Stroller versus travel system

[la79al]

For this baby, the biggest things we need are a new carseat and new stroller.  After searching for months, I think I have found a stroller that I really like- www.target.com/p/graco-verb-click-connect-stroller-bijou/-/A-16485870#prodSlot=medium_1_2&term=bijou.  I dislike however that it does not have a matching carseat.  Then I also found this one- www.amazon.com/Graco-Connect-Travel-System-Sunshine/dp/B00PX8Q5F8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1423970623&sr=8-3&keywords=verb+sunshine.  I like the first one much more but like that the second one comes with the carseat.  So do I go with my first choice and have a mismatched carseat or my second choice and have it all?  Plus, do they both look gender neutral?  I hate that I can't even find that style of stroller in a store to go look at.  I'm hoping for the best....

[laketide]

I chose not to do a travel system and I only have one child, so my opinion is one coming from someone who has never had a travel system - so I may be missing some valuable information there. I chose not to do one for several reasons - the main being that I knew by about month 6 or 7 we would begin using a convertible car seat since the bucket gets pretty heavy and mainly the whole purpose of having a stroller and car seat combo would be out the window at that point. When DD was in her infant seat we had the stroller frame that the seat fits into. It was perfect for that usage - lightweight and folded up great so it was easy to take everywhere. It was also a lot cheaper. Once she switched to a convertible we chose to go with a BOB jogging stroller - I can't recommend it enough. Next time around I will do the exact same thing. I think the travel system is pretty neutral, but the stroller looks like a little boy to me. Good luck!!

[cowplanet]

We're just starting to think about baby stuff, but we haven't done much beyond look at a few reviews. Is the travel system really more convenient? When looking at stroller weights in travel systems vs. standalones, the system strollers are heavier. And you still seem to have the same amount of pieces. Is it a value thing? I think I'm missing something.

My very mild "research" so far seems to lean toward a jogging/hybrid stroller and a car seat that clicks into a base, so we can have one seat but a base in each car (including grandparents). Beyond that? Just trying to get through the first tri.

[xcrissx]

Those are the same strollers in different colors, right?
I think they are both gender neutral and ain't nobody going to care if your car seat matches your stroller. So if you like blue better than yellow, get blue. You will probably be using the stroller well beyond the infant seat anyway.

[speedymarie]

Feb 14, 2015 23:38:04 GMT -5 laketide said:

I chose not to do a travel system and I only have one child, so my opinion is one coming from someone who has never had a travel system - so I may be missing some valuable information there. I chose not to do one for several reasons - the main being that I knew by about month 6 or 7 we would begin using a convertible car seat since the bucket gets pretty heavy and mainly the whole purpose of having a stroller and car seat combo would be out the window at that point. When DD was in her infant seat we had the stroller frame that the seat fits into. It was perfect for that usage - lightweight and folded up great so it was easy to take everywhere. It was also a lot cheaper. Once she switched to a convertible we chose to go with a BOB jogging stroller - I can't recommend it enough. Next time around I will do the exact same thing. I think the travel system is pretty neutral, but the stroller looks like a little boy to me. Good luck!!

This is what we did. We had the lightweight frame with the bucket. Once she got too heavy for the bucket, we have an umbrella stroller for when we needed something small, and a heavy-duty jogging stroller with inflatable tires for winter, hiking, long day trips, etc. (We live in the city so we walk a lot and an all terrain stroller was essential). The travel system strollers are heavy but mostly have cheap wheels, so imo they are the negatives of both kinds i have, with few of the positives.

The umbrella we got is a little pricier (runs $120, got on consignment for $70) but it has a basket and a canopy and opens one handed and had a 5 point harness. It is great. The light weight frames are easy to get cheap. I got mine for $20 on consignment. Check out the spring baby consignment sales.

The problem with a travel system is that you are limited on both which stroller you can get and which car seat you can get when you try to find a set. You end up compromising on one or the other or both. There are a lot more choices if you go separate. If you are only gonna use your stroller in malls and stuff it might not matter what kind of stroller you get, but if it matters to you at all, you are likely better of buying seperate.

[moonandback]

I do not think a carseat needs to match the stroller.

I didn't choose a travel system. We got a Baby Jogger City Mini and a Graco Snugride 35. I also preferred to use the Snap N Go stroller to click the carseat into. IT was just so much easier to steer and use. The basket was also much bigger on the Snap N Go then on my City Mini. For the price of an adapter, I got a lightweight simple stroller.

[shortstack]

ETA: Whoops should have gotten it's own thread. Sorry!

[timtits]

I'm not a huge fan of the prepackaged travel systems, I've had the strollers they come with and they're not known for lasting long, bells & whistles, etc. I haven't used the Chicco systems, but Graco, Safety 1st/Eddie Bauer/Cosco and Evenflo strollers, and if I were having more kids, I'd still not use those. However - if your budget won't go much higher than the price of those, they will be fine to use. The car seat that comes with the second link is the Graco Snugride 30, which is a good seat, provides a good fit for newborns and smaller and is reasonably compact.

I have in the past purchased a mid-priced stroller second hand in new condition for less than the price of a new system. Then you'd still have room in the budget for a new car seat. As long as you walk away from the Snugride (22# model) and Baby Trend seats you should be fine with whatever infant seat you choose that is compatible.

Oh- I have heard great things about the Urbini systems.

