2nd Trimester

travel system vs. car seat only

What are you going with?? My in-laws are offering to buy the car seat, but cannot afford the whole stroller set. Is the stroller really necessary?? Any opinions are welcome!
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Re: travel system vs. car seat only

  • We are getting a car seat adapter for the stroller, so will just clip the carseat into the stroller for as long as necessary.
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  • I am going with the travel system because I plan to take walks with LO in the stroller however I'm a first time mom and can't really give a valid opinion if it is truly necessary.
  • Everyone I know who got a travel system has hated how big and cumbersome it is. I would recommend a car seat and a snap and go and a lighter stroller for later.
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  • Your badges make me laugh because I'm a HUGE Giants fan and DH is a HUGE Packers fan...who knew there were others out there like uS? ;)

    Anyway, I'm partial to the travel system, primarily because it's so easy to use.  You take the car seat/baby seat out of the car and attach it to the stroller.  We use our stroller ALL.the.time, so it made sense for us. 

    HTH!

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  • I'm using the car seat and snap-n-go.. every new mom I talk to swears by it. Light and easy to use. I'm also getting the City Select Jogger which I can also snap the car seat to, and use when he's bigger. I would get the snap-n-go to go with the carseat they're buying you, its only about $70.
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  • I hate the Graco travel system we got with DD. The stroller is too bulky and too big for me to push. I'm 5ft tall and the handlebars go up to my breastbone and are not adjustable. I wish we just got the carseat and extra bases and bought a separate stroller that is more user friendly. This time we are donating that stroller and buying a new one.
  • Well, from what I've been looking at I think the travel system is a better deal then just a car seat. The travel system we picked out is only $250 where as the car seat we were looking at was about the same amount. The travel system is only the infant car seat though so we are going to end up buying a toddler seat later. It all depends on your budget I guess but the car seat/ stroller system is a better deal in my opinion. Good luck!
  • Looking back I wish we would have just bought the car seat. We hardly every used the stroller once he was able to hold his head up on his own. It was just too big. I much prefer our light cheap $10 free stroller that came with it, lol. 
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  • We are getting a snap n go to go with the infant car seat, then we will use a lightweight stroller.
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  • DLD, I'm the Giants fan and DH is the Packers fan! They play each other at Lambeau this year and we're already arguing over what outfit the baby will wear! LOL. GO BIG BLUE!
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  • We bought our carseat and stroller separately but they do come as a travel system (Chicco Cortina stroller and KeyFit 30 carseat).  We didn't think we would need/want a travel system, but honestly we have really used them quite a bit.  DS was in the carseat until he was about 13 months, and we still use the stroller regularly.  I had always heard how big and bulky travel systems were, but the Chicco Cortina stroller really isn't too heavy (I can load and unload it into my Jetta one handed) and when DS was sleeping we loved the option of leaving him in the carseat and just snapping him into the stroller (this was especially useful on our 10 day trip to HI when he was 10 months old).  I wore DS a lot, but when it was hot and he was almost a year old and when we were in HI the option of the stroller/carseat was nice.

    If your family is willing to buy the car seat I say go for it.  You can always add the matching stroller later if you decide you want it.

  • With DS, we got a Graco infant carrier and an Eddie Bauer stroller, they did not connect/attach.  I hated it.  DS always had to be moved from the car seat to the stroller and back, as opposed to one swift "click" into place.  This time, we are getting the travel system.

    If your IL's want to buy the car seat, could you guys buy the stroller, or use gift cards from your shower to get the stroller?  I don't know your lifestyle, but I would have hated not having the stroller.  I guess during the first couple months (2-3) it might not be a must have, but after that, you're really going to want one.

  • The stroller we bought is not a travel system, but it does have an adapter for the car seat to snap into.  That being said, DD hated the stroller so we never used it.  I wish we hadn't bought the stupid thing.
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  • imagePolishWonder:
    DLD, I'm the Giants fan and DH is the Packers fan! They play each other at Lambeau this year and we're already arguing over what outfit the baby will wear! LOL. GO BIG BLUE!

