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Nurseries and Baby Gear
kcl22
member
Stroller vs travel system
kcl22
member
What are the pros and cons of each? I'm starting to do some research so when the time comes registering can be quick and painless...
If I buy a travel system does that save money? Should I buy a separate jogger for walks?
If I buy a jogger I need to buy a carseat system; is it a better value to just get the system and try to get an option with a sturdy stroller for walks?
WDYT?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Stroller vs travel system
I personally think travel systems are hideous, bulky, and impractical.
I will be buying a frame for the car seat. Then at 6 months, we'll switch to the Maclaren.
I would tend to agree with you; although I thought they seemed smart money-wise because then when the baby gets older you take the carseat out and have the stroller already. But I admittedly haven't put too much thought into it.
I have to find that baby bargains book I hear it has great info....
oh my WORD your son is beautiful! What a great picture!
and yeah, I'm googling and that's the route I'm leaning toward. Makes sense, like you said most companies make their carseats compatible with multiple models of stroller/jogger
Every travel system I've seen looks like a crap stroller. If you're going to spend the extra money to get a separate stroller (because a travel system is a crap stroller) then why even bother to buy a separate travel system?
So, let's say you want to get a jogging stroller like a Baby Jogger City mini (~$230). You have to buy an infant carseat (~$150). You can buy a car seat adapter for the mini ($50). Total cost: $430
Alternately, you boy the City mini ($230) and then... let's say a mid-price travel system ($250) (yes, you can get 'em cheaper, but they've also got plenty which can be as much as $500-600). Then you've got a total of $480, and a lot of extra crap.
Getting a Graco snugride ($150) and an acocmpanying Snap & Go ($70) is going to be pretty much the same price as most Graco travel systems ($170-250), but everyone I know who has gotten a travel systes bought a better stroller as soon as the baby was out of the carseat. So since you've got to buy a new one anyway...
And that's only if you go with Snugride. If you go with, say, the Keyfit ($170 for the carseat) then the travel system that matches is going to be $320.
So again, do the math:
$170 (carseat) + $60 (car seat adapter) = $230
or
$320 (travel system)
Graco's business plan for infants right now is based around selling their travel systems, which is why they arrange it to be a financially viable option -- people will pick graco because for the same price as some carseats and adapters they can get whole strollers. But then people end up not liking that stroller. So how much are they really saving?
The other option, which we are really considering is not getting a stroller at all until we see how much we'd really use it.
It depends on your budget, lifestyle and what is most important to you. It can also be hard knowing exactly what you need without physically experiencing it without the baby yet.
Travel system is cheaper but tends to be bulky and limited with basic performance use. Although, I will admit that travel system tends to have all the storage and trays ready within the price. The infant car seats that go with the travel system are up to 20 pounds instead of 30 pounds. That does not necessary mean bad because it means lighter to carry around vs. longer term use. Most but not all babies will reach 20 lbs in about a year. I had seen people that either love them or ended up not using them after a couple of months. It depends.
Cups holder, infant seat conversion bar, trays and etc. are extra purchase for the City Mini and the BOB and that will add to your total overall prices. I am not sure about the other strollers and there are tons of choices and price ranges out there.
While I loved the City Mini, we ended up getting the BOB because we are very active outdoors type folks and do run. We are short on space (townhouse) so my focus was finding a stroller that can meet all of my needs without the need to buy several pieces. We don't take public transportation and have mini SUVs to transport the stroller in. We got the conversion infant adapter to go with this since we will be using it from birth. Later, we can get a cheap umbrella stroller if we need one. If you are not a jogger or an outdoor person, I would think the BOB stroller would be too much of a jogger stroller for your needs and not be worth the purchase. So it depends on what you need and your budget.
What car seat adapter are you all talking about, if you don't mind? Is it sold seperately with each stroller?
Does anyone have any experience with how the Chicco KeyFit seat fits into stroller frames (GracoSnugrider, Baby Trend, MacClaren frame)?
Car seat adapters are sold by the stroller makers for individual strollers and individual carseats. So, for instance, BabyJogger makes one car seat adapter for the SnugRide and one car seat adapter for the Keyfit. (They are different prices, and in fact, the Keyfit one was JUST introduced for the City series.)
The problem is that most stroller companies, knowing that MOST people buy Snugrides, are more likely to make adapters that fit the snugride than ones that fit the keyfit (see above). The downside to the Keyfit, from the research I've done (we're still deciding between the two) is that it DOESN'T fit in most generic adapters or "universal" stroller frames. (I read that in Baby Bargains and confirmed it on the web.)
However, all that means to me is that if we decide on teh Keyfit we have to make sure to buy a stroller or snap & go that IS compatible. THe Keyfit adapter for the City mini, for example is $10 more than the Snugride adapter for the same stroller. That's why, IMO, these decisions need to be made together.
Here's another post that says that the Keyfit does NOT lock into the Snugrider:
https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/31876000/ShowThread.aspx
But it does say it fits into the baby trend snap and go. I don't know about maclaren but this stuff is easily googleable.
I see you are in Boston. Do you live in the city proper or one of the burbs? Do you have a car? Do you take the T a lot? How much are you willing to spend?
Travel systems just don't seem appropriate for city-use. I think you should consider something in the Baby Jogger City Series or a BOB depending on your lifestyle. They are much better suited to living in the city (uneven sidewalks, going to the parks, etc).
I am a Bostonian and went with the Uppa. It's more $$ than the BJ and BOB, but I really liked the flexibility and ascetics more than the others. Isis Maternity has all the strollers set up that you can play with, I suggest doing that.
We got the baby trend jogger travel system, it came with the carseat, and a base for the car. https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Trend-Jogger-Travel-System/dp/B001O9DT1S we found it at babies r us.
I also got a snap and go for when the baby is a newborn.