Overwhelmed with car seats and strollers

mrslampert · January 2016

I was working on our registry this weekend and I was trying to figure out which car seat/stroller to put on there....holy heck! There are so many options, so many styles, how do you even start to narrow it down let alone decide!?

Husband is a car guy, and he has his heart set on the the Recaro (racing seat company) car seat and stroller, but those cost like twice as much as everything else I've looked at. Obviously, I want our kiddo to be safe, but I also want to be able to feed us.

Anyone have any recommendations? I want a combo where the car seat fits in the stroller, but later use the stroller without the car seat. If that's even possible.

yogahh · January 2016

We got the britax b-agile travel system. While we haven't used it yet (!) I'm happy with the reviews, how it steers in our living room, and how easy it was to put together.

Sunshinebins · January 2016

We went for the uppababy vista and uppababy Mesa combo, but most car seat companies have something like you are looking for....graco, Chicco, britax, etc. it's all a pretty personal choice based on what your needs are. Have you gone to a store where you can try them all out? You can also look on Lucie's List for lots of good info.

KidShrink · January 2016

We also went with the Uppababy Vista and Mesa combo, but they are on the pricier end. Figure out what you need (do you take walks in areas where bigger wheels would be practical, like in trails or snow vs only nice and clear sidewalk, are you planning on having a second baby soon so that something that can eventually sit two kids is important, how much trunk space do you have in your car?) That should help you narrow it down a little. Then ask people around you and check ratings online. Last and probably most important step, go and try them in store. We got to try the two strollers we were considering side by side and it really helped us make a decision. We looked like complete idiots trying to figure out how to open and close them until we asked for help, but we realized how important it was to have something that was easy to work with.

helleebellee · January 2016

I hear ya! I'm trying to find a double that works because it'll be baseball season when baby arrives and I'll need a place for baby and for the 2 year old. I'm just not sure if a Sit and Stand is what I want, but they're cheaper than a side by side. But then I have to be sure that the car seat I go with is compatible with the stroller I get. I don't want to spend too much on a double that won't hold a second child for more than a year because the 2 year old will probably want to be out of it by next baseball season, which is why a sit and stand would be better....ugh.

countrygrl5533 · January 2016

We had a Chicco travel system with our DD that we liked. We still have the stroller and will be buying a new car seat and base. They worked well for us and are fairly affordable.

lalala2004 · January 2016

We registered for this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00UVW41H0/ref=aw_br_ov_dp_3_7?colid=3HP048PNTNP25&coliid=I3GXZKUSJ304L2&vs=1

Once I determined what I wanted, it was actually really an easy choice.

I wanted:

1. A travel system, meaning it includes the click in car seat as well as a stand alone stroller. Feels like it's a better deal, anyway.
2. One with three wheels. I find them easier to maneuver and they take corners well.
3. One with real tires. I figured they would be easier to replace, repair, and would go over more varied terrain.

Once I figured this out, this was the only stroller that fit the bill in Babies R Us. We ended up registering for it on Amazon, though, because I wanted a different color

Babies R Us will let you take down the strollers and walk them around to get a feel for it, and I strongly recommend that.

missnc77 · January 2016

All of my friends told me the same thing - you will be carrying the baby in the car seat everywhere, so get something light that can easily click into a stroller. I originally looked at the britax car seats since they were rated so highly (and that's what Prince William uses!) but the reviews talked about how heavy the car seat is. After tons of research and asking around, I settled on the Chicco Keyfit 30 and the $99 stroller base it easy clicks into. I'm also going to get a BOB for heavy duty strolling, but for grocery store runs and quick ins and outs, the Chicco Keyfit car seat and stroller frame seemed to fit that need the best.

Bltbear82 · January 2016

As far as resources for recommendations, Lucie's List is my go to for all kid-related stuff.

I also checked the following for all car seat safety-related concerns once I narrowed down my choices when picking an infant seat and convertible for DS - Consumer Reports, Car Seats for the Littles, and The Car Seat Lady. The latter actually installs car seats so she gives a perspective on ease of installation as well. Also, I noticed she's posted a graphic illustrating how to properly buckle your seatbelt while pregnant, in case anyone has any questions.

