Britax Advocate ClickTight v Marathon ClickTight Review 2017

Advocate ClickTight Marathon ClickTight

Vs

The Britax ClickTight Convertible Car Seats – Models

In this Britax Advocate ClickTight v Marathon ClickTight Review, I aim to help you make the right choice for your child and for your budget by highlighting the important similarities and differences between these 2 great seats.

The ClickTight series of convertible car seats has been on the market for a few years now and have proved very popular with parents and car seat technicians.

Towards the end of 2015, Britax released the new re-styled versions of the ClickTight seats. There are no significant new features but they have improved the styling of the seats and fixed a previous harness strap problem.

Why ClickTight?

The “ClickTight” label on this series of seats is due to the fact that Britax took their unique “ClickTight” system (that has been used on their 5-Point harness to Booster seats for many years) and added it to ALL of their newly released convertible car seats.

Whilst the ClickTight installation method does not bring any “direct” safety benefits, there is a major “indirect” safety benefit for those parents that otherwise might find it difficult to install their child’s seat safely using more traditional belt-fitting mechanisms.

Achieving a proper and safe installation is vital to child car seat safety and any technology that makes this process easier is to be welcomed.

As you can see from the images and videos below, installing a convertible seat using the Britax ClickTight system is very simple, very quick and there is even a handy indicator to confirm that you have done it correctly too!

So, ClickTight takes away most (if not all) of the stresses of trying to install convertible car seats using the seat belt, and since it is almost fool-proof, it vastly improves your chances of getting it right the first time and keeping your child safe.

There are 3 seats in the new series of Britax convertible car seats:

The Advocate ClickTight
The Boulevard ClickTight
The Marathon ClickTight

The Advocate is the most expensive option, followed by the Boulevard and then the Marathon. Obviously, the extra cash gets you extra features and you will have to decide whether or not your personal circumstances justify that added expense.

Before I get into the detail of each seat’s features, let’s take a look at the NHTSA’s assessment of them.

THE NHTSA “EASE OF USE” RATINGS = 5-STARS

Although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) does NOT carry out the sort of tests that enable anyone to rank all convertible car seats in order of safety, it does carry out pretty extensive “Ease of Use” evaluations on the seats and publishes the data to help parents.

Many people often incorrectly consider the NHTSA “Ease of Use” tests to be comprehensive “safety” tests, but they are NOT full safety tests. The NHTSA makes it clear on its own website that these “Ease of Use” tests should not be mis-used in this way.

They are, however, a useful starting point when considering which convertible car seat to buy.

SO, WHAT ARE THE NHTSA “EASE OF USE” RATINGS?

According to the NHTSA, the safest car seat is the one that:

is appropriate for your child’s age, height and weight
fits in your vehicle correctly
is easy to use

So, a seat’s “Ease of Use” rating is awarded based upon an examination of the following factors:

The Content & Clarity of the Seat’s Instruction Booklet
How Easy it is to Install the Seat
The Content & Clarity of the Seat’s Labels
How Easy it is to Restrain the child in the Seat

Research suggests that about 75% of all car seats are incorrectly installed – this is one of the biggest car seat safety risks to a child and there is little point in paying $300 for a top-of-the-range seat if you can’t work out how to fit is properly.

Since correct car seat installation is such an important factor in ensuring that it is safe, it is perfectly reasonable to look at these ratings because they are specifically measuring the ease with which the seat can be used safely.

This is why the NHTSA “Ease of Use” ratings are such a useful starting point on your quest for the safest convertible car seat for your child.

You can find the latest NHTSA “Ease of Use” ratings for convertible car seats here.

Each of the 4 “ease of use” factors listed above are given a “star rating” out of 5 and then an overall star rating at the end that takes account these individual factors.

The only series of convertible car seats that can currently boast a 5-Star Overall Ease of Use Rating in the forwards-facing position are the Britax ClickTight Convertible Car Seats.

One of the best things about the Britax ClickTight seats is that their ClickTight Installation System makes belt-fitting the seats pretty much fool-proof … and foolproof installation means there is a much higher chance of the car seat being safe.

Edit: You can now buy all 3 models of the Britax ClickTight seat with anti-rebound bars.

Advocate ClickTight vs Marathon ClickTight – The Similarities

Before I look at the small number of differences between these seats, here is a list of the most important features that are found on both.