[flcl]

I'd go with the stroller that you really like, especially if you've had a chance to see it in person. We used a snap n go with the infant carrier, which he outgrew in 3.5 months because he's so tall. Having matching car seat/strollers wouldn't have mattered in the end for us.

[mom2boxers]

I chose to do a Baby Jogger City Versa with a Britax B-Safe car seat. I found both on clearance when they were getting rid of old models. My stroller's seat was removable so it's essentially a snap-n-go until I put LO in the main seat.

For the Gracos - make sure whatever car seat you get to click into the stroller frame is the proper one. They have Classic Connect and Click-to-Connect car seats and the bases that you put in the car are not compatible with each other. Not sure if the strollers are also unique to being able to use a certain seat.

[timtits]

Feb 18, 2015 10:30:06 GMT -5 mom2boxers said:

I chose to do a Baby Jogger City Versa with a Britax B-Safe car seat. I found both on clearance when they were getting rid of old models. My stroller's seat was removable so it's essentially a snap-n-go until I put LO in the main seat.

For the Gracos - make sure whatever car seat you get to click into the stroller frame is the proper one. They have Classic Connect and Click-to-Connect car seats and the bases that you put in the car are not compatible with each other. Not sure if the strollers are also unique to being able to use a certain seat.

Yes to the bolded. If we're talking Graco strollers, it's the same - Click Connect with Click Connect and Classic with Classic. If you're looking at adapters for another stroller, you need to check the compatibility chart. If it's an older second hand stroller and it just says compatible with Snugrides - assume classic connect.

[SpinsOffResonance]

The stroller and the travel system you linked are the same stroller. And it is a graco click connect so compatible with any graco click connect car seat. So it does have a matching carseat, even if you go for the first one. I don't understand what doesn't match? The color? Who cares!
I don't get the point of travel systems in general. I think you're better off getting the stroller you want. Personally, I think it makes sense to wait until you have the baby to get a real stroller. Then you'll know what you need in a stroller. In the mean time just go with the car seat with the frame stroller.

[cowplanet]

Cool, I think I won't even worry about a travel system. Get a new car seat and search Craigslist for a used jogger and snap and go.

[scrappypom]

I got the new chicco bravo trio, and I like it... So far, in my living room as my baby is still 3 weeks out! The car seat was $180 anyway, and I got the system on sale, so I only spent an extra $100 on the stroller. You can take the seat out so it is just the car seat carrying frame. It is fairly light weight.

I may be totally wrong, but it seemed like a good choice to me. We live in a suburban area, so it's not like I'll need it constantly anyway. I also plan to baby wear and get an umbrella stroller.

[abachesta]

I got the britax b-safe travel system and love it. But a bunch of my friends have it by chance so I got to "test drive" it with their babies/kids. I would go with the one that has your car seat with it since it's usually cheaper to buy them bundled in the travels system verse separate. But if you love the other stroller more then go with what you want they do not need to match it will be only a short period of time that they will be in the infant seat clicked into the stroller.

[sjp03]

Feb 15, 2015 15:35:50 GMT -5 speedymarie said:

Feb 14, 2015 23:38:04 GMT -5 laketide said:

I chose not to do a travel system and I only have one child, so my opinion is one coming from someone who has never had a travel system - so I may be missing some valuable information there. I chose not to do one for several reasons - the main being that I knew by about month 6 or 7 we would begin using a convertible car seat since the bucket gets pretty heavy and mainly the whole purpose of having a stroller and car seat combo would be out the window at that point. When DD was in her infant seat we had the stroller frame that the seat fits into. It was perfect for that usage - lightweight and folded up great so it was easy to take everywhere. It was also a lot cheaper. Once she switched to a convertible we chose to go with a BOB jogging stroller - I can't recommend it enough. Next time around I will do the exact same thing. I think the travel system is pretty neutral, but the stroller looks like a little boy to me. Good luck!!

This is what we did. We had the lightweight frame with the bucket. Once she got too heavy for the bucket, we have an umbrella stroller for when we needed something small, and a heavy-duty jogging stroller with inflatable tires for winter, hiking, long day trips, etc. (We live in the city so we walk a lot and an all terrain stroller was essential). The travel system strollers are heavy but mostly have cheap wheels, so imo they are the negatives of both kinds i have, with few of the positives.

The umbrella we got is a little pricier (runs $120, got on consignment for $70) but it has a basket and a canopy and opens one handed and had a 5 point harness. It is great. The light weight frames are easy to get cheap. I got mine for $20 on consignment. Check out the spring baby consignment sales.

The problem with a travel system is that you are limited on both which stroller you can get and which car seat you can get when you try to find a set. You end up compromising on one or the other or both. There are a lot more choices if you go separate. If you are only gonna use your stroller in malls and stuff it might not matter what kind of stroller you get, but if it matters to you at all, you are likely better of buying seperate.

I wanted to do something like this, but I also found stroller shopping very overwhelming.  My husband convinced me to just go with the travel system.  I wish I would have pushed back a bit more.  I find that the strollers that come with travel systems are a bit bulky.

[funhaven]

I got the graco modes travel system stroller! I LOVE it, the toddler seat comes off and you can click the car seat (that comes w it!) right on! Also you have the option of having the toddler seat face inwards or outwards! Also - it is a breeze to fold!! I was really depating between the b-ready and the city select but then came upon this one at BRU and I love that it is an all-in-one package and I don't have to buy anything seperate (car seat adaptor, cup holder etc)