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Do you have a travel system? or did you purchase your stroller and carseat separately? I have a travel system.
What brand(s) do you have? We have the Graco Alano Travel System - it comes with a Graco Snugride 35 car seat.
How much did it cost? I think it was $180, but it looks like the cost on Target is now $170 (see link above).
What do you like about it? What do you dislike? I like that, when you put the infant seat in the stroller and pull up the car seat shade and the stroller shade, it fit together tightly so no wind/rain/etc.. can get in. Also, the stroller shade has a see-through part so if you have the car seat in with both shades up, you can still peek in at the baby. I like the car seat by itself quite a bit. It's not too heavy, but our very tall 10 month old still fits in it. I think, if we had not bought a travel system, we still might've bought the Graco snugride by itself.
As far as dislikes, I don't particularly like strollers. I think they're bulky and had to manuever, and I'd rather have Addie in a baby carrier, if I have a choice. We have used the stroller by itself on a handful of occasions, but generally we just put her in the carrier instead. I'm glad we have the option of using the stroller, but just based on our own preferences, we don't use it much.
Anything you would recommend? If you plan on buying a jogging stroller, a travel system probably isn't worth it for you. A lot of people I know have a Bob stroller and bought their car seat seperately.
I have the Quinny Buzz 4 stroller and the Maxi Cosi Mico car seat. They are expensive but I was able to get the stroller at a huge discount on zulily. I am very happy with it. The stroller is a combination jogger/regular stroller and it accommodates a huge weight range, so it's the only stroller we will ever need to buy from birth to kindergarten. It is SUPER comfy and well padded so kids sleep well in it. The carseat is highly rated for safety. The stroller has awesome shock absorption and rolls over anything. The cons: flight of stairs (more than 3 steaps or so) are impossible without a second person, and it's kind of wide so difficult to use in a small store. There is also very little storage underneath. But the coolest feature is that it has a hydroulic lift so it raises itself up and you don't have to fight with it to get it assembled. I also like that the stroller seat can face either forward or backward, and it even comes with 2 different seats in small and large so that the child always fits snugly.
We purchased our stroller and carseat separately since I don't like the travel system strollers. Too bulky/heavy for me.
What brand(s) do you have? Chicco for both the car seat (Key Fit 30) and stroller (Liteway).
How much did it cost? The carseat retails for $180 and the stroller retails for $80. We boughtt both at Babiesrus with 20% off coupons, which come out quite often.
What do you like about it? I like the consistency of many positive reviews for both products. The carseat isn't excessively heavy and is easy to get in and out of the car. The stroller works from newborn (lain all the way back so it forms a bassinette) all the way through toddlerhood and is very easy to manuver with one hand if necessary.
What do you dislike? The carseat doesn't have indents in the bottom to "fit" on a shopping cart very securely like some other brands do but usually I prefer to wear my baby if we are in a store for any length of time. Otherwise I'm usually getting one thing and won't need a cart anyway. The stroller doesn't easily "lock" closed unless you unclip the sunshade on that one side (not a big deal but a little annoying).
Anything you would recommend? I would recommend what we are using to others without question. You'll only know if you like it if you go to the store and play with them though.
I have an eddie bauer travel system the carseat and stroller came together. It coast $217 I love everything about it seriously no dislikes... great wheels, the stroller is big enough for a todler after he outgrows the carseat.
I would deff say dont skimp on this.. you will use it all the time!! I think eddie bauer is the way to go. My son still uses the stroller he is 11 months but outgrew the infant seat.. so i got 2 eddie bauer bigger carseats.. (one for me one for FI)
Hmm thats all I got for ya I love my travel system. we got it at target. But when you look for the one make sure it has great wheels good for inside mall stuff grocery shopping whatever and outside walks gravel etc.
good luck happy shopping. :)
thanks for your responses!!
