impact too well.

Thanks to the 5-point harness, your kiddo will be safe in the car seat. The 5-point harness is the safest option on the market today.

Britax Marathon ClickTight Convertible Car Seat

This incident happened with some friends of ours. They were coming home from a long trip.

There were three souls on board. The father, the mother, and the little one were sitting in the back. The father didn’t notice a big puddle in turn. There was nothing else to do only to brace for impact.

The car hydroplaned off the road and hit a tree. Hitting is an understatement. The car actually twisted around the tree. It was a horrible crash. The glass was in pieces. The metal has bent out of shape. The airbags deployed.

The family was lucky. The parent’s hands have multiple cuts and bruises. Meanwhile, their young daughter had no scratch on her. The Britax Marathon delivered and kept the little one safe.

Since we’re comparing it against the Boulevard, the safety features are the same thing. The seat is made out of steel. It has energy-absorbing cells. Plus, it comes with the all-too-important side impact protection. Your little one is kept in the seat by the 5-point harness.

Winner

Since everything is the same, Britax Marathon wins because it saves a life.

Size Limits

As you have read above, this is the place where I love to save money. Here’s the secret to that. If you buy the car seat for a longer period, that will help you save.

These car seats are expensive, and the more mileage you can get out of them, the more money you save in the long run.

I usually break up the section into two parts. But not only it’s the same brand, but the car seats are very similar. For this section, everything is the same.

The Britax Marathon and the Britax Boulevard cater to infants and young kids up to 6 years old. This means that you can make the maiden voyage with your newborn. The lowest weight limit is 5 pounds, so you will be able to bring you, baby, home from the hospital with these car seats.

Since it’s a convertible car seat, you can use it in forwarding and rear-facing mode. It’s highly recommended to keep your child in the rear-facing mode as long as possible. Thanks to Britax, now you can. The upper limit for rear-facing mode is 40 pounds.

There are two differences between the Britax Marathon and the Britax Boulevard. First of all, the Marathon has a slimmer design, so you would be able to do 3 across with ease. The Boulevard is wider, and it would be hard to do it.

The second difference is the weight the Marathon weighs 19.33 pounds while the Boulevard weighs 29.4 pounds. That’s a 10-pound difference.

Winner

The Britax Marathon ClickTight Convertible Car Seat wins this round.

Installation

According to a recent study, 75% of car seats in the US are installed incorrectly. And if they are not tight enough, then they can’t keep your little one safe. Luckily the Britax brand has the easiest car seats to install.

No rocket scientist diploma is needed.

Again everything is the same. No matter if you look at Britax Marathon or Britax Boulevard, the installation procedure is the same.

First, you will have to decide how you want to mount the car seat. It can be done either in rear-facing mode and front-facing mode. After that, you have to decide if you will use the latch system or the seat belt.

After you’ve placed the seat, you push and turn the ClickTight button. This will pop the seat up. After that, you either run the seat belt through the guide or you connect the latches. After you’ve heard the reassuring click sound, you have to pull on the straps and make it tight.

It’s that simple. For me, the seat belt system looked the easiest. With other brands, the latch system is far superior. The two-car seats are built on the same machine s,o there’s no contest.

Winner

It’s a tie

Fabric/Material

This is the last item on my checklist. Since these car seats cater to babies up to 6 years old, you can rest assured that there will be spill and blowouts. This is why it’s so important to know ahead of time.

The material behaves the same way so that I won’t repeat myself. The cover can be easily removed and washed. It is washing machine friendly. But to get the most mileage out of the cover, it’s a good idea to use cold water and a gentle program.

As for drying, the best solution is to air dry them.

Winner

It’s a tie.

Bonuses and Features

This is the bonus section where I compare the smaller features. For example, one of the car seats that I’ve reviewed has so many bugging small issues that it lost this category. It was neck and neck and lost the comparison.

Since these car seats cater to older children having a cup holder is a must. Now the truth is neither of them has a built-in one. The Britax Boulevard comes with a flexible one that can be mounted on the right or left side. The only problem with this is that little ones tend to be creative, and they will figure out how to turn it into a projectile.

The Britax Marathon doesn’t have a cup holder, so you have to buy it separately.

To give comfort to the kids, the seats need a recline option. Luckily both have the same, which is 7 recline options. The headrest can be adjusted as well, and there are 14 options for that.

Last but not least, I have to mention that there’s no more manual rethreading. I hated that with a passion because I could never get it right. With these two, once you adjust the headrest, the straps are aligned as well.

Winner

It’s a tie.

