| Britax International has been manufacturing innovative, industry-leading child products for over three decades. Their dedication to safety, comfort, and convenience is certainly apparent in this convertible car seat. Parents will love being able to effortlessly secure baby in the Decathlon, and the peace of mind that comes with Britax’s renowned attention to safety standards. Baby will love that the Decathlon is comfortable from day one, and adjusts to stay that way as baby grows. Safety first is a good rule of thumb, and one that Britax certainly heeds. The Decathlon offers features you might find on many other car seats, such as convertibility, a five-point harness, and the LATCH system. But Britax went above and beyond the norm when creating the functional and fashionable Decathlon car seat.  | | One-pull harness strap adjuster makes for a quick, easy, and snug fit every time. | The five-point harness system is made with strong polyester webbing, fits snugly over baby’s shoulders, collarbone and hips to provide a secure fit, and the straps are designed to remain tangle free. A patented "floating" HUGS (Harness Ultra Guard) system better distributes the webbing loads, reducing head movement and minimizing harness irritation on baby’s neck in case of an impact. Plus, HUGS reduces the chance of improperly positioning the chest clip. There is also a three-position crotch strap on the Decathlon that can be adjusted as baby grows, keeping the seat as comfortable as it was on day one. This is especially useful for toddlers who are consistently at the top of the growth chart. Located near a vehicle's seatbelts, factory installed anchor points provide a secure and easy LATCH connection. In conjunction with this push-button release system, the Decathlon also offers Britax’s Versa-Tether®, an anchor aid that works both rear- and forward-facing and prevents the seat from tilting in the event of an impact. The Versa-Tether® fastens the top of the car seat to factory installed automobile anchor points, minimizing the possibility of a head injury. But wait! There’s more! Whether your vehicle is LATCH compatible or not, the Decathlon provides built-in lock-off clips that keep the seat tightly in place when using only traditional seatbelts for installation. There’s a simple handle pull that allows the car seat to be easily reclined. The one-pull harness strap adjuster makes for a quick, easy, and snug fit every time. Newborns are guaranteed a smooth ride thanks to an infant positioning system, comfy padding, and belly pad. Older children will appreciate the removable toddler head pillow and soft fabric cover, which is removable and washable. The Decathlon is Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213 compliant, making it approved for airplane use as well.  | | A simple handle pull allows the car seat to be reclined when rear-facing. | The Decathlon’s versatile, sculpted base means it will easily fit in almost every car, and can be positioned correctly every time. The car seat measures 19.5"W x 25.5"H x 24"D and weighs 20 pounds when empty. Since car seats are mandated by law, it’s nice to know that Britax is at least making the decision simple. The Decathlon is comfortable for baby on long drives, easy for parents to work when running everyday errands, available in a range of colors and patterns, and, most importantly, safe! Comparing Britax Car Seats
If you’re debating between the Britax Decathlon and the Britax Marathon, there are two differences. First, the Decathlon offers additional padding for newborns with an infant positioning system. Second, the Decathlon has an adjustable three-position crotch strap, making it more comfortable for toddlers consistently at the top of their height percentage.
If you’ve narrowed it down to the Britax Decathlon and the Britax Boulevard (which have the same weight and height capacity), here are a few differences to help you decide. The Boulevard does not have the adjustable crotch strap or the no-thread shoulder strap harness adjuster. However, the Boulevard does feature Side Impact Protection (SIP) with the addition of supportive 'wings' in the headrest. |
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 Decathlon vs. Boulevard |
| Review Date: June 21, 2006 |
| Reviewer: A. Barber, California, USA |
It took me several weeks before I finally opted to purchase the Decathlon rather than the Boulevard. I was very interested in the extra side-impact protection that is only available in the Boulevard model but was concerned about whether or not my large 4&1/2 month old son (who is in the 95th percentile in length and weight) would need the adjustable crotch strap positioning that is only offered on the Decathlon.
I am so glad that I purchased the Decathlon! It turns out that my son DID indeed need to have the crotch strap adjusted to the last slot (he would be sitting on top of the buckle in the Boulevard at this point which would have made it impossible to buckle and very uncomfortable for him). If you're purchasing for a thin toddler rather than an infant or chubby/big baby you might not have to worry about that.
I love the extra padding (which is removable, unlike the pads in the Boulevard) and the soft cover (which is machine washable unlike that in the Boulevard). He seems to be VERY comfortable and I know that he is safe. I know that it doesn't offer as much side-impact protection as the Boulevard, but it does offer some (definitely much more than a conventional car seat) as it is made to far exceed American safety standards. Plus, if your baby is placed in the middle of the back seat than that offers some additional protection as well.
