STMs help! Travel stroller vs. Regular?

Amethyst26 · December 2012

DH and I registered last weekend and with the handy dandy registry assistant at BRU, put everything but the kitchen sink on our registry :-) One item that now concerns me is the travel system stroller we registered for. It's beautiful, but we didn't take it on a "test drive" in the store and now with my bad back, I'm concerned about its weight (second floor walk up), durability, and how it'll fit in my car.

Any advice or recommendations are greatly appreciated!!

teddib20 · December 2012

We also registered for a travel system. It was the Safety First Kennsington Travel System... it was pretty light for such a big stroller. I was very pleased. Could you just go back to the store and check it out?

skoogirl · December 2012

We have a lightweight/umbrella stroller for our car/travelling and a jogging stroller for walking around our neighborhood. That works for us and is my suggestion. Those travel system strollers look really bulky and heavy.

Amethyst26 · December 2012

teddidan:
We also registered for a travel system. It was the Safety First Kennsington Travel System... it was pretty light for such a big stroller. I was very pleased. Could you just go back to the store and check it out?

We're going back this weekend, but I don't think BRU would let's us take it outside to see if it'll fit in my trunk, although its worth asking. I'm most concerned about its overall weight, trying to get it up & down my steps :-/ the online reviews of the Graco Elefanta are pretty good, but lots of people talk about how heavy it is and how the harnesses are difficult to adjust. Back to BRU I guess!

Amethyst26 · December 2012

skoogirl:
We have a lightweight/umbrella stroller for our car/travelling and a jogging stroller for walking around our neighborhood. That works for us and is my suggestion. Those travel system strollers look really bulky and heavy.

Was all that gear very expensive? You had to buy a car seat separately, right? We were really looking into the travel system because in the long run it seemed to be a little cheaper, but maybe not...

UberBiz · December 2012

The travel system I had with my DD was pretty good, I was able to easily take it in and out of the trunk, and snapping on the baby seat was much easier than unbuckling and transferring baby to and from the carseat.

This time around, though, I went back and took off the travel system and registered for a normal stroller and a convertible car seat because of our car situation. I don't think the infant seat would fit, or be very convenient to use properly between a 5-point and a booster seat.

angelacez · December 2012

Travel systems are heavier than most. If you're worried about that. You could get the universal strollers. They hook into your carseat. SUPER easy to use and very very light. They weigh almost nothing until you could use a umbrella when they are older or even just some other lighter stroller. The bigger ones are really hard to carry up and down stairs with a little one. I had a 3rd floor walk up apartment with 2 little kids and it was hard to carry their stroller if we wanted to walk with them.

synchrosally · December 2012

I wish I had done more research before buying my Graco travel system. It's big and bulky and heavy and hard to fit in my trunk. When DS was older I ended up using my umbrella stroller almost exclusively. This time around I found a stroller that both kids can use and I already like it a lot better. Definitely try out many different types and think about all the places you might have to take it before deciding on a stroller.

MrsD1 · December 2012

skoogirl:
We have a lightweight/umbrella stroller for our car/travelling and a jogging stroller for walking around our neighborhood. That works for us and is my suggestion. Those travel system strollers look really bulky and heavy.

This, exactly.

We didn't get a travel system with DD, based on advice from STM's and I'm so glad we didn't. They're bulky and most people don't end up using them because of it. We have a jogging stroller for walks, the zoo, parks, anything outdoors really. We also have an umbrella stroller for everything else.

Just a side-note, you can't get around much with bulky strollers. Even our jogging stroller is difficult to navigate while shopping in outdoor malls. For this reason I've been putting off finding a double stroller.

ETA: And by difficult to navigate, I mean stores don't provide enough room for you to get through. You're often having to move things to get by and sometimes can't even make it in them to begin with. Umbrella stroller, all the way! It's easiest to use a carrier, such as the Ergo, until LO is old enough for the umbrella stroller.

Trish&Pete07 · December 2012

Amethyst26:
teddidan:
We also registered for a travel system. It was the Safety First Kennsington Travel System... it was pretty light for such a big stroller. I was very pleased. Could you just go back to the store and check it out?
We're going back this weekend, but I don't think BRU would let's us take it outside to see if it'll fit in my trunk, although its worth asking. I'm most concerned about its overall weight, trying to get it up & down my steps :-/ the online reviews of the Graco Elefanta are pretty good, but lots of people talk about how heavy it is and how the harnesses are difficult to adjust. Back to BRU I guess!

I would defiantly go back and check it out. Make sure you figure out how to fold/unfold it. Try lifting it and such. Try adjusting the straps and play with all the accessories so you know how they work. Maybe bring along or find a stuffed bear or doll and try fitting it in, buckling it up. People may look at you funny but better to know how it works before you (or someone else) throws big $$ into buying it. Try find something that is roughly 10-15 lbs and put it in the infant carrier part and see how easy it is to carry around. As far as it fitting in the trunk, take a tape measure with you and measure the dimensions of the stroller folded and then measure the trunk. The dimensions may also be on the actual box for the stroller or on the tag. I have a Gracco double stroller and it fits into our Hyundai Elantra's trunk. Nothing else really fits while its in there though. So be sure to think about what else will have to go in the trunk if the stroller is in there.

Amethyst26 · December 2012

Thanks everyone! DH & I are going back this weekend for sure!