For recommendations - I third the Uppababy Vista/Mesa combo, using it for second baby as well. Also for convertible seats, I highly recommend the Clek Fllo/Foonf.

TXmamatobe · January 2016

I'm team Britax all the way. We have had Graco in the past and while it was ok, I much prefer the Britax seats we have had. Top in safety, easy to clean, easy to install (especially the click tight systems). I wouldn't buy anything else for our family.

LadySamLady · January 2016

We went with the Uppababy Cruz and Mesa combo. The Cruz is lighter weight and costs less than the Vista but much less is included so there wasn't much in savings, it just made sense for us as we have limited storage and don't want the bassinet that comes with the Vista. I think the Vista has more double convertible options too. Both are so easy to maneuver and switch from car seat to stroller seat etc. and I just love the size of the basket underneath.

After doing my research I felt intimidated too so this weekend we went to Buy Buy Baby and had one of their sales people show us several different systems at different price points before we made our decision. We spent most of our time looking at the Britax B Agile, Uppababy Vista & Cruz, and the Bugaboo Chameleon. We got to practice using the strollers and all of their features with the guidance of an expert. It was really fun and ended up being an easy choice when all was said and done. Totally worth the trip!

kbrands7 · January 2016

@lalala2004 We went with the jogger Graco combo with DS and I have absolutely no regrets. It's highly rated by CR for ease of use and safety, and lived up to the hype. Having the real tires is a bonus too-- if you're ever out and the air gets low, a quick hand pump will do the trick, or, if a Dick's Sporting Goods is nearby, they'll pump up tires for free. If anything is wrong with parts, Graco will ship out new ones quickly. We went with a similar Graco double stroller this time, but we'll reuse the carseat (not expired yet) and also the jogger for when I wear one/push one.

proudparent2b · January 2016

I'm looking at the Bob car seat & stroller but have read some reviews that say the car seat gets way too hot, so not sure at this point.

lalala2004 · January 2016

@kbrands7 that's great to hear, thanks for sharing!

caterin · January 2016

We will order the Mutsy Evo. Haven't seen it in person in the US but heard a lot of good things! Easy for traveling, lightweight, nice design and sturdy.

I especially love the bassinet!

In addition we will purchase the Maxi Cosi Mico Max. It's compatible with the stroller. I think we will use it a lot. But the bassinet will definitely get the most use since we love to take long walks and I don't want that the baby is stuck for too long in one position like in a car seat.

I was a little overwhelmed with so many options but now I'm excited and happy with the final decision

araecasey · January 2016

I highly recommend that all parents who use facebook go join the Carseats for the Littles group ASAP. It's run by several CPSTs who will help you select and properly install a car seat that fits your needs, including ones that will work best in your specific year/make/model car. They are the bomb.

newlvgirl · January 2016

I also recommend the Uppababy Vista. I purchased this for baby #3 about 3 years ago and was able to have big sister #2 sit in the stroller in the store to see what it was like pushing it around with some "real" weight in it. What sold me was the ability to push it around with one hand and how sturdy it felt. I used the Chicco Keyfit Magic infant car seat and purchased the adapter to use with the stroller. It all worked great and I look forward to using the stroller again with baby #4!

camillaandcarson · January 2016

To confuse you even more we ended up hardly ever using the stroller and just mostly wore the baby. It was much easier. The car seat thing - all car seats pass safety standards. We went with consumer reports and got one of the top rated that way.

countrygrl5533 · January 2016

So I had never heard of Uppababy before so finally looked them up. They don't sell them anywhere near me, hence I had never head of them. It's a good $400 out of my price range for the stroller. $100-200 out for the car seat. Wow! All car seats must meet the same safety regulations so I personally would not spend that much money just for features and a name.

finnybooboo · January 2016

Highly recommend Britax, but do not recommend the B-Ready system. If I could have a do over I would have chosen the B-Agile. The Ready is just too big and clunky. The reason we got it though was because it can become a double stroller. So I might feel differently once baby is here and we get the attachment to fit the seat and car seat.

balamama · January 2016

I'm between the Bumbleride Indie 4 and the Uppababy Vista. I have heard great things about the Vista and love that it can become a double and that it doesn't have air-filled wheels (so you never get a flat). The Indie 4 is very highly rated by Consumer Reports and is around $200-250 cheaper than the Vista (and also comes with bassinet and toddler seat) but doesn't convert to a double and has air-filled tires. Does anyone have any experience with the Indie 4 or any other insights that might help us make the decision? TIA!!