I was also concerned about the size of the car seat and whether or not it would fit comfortably, rear-facing, in the back of my Toyota Avalon car. It does. Perfectly! My husband is 6'4" and doesn't have to move his seat up to accomodate the car seat in back (something I was very concerned about). AND I can see out of the rear-view mirror with no problem. It DOES NOT block your view at all.
It's very easy to install and, if done so properly, doesn't budge. It is a little tough to adjust the straps when it's installed rear-facing but not too difficult... and even if you had to take it out to adjust the straps it's no-biggy because the carseat takes only a couple moments to install EASILY and it's not like you'll have to adjust them on a daily basis or anything.
I am very pleased with my purchase and highly recommend the Decathlon to anyone looking for a SAFE, COMFY and ATTRACTIVE carseat that will take them from the chubby baby stage all the way through the toddler years. :o) |
Marathon, Decathlon or Boulevard?
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| Review Date: January 18, 2008 |
| Reviewer: J. Trevisan, North Carolina |
| We needed a new car seat for my 1 year old and I knew Britax was the only way. We have owned a Roundabout in the past (as well as an Eddie Bauer that I HATED). My other 2 outgrew the 40 lb. weight limit Roundabout quickly so I opted for a larger weight limit this time around....which brought me to the Marathon, the Decathlon and the Boulevard. I read and read about each of the seats and finally I went to a store that sold all 3 and tried them out in person. I settled on the Decathlon for 2 reasons. The first is the adjustable crotch strap which neither of the other 2 have. After years of digging for that silly piece under my boys on my Roundabout, I knew this was a must! The other feature is the Push Button Release as opposed to the metal lever on the other 2 seats that is hidden under a fabric flap. This might not be huge to some, but as a mother of 3 that is always on the road and taking my 1 year old out of her car seat several times a day, every second seems to count! This Push Button just seems faster and easier to work with than the lever. Before purchasing, I went over and over the descriptions of each of these car seats trying to figure out the major differences, and if I'd read a Review like this in the beginning, I'd have saved a lot of time! Of course I love this car seat for all the same reasons as everyone else, but I am hoping this review will help someone like me who couldn't decide on which Britax was right for us. Oh, and a footnote. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the yellow flowered fabric on the car seat is actually a light lime color. Read this in another review somewhere, and I have to agree!!!! |
Awesome Seat... So Worth the Money!!!!!
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| Review Date: November 28, 2006 |
| Reviewer: D-, |
| I am a new mom with a 6 month old son. I bought this seat after my 17 pound/26.5 inch son outgrew his infant carrier seat. I did a lot of research when buying this seat since I wanted one that would last a while (my son is growing like a weed) and was easy to use, not to mention keep my boy safe in the car. After much searching and debating (it is one of the priciest seats out there), my husband and I decided we would go ahead and buy it. At first we were concerned at the size of the seat since we weren't sure it would fit rear-facing in our car. But it managed to fit just fine as long as the front passenger doesn't have really long legs and needs to move the front seat back all the way. The best part was how relatively easy it was to install into our car. We just took the seat belt, laped it under the cover through the slots and buckled the belt. It even comes with built-in belt tighteners so you don't have to kill yourself trying to get the seat in nice and snug. My son loves to go on car rides now. The seat is so comfortable that he just falls asleep as soon as we put him in it and start to roll. We've had the seat for a little over a month and it's one of the best purchases we ever made. |
Great customer service from Britax
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| Review Date: November 9, 2006 |
| Reviewer: A, Round Rock, TX USA |
We purchased this convertiable car seat when my first born 9-month old. She was too long to fit into our old Combi Tyro. By law, she had to be at least one-year-old AND 22 pounds before she can face forward.
Of course, we purchased a Britax base on the reputation and safety review from consumer report. After about 6-month of usage, the adjustment belt stopped working because the hook broke. We called and followed the instruction, two weeks later, it's fixed perfectly with warranty.
During that two weeks without our Britax, we borrowed a Eddie Bauer. Oh Lord, we felt so bad for that child who once owned that seat. You can obviously tell the quality is not up to standard, kept moving, hard to secure child on that Eddie Bauer.
The safety of my child can not be measured by dollar sign. I am glad I have this car seat, envied by plenty of people - most of them are impressed by the grogeous Tiffany print, but I know for sure that comes with great customer service and knowing my child is safely protected in this car seat. Being a parent has plenty to worry, with one thing less to worry about, that's priceless.
