Britax Boulevard Vs Marathon Vs Advocate: Which One is Best in 2023?

Your child’s safety is one of the essential things to consider as soon as you bring a baby home. Without a doubt, car seats help in saving lives in case of an accident. Besides, they ensure your baby is comfortable until that time when they can use the car’s safety belt system.

Britax is a big name when it comes to car seats and safety with a baby on board. It’s no wonder their Boulevard, Marathon, and Advocate seats have won the hearts of many people.

Whether it’s Marathon, Boulevard, or Advocate, you’re set for a whole new experience with remarkable features and the best quality to guarantee your child’s comfort and safety.

There are some notable similarities as well as differences among the three car seats. Here, we have a comprehensive review that incorporates the features and everything you need to know about these car seats. At the end of this guide, you’ll be in a position to decide on which seat best fits your requirements. But first, take a look at the three car seats.

Britax Boulevard Vs Marathon Vs Advocate: Comparison Table

Britax Boulevard Vs Marathon Vs Advocate: Similarities and Differences

All three products have a set of incredible features that will enhance your child’s safety. For instance, the seats are made from mesh fabrics, while the steel structure makes them super durable. This design offers the best impact-resistant in case of an accident. All three seats have both forward and rear-facing setup options that support the weight of a child of up to 65 and 40 pounds, respectively. The latches have easy-to-release buttons that are easier to operate.

Safety

You’ll be glad to know that Britax was awarded the NHTSA award on highway safety. Due to this, we applaud Britax for providing the market with crash-tested child’s car seats, and hence their care seats are great choices for families looking for a safer option. First of all, they feature a 14-position harness for protecting your child against a heavy impact in case of a car crash. The higher-position harness offers more options to let your kid be comfortable while on the road. Also, there’s an automatic level indicator which provides the best adjustment for the harness, also delivers a silent click every time you pull to tighten.

When it comes to safety enhancement, both seats come loaded with exclusive features. You will love that each seat comes with a steel frame and impact-absorbing base. They utilize SafeCell impact protection technology that reduces forward motion in a crash. Also, the V-shaped tender slows and minimizes any movement during a collision. 

WINNER: TIE — They have the same safety features: the impact-absorbing base, steel frame and compatible anti-rebound bar. However, the number of layers for side impact protection varies from one to three. While the Britax Marathon and Boulevard have single and double layers, the Britax Advocate is equipped with three layers.

Design

Both Britax Boulevard and Marathon have an overall dimension of 23 x 18.5 x 23.5 inches, whereas Britax Advocate is 23 x 20.5 x 23 inches. So, the Advocate is a little roomier than others. Therefore, Advocate makes it easier to get your child in and out.

All three have the same weight capacity and can accommodate children with a weight between 5 to 65 pounds. The rear-facing orientation is ideal for little babies as it has a maximum weight limit of 40 pounds. The forward-facing design can support weight between 20-65 pounds, which is ideal for bigger children. That means it’s a versatile seat that will address your growing baby’s needs. Depending on your child’s age, you can switch to forward mode, saving you money from future replacements.

All three car seats are convertible, which means you can adjust the configurations depending on the child’s age or size. As your child grows, an upgrade might be needed. There’ll be no need to buy another seat since they all have a good weight capacity.

Regarding the product weight, the car seats are light enough. Britax Marathon is a little lighter and weighs 27 pounds, as the other two weigh approximately 30 pounds. Therefore, they can fit well in different-sized cars.

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The Boulevard works well with various cars, such as the Audi Q3, Audi A4, Mazda 6, Honda Odyssey, Dodge Journey, and more. However, it’s a little bulky for a small car when in a rear-facing situation since you may need to detach the passenger car. Luckily, the Clicktight system simplifies everything and offers a quick release when you’re removing it from the vehicle.

The Boulevard, more like a premium car seat, offers the best comfort for your baby as it comes with a roomy interior where your baby will have enough space to feel comfortable in it. The shoulder area is wide, and the leg space is expansive for taller babies to sit comfortably. Something else to note is that this model’s buckle straps are super easy to use, with a depth of 5.25 inches to 7 inches.

