Travel system vs. convertible car seat & stroller

Re: Travel system vs. convertible car seat & stroller

• FmrAFBrat member

  January 2014

  Like PP I love our infant seat when DS is sleeping or we are out dining. It is so handy. What you need really depends on your lifestyle and what fits in your car.
  
  A lot of people make the mistake of picking an infant seat/ system only to find out it doesn't work. My advice is to go to BRU and try the car seats in your car first. Here's a good list to start with:
  
  https://carseatblog.com/carseatblogcoms-recommended-car-seats/
  
  I started out with a Snap N Go Stroller with my ODS and still use it with 2 kids for things like pharmacy runs & daycare trips. My recs are the Chicco Key Fit Caddy or the Safety 1st Clic It for SnG strollers. Nice baskets/parent consoles and really easy to handle.
  
  I also have invested in nicer strollers we use all the time, my Uppababy GLuxe and my Valco Snap Dual. I love lightweight strollers, so that works for me. You might be a sporty girl and need something more like a BOB. If your not sure a SnG is always a good bet to start with, plus they are so handy to have.
  
  If you want a stroller that works with a car seat my recs would be the City Mini, Britax B-Agile, or the Valco Snap.

  TTC January 2010
  

  BFP #1 10-11-10 ectopic discovered 10-22-10, 10-23-10 methotrexate & emergency surgery, lost right tube BFP #2 12-1-10 Found to be tissue dropped from salingectomy or missed heterotopic pregnancy from BFP #1 BFP #3 1-30-11 DS arrived on due date 10-10-11 BFP #4 Surprise 9-3-12 EDD 5-9-13 DS2 arrived 5-5-13 BFP #5 5-14-14 Emergency D&C 6-16-14 9 weeks

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• KikiCohen member

  January 2014

  As PP have said, you will eventually need to purchase a convertible car seat when your LO outgrows the infant "bucket".  You can use the strollers with or without the seat, but will probably want to just snap the seat into the stroller until LO has good head support.  We have this system and love it! https://www.chiccousa.com/gear/travel-systems/cortina-22lb-systems/travel-systems-se-perseo.aspx

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• Lillis1732 member

  January 2014

  I agree with PP. There are options for convertible carseats that can be used from the time you have a newborn, so you don't have to purchase an infant seat. However, the convertible seats can't be carried around with baby in them. When LO was a baby, we carried her in the seat everywhere-restaurants, friends' houses, church, etc. It was so nice not to have to unstrap her when she was sleeping or I just needed to run into the store; I just carried in the carseat or put it in the cart. Now that she's older and in a convertible, if I have a lot of errands to run, I have to strap her in and out each time. We had a cheap stroller (bought used off Craigslist) that our seat fit into that we used at times, plus the city mini, which I would put her in when she was a bit bigger and had some head control.

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• JilllyBean member

  January 2014

  I agree with going into BRU or BBB and test driving strollers. Pick your stroller first, then find out which infant seats will work with it. Most have at least a few they can snap in there (doesnt have to be specifically called a 'travel system'). I would not skip an infant seat. They will likely be in it 6m-1yr so you will get good use out of it, plus it is a major plus, like PP said, to be able to take that seat everywhere. Just think if you go out to dinner or lunch with your baby, where will you put them?! I skipped the snap and go and just spent more on my stroller (uppababy cruz) it has a Chicco adapter so my infant seat clicks in. When he's done in the infant seat it has a regular seat too (we actually use this when we go on walks). I also agree with getting  a copy of baby bargains, best book ever and you will learn a lot from reading it!

  Off BCP since 1/12
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• jess9802 member

  January 2014

  We used a convertible seat from birth. Because we weren't using an infant seat we had to find a stroller that could work for a newborn - we picked the City Mini (which reclines almost flat, and with a JJ Cole body pillow was very comfortable for my son). It was rare that we went places where we couldn't use the stroller, but I just wore DS in a Moby Wrap on those occasions. I have no regrets about not using the infant car seat. It worked for our lifestyle quite well.
  