kitandcat · January 2016

We are registered for the Chicco Bravo Trio Travel System... we looked at a lot of strollers in the store (Babies R Us) and this one felt light enough but still heavy duty enough to make you feel like your baby is going to be safe! It felt good pushing it around, it had cup holders and a phone holder (important for us!), the handle was adjustable (my hubby is more than a foot taller than me so this is a MUST!), it was super easy to collapse and reopen, the carseat isn't SUPER light but it's light enough, and we loved the "naturale" color as we wanted something neutral that we would be comfortable using for future babies. I am overall in love with this car seat! Haven't actually used it yet of course, 20 weeks to go before I have a baby to put in it! LOL, but I love the look and feel of it so far. We decided a travel system is a must, to be honest I'm not sure what the benefit is of NOT getting a travel system.. It's 379.99 for stroller + car seat + base. We also registered for an extra base to keep in my husband's car. We'll have to get a new car seat when the baby is too big of course, but we'll be hanging on to it for our next one

I hope it's as amazing as I think it will be !!

Bltbear82 · January 2016

countrygrl5533 said:
So I had never heard of Uppababy before so finally looked them up. They don't sell them anywhere near me, hence I had never head of them. It's a good $400 out of my price range for the stroller. $100-200 out for the car seat. Wow! All car seats must meet the same safety regulations so I personally would not spend that much money just for features and a name.

To this point I saw something on Lucie's List that says something like "the best car seat is the one that fits: your kid the best, your car the best, and your wallet the best. "

You don't need all the bells and whistles, and what works for one family doesn't work for all, so I feel like as long as you pick something that's well-rated and works for your life you can't go wrong. There's a ton of stuff to blow your budget on and we all have different priorities and budgets.

@babyfmama we personally went with the Vista mainly because of the durability and the tires. I don't even know what I would do if a tire blew out on our stroller while out. In the suburbs you could always go to a gas station but there aren't many in a city and in particular my neighborhood with cobblestone streets. I like knowing its one less thing to ever need to worry about. Hope that helps!

balamama · January 2016

Bltbear82 said:

@babyfmama we personally went with the Vista mainly because of the durability and the tires. I don't even know what I would do if a tire blew out on our stroller while out. In the suburbs you could always go to a gas station but there aren't many in a city and in particular my neighborhood with cobblestone streets. I like knowing its one less thing to ever need to worry about. Hope that helps!

thanks for your insight! definitely helpful.

js8812 · January 2016

Bltbear82 said:

To this point I saw something on Lucie's List that says something like "the best car seat is the one that fits: your kid the best, your car the best, and your wallet the best. " You don't need all the bells and whistles, and what works for one family doesn't work for all, so I feel like as long as you pick something that's well-rated and works for your life you can't go wrong. There's a ton of stuff to blow your budget on and we all have different priorities and budgets. @babyfmama we personally went with the Vista mainly because of the durability and the tires. I don't even know what I would do if a tire blew out on our stroller while out. In the suburbs you could always go to a gas station but there aren't many in a city and in particular my neighborhood with cobblestone streets. I like knowing its one less thing to ever need to worry about. Hope that helps!

So true. My mom is a certified car seat technician (she's a nurse, but had the extra training and keeps up her certification), and she always says the best seat is the one that fits your car the best and that you can properly install in your car and secure your child in.

So many people get great seats, but don't know how to properly put their child in.

mmemartinez · January 2016

We loved have the graco snugrides with the snap n go. A base in each car was wonderful. We got the stroller part at a consignment shop for cheap and a neighbor was also giving one away recently so that is somewhere you could save money. Once DS was too big for those we switched to the britax marathon, one in each car. He is still in those at almost 4 yo. So they cost a lot but last for a long time. 3-4 years is too long to have something that will piss you off daily if it sucks. Also switched to the city mini stroller and I can't rave enough about that either.

JessicaB0627 · January 2016

We went with the Chicco travel system for DD and loved it. We're going with another Chicco keyfit 30 for this LO but are still undecided on what we're doing about the stroller situation. We bought the Britax Marathon for DD when she outgrew her infant seat. Both brands are highly rated!

