Britax Marathon question…?
We have two Britax Marathons, one for each car… and I have a problem that NO ONE else has ever commented on. Every reviewer raves on and on about the wonderfulness of the car seat. We definitely love the seat… it is comfy, it is dependable, easy to install, stylish… etc. BUT I don’t seem to understand the buckle that comes up between baby’s legs. Most car seat buckles in this area have a little bit of strap in between the bottom of the seat (where baby’s rear-end is…) and where the harness actually snaps into it. When I go to buckle my daughter in, I have to snap the harness pieces in WAY down into her crotch area (sorry.. no better way to explain) and it seems WAY too tight and uncomfy in between her legs. Has anyone else experienced this? How can the carseat possibly accommodate a 4 year old…? It squishes my 6 month old’s little legs… I know the straps are supposed to be tight but it is a tad ridiculous. I can’t seem to find a way to lengthen it… and I checked both seats and some displays seat in stores and they are all the same way. Am I doing something wrong…? Quite confused….
Okay I appreciate the input BUT the car seat is not installed improperly. It is reclined at the proper angle and is extremely tight. My hubby’s best friend is a firefighter.. and he checked my installation. 
It is a problem with the actual carseat… the problem is the same whether it is in the car or sitting on the ground. I apologize if you misunderstood my question…
Thumbs… quit going through and just giving everyone thumbs down in every question that you answer.. it is annoying…
nothingconstant…. I think you may be the only person who understood the question
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I have this EXACT same issue with mine.
I am very thorough about my son’s car seat but was being told perhaps I had it installed wrong. Well, I went to re-do it and everything was installed just fine, the belt was not over the strap and nothing was jammed.
I too love the seat and compared to my $300 Recaro I love it… But, it has a MUCH shorter strap than most seats. It measures almost 2 inches shorter than his old Recaro and about and 1 1/2 inches shorter than my friend’s Graco.
The crotch strap just runs really short in the Britax seats. Fully extended not even installed it is only about 2 inches long… How is that going to give a older child enough space?
The buckle is right in my son’s crotch and I worry he is uncomfortable because where it’s situated it is smashing right up against his privates. I worry that when he’s a toddler it just won’t work out. I don’t understand why they have it so short for as much as they cost. If it was not for that one flaw his Britax Boulevard CS would be the PERFECT seat.
There is nothing that can be done, I took it to the Fire Dept to see if I was just not doing it properly and was told he hears that complaint from moms with the Britax often.
You should call in to Britax and complain like I did, maybe if enough moms give feed back they will improve their next models.
There must be a safety reason as t why those straps are so short, because they are pretty short in all seats. My son has had 2 Recaros and this Britax and I always felt the crotch strap was too short… It is just extra short with Britax.
My son does not seem to mind, maybe it just looks more uncomfortable than it actually is? He never cries or squirms or complains and he still is able to fall asleep in the car. But that would make me horribly uncomfortable to have it restricting me like that.
I am not positive but I think the Decathelon actually has an adjustable crotch strap… I wish all their seats would.
Ok I had this problem too and the only thing you can do is take your carseat to a car seat safety check (most police stations have one specific officer assigned for this duty and have them install the car seat properly, they also know how to fix problems like that.)
No you’re not doing anything wrong.. (unless I am too and don’t know it).
It is a complaint amongst many a britax user. Ours came with a pad that encircled the crotch buckle. When the baby was in the seat, the pad would be up against some of the leg area and diaper area.
I figure there MUST be some sort of engineering reason for this. This company puts so much effort into making a good carseat, and they fudge the crotch belt? I hope not..
I totally agree. Please use the resources at your local fire department or police department. They can install the car seat for you for free. Plus you know it was done correctly and your child is safe. Even though the instructions can seem like a novel, it’s really important to read them closely. Your child’s safety is worth it.
No you arent doin anything wrong they can be very complicated.GL
I don’t know of a way to extend the strap. My daughter is almost 3 years old, and I haven’t had an issue with that. Are you using the crotch pad (that sounds so wrong!) underneath the buckle?