What is the best car seat and stroller combination?
I want to buy a car seat and stroller that can easily be interchangeable. I hate the big heavy strollers so I was looking for something that is lightweight and not a pain to carry around.
Any suggestions?
8 Responses
BraxOwl
09 Jul 2010
tonnieRN
09 Jul 2010
idk if this is what you are looking for but ihave the graco quattro tour deluxe…it is a little bulky, buy it has everything i need and some i don’t, drives like a dream…gl
mommy2B
09 Jul 2010
What about one of the snap and go carseat stroller bases? It’s just a plastic frame with wheels so the carseat can be fit on top.
Then later on, you can get a lightweight stroller (I like the maclarens) when you aren’t using the infant carseat anymore.
cody o
09 Jul 2010
i would go with a graco that can be found at kmart,,,,, just dont buy a pink one they get really dirty very quick
♥Lucky♥ 2nd
09 Jul 2010
I recommend any of the Graco travel systems. Go to the store and try them out to see which one feels most comfortable for you to push.
Maria M
09 Jul 2010
go to target (: hey have awesome ones there. personally, i like Graco, but its all about what you like.
Sophie’s M
09 Jul 2010
We use the Graco metrolight stroller system… comes with a car seat. lighter than the normal stroller systems.
littleangelfire8
09 Jul 2010
If lightweight and small is one of your most important qualities, and you’d also like to save a little money, definitely just buy an infant seat and a universal car seat stroller separately. There is the Baby Trend Snap ‘n Go, Combi Flash EX, Kolcraft makes one, and Graco makes a car seat carrier for the Graco SnugRide.
A universal car seat carrier stroller is as small and lightweight as it gets, fitting in the smallest trunks. And then once you’re done with the infant seat in 4-6 months, you can get a high quality stroller that will be lightweight. The strollers that come with travel systems tend to be of lower quality anyways, so when moms buy them, they then end up having to buy another stroller before they’re done with the stroller years, so you won’t miss out on anything by not getting one.
Steer clear of Evenflo Infant seats – too many recalls and crappy recall fixes.
Also, thought I’d mention a few important things about infant carrier seats:
Carriers should NEVER be placed on grocery carts. It makes the carts unstable and they can tip over, seriously injuring the baby. Also, not all car seats fit all carts, and they don’t lock on, they’re just sitting there, posing an obvious threat. And some of the carts are shaped or sized in a way that it puts the carrier at an unsafe/uncomfortable angle for the baby. I’ve seen babies laying in carriers on carts with their head lower than their feet – not a good idea for digestion or spit up.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says Parents and caregivers should never Place an infant carrier on top of the shopping cart. "Many infant-only car safety seats lock into shopping carts, and many stores have shopping carts with built-in infant seats. This may seem safe, but thousands of children are hurt every year from falling out of shopping carts or from the carts tipping over. Instead of placing your baby’s car safety seat on the cart, consider using a stroller or front pack while shopping with your baby. "
Also, we are seeing rampant developmental delays becuase babies are in these carriers (and swings, and bouncy seats…) so much. Look around everywhere you go and instead of holding their babies, people have them in these carriers. When on their back and harnessed (and any time a child is in a carrier, he needs to be harnessed, even though its not in a car!) they can not work the muscles they need to develop to crawl, sit up, and walk. In the manuals for these carriers, it even says specifically ‘for use in cars and strollers only’! But we all seem to miss that part.
DANGEROUS ON SHOPPING CARTS:
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/aug06shoppingcart.htm
http://www.medem.com/search/article_display.cfm?path=n:&mstr=/ZZZT24LYQMC.html&soc=AAP&srch_typ=NAV_SERCH
SLINGS:
http://www.thebabywearer.com
TOO MUCH TIME IN SEATS:
http://www.oandp.org/jpo/library/2003_03_102.asp
http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/child_health/car-seats.html
http://stonyfield.typepad.com/babybabble/2008/02/bouncy-chairs-a.html
Well, I have a Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe travel system, and I LOVE it! It comes with the Graco SafeSeat, Step 1 (for infants). It is big, but it is easy to steer and I can fold it with one hand. The seat can lay flat, and there is a boot that can come up to to close off the foot opening for infants-I would do that and my daughter would sit backwards in it at the ball field, like it was a miniature play pen. It came in handy because we spent so much time at the ball field. Just something to consider. The car seat can snap onto the stroller, and they can be used independently. In my mind, I compare the "big" strollers to a nice cushioned chair, and the umbrella type to a wooden chair with a back but no arms. Which would YOU rather spend a lot of time in?
For lightweight, you can get about any car seat that can be used with the Snap & Go stroller. This is just a frame that the car seat snaps into. Graco makes a version as well, specifically for their seats though you can use Graco Seats with the Snap & Go (it adjusts for a variety of seats). It folds up easily, but of course you will not be able to use it once your child outgrows the infant seat, and you will have to purchase another one. Also-while I loved this stroller I would not use it exclusively. The child needs to change position and move around.