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• Soon2BMrsN member

  January 2014

  I think it's easiest/most practical to start with an infant carseat and a snap & go frame stroller for it. We eventually branched out to a BOB for running, but the carseat and cheap stroller for it worked for quite awhile.

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• wilbanksl member

  January 2014

  Thank you all so much for your advice! You have all been so helpful

  <a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Parenting Tips"><img src="http://global.thebump.com/tickers/tt1985fb.aspx" alt=" Pregnancy Ticker" border="0"  /></a>

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• Mrs.C.V. member

  January 2014

  "We picked the stroller we liked and would fit our needs the best (BJ City Mini) and then bought the car seat adapter bar for it to make a "travel system" with it. It's been awesome as we never had to buy or store a second stroller and were able to pick the stroller and carseat that we liked best independently." So does that mean that a stroller that is 'not car seat compatible' can be made car seat compatible by purchasing a car seat adapter bar? Thanks! I am so obsessed with this stroller but I also see the value in having the infant car seat https://www.shopmaclarenbaby.com/Cath-Kidston-Quest/DSE04022,default,pd.html

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• PaoPao820 member

  January 2014

  jess9802 said:

  We used a convertible seat from birth. Because we weren't using an infant seat we had to find a stroller that could work for a newborn - we picked the City Mini (which reclines almost flat, and with a JJ Cole body pillow was very comfortable for my son). It was rare that we went places where we couldn't use the stroller, but I just wore DS in a Moby Wrap on those occasions. I have no regrets about not using the infant car seat. It worked for our lifestyle quite well.
  

  Thank you for posting this!!! This is exactly what I want to do and everyone seems to try to discourage me instead of encourage me!!  I feel like this approach also helps with bonding and a lot of women I know from my mom's generation are like "why would you get an infant car seat and just get the baby so used to sleeping in it?!?!"  So thank you!

  
  

  To answer the original post...  I was struggling with this obviously as well.  I went to Buy Buy Baby here in NY and was feeling discouraged by the shopping consultant that was helping us.  My husband and I made the decision that we want convertible car seats in both cars so that we can make the most use of them.  There are convertible car seats that go from newborn all the way to high back booster so you're good till like 100lbs.  The recaro I believe is one of them, which is the one my husband wants (and got) for his car... meanwhile we registered for a Maxi Cosi Pria 70 for my car... it's equipped with Tiny Fit for 4lbs newborns and up and it goes to 70lbs....  for me, I don't mind having to get a booster seat in like 6 years.  But I'm from the same mindframe as you... I want everything to last as long as possible!!  We registered for the Bumbleride Indie stroller and the Uppababy stroller with basinet (don't know which one I'm going to take off of since we obviously need only one), both are made for newborn and up! And then you can get the Exersaucer 3 in 1 for your activity center (activity mat for newborn, then a chair thing then a standing thing)... then there's a fisher price bouncer that turns into a seat for toddler!  There's also bathtubs that go up to age 2 I think it was.  I just want the less baby gear I can have...  because it adds up!!  Think about it... infant car seat, convertible car seat, frame for infant car seat, next size stroller, umbrella stroller, activity mat, exerciser, bouncer, swing, doorway bouncer, pack and play, etc.  It can really be a ton if you register for every single one of the thigns they suggest in the books! Just a thought. 

  
  

  Good luck!!

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• dmurrie member

  January 2014

  I'll quickly echo what others are saying. You can get by with a convertible car seat, but they just stay in the car. The infant seats are the only ones that come out of the car to be carried around or strapped into strollers. They are very convenient. Otherwise, when you're out, you have to either carry and hold in your arms or wear the baby, even if s/he's asleep.
  
  Go to buy buy baby or babies r us and try out the strollers. Babies r us at least WILL let you take the strollers out to your car, too, to see if they fit in the trunk. They'll either make you take an associate with you or hold onto your drivers license to do this, but don't skip this step if you're not absolutely positive that it will fit.

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