travel systems - yay or nay?

MandeeFoFandee · April 2012

so, before I read Lucie's List, I registered for a travel system (the Chicco Cortina) at BRU. I liked that the stroller has lots of storage and will hold baby until he's 50lbs.

but now I'm rethinking my decision based on posts I've seen and LL.

we don't do a lot of walking outdoors as it is now, but it may change after baby is here and I want to lose baby weight. we live in the suburbs, so we don't walk to the stores or anything like that either.

should I get a different stroller or just stick with the system? obviously I have plenty of time to change my mind. all this baby gear is confusing!

tucci013 · April 2012

What's a travel system? Who's Lucie?

Signed,

Worst Mom Ever

MandeeFoFandee · April 2012

tucci013:
What's a travel system? Who's Lucie?
Signed,
Worst Mom Ever

a travel system is a car seat & stroller combo. the car seats fits into the stroller to be used for infants, and then when baby is big enough, you can use the stroller without the car seat.

Lucie's List is a guide for baby gear with the top rated items. https://www.lucieslist.com/

vivianmc · April 2012

I didn't get one because when researching with my first I kept reading they are heavy, bulky and you'll end up buying another one.

I read the City Mini is great. I bought a used Phil and Ted's for neighborhood walks and just recently bought a cheapo umbrella stroller from Walmart ($35.00) which I'll use for errands like running into a store.

dangerkitty102 · April 2012

When I was pregnant with DS and went to register, I was totally overwhelmed with stroller choices. The sales guy at BBB sold me on a Peg Perego (top of the line car seat) with a baby jogger stroller with a car seat insert.

I decided later I really didn't need all of that. After all, I'm not a jogger. I downgraded to the Chicco travel system same as you.

A few months later, we wound up buying a MacLaren stroller (I honestly don't remember which model it is) for something more compact. We were going on a trip and wanted to navigate through the airport more easily, as well as things like summer Arts Festivals, Oktoberfest and that kind of outdoors stuff where you are in big crowds.

Okay so here are my points:

- The Chicco is BIG. You will probably end up wanting a compact stroller later on.

- The Chicco is not a jogging stroller and doesn't pretend to be. Now like I said, I'm not a runner. But I do stroller my child around the neighborhood, and the Chicco does not handle things like uneven sidewalks well at all. I'm jealous of my mommy friends and their Bobs how they just glide over the uneven pavement while I struggle.

So what I SHOULD have done, was get the Babby Jogger Citi Mini with the carseat adaptor. It's like a "diet" jogging stroller, is compact, will take rougher terrain with more ease. It's more expensive, but it would have been cheaper to do that rather than get the cortina + maclaren which is what we did and probably you will too.

poppyseed1017 · April 2012

I have heard good and bad things about travel systems. The bad mainly being that they're bulky and heavy. We are getting the Baby Trend Expedition Columbia jogger and matching carseat system. It's lighter weight and has rubber wheels instead of plastic, plus it's less expensive than a lot of other joggers. I tried it out in the store and loved it, it was like pushing air.

xokell2 · April 2012

I hated my travel system the first time around, but if your dead set on one Chico is far superior in quality to graco. I got an infant seat up to 35lbs and the city mini with an adapter.

pugznploons · April 2012

I think they are bulky, heavy, and kinda fug. I prefer the streamlined look of the City line of strollers. We are getting the 2012 city mini with the carseat adapter. It folds w/one hand, which is awesome!

LittleApple · April 2012

xokell2:
I hated my travel system the first time around, but if your dead set on one Chico is far superior in quality to graco. I got an infant seat up to 35lbs and the city mini with an adapter.

The Chicco goes up to 30 Lbs.

I got a travel system with my first kid. It was OK, but super heavy. I got a snap n go for my second. I liked that much better.

Tayrusso · April 2012

Nay! Our travel system was the biggest mistake. It is soooo bulky, and impossible to get in and out of the trunk. If I could do it all over again, I'd buy a Snap and Go and a nice umbrella stoller. Both are very compact, easy to use, and have adequate storage.

sfelix13 · April 2012

We have the Chicco travel system and I love the car seat but as others have said the stroller is BIG.....I also have a jogging stroller and then a smaller more compact stroller (chicco as well). I stopped using the travel system stroller when he was about 1....was tired of it taking up so much room and it is just big. Went to the smaller Chicco and LOVE IT!!! I can still but his small bag under him and I can still hang bags on the handles.... We use it for everything other than jogging! and I hate my jogger.....should have gotten a BOB....but thats a whole other story.... Do LOTS of research on joggers if that is what you are going to use it for.

Nikke25 · April 2012

I think that strollers are all about preference and your life style. With that being said I hate the way the snap and goes look. I dont need a jogging stroller to do around town and shopping. I am not going to take baby out of a nap and into a stroller while they are tiny. I am not going to hold a heavy infint around or in a infant carseat. So I like the travel system. I did not have one with my first DS but did with my second. It was great. The one I had was a bit bulky and I use to call it the Caddilac of stollers. It was fantastic for shopping, doctors visits and social events. I also had a jogging stroller for walks an jogs. This time I got the Graco Fast Action Fold travel system. It is light weight, great storage and easy to fold (one hand).

Like I said, its all about your lifestyle and what your needs from a stroller are.

MandeeFoFandee · April 2012

thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

based on what everyone has said (and several reviews on other sites), I've decided to go ahead and nix the travel system. I will instead go with the Snap N' Go for when he's an infant, and the City Mini when he's a little older. even though it's a jogging stroller, the fact that it's lightweight and maneuvers well will win me over!

Tayrusso · April 2012

MandeeFoFandee:

thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

based on what everyone has said (and several reviews on other sites), I've decided to go ahead and nix the travel system. I will instead go with the Snap N' Go for when he's an infant, and the City Mini when he's a little older. even though it's a jogging stroller, the fact that it's lightweight and maneuvers well will win me over!

Great decision! Both are fantastic!!

MaPetiteFamille · April 2012

Just to clarify, even though the CityMini looks like a jogging stroller, you aren't actually supposed to jog with it. In any case, I think that's a good decision-- I loved the CityMini from the minute I first folded it in the store with one hand!

earb · April 2012

MandeeFoFandee:
so, before I read Lucie's List, I registered for a travel system (the Chicco Cortina) at BRU. I liked that the stroller has lots of storage and will hold baby until he's 50lbs.
but now I'm rethinking my decision based on posts I've seen and LL.
we don't do a lot of walking outdoors as it is now, but it may change after baby is here and I want to lose baby weight. we live in the suburbs, so we don't walk to the stores or anything like that either.
should I get a different stroller or just stick with the system? obviously I have plenty of time to change my mind. all this baby gear is confusing!

We got the Baby Jogger City Mini, and Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat.. There is an adaptor so that the car seat can fit in the stroller similar to how the travel systems work, but I looooove the stroller, its size/colors/weight AND collapsibility (if that's even a work hahah).. My sister had the Chicco system and ended up getting different strollers etc once baby got a little bigger, since the infant car seat wasn't needed anymore so the "system" wasn't really a system anymore. But, I have heard of people being happy with the travel systems, just wasn't for us

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