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Chest clip usage
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| Review Date: September 11, 2006 |
| Reviewer: H. Thompson, Bloomington, MN United States |
| In the pictures posted for this seat, all the chest clips are positioned too low. It should be even with the child's armpits. |
incredible!!!
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| Review Date: May 25, 2006 |
| Reviewer: C. Jamison, |
| This was the third car seat I purchased and the only one I will ever use again. I love this seat. I am using it in reverse right now for my four month old daughter. I have an infant seat and can't bear to put her back in to that. This seat is way too comfortable. She falls asleep the second I put her in it. I put off buying this seat because of the price, but I am so glad a splurged. I love it. |
Very comfortable & beautiful car seat!
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| Review Date: May 8, 2006 |
| Reviewer: A. Bonham, |
| I almost bought a cheaper car seat but decided to splurge on this beautiful car seat for my little girl. I haven't regretted my decision at all! My 8 month old LOVES this car seat and she falls asleep in it almost instantly. She used to cry a lot in the car but not anymore. I was surprised to see how big it was but that just means she'll fit in it longer. Plus, the seat sits up higher and she is able to look out the back window of my SUV which keeps her occupied when she isn't sleeping. I am going to buy another car seat just like this one when we decide to have another baby. It was hard to figure out the latch system at first because the straps are hidden under the cushion but once I figure it out it was so simple. It is easier to get in and out than her infant seat with a base. I would recommend this carseat to anyone! |
Great for Reflux Babies
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| Review Date: October 22, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Amy L. Ruff, |
| This review is for those of you out there with tiny babies with acid reflux. Our baby started showing signs of this at 3 weeks and screamed the entire time he was in his infant carrier (whether it was a 5 minute trip or 40 minute trip). I had heard this was true for many babies with acid reflux in that it apparently crunches them or hits them in the wrong place making the pain more intense. I got a few reccomendations that I move him into a rear facing convertible car seat (they often start at 5 pounds) and read a review from a woman on Amazon that they had bought this seat for the same issue. We decided to just spend the money (it is rather pricey) in that we'd eventually need one for him anyway. He has not screamed since which is a miracle for me, my husband, and 2 year old daughter. We do lose the convenience of moving him around from place to place in the infant carrier but when he's screaming he's not sleeping anyway! Now I just keep a Baby Bjorn in the car and carry him upright in that while shopping or at the park. I just wanted to write this for any other mothers looking for a solution to that problem...Buy the seat, it's entirely padded and the crotch strap is adjustable to pull the harness away from a tiny baby's face toward his chest where it should be. That is the problem with cheaper convertible carseats...the buckles are under their necks. I hope this is helpful to someone, somewhere! |
Well worth the money!
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| Review Date: March 30, 2007 |
| Reviewer: N. Finley, Seoul, South Korea |
| My baby loved this car seat from the start. We've used it through all stages, including rear-facing, and now forward facing with my currently 19 month old toddler. The seat is easy to adjust as baby grows, and easy to install using the Latch system. The removable infant padding was perfect. Biggest bonus is the adjustable crotch strap with padded cover shield to prevent chafing and scratching between baby's legs. I'm due with my next baby in a month and have already added a second one of these to my baby registry. A wonderful car seat...you will not be disappointed. (Note that this seat is quite heavy, and best for permanent installation in a single car. I would not recommend it for repeated swithching to other cars because of it's weight.) |
Love Britax
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| Review Date: May 7, 2007 |
| Reviewer: S, Northern US |
| This is our third Britax (also own roundabout, and marathon). This seat is bigger than the Marathon. Not sure if the extra strap space in the crotch area really offers much more room than the Marathon. We are not using the infant padding or toddler pillow. We also got a diff cover, I did not like the material on the middle part of the seat. We prefer the plusher Britax covers. Very easy to install (Toyota Sienna & VW Passat). Remember to install with the car seat belt (not LATCH) when child reaches 40 lbs -call Britax with questions! Our Decathlon had a defect, the push button to release the harness straps would lock up and we could not release it to get our daughter in/out easily. Britax was great to work with, they covered cost of SH both ways, replaced the part and the seat works great. If your Decathlon if tough to operate it is worth sending it in to be looked at by their company. If you have an older child you might want to consider going with the Regent (up to 80 lbs). That will be our next purchase from Britax. Great car seats, easy to use, kids NEVER complain while in seats, lots of padding, worth every cent!!! Wouldn't buy another brand. |
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