We've had several family members say that they want to buy some of our bigger items. I don't want to register for outrageously expensive items, especially since there's so much to choose from. I love hearing everyone's opinions!!
I am not pregnant, and don't have kids, but when I worked respite care nurse for infants/kids, I got to use a ton of different strollers I really liked using the Bugoboo and Bob strollers. Compared to the typical "travel system" strollers, they are way more maneuverable and easy to drive.
That being said, I would think the best thing to do is go to a store with lots of different strollers and "test drive" them around the store.
We are wanting to go with something between a travel system and a jogging stroller. I don't actually run, but would like the stroller to be good for walking, trips to the park, etc. Most travel system have cheap plastic wheels and no shocks.
We are planning on getting the Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat because we are pretty big people and I doubt our kid would stay in a smaller car seat for very long if we didn't get something that went up to 30 lbs.
I am looking at three stroller options right now (all can be turned into a "travel" system by buying an adapter for the chicco seat:
Uppababy Vista ($700) but comes with a basinet and a large under basket. Great reviews and great colors. Can recline completely flat or almost straight up (most seats still lean back which can be annoying with an older baby) Baby can face front or back and you can add a second seat if needed.
Britax B-Ready ($500) - Nicer second seat, doesn't come with a basinet. I don't think it has as many recline positions.
BabyJogger City Mini ($500) - Seat adapter requires a strap to be buckled in order for the infant seat to adapt. Doesn't stand on its own when folded. Heaviest of the three at 28 lbs, Smaller seat height.
PS - These are just my thoughts on the three right now, if anyone has any other comments I would be happy to hear!
We used a graco travel lite. We really liked it but I was jealous because my sister's you could fold with one hand!! I'd def look for that feature if possible.
Such a good thread as we have one picked out, but I'm wondering how often we'll actually use the stroller. Some people stated that they didn't really use the stroller since they perfered carrying their baby.
Glad to see this! This stroller/carseat thing is making my head spin.LOL I need to just sit down and look instead of looking at the cute stuff only.
Do you have a travel system? or did you purchase your stroller and carseat separately? Ummm I dont think so. We bought the stroller and carseat separately
What brand(s) do you have? Uppbaby Vista Stroller (comes with a bassinet and the stroller seat) and the Graco SnugRide carseat with the adapter so it is compatible with the Uppbaby
How much did it cost? Stroller was around $700, adapter was $30, carseat is like $130 I think (we registered for the seat and havent gotten that yet.)
What do you like about it? What do you dislike? No idea, havent had a baby in there. The stroller is very maneuverable and versatile, but keep in mind we live in the NYC area where we will be using the stroller very frequently (more than the carseat. More walking than driving) so we went high end. I like that I can fold it with one hand (that was hiarious in the store with me trying this while the guy put a bunch of stuff in the carseat in my other arm to simulate a 10lb baby lol)
Anything you would recommend? Ill let ya know in July =o)
I was going to get a travel system but then I decided against it. I decided that I wanted to get the Baby Jogger City Elite ($400) because it is soooo easy to fold down (you literally just have to pull up a handle and it collapses) and it pushes sooo smoothly over cracks in the sidewalk and stuff. I will get a car seat adapter bar for the Chicco KeyFit 30 we got and I also got a Snap N Go for when we go to the grocery store and stuff.
I know that the Baby Jogger is more expenive than a travel system but I feel that it is worth it for the following reason:
1. Smoother ride for baby and me.
2. It is much easier to collapse and throw in the trunk than any system I have seen. After helping a lot of friends take down and setting up their travel systems i know that I don't want that frustration.
3. It has received so many great reviews from fellow parents.
4. It is a stroller that I know I will be happy with for the next 4+ years, through all of our kids.
I live in Manhattan, so the stroller is used a LOT and over bumpy roads, in the park, etc. so high end was the way to go for us!!
What brand(s) do you have? Bugaboo Cameleon, I bought it used from another mom so it was about $500 - although I absolutely would have spent the money for a new one.
