Travel systems - worth it?

[Catherinebee85]

My SIL said they regretted buying a travel system and wish they'd bought a pram and separate car seat. Said it was so faffy getting the seat out of the car and an effort to place it properly on the pram base.

Any opinions/tips?

[Heirhelp]

Most car seats can be placed on most prams. We boughted them separately as we wanted the safest car seat. Yes they are heavy and for the first 4 weeks they can't be in the car seat for more than 30 mins but if is winter or with a little baby they are handy.

[PeachBellini123]

We got the Quinny Buzzextra travel system. I really like it and not a faff at all to put the car seat on the pram frame.

[switswoo81]

I found it invaluable for my winter baby when you literally need one thing in the shop. Hate seeing people going for a walk with them. Never found it any more of a faff than putting on carrycot. Still using travel system ( bug cam)only at nearly 2

[Notso]

I think a car seat should be bought because it is the best fit for your car and budget not because it fits on a pram.

In the same way you are more likely to get your money's worth out of a pram/pushchair if you choose it to meet your needs not because it comes in a package with a car seat.

We had a bug cam for DC 3 which came with adapters for our car seat. We used it twice, once for a hospital visit and once because DH forgot to put the carrycot in the car.

[NerrSnerr]

We bought a Gracco travel system and are still using it at 2.5 (the pushchair bit). Baby number 2 is due in a few months and will use it for them so it's been a good investment for us.

[Floridasunset]

We had a silver cross pioneer travel system but not the package with the silver cross car seat as we wanted a safer one. We got adapters for our car seat and it was useful when you were only going to be 2 minutes in a shop and baby was asleep so didn't want to disturb them by lifting them out and putting them in the carrycot.
I don't think the bundles necessarily come with the best seats

[FATEdestiny]

I bought a Gracco travel system 12 years ago and have used it as my only pushchair for 4 children - all from birth until they no longer need a pushchair.

Car seat easy peasy to slot from car into pushchair without disturbing baby. Carrycot/pram insert is removable, to take sleeping newborn out of pushchair if needed. Pushchair usable into toddlerhoid.

Clearly sturdy - mines had probably 8 years of daily use plus 4 years of occassional use. It's still going strong (youngest is 2y4m).

[MyMrKnightley]

Wanted to get my baby use to switching between car seat and pram/into house early, he doesn't even wake up most of the time. My thought is that there is only so long you can lift baby and car seat without putting your back out. Also a little baby shouldn't be in the car seat for long and as it's 20 minutes to my local town I didn't think it was going to be much use for me anyway.

As others said wanted the safest car seat and most practical pushchair for me and not just a package deal.

[picklemepopcorn]

The advice now is not to leave them in car seats for very long at a time, so I honestly don't see the point anymore.

[BettyOBarley]

I loved ours until DD grew out of the car seat and then it was just a very bulky pushchair.

DS is a big baby and at 4 months he has grown out of the car seat (well he's too heavy for me to lift in it!) and the carrycot so we are selling.

[PurpleTraitor]

Bought one with first baby, used the pushchair less than five times then put it in the garage. Used the car seat till baby outgrew it then sold the whole lot.

Bought a leave in the car seat for second baby, and never replaced the pushchair. The only good thing about buying it was I got back nearly what I paid for it.

So it's a no from me!

[cocopops88]

I have a Jane matrix one, and because the car seat can be lay flat I can leave my daughter in it when sshe's asleep, its great. I can get the frame out of the boot and her on it in about 30 seconds. I love it, but can see how one with a regular car seat is less use.

[FartnissEverbeans]

I have a Graco Evo travel system. It works for us because we don't drive - we live abroad and use taxis all the time because it's pretty cheap to do so here. It's really easy to fit the seat and to fold down the frame.

I keep the car seat on when walking too because it's too hot to walk any distance here (and there aren't any pavements) so the baby's never in it long anyway.

[JohnLapsleyParlabane]

I think it's worth trying to get the car seat on and off the base with a weight in it and a heavy bag on one shoulder! John Lewis had a selection of weighted dolls and we realised before buying our buggy that I couldn't lift the car seat off the chassis alone because I was too short!

[QuackDuckQuack]

We bought a travel system for DD1, but I hated getting the car seat out of the car. We got a Baby Jogger City Mini GT for DD2 and left the car seat in the car. I much preferred the City Mini GT as it was lighter to push.

[skankingpiglet]

I bought a travel system for DD1 and it's sitting in the loft in an almost immaculate condition despite now having a 7mo DD2...
The car seat has had a lot of use, lasting DD1 until she was 14mo and will last until DD2 outgrows it. I could count on one hand the number of times I connected the car seat to the frame as tended to either carry the carrier or use a sling if a short trip into a shop etc, or use the pushchair configuration if a longer outing.
The pram part was a waste as DD1 refused to go in it so went straight into the parent-facing pushchair mode (it lays flat). DD2 however has loved the pram part of the double buggy (don't have one for the single, again it lays flat), so obviously that wouldn't always be a waste of money!
I realised very quickly it was an all-rounder and didn't do anything particularly well. It was a disaster over grass. I consigned it to the loft and bought a decent second hand pushchair which was more specialised to my needs. I'll sell it on once I've done with the car seat.

If I was to do things over knowing what I do now, I'd buy a new car seat separately, the pushchair I wanted (new or second hand depending on budget), and second hand adapters to fit the carrier to the frame. That way I could sell on the adapters once I'd finished with them for practically what I'd paid, as I'd probably use them once or twice but not enough to justify the greater expense associated with a travel system.

[Grindelwaldswand]

My sister's both had travel systems and traded them in for an umbrella pushchair at 6 months yes its cute pushing them about in a carrycot or car seat when they are tiny but once they hit 6 months they've outgrown it and its too heavy to push with them in it, ive been advised to get a lightweight stroller from the start and just get an in car seat that stays in the car m sister said you only use the buggy for about 2 year's so it's pointless spending hundreds or worrying about what brand to get just get a robust umbrella buggy and a good footmuff thing and your sorted

[redandwhite1]

It was ideal for when they needed to keep sleeping from falling asleep in the car

The carry cot was what we used the least and probably the 'waste of money' we used it more as a bed when we went away

Id probably get it again if I had another so in my opinion not a waste of time

[littlemisscynical]

I bought the oyster 2 last year. And it was the display model in the shop so it probably wasn't the newest model last year either. It was a limited edition model city grey.

It really depends what you need it for. I use mine mainly to walk to the local shop and through the local town and I need to get it in and out of the boot a lot also. So it suited me as it is very light.

However, I used the carrycot when DS was a newborn and he outgrew it very quickly. I think he was 4 months when we stopped using it. He was a very small but longish baby.

For some reason he hated the stroller part. I don't think it is very comfortable. The sides are very "open" iyswim. I know it says you can use the seat from newborn but I wouldn't. It doesn't recline completely flat either.

I have a Britax Römer babysafe plus SHR 11 car seat. Great car seat. I tended to just pop it on the frame for short trips instead of using the stroller. I bought height adaptors to use with the car seat and carrycot as I found the pram to be very low. These add 7cm (I think). And mean that you have more space underneath to put groceries etc.

DS is now 10 months. I put him in the stroller last month and went for a long walk and he actually slept. Maybe he is more comfortable now as he is bigger and has sitting balance 🤷‍♀️

I've also found that the front wheels have buckled occasionally when going up/down kerbs. So it wouldn't be a great choice for rough terrain.

In conclusion, an ok pram. I wish I'd did more research and went for something else.

[littlemisscynical]

Oops wrong thread