Both seats come with:

ClickTight Installation System
SafeCell Impact Protection System
SafeCell Complete Side Impact Protection (Max on Advocate, Standard on Marathon) – see below
SafeCell Impact Absorbing Base compresses to absorb crash energy and counteract forward movement
SafeCell Impact Stabilizing Steel Frame provides added strength through the spine of the car seat and reduces forward flex
SafeCell Impact Absorbing Tether minimizes potential seat rotation with our unique two-strap design and slows forward movement
SafeCell Impact Absorbing Harness keeps your child’s chest clip correctly positioned and absorbs energy in the event of a collision
Quick-Adjust, Harness and 2-Position Buckle allows you to easily move the harness upward and buckle outward for a comfortable, secure fit as your child grows (see below for differences)
7-Position Recline with Automatic Level Indicator adjusts for your child’s comfort while ensuring the best installation angle for your vehicle.
Plush Foam Padding in the cover, buckle pad, shoulder pads and removable pillow surrounds your child in comfort at every touch point.
EZ-Buckle System keeps buckles and straps out of your way when placing your child in the car seat.
Easy-Remove Cover for cleaning convenience.
Certified for Aircraft Travel
Made in the USA with global components

So, you can see that both seats come with an impressive list of premium safety and convenience features, but what about their child weight / height limits?

The Advocate ClickTight and Marathon ClickTight have THE SAME WEIGHT LIMITS:

Rear-facing between 5 to 40 lbs
Forwards-facing between 20 to 65 lbs (must be at least 1 year old)

Note: Although these seats are rated as suitable for forwards-facing use from 20 lbs (if child at least 1 year old), the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends that children should remain rear-facing for at least 2 years and preferably longer. So, do NOT rush to switch your child to forwards-facing mode once they reach 20 lbs. Instead, try to keep them rear-facing for as long as they remain within the height / weight limits for that mode of use.

The Advocate ClickTight and Marathon ClickTight have VERY DIFFERENT HEIGHT LIMITS:

Whilst both seats have a maximum standing height of 49 inches, the maximum seated shoulder height on the Advocate ClickTight is 1.7 inches more than the Marathon ClickTight.

The Advocate ClickTight has a maximum seated shoulder height of 18.65 inches.

The Marathon ClickTight has a maximum seated shoulder height of 16.95 inches.

The increased height limit on the Advocate ClickTight means that there are 2 more harness slot height options at the top of the range on that seat (14 vs 12).

This extra height is obviously a very big bonus for those with children that are above-average in torso-height (or likely to develop that way in the future). Children very often outgrow the height limits on convertible seats before outgrowing the weight limits and the extra seated shoulder height on the Advocate will help to prolong the useable lifespan of a convertible car seat.

The Similarities Explained in More Detail

The most important safety features found on both car seats include:

#1 The ClickTight Installation System

ClickTight installation involves 3 very simple steps:

Open the Compartment
Feed the Belt into the Slots
Close the Compartment

Note: Although you use the same 3 steps, there are different belt-retaining slots for forwards-facing and rear-facing:

The promotional video above doesn’t show you in detail how to install seats using the Britax ClickTight system, but fortunately this great video from “The Car Seat Blog” does:

#2 SafeCell Base

The SafeCell Base is designed to compress in a crash, lower your child’s center of gravity, and counteract the forwards rotation of their seat. In so doing, this reduces the risk of your child’s head hitting the back of the seat in front of them.

Here is a short video that demonstrates the potential safety benefits of Britax SafeCell Bases:

#3 SafeCell Impact Stabilising Steel Frame

The SafeCell Impact Stabilising Steel frame is designed to strengthen the seat’s connection to the vehicle and reduce forward flexing in the event of a collision. This is said to reduce the risk of your child’s head coming into contact with the back of the seat in front of them.

Here is a short video that explains how the Britax Steel Frame can help to protect your child in a collision:

#4 SafeCell Impact Absorbing Tether

The Impact Absorbing Tether is essentially a strap that is attached to 2 upper parts of the seat and which is used to secure it to the lower anchors in your vehicle. The upper tether system is a very important safety feature and you should read the user manual very carefully to ensure that it is used correctly.

The safety benefits of using the Impact Absorbing Tether is that it:

Diverts crash forces away from your child by distributing them across a larger surface area of the seat shell;
Minimises movement of the seat in a crash (in all directions);
Helps to slow your child’s body down in a crash.

You can see how the Impact Absorbing Tether helps to protect your child in a crash by watching this video:

#5 7-Position Recline with Automatic Level Indicator

The 7-position recline and automatic level indicator serves at least 2 useful purposes. Firstly, it helps you to find a comfortable position for your child when using the seat. Secondly, it ensures that you can quickly and easily install the seat at a recline angle that is safe for your child. Vehicle seats are all manufactured differently and it can sometimes be difficult to know whether or not you have installed the seat correctly.

The Britax automatic level indicator means that you can feel confident that the recline position is correct rather than simply having to guess.

#6 Quick-Adjust Harness

As your child grows, you will need to adjust the height of the harness straps and headrest. Many seats require you to re-thread the harness each and every time you need to make adjustments and this can be a real pain. The Britax system makes it quick and easy for you to adjust the harness and headrest heights without having to re-thread anything.

You simply press the red button and pull the top handle until you get the desired position. More information about how to use this feature and choose the correct settings are found within the user manual.