WE also have a Graco Snugride car seat with a snap and go - we use this for cabs and travel outside the city.
What do you like about it? What do you dislike?
Bugaboo - I spent a lot of time deciding between this and the Uppa Baby Vista. What is great about both - amazing suspension, smooth ride, can navigate bumpy roads, cracks, curbs, grass, etc etc. I thought this wasn't a big deal before I got one (I tried hard to find a cheaper stroller), but when i use my snap and go I notice a HUGE difference. Also the handlebar has a height adjustment, which is important for my very tall husband. I chose the Bugaboo over the Uppa because it was lighter and less wide, which was important to me for getting around small stores and in and out of our building (3 stairs, narrow hall). I also like that the bassinet and seat use one frame (vs. Uppa's two) because that means less for us to store. The Uppa has a bigger underseat basket, which is nice, but I am perfectly fine with the size of the Bugaboo bag. Honestly there is not much about this stroller I don't like. I used to think the $$ was about the brand name, now I truly believe it is for a super high quality stroller. Oh and i got the carseat adapter so the first few months I alternated between the bassinet and the car seat. I would have been ok without the bassinet and just using the carseat, but i used the bassinet since I had it.
The snap and go does its job for travel, its cheap, it is easy to use. but i wouldn't use it for walking around our neighborhood.
Anything you would recommend? it really depends on where you live/how you would use your stroller. if you are using it mostly for malls and inside, there is no need to spend a lot of $$. I have also heard people just go straight to a jogging stroller, using an adapter + carseat when the baby was little. This makes sense - only real downside is that the seat doesn't face you when it is time to transition out of the carseat. ask moms who live in the same place and have a similar lifestyle. and buy used if you want! you can often replace parts of fabrics if there are a few things that are worn.
We purchased the Britax B Ready during the 'free ride' event so I was able to get the car seat with it (it also helped to justify the cost, I was able to get both for $459). I like that we can convert this into a double stroller as we plan to have our children close together. Everything I read, this is very comparable to the Uppa Baby Vista.
I also love that the Britax B Nimble Umbrella Stroller has a feature to snap in the baby carrier.
@organizedbride11: i have an eddie bauer travel system aswell! i havent used it since i am still pregnant. mine was around 300 cdn at babiesrus i also have the matching diaper bag. i love everything about it and i havent even used it!
I'm not TTC yet, but just want to say @Janna19: I've been wondering what the difference is between the bugaboo and the uppababy, so thanks for comparing the two! :) They're the ones I see in NYC most frequently for sure.
@hilsy85:lol, once I convinced myself that it was worth going high end (a painful realization!), I had a whole chart comparing the two :)
@Janna19: @hilsy85: We were in the same spot, and I had the same comparison chart lol. We ultimately went with the UppBaby, but Im still not 100% convinced! Janna-I just PMmed you with a more specific quesiton that Im sure nobody here is interested in =o)
We have decided on Mamas & Papas Sola- it is $399. This is the number one brand in the UK and was just recently brought over to the States. They sell it at Babies R Us as well as some other smaller retailers. We picked it because it is modern looking, compatable with an infant car seat, has a full recline, the seat can be reversed to face you. Also, the price was not as high as the other modern strollers we saw- Orbit, Bugaboo, etc.
It is compatable with the Maxi Cosi and Graco Snugride carseats- I am still undecided on which carseat we will actually end up with.
We registered for the Chicco travel system stroller. It is over $300 but well worth it. It has the infant carseat with it and is really easy to fold up and light. Out of all the strollers we tried out that was the nicest and easiest, and lightest. Good luck!
We got the Chicco Cortina KeyFit 30 Travel System in Romantic. It has very high, if not the highest safety ratings so that was very imporatant to us.
It costs about $330, but the 20% coupon you can use for Buy Buy Baby reduces that a decent amount.