The Marathon is a little roomier than Boulevard and hence is a great choice if you have bigger kids on board. You can fit it alongside an infant seat and as a convertible car seat at the back. Weighing around 28 pounds, Marathon is one of the most lightweight car seats you’ll find on the market.

The Advocate is also roomier, like the Marathon. And it has a higher seated shoulder height limit like the Boulevard. That means your child will enjoy the service of both the Advocate and Boulevard longer than the Marathon.

WINNER: Marathon — Britax Marathon has an edge over the other tow car seats due to its lightweight design.

Comfort

Comfort is everything when traveling with your baby. Britax has taken critical steps to ensure your kids enjoy every bit of the journey. Britax car seat boasts comfortable padding that includes layers of a high-density cushion on both sides. Hence this keeps the child comfortable whether you’re traveling to the park nearby or a long-haul drive to a different state. The plush padding is ideal for the delicate skin of small babies as the padding is of premium quality for enhanced comfort. Also, the no-thread harness of Britax car seats is soft and gentle on your child. Adjusting the seats is so easy that you won’t disturb your sleeping baby.

WINNER: Britax Boulevard — The Advocate offers a snug fit and feels secure since it has more padding than the Boulevard and Marathon. The Boulevard also has enough padding for a snug fit.

The Britax Marathon has less padding, hence less comfortable as compared to the Boulevard and Advocate. In addition, the two seats offer less flexibility as compared to the Boulevard. Though every Britax seat has the ClickTight feature, the ClickTight feature of Britax Boulevard is best.

Installation

When it comes to set up, the Boulevard is easy to install and doesn’t require special tools. In fact, the instructions are easy and straight-to-the-point. The Clicktight is the most prominent feature since it ensures a perfect fit. Therefore, installation is a breeze since the latches are less complicated than other models. Also, the closing and opening mechanisms are straightforward.

Like the Boulevard, the Clicktight feature of Marathon and Advocate also ensures that the seat buckles seamlessly on the latch system. If you don’t use your car frequently or would like to engage a babysitter to drive your car, then the feature is essential and easier to master, even for first-time users. It also makes it easy to switch your car seat from the rear-facing position to a forward-facing design to accommodate your older child. This feature is handy for caregivers caring for children of different ages.

As a matter of caution, some states have different laws on installation requirements for child car seats and how to adjust the seat’s harness. Hence, it’s advisable to check with your state on matters to do with road regulations and safety.

Finally, the installation process of Britax car seats is pretty similar. They all utilize the Clicktight technology, which features some easy-to-follow set-up processes depending on how you want to install the seat. For instance, the mounting is simple whether you’d like to set it as a front or rear-facing design. In either way, they are the easiest car seats out there to install.

WINNER: TIE — The Clicktight instalation of the three Britax car seats are essentially the same: easy to use and install.

Clean up

Cleaning for the seats is simple and easy since the manufacturer provides a detailed manual on how to take care of the seats.

The seat cover of the Britax is removable for a quick clean-up. However, you mightn’t like the fact that the covers aren’t machine washable. If you have no problem with hand washing, you are less likely to complain about it.

You can use regular cleaning products for cleaning. You can also clean the harness by detaching it from the car. Of course, kids can litter your car with crumbs or juice, and these may stick on the seat. Simply wipe it off with a clean cloth. Overall, cleaning is hassle-free.

WINNER: TIE — Not machine washable, but they all offer hassle-free cleaning. 

Colors and Patterns

There is never a dull moment in choosing the right color for your child’s car seat. Thankfully, there are various color options to consider when shopping for Britax car seats. With lots of color options, you can pick one that suits your preference.

When it comes to style, the choices aren’t limited. There are multiple styles for each seat. You can choose either one.

WINNER: Britax Boulevard — Boulevard comes with 7 different color variations, whereas Marathon and Advocate have 4 and 2 variations, respectively.

Sturdiness

The frame of Britax convertible car seats is made of sturdy steel for stability and comfort. Likewise, the shell is filled with foam on either side to protect against impact in case of a collision. Also, Britax models are some of the best on the market with enhanced body structures.

