Car seat update

We finally decided on a second stage car seat... We purchased the Britax Marathon 65 after much consultation with mommy friends and online reviews. One website I stumbled upon broke down the pros and cons of the two car seats we were considering (Britax Marathon and Sunshine Kids Radian) and since I found it to be super helpful, I thought I’d share the head-to-head comparison here.

Britax Marathon



Sunshine Kids Radian

• The Britax Marathon is known to be easier to install than the Sunshine Kids Radian.  If you are going to have your car seat professionally installed and then keep it there, this may not be a huge concern; however, if you might be switching your car seat between different cars regularly, then this will be an important factor in your decision

• The Britax Marathon sits up on a base, which makes it higher than the Sunshine Kids Radian.  This is great for younger children, but may be an issue with older — or taller — kids bumping their heads on the ceiling of a compact car when you are getting them in and out of the car seat.  On the other hand, younger children appreciate being higher up, as it gives them better access to the view outside of the window!

• The Sunshine Kids Radian has an eight year expiration, vs. the Britax Marathon, which has a six year expiration.

• The Britax Marathon has a rear facing weight limit of 40 lbs and forward facing weight limit of 65 lbs.  The Sunshine Kids Radian 65 has a rear facing weight limits of 45 lbs, and forward facing weight limits of 65 lbs

• The top harness height of the Britax Marathon is 17″, while the top harness height of the Sunshine Kids Radian is 18″.  Since children generally outgrow car seats by height (rather than by weight), the extra inch of harness height means that the Radian will last you longer as your child grows taller

• The Britax Marathon has more cushioning under the seat, and therefore feels more comfortable than the Sunshine Kids Radian

• In compact cars, the Britax Marathon is far easier to install in the rear facing position.  The Sunshine Kids Radian leans back more and therefore takes up more front-to-back space in the rear facing position, making it very difficult to install correctly in compact cars.  (In the forward facing position, the Radian does not have this issue)

• Parents reported receiving a better level of customer service via phone from Britax than Sunshine Kids

• There is more leg-room for older children riding rear facing in the Sunshine Radian than the Britax Marathon, due to the design of the car seat

• The Sunshine Kids Radian can fold up when not in use to save space, which is a tremendous convenience if you will be doing a lot of traveling out of your the car.  (i.e. on airplanes, trains, etc.)  The Britax Marathon cannot be folded