We're planning on getting the Bumbleride Indie. And our carseat is coming from a friend. I think it's a Graco. Apparently the Bumbleride allows for carseats to be 'snapped' into it.
The Bumbleride is about $400-something.
I don't have it yet but I did test-drive it at the store and it's lightweight, folds up easily, steers really smoothly with 3 wheels, has full coverage sunshades and rain cover, the seat can tilt vertically or more horizontally, and has an accessory called the Carrycot which is like a bassinet that snaps in - awesome because if baby is sleeping we don't have to haul it in and out of the stroller, we can just unclick the Carrycot.
I dislike that the color I want is not available at Babies-r-us so I can't register for it!
We got a Bob sport utility off of craigslist for about $100. We're both runners so figure it will give us a few years of running with the kid. I'm not sure how much we're going to use the stroller in the first few months but we did decide to get the infant car seat adaptor ($50) and a carseat that fit in the stroller so we could use it if we wanted. We went with the graco snugride 32 (~115 with the base). The baby isn't here yet so we haven't tested it out but so far I haven't been regretting the decision.
i thought i replied to everyone, but i guess not!! Thanks for all of the info!!
I really love the chicco strollers and carseats. They look nice and they have wonderful reviews.
I also found a Graco carseat that I really like but I'm worried it won't snap onto a stroller and then ill regret purchasing separately. Does anyone know if Graco carseats snap to all Graco strollers (or any stroller, for that matter)? Or do you have to buy the travel system? or a specific model?
Graco's snap onto most strollers with an adapter. We snapped ours onto our Bugaboo, it worked great!!! Actually most people I know have Graco Snugrides and they seem to snap to most strollers....
@Mrs. Menard to Be : Most of the car seats will snap into the strollers with an extra attachement. My thought is that the "travel systems" is just another way for them to get you to buy another one of their products. Buy the stroller that works best for you and for an extra $30-$50 get the adapter that fits the carseat that works best for you.
@SecretName: This seems like good advice. We have a used carseat from a friend, but I thought about buying a whole other travel system so we could have compatible stroller and carseat. I had never realized there were adapters available. Thanks!!
I recently went to a baby store tobrowse strollers and went into sticker shock I cannot believe the prices of some of these strollers, between $400-999, yikes, do parents really need such pricey gadgets; are there any economical strollers but good and durable?
Chicco Cortina - the 22 lb one. I love it! The stroller is a little bulky, but it's easy to open and close and seems like a comfy ride!
We're going with 2 strollers. A BOB for around town (we walk a lot in the neighborhood with the dog) and will get the car seat adapter for that. We're also getting the UppaBaby G-Luxe for our lightweight umbrella stroller for downtown and traveling. I'm hoping to score a BOB off Craigslist. They are the most common stroller here in Seattle. EVERYONE seems to have one.
My favorite stroller was the PegPerego Venezia, I wish I still had it :( If we ever have any more kids that will be my first purchase, if they even still make them. My FMIL bought us a double stroller when our second was born, it's a Graco and I love it. I also have an Eddie Bauer and matching carseat, both of which are now my mortal enemy. Hard to fold, hard to unfold, and that carseat was the heaviest most awkward thing to carry compared to my Graco one.
@ilovenycmissie: Oh Im sure there are, absolutely. But a few things to keep in mind - living in NYC (I assume that is where you live from your username and location =o) ) The luxury strollers are made for city living to be smaller and lighter but higher quality
I went into sticker shock as well, but once I test drove them and compared them with others, I see why and ended up with one.
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I would love to hear your input! I'm not due until September 1st but I want to get my registry going soon so I have plenty of time to add and delete things. Plus looking at baby stuff is lots of fun! :)
So.......
Do you have a travel system? or did you purchase your stroller and carseat separately?
What brand(s) do you have?
How much did it cost?
What do you like about it? What do you dislike?
Anything you would recommend?
Can't wait to hear your reponses! Thanks bees!! :)