    LOVE it!!!  I think we might have to take a big trip out there!

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  • I think this is a really personal decision. Have you gone and checked them out?
    We decided to get the travel system because we felt for the difference in cost between the system and just buying a car seat and a snap and go, that it was totally worth it. A lot of moms will say they don't like the travel system because of it's size, ease to travel with, weight, etc. For us it wasn't an issue.
    I'd look at how much you plan to use a stroller period. There are a lot of cheaper options out there you can use for going to the mall or whatever. I take a lot of walks and wanted something I could use around the neighborhood and for shopping, etc.
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  • We got a Graco Travel System.  I don't use the stroller, I got a snap n' go and that works better for us.  The travel system stroller is too bulky and heavy and takes up too much space in our already cramped condo. 
  • The set is unnecessary.  The stroller is too big for us to easily take everywhere.
  • We are not getting the travel system.  We are going to get the BOB stroller and a carseat that is compatible with it.  Then I will probably get a umbrella stroller also.

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  • imagekimmyt09:
    I'm using the car seat and snap-n-go.. every new mom I talk to swears by it. Light and easy to use. I'm also getting the City Select Jogger which I can also snap the car seat to, and use when he's bigger. I would get the snap-n-go to go with the carseat they're buying you, its only about $70.

    Same here, but going with the BOB jogging stroller.  

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  • I love my travel system!
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  • We got a Graco travel system on clearance at BRU, hopefully we'll like it.?

    It came highly reconommended by our next door neighbors and was only $125?

  • toriitorii member

    For those of you getting a BOB, I have three questions for you.

    1. Which BOB are you getting?

    2. What carseat are you getting?

    3. Does it matter to you that the carseat and stroller match in color? 

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  • imagetorii:

    For those of you getting a BOB, I have three questions for you.

    1. Which BOB are you getting?

    2. What carseat are you getting?

    3. Does it matter to you that the carseat and stroller match in color? 

    1. The Revolution, chocolate & blue

    2. Graco, in Zurich, which is chocolate and green

    3. It mattered a little and if I could convince H that we don't need a Snugride 32, I would have tried to match it a little more (like the Inman Park pattern). 

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  • I vote car seat and snap n go. Then later you can buy a convertible car seat and a lightweight stroller. Hands down, the best way to go.
  • imagemrs.kapow:
    imagetorii:

    For those of you getting a BOB, I have three questions for you.

    1. Which BOB are you getting?

    2. What carseat are you getting?

    3. Does it matter to you that the carseat and stroller match in color? 

    1. The Revolution, chocolate & blue

    2. Graco, in Zurich, which is chocolate and green

    3. It mattered a little and if I could convince H that we don't need a Snugride 32, I would have tried to match it a little more (like the Inman Park pattern). 

    We bought a Bugaboo Bee and a Bob

    1. Revolution in chocolate and pink
    2. Graco Snugride
    3. The Snugride is mostly black with dark pink piping.  It doesn't match perfectly, but since it's mostly black, it doesn't stand out.  It matches my Bee much better though.

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  • We have the Chicco travel system and I love it.  I still use the stroller all the time.  (We have a few other strollers, but the full size is still a favorite of mine)
  • imageGummybear:
    Everyone I know who got a travel system has hated how big and cumbersome it is. I would recommend a car seat and a snap and go and a lighter stroller for later.

    Ditto.

    I'm a first time mom, so I'm pretty sure my opinion bears no weight whatsoever... lol, but I took my niece to the mall w/my husband in her travel system, and we decided we hated it. So we opted for a car seat, and then picked a stroller that'll hold the car seat for walks and such. That stroller is quite a bit smaller and more convenient that the travel system one. And our space is completely limited, so the size of the travel system wasn't for us. 

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