Bluejay3030 · January 2016

The Britax B-agile travel system (comes with the B-safe infant car seat) was awesome with DD. Easy to use, clean, and safe. We're buying the B-ready stroller that can be converted to a double stroller for kiddo number 2.

My BIL and another friend of ours (both car guys) were both obsessed with the idea of Recaro seats, but they ended up not liking them as much as they thought because they were clunky, more difficult to install, and less comfortable. Or so they said...

tripledaggerWed95976 · January 2016

So all of my friends are obsessed with uppababy, but my husband and I wanted to find something a bit more affordable... so, after much debate we landed on the graco modes travel system. It's easy to use and has really good ratings so I'm hoping We end up happy with it!

Kennedy0830 · January 2016

We also went with the Britax b-agile travel system due to a friends recommendation. DH's only request was to test it out himself to make sure he could easily use it (naturally, without instructions). We went to target, he tinkered with it for 5-10 minutes and said it was easy enough for him use/figure out and maneuver so he was sold. Oh the simple minded

SaraJan2014 · January 2016

We also went with the uppababy vista and mesa. It was between that and the baby jogger cityselect as we really wanted a double that could go back and forth to a single quickly and easily. And we liked it came with a bassinet that could be used for sleeping and the stroller.

Sienna516 · January 2016

My husband and I tested/played with a bunch of strollers and infant car seats at babies r us and ended up liking the Chicco Bravo System https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MS9VVTA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage due to it's easy to fold up, lighter than some of the others, and that it folded small (wasn't sure if I could fit some of the others in my car). We saw around black Friday it was 20% off Chicco items, so that was a good savings and we bought an extra base. We also liked how easy the carrier clicked into the stroller and out. Graco seemed too cheap to me and Britax just didn't appeal to me. I also read the Chicco Key Fit Infant carrier was one of the top car seats the last few years.

buffythevampireslayer · January 2016

We are also still deciding between strollers, though our decision is whether or not we want to pay extra for a convertible stroller at this point. I know I want my first and second less than three years apart, so part of me wants to plan for that, and part of me thinks it's crazy to plan for another child when I don't even have this one yet (maybe getting pregnant with the second won't be so easy, maybe our life circumstances might change, etc.). I have also heard very different things from moms with multiple children with close age ranges regarding when their kids stop using a stroller and how they get around, so it hasn't helped because there is no "answer".

We live in a city and I don't drive. My husband is a teacher so I'll be doing daycare drop off every day and I'll walk the baby in the stroller. My husband thinks we should just pick a stroller that works for one and figure out the second when they come! We are test driving this weekend so we will see what we come up with!

dsmith211 · January 2016

So far we only have the stroller, but we're going with a BOB jogger and Chicco KeyFit. I pretty much already knew I wanted a BOB bc I run and it would help get me back into things and we got a lot of recommendations from family and friends on the car seat. Plus we get to borrow an extra base for the car seat from my step sister who just had one sitting around. We were going to buy another for the other car, but I'm down for saving $100.

lisaren · January 2016

We just got ours tonight! I love it.

Pic below. I apparently cannot master pic posting now.

lisaren · January 2016

Mrs Sweet Tea · January 2016

We got the Graco Modes Sport Click Connect travel system. It's very versatile and has great storage space for a diaper bag. I have a large purse that I used as a tester when we were out shopping and so many strollers either didn't fit it or it really took more time and effort than I thought acceptable to get it in and out. https://www.gracobaby.com/products/pages/modes-sport-click-connect-stroller-rockweave.aspx

I am also looking at getting a BOB jogger secondhand to use when we go trail hiking or to the beach. I can't justify spending the $ on a new one, but I have found several in good condition for around $100-$150 on Craigslist.

wsgjmw1 · January 2016

We chose not to do a travel system
But instead separate. Went with the UppaBaby Cruz stroller ... After looking and driving around tons of stroller this one was the best for us ! As for the car seat we chose the Graco 4ever ... Liked that it grows with baby from 4-120 lbs. Double
Stoked on the 20% off coupon at buy buy baby !

Want a personalized experience?

Overwhelmed with car seats and strollers

Re: Overwhelmed with car seats and strollers

Choose Another Board

Search Boards