Advice/recommendations on travel system prams?

[Arlem]

I'm a soon-to-be first time mum and I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the information and products online. I think I've figured out that I am after a travel system pushchair which includes both a carrycot and car seat attachment. I'm looking for a carrycot that I can bring into the house for the baby to have daytime naps in as I don't want a moses basket. I'd love to hear any recommendations or advice to help narrow down what to look for!

Ive done exactly the same thing. My son is 3 months old and has all his naps in the carrycot.

I have a Mamma and Pappas Occarro travel system. Has everything you need. Have a think about where you'll be pushing the pram as this will dictate if you need off road wheels. Mine also came with a load of bumpf like a cup holder and a baby bag, which I dont need. Id also say make sure it has a load of space underneath so you can shove shopping/coats etc when you need too.

I love my UPPAbaby!

Try out the folding mechanism in a shop if possible. You’ll also have to lift the folded pushchair chassis in and out of the car boot, so consider its weight – anything over 10kg could be a struggle.
With most travel systems, you can either buy a matching car seat along with the system or buy one separately. Buying them together will sometimes end up being cheaper as many manufacturers offer bundle deals, but buying them separately may mean you have more choice and flexibility. Just make sure the two are compatible before you spend any money.
See whether the seat cover is detachable and easily washable as it will certainly be tested to the limit over the years with exploding nappies and half-chewed food.
It’s worth considering whether you can convert it to a double buggy or fit a buggy board if your family grows.
Adjustable handlebars are useful if more than one of you is going to be pushing it and you’re different heights to each other.

Just to put the other side to you: I regret getting a travel system and wish I’d bought a ‘from birth’ buggy like the Silver cross Horizon. My baby would not lie flat so the carrycot never got used and I carried her around in a sling until she was big enough for the pushchair bit. Lots of newborns hate carrycots, but you don’t find that out until it’s too late!

Also, don’t waste ££££ - buy second hand. You can get very good seconds for a fraction of the price. That way, if you need to change it later it won’t matter.

Thanks so much for all your suggestions! It seems there's even more to consider than I originally thought! At least I know what to focus on now. And I didn't know that some prams are compatible with some different car seats so I will look into that too. So much to think about!

I am not an expert and each person would value different things depending on their lifestyle but this is what I value most about mine:

1. It was second hand - cannot believe the price people pay for new 😱
2. The basket underneath can fit SO much in. DD s coming up for 2 and if we do a big day out, EVERYTHING fits in there so no bags to lug around. A weekly shop is also good in there...as well as my child on occasion haha!
3. It folds small enough to fit in the car boot easily. We had a Polo when she was born so this was essential. I've seen mums having to take wheels off to get a pram in the boot! No time for that!
4. It folds easily without having to remove any part of it (apart from the carrycot when they're tiny). I think