Advocate ClickTight vs Marathon ClickTight – The 3 Major Differences

There are 3 major differences between the Advocate ClickTight and the Marathon ClickTight:

Side Impact Protection Systems
Click & Safe Snug Harness Indicator
Seated Shoulder Height Limits

#1 Side Impact Protection Systems

The Advocate ClickTight comes with the top-of-the-range “Max Side Impact Protection”, including Side Impact Cushion Technology (SICT).

Instead, the Marathon ClickTight comes with Standard Side Impact Protection.

So, what is the difference?

Visually, SICT comprises extra wide head wings on either side of the seat. The Advocate ClickTight also comes with a layer of extra padding on the adjustable headrest.

Now, the first thing that you need to consider when deciding between the Advocate and Marathon car seats is the significant difference in width due to the SICT head wings.

The Advocate ClickTight is 20.5 inches wide.

The Marathon ClickTight is 18.5 inches wide.

So, if you need to fit 3 seats across a single row in a standard-sized family vehicle, the Advocate is almost certainly going to be too wide and you would be much better off choosing the Marathon or Boulevard instead.

However, if this width issue is not relevant to your circumstances, then you will need to consider whether the SICT wings and extra padding in the headrest are something that you want to pay the extra money for or not.

What is SICT?

Britax Side Impact Cushion Technology (SICT) comprises energy-management cushions that are positioned on either side of the seat. Britax claim that these cushions reduce side impact collision energy transfer by 45%. They are said to absorb side impact forces before they even reach your child and, thereby, reduce the risk of serious head injuries. Although I haven’t seen any independent test results to support Britax’s claims about these cushions, that does not mean that they are necessarily false. The cushions certainly do look reassuring and Britax claim that they make a significant difference in side impact collisions.

On balance, if I was choosing between these 2 seats and “seat width” wasn’t a problem, I would probably pay the extra money for the SICT and extra padding in the headrest. These extra features certainly can’t hurt and even the smallest chance that they might provide my child with extra protection in a side impact collision would be worth it.

Although lacking the SICT and extra padding in the headrest, the Marathon’s Side Impact Protection still comprises:

Rigid seat shell with deep side walls and energy-absorbing foam

#2 Click & Safe Snug Harness Indicator

The Advocate ClickTight comes fitted with the Click & Safe Snug Harness Indicator and the Marathon ClickTight does not.

Click & Safe is an audible indicator to help determine when your child’s seat harness is within the appropriate range of “snugness”. It is designed to be used as an additional safety feature as opposed to replacing your own judgment completely in this matter. Obviously, if the indicator suggests that your child is snug enough but s/he still looks a little insecure – tighten a little more! It is best used as a warning that you are not snug enough (if not within the range) rather than an absolute guarantee that your child is snug enough.

So, if it says your child is not snug enough then tighten more. If it says that your child is snug enough, still check with your own eyes and hands that this is correct.

Watch the video below to see how the Click & Safe feature works (it shows the G3 model but is still valid):

Whilst the Click & Snug Indicator is a nice feature to have, it is not an essential safety feature if you take the time to learn how to tighten your child’s harness properly and make sure you follow the guidance every time you use the seat. However, if you are concerned about you ability to ensure a safe and snug fit on each journey, then you should consider paying for this extra feature.

Note: The Boulevard ClickTight seat also comes fitted with the Safe & Snug Harness Indicator.

#3 Seated Shoulder Height Limits

I have already mentioned the fact that the seated shoulder height limit on the Advocate ClickTight seat is higher than that on the Marathon ClickTight (see above).

Different Fabric Color Options

Whilst there are only 3 functional differences between the Britax Advocate ClickTight and Marathon ClickTight seats, they also come in very different fabric color options.

For some people this is simply not a relevant consideration, but for others it is a deal-breaker.

Discover the Advocate ClickTight color options here

Discover the Marathon ClickTight color options here.

Where to Buy the Britax ClickTight Seats – 2017 Models

The Britax Advocate ClickTight is about $100 more expensive that the equivalent Marathon model.

Check Best Price of the Britax Advcocate ClickTight

Check Best Price of the Britax Marathon ClickTight

If you remain undecided, you can read more user reviews of these seats here:

Canadian ClickTight Seats

Find Britax ClickTight Seats in Canada.

Safety Information

After purchasing any child car seat, you should always read the User Manual thoroughly before using it. It is also advisable to visit your local Fire Department or NHTSA Child Car Seat Inspection Centre to ensure that the seat is definitely suitable for your child’s specific requirements and that you have installed it correctly. These services are usually provided free of charge.

You can find your nearest NHTSA Centre here.

Get in Touch

If you have any comments to share or questions to ask about my Britax Advocate ClickTight v Marathon ClickTight Review, please leave a comment in the box below or send me an email.