DarlingNIkki1028 · December 2012

Amethyst26:

teddidan:
We also registered for a travel system. It was the Safety First Kennsington Travel System... it was pretty light for such a big stroller. I was very pleased. Could you just go back to the store and check it out?

We're going back this weekend, but I don't think BRU would let's us take it outside to see if it'll fit in my trunk, although its worth asking. I'm most concerned about its overall weight, trying to get it up & down my steps :-/ the online reviews of the Graco Elefanta are pretty good, but lots of people talk about how heavy it is and how the harnesses are difficult to adjust. Back to BRU I guess!

I'm pretty sure they WILL let you see if it fits in your trunk. I know when we registered, they told us we could try out any of the carseats in our car, we just had to leave our ID with them. I imagine they'd do the same thing for the stroller.

skoogirl · December 2012

mirroredimage:

First things first - drive to the store and see if an associate will let you break it down and put it in your trunk.

Second - leave the stroller in your trunk at all times. You carry LO up to the apartment in the infant carrier. At all times my trunk has a stroller, PNP, portable highchair, and cart cover. I am never without them and it's less to have to carry back and forth. The PNP might not be a big deal but we go to friends houses and set Jack up in their room at bed time so we don't have to leave early. Instead of constantly lugging it back and forth we keep The Sequel's in my car.

Third - you definitely WANT a travel system. LO will be sleeping a lot at first and you don't want to wake a sleeping baby just to buckle him or her into an umbrella stroller. Especially just before you go into a store to run errands.

We don't keep the pnp in the car because it's heavy and thus uses more gas. We don't have or use cart covers (shocking I know), and we had a snap and go for when DS was little which was helpful at stores to not take him in and out of the car seat, but I can't imagine getting a travel system just for that.

Edit: Oh AND, I don't think a high chair is necessary to keep in the car. Most restaurants have them and in a pinch DS just sits in a chair.

keado · December 2012

Snap and go with infant carrier, then umbrella stroller when baby is sturdy, sitting up, etc. We tested the umbrella with baby and went with Maclaren triumph - cannot say enough good things about that stroller. Small, easy to fold, comfy . . . has been perfect for us!

And BOB jogger stays in garage.

skoogirl · December 2012

mirroredimage:
skoogirl:

We don't keep the pnp in the car because it's heavy and thus uses more gas. We don't have or use cart covers (shocking I know), and we had a snap and go for when DS was little which was helpful at stores to not take him in and out of the car seat, but I can't imagine getting a travel system just for that.

Edit: Oh AND, I don't think a high chair is necessary to keep in the car. Most restaurants have them and in a pinch DS just sits in a chair.

The restaurant highchairs are designed for larger children. My son has been using our FP chair since he was 3 months old. The ones provided wouldn't have worked as well. Plus, I think they are nasty. Even wiped down with wipes I just can't get past using them.

The rest of it - to each their own. I just said what works for my family.

Yeah, the restaurant germs and the grocery cart germs just don't bother me. I wipe them off and I wash his hands, but he is going to be exposed to germs throughout his life.

Regarding the older kid restaurant chairs, we just put the car seat atop the restaurant ones before he was old enough to sit up on his own, but he wasn't really eating many solids then anyway.

blueandgray · December 2012

keado:

Snap and go with infant carrier, then umbrella stroller when baby is sturdy, sitting up, etc. And BOB jogger stays in garage.

All of this!! The SnG stayed in the car trunk until she outgrew the infant carseat, then just got a lightweight umbrella stroller that stays in the trunk. Our jogging stroller used for daily/weekend walks stays at the house.

We bought the Baby Trend Expedition jogging stroller & infant carseat duo (purchased together, like a travel system). The carseat snapped on the jogging stroller, perfect for neighborhood walks in the 'hood when she was still tiny/on maternity leave.

Check out a consignment store/Craigslist for a Snap n Go. its just a frame, may as well get it second hand for cheaper!!

Michele707 · December 2012

We're just doing a snap n go and jogging stroller. We'll do an umbrella stroller when DD is old enough.

lifesadance · December 2012

I don't have one but have friends that rave about the Baby Jogger City Mini. it's really easy to fold and pretty light weight. You can get a car seat attachment for it as well.

KrisM86 · December 2012

mirroredimage:
First things first - drive to the store and see if an associate will let you break it down and put it in your trunk.
Second - leave the stroller in your trunk at all times. You carry LO up to the apartment in the infant carrier. At all times my trunk has a stroller, PNP, portable highchair, and cart cover. I am never without them and it's less to have to carry back and forth. The PNP might not be a big deal but we go to friends houses and set Jack up in their room at bed time so we don't have to leave early. Instead of constantly lugging it back and forth we keep The Sequel's in my car.
Third - you definitely WANT a travel system. LO will be sleeping a lot at first and you don't want to wake a sleeping baby just to buckle him or her into an umbrella stroller. Especially just before you go into a store to run errands.

I agree with this, although a snap and go works just as well for this purpose. It's also much lighter and more portable. If you go with a snap n go, you can then just buy a less expensive umbrella stroller (or jogger, or whatever type works best for your needs) for use when LO is older.

Want a personalized experience?

STMs help! Travel stroller vs. Regular?

Re: STMs help! Travel stroller vs. Regular?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards