In this review, we will be comparing The Britax Roundabout Vs Marathon Clicktight. The difference is quite obvious just by looking at the two photos side by side.
Now, let’s see why the Marathon Clicktight is better than the Roundabout G4.1
Last Updated: March 6, 2018
Britax Roundabout
Vs
Britax Marathon Clicktight
Ideal Use
| Roundabout G4.1 | Marathon Clicktight | |
| Rear-Facing Weight: | 5-40 pounds | |
| Forward-Facing Weight: | 20-55 pounds | 20-65 pounds |
| Height Limit: | Up to 46 inches | Up to 49 inches |
The weight and height limits of the Roundabout G4.1 is lower compared to the Marathon Clicktight.
Will It Fit In My Car?
| Roundabout G4.1 | Marathon Clicktight | |
| Width | 18.5 inches | |
| Height | 26 inches | 23.5 inches |
| Depth/Length | 21 inches | 23 inches |
Both seats are as wide as each other. The Roundabout G4.1 is taller but the Clicktight is longer.
Installation
Yes
| Roundabout G4.1 | Marathon Clicktight | |
| Do I need to use a pool noodle/rolled towel? | Yes | Yes |
| Easy To Install Rear-Facing? | Yes | Yes |
| Easy To Install Forward-Facing? | Yes | Yes |
| Easy To Uninstall? | Yes | Yes |
The Britax Marathon Clicktight comes with 7 recline positions vs only 3 recline positions of the Roundabout G4.1. However, both would still need a pool noodle or rolled towel when trying to install it flatter for younger babies since they can be too upright.
Safety
| Roundabout G4.1 | Marathon Clicktight | |
| Country Of Origin: | USA | |
| Steel Frame: | Yes | |
| Five-Point Harness? | Yes | |
| Side Impact Tested: | Yes | |
| Approved For Airplane Use: | Yes | |
| Easy To Buckle And Unbuckle? | Yes | |
The Seat
| Roundabout G4.1 | Marathon Clicktight | |
| Is The Material Breathable? | Yes | |
| Seat Weight: | 17.6 pounds | 28.5 pounds |
| Machine Washable Cover? | No | |
| Roomy? | Yes | |
| No-Rethread Harness? | No | Yes |
| Comes With An Infant Body Support? | Only Removable Body Pillow | Just removable body pillow, too |
| Easy To Remove Cover? | Yes | |
| Expiration | 7 years | 10 years |
| Comes With A Cup Holder? | No | |
| Shoulder Harness Has Pads? | Yes | |
| Leg Straps Has Pads? | No | |
While both seat materials are breathable, the Clicktight is more padded enough for comfort.
The Clicktight is also way heavier than the Roundabout G4.1.
The Clicktight’s seat harness height adjusts together with the headrest. You just need to move the seat headrest up and down as your child grows taller and the seat harness height will adjust accordingly.
The Roundabout G4.1 harness would need to be manually adjusted to accommodate the height of a growing child.
You will need to get a separate infant support for both since they only come with a removable body pillow.
Both seat covers are easy to remove but they are also only good for hand-washing.
The Clicktight expires in 10 years after the manufacturing date, while the Roundabout G4.1 has 7 years longevity.
Purchasing a separate cup holder for both is not necessary but ideal since they can be useful but is not included in the purchase for both.
Compare The Price Difference
Roundabout G4.1 |
Marathon Clicktight |
Check The Latest Price |
Check The Latest Price |
Conclusion
There’s an almost USD 150 price gap between the two seats – the Roundabout G4.1 is expectedly cheaper.
Now let’s try to enumerate what the price difference is for.
- The Clicktight has higher weight and height limits.
- The Clicktight has more recline positions for younger babies.
- The Clicktight is more comfortable for longer rides because of being more padded.
- The Clicktight has a no-rethread harness for convenience.
- It has a 10-year lifetime before it expires so you can keep it for your next baby’s use.
Are the 5 points worth USD150? I think yes.
While the Roundabout G4.1 is also not bad for its price, I feel it is only good as a backup seat for an older child.
Do You Need More Help Deciding Between
The Britax Roundabout Vs Marathon Clicktight?
Check My Britax Roundabout G4.1 Review
See My Britax Marathon Clicktight Review
What do you think?
Which of the two gets your vote?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Cheers!
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From looking at the pictures, I think the roundabout would work better for an older child. I like the idea of a lighter seat because I have to move the seats between vehicles as well. As far as the expiration date of the seat, for me it is not a big deal because 7 years is a great deal of time between kids so I probably would be fine with the seat to pass on to the next kid. I find those re-thread harnesses quite annoying so for that I prefer the click-tight. In the end for me, I think I would go with the less expensive seat because it is as safe as the other one and since my child will be in it for 4-5 years, it will be a considerable savings over buying 2 separate car seats (forward and rear facing) during that period.
Hi Matendi,
Yup, you are right. The limited number of recline positions makes the Roundabout better for kids who already have head and neck control.
The manual rethreading that needs to be done for the Roundabout is not an everyday problem since you’ll only be dealing with it once in a while.
The more important thing now in your case, is how lightweight it is since you’ll often need to move the car seat from one vehicle to another.
They are both safe seats, you just have to use them properly.:)
Regards,
Pitin
I’m not sure if I prefer heavy or light car seats, to be honest. My wife and I often move our kids(2 daughters) car seats back and forth between our cars so for the safety, I would rather go with heavy but it would just feel like a moderate workout each time we transfer them lol.
Hi Jaron,
If your daughters are already old enough and already have a proper head and neck control, I feel that the Roundabout can do the job.
You mentioned that you often transfer the car seats between two vehicles. Getting the Roundabout, which is almost 11 pounds lighter, is a wiser move I think. As long as you install it properly, you wouldn’t have to worry about which one is safer as both are safe seats.
Regards,
Pitin
Thank you for the help Pitin!
You’re welcome. 🙂
I would definitely go for the one that is lighter and not as bulky. Our car does not fit certain car seats because of the dimensions and how small our car is.
Hi there,
The Roundabout G4.1 is lighter, however, it’s quite tricky which one would be less “bulky.”
They both will need the same space width-wise.
Height-wise, the Roundabout G4.1 is taller. That means if you recline it all the way (3 recline positions), it will need your front-passenger seat to be moved more to the front to give it space.
The Marathon Clicktight’s height is 2.5 inches less than the Roundabout G4.1. Once you recline it all the way (7 recline positions), it may need more room to accommodate the recline, despite that it is a bit shorter in height, to begin with.
Forward-facing, the Roundabout G4.1 will definitely “save” space since its length is shorter.
Regards,
Pitin