Britax Decathlon Convertible Car Seat Onyx
April 22, 2008 — cia
Britax Decathlon Convertible Car Seat Onyx 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.
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.
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.
Customer Review: Great Seat - Couple of Complaints…
I researched a few different seats to put in our new Odyssey van in September (07). Our daughter just turned two and we wanted to get a new car seat for her so her Evenflo Triumph could go in my husbands car. She had been using the Triumph since she was about 9 months (rear-facing), and then forward facing from about 14 months. We really loved the Triumph, but I wanted something she could grow into. Meaning - getting the most out of a car seat height and weight wise for the longest period of time.
Britax was one of the only ones I found, that actually makes a heavy-duty quality seat that I knew would last. Sure, I looked at a few others that ranked up there with height and weight (i.e. Eddie Bauer, Cosco, and Graco), but none of these compared in quality and durability! We made the trip to Babies r Us so we could “test” the few different seats I had chosen from Consumer Reports ratings. The Eddie Bauer deluxe booster was out because the first time I snapped the metal part into the crotch strap I pinched my daughters skin and she screamed like crazy! I felt so bad, and my husband immediately said, “That’s it for this one!” and put it back on the shelf.
The Eddie Bauer would have been the only other one we would have considered because it was more durable and sturdy than the Cosco and Graco. We did try the Britax Boulevard, but found it rather cumbersome to adjust the head rest and my daughter’s head seemed to lean too far forward with the pillow being there. Overall, she looked uncomfortable in the Boulevard. We also tried the Britax Regent. Talk about a monstrosity of a car seat, but we both loved it, especially my hubby! It held my daughter in snug and secure and was easy to install into the test seat they have at the Babies r Us store. My taller than average daughter looked dinky in the Regent! The only reason we decided not to get the Regent was because our daughter still sleeps in her car seat on longer trips and the Regent just wasn’t going to give her the head support and comfort level I wanted her to have while snoozing. By not buying the Regent as opposed to the Decathlon, we only gave up a 15 pound weight and 4″ height ability and we knew our daughter was going to outgrow the height limit WAY before she outgrew the weight limit. When that happens we’ll probably just go to a standard backless booster that she’ll use with the seatbelt from the car.
Well, BrU didn’t have the Decathlon at the store, and it wasn’t one I was considering. I had researched the Marathon on Amazon and liked the reviews, but after comparing numerous reviews of the two seats. I decided on the Decathlon for three reasons: 1) It had the infant padding for rear-facing which will be good for our next child that comes along; 2) It had the toddler pillow; and 3) It had the adjustable crotch strap which I knew I would need for my daughter (she’s in the 97th percentile for height, being 36″ tall at 24 months!). Essentially, the Decathlon and Marathon have the same seat structure and height and weight capacities, but the Decathlon has the “extras” I mentioned. Also, the Decathlon has a push-button strap release and tightener. The Marathon has a clasp crimper to hold the straps tight. Knowing the seat structures were basically the same, I toted my daughter over to Target and tried her in the Marathon, and I liked it, so I bought the Decathlon on Ebay.
It is so easy to install once you’ve looked over the directions. Of course, at first it took some time, but now it’s a breeze. The thing is rock solid in the captain’s chair of our Odyssey. With the anchor belt and the tether anchor attached this baby isn’t going anywhere unless the whole captain’s chair comes off! Even without the tether anchor it still didn’t move. The material is nice and heavy and the seat is adequately padded. It sits up high so my daughter can see everything outside. I love the “hugs” system the straps have because it makes my daughter fit snuggly into the seat.
I only have two complaints about this seat, which really aren’t that bad, just annoyances - 1) Sometimes the straps do twist a bit and I have to untwist them, especially with an independent toddler who wants to push their own arms through the straps and 2) It does take a little bit of strength to tighten down the straps with the push-button strap holder. I usually pull it as tight as I can and then if it still has too much slack I push the button with my left thumb and pull the strap with my right hand until it’s tightened to my satisfaction.
Overall, I’ve been very happy with the Britax Decathlon car seat. It was a good investment and as many of the reveiwers have stated - the price is worth every penny knowing that your child is protected very well. One bit of advise I’d give to anyone considering ANY car seat - GO TO A STORE WHERE YOU CAN TEST THE SEATS OUT ON YOUR CHILD! All children are different shapes and sizes and the seats are different. We are so glad we took our daughter to BrU and put her in each seat we were considering - and look, we didn’t even buy any of the seats we were originally considering based on the Consumer Reports ratings I looked at! You just never know!
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