Britax Advocate and Boulevard’s notable feature is the anti-rebound bar, which offers added safety to the car seat upon rear-facing installation. However, the other features are quite similar.

WINNER: TIE — They are all well-made and compact.

Price

As Britax car seats offer premium features, they come with a high price tag. But they are worth the price. Checking multiple online stores, we found that Britax Boulevard is the most expensive among the three car seats, whereas the Marathon is the cheapest. That’s understandable because both Britax Advocate and Boulevard come with some extra comfort and safety features.

Make no mistake! You’ll not be throwing away your money by opting to buy any of the car seats at higher prices. These seats eliminate the need to buy an infant booster seat. You may spend lots of money on buying a separate seat when your kid outgrows. Additionally, the seats are rich in features that are hard to find in car seats from other brands.

	Pros	Cons
Britax Boulevard  Clicktight	It has two layers of side-impact protection	It’s expensive
	Easy to set up and install	A bit narrower than the Marathon
	Comes with an extra infant seat	Weighs more
	More reinforced hence sturdier	Handwashing the seat cover is a turn-off
	The machine cover can be removed, and hand washed
	Easy to set up the harness
	You can install without removing the car seat
Britax Marathon Clicktight	It’s reasonably priced compared to other Britax models	Can be bulky when on a rear-facing angle
	There are seven recline angles	Fewer layers of padding
	Easy to install or uninstall	Doesn’t have an infant seat
	A removable seat that can be hand-washed	It has fewer harness positions, which reduces flexibility
	Slightly lighter than other Britax models	It’s cheaper than other Britax models
Britax Advocate ClickTight	The Advocate Clicktight is designed well to keep your child safe	It is the most pricier among the Britax convertible car seats
	The seat is easy to install
	It has enough padding to provide a snug fit
	Adjusting the height is quick and simple
	Comes with additional safety features

Britax Boulevard Vs Marathon Vs Advocate: Final Verdict

All three Britax convertible car seats are excellent choices with top-grade features and sturdily built. There’s a lot to expect for your child in terms of your child’s comfort and overall safety.

The Boulevard has proved to be a game-changer and costs slightly higher than the Marathon. While the Britax Advocate charges most for its premium safety features. Although none of the seats is cheap, they have many features that reassure your child’s safety.

All the main differences come down to comfort and safety.

We love the fact that the Boulevard comes with extra padding for little babies. Also, due to its slightly higher height limits, it’s usable for longer periods. Therefore, they got all the bases covered to offer maximum comfort and safety for infants and toddlers.

Another notable feature of the Boulevard includes the ClickTight installation system. The technology makes car seat installation a breeze. Furthermore, it looks like a classy seat. Although it’s a little expensive, your child will enjoy a comfortable ride in your car.

The Britax Marathon Car Seat also has all the necessary safety features. Since it is lighter and boasts sturdiness, hence it is suitable for moms on the go. In addition, the Marathon has plenty of room for your child to get in and out comfortably.

The Britax Advocate Clicktight has also garnered tons of positive reviews. As it grows with your child, it can be a good investment for savvy parents. Also, the additional safety features make this one very much desirable.

As for the price, the Britax Advocate is slightly more expensive due to the additional features. However, for parents who care about their children’s safety behind the wheel, the extra cost wouldn’t be a problem. Moreover, you’ll save more on purchasing new car seats as your child grows older and bigger.

The fact that Marathon only has one layer of side protection against impact means that there is less support as compared to the Boulevard and Advocate. The Boulevard has two layers to protect your baby’s head and neck area against high-impact collision.

Considering all the safety features, comfort and price, we highly recommend the Boulevard car seat.

The Bottom Line

Undoubtedly, all the Britax convertible car seats are top-notch seats as far as quality is concerned. They are superior options for any parent looking for a sturdy seat with safety enhancements. The brand is a top seller and has won child safety awards; hence, this should offer peace of mind that your baby will be safe while on the road. The prices are higher than most models on the market. If you’re on a tight budget, then price can be a factor to consider. However, they are excellent choices and worth whatever you pay. Hopefully, you can now decide on the best option while keeping in mind the key points in our discussion.