Britax Marathon ClickTight Convertible Car Seat

Pros:

It can be installed in 5 minutes without the help of a big strong man

It has a narrow profile so 3 across can be done

It’s easy to get the perfect install, and you can tell it instantly if it’s right

Cons:

It’s pricey

There’s not enough head cushion so the head slumps

Britax Boulevard ClickTight Convertible Car Seat

Pros:

Opting for the ARB bar is a life-changer

It’s a GAME CHANGER chair that lasts for ten years

This car seat is a beauty the colors are so alive

Cons:

It’s a challenge to transfer in and out of the car

It’s a wide chair, and three across will not be possible

Final Recount

Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat won with two points (2/5)

Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat lost (0/5)

The other categories were a draw.

Britax Boulevard vs Marathon Verdict

This is a very close match. The Britax Marathon won. There is only a handful of differences between the two.

First of all, the safety features are the same. And since the Britax Marathon has been tested in a real accident, that’s why it won that round.

For the size limits section, the Britax Marathon won again because it’s slimmer than the Britax Boulevard. Also, when it comes to weight, it’s 10 pounds lighter, so it will be easy to move it around.

In the other categories, they faired the same way. Britax Boulevard is more expensive than the Britax Marathon.

For being tested in reality and not in a lab, the Britax Marathon is the winner.

We have reached the end of the Britax Boulevard vs Marathon. I hope by now, you know which car seat is the best fit for you.

Now it’s your turn. Get the best car seat for you and do it fast because stocks are running low.

If you have tips or ideas, feel free to share them below.

Catch you next time!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Is Britax Marathon or Boulevard better?

The Britax Marathon is better than the Boulevard. For more info read the whole comparison article above.

Is Britax Advocate better than Boulevard?

Yes, the Britax Advocate is better than the Boulevard it has three layers of side impact protection.

How long is a Britax Marathon car seat good for?

The Britax Marathon is good for 10 years after the date of manufacturing. If you’re interested in a Britax marathon vs Boulevard Clicktight comparison read it here.

Britax Boulevard vs Britax Marathon what are the weight limits?

The Britax car seat has the weight limits set to 65 pounds. These are all upper weight limits.  The Marathon holds its ground nicely. For extended rear-facing, you can do it up to 40 lbs.  The height limit is 49″.

Britax marathon vs Boulevard clicktight how do you install them?

The Marathon and the Britax boulevard can be installed both rear and forward facing. The forward-facing mode is also known as the harness position. The harness position is for toddlers and above. They are kept in place with the click-safe snug harness indicator. Now the easiest way to install these two car seats is with the latch anchors and the latch connectors. Before you attempt the installation make sure you check the manual. These convertible car seats are easy to use after you hop over the learning curve. There’s no difference in difficulty between rear and forward-facing installation. After a few tries it will be an easy installation. Thanks to the clicktight installation system it’s all too easy. This is how the clicktight installation system works. You press and twist the clicktight button which pops over the seat. Then you feed through belt path the belts and close the car seat down. That’s how simple the clicktight installation system is.

What is the click-safe snug harness indicator?

The click-safe snug harness indicator lets you know if the child is strapped in tight. If you hear the click from the click safe snug harness indicator then you’re all set.

Boulevard Clicktight vs Marathon Britax car seat which one has the best safety features?

These two models are one of the best in child safety seats they both have high safety standards. The foam padding and seat rotation during crash forces will be prevented. In crash tests, they have performed flawlessly. These convertible car seats prevent forward movement during collisions. The next item on the list is side impact protection. As you know this is critical for a safe journey. Without side impact protection your growing child will be at risk. The Boulevard offers two-layer side impact protection while the Marathon only has one-layer side impact protection. The more the merrier if there’s a side-impact collision. You will never know when a T-bone accident or side impact collision happens. As the child grows they will need head protection. And lastly, I want to mention safe cell impact protection. This is the coolest thing with Britax car seats. The safe cell impact protection has a honeycomb structure. The role of the safecell impact protection is to absorb impact energy.

What are the best features of the car seat boulevard and marathon?

These features would be: click tight installation system, harness positions, shoulder height, chest pads, harness holders

Marathon Clicktight Vs Boulevard Clicktight Which one is more comfortable?

Britax car seats are known for their comfort and ease of use. There are multiple recline positions to choose from. The harness positions are adjustable. Also a few more features worth mentioning: harness adjustment, anchor point, vehicle seat, and cup holders.

Which one should I buy if we compare Britax Boulevard vs Advocate?

Britax Advocate is the winner.

Last Updated on November 7, 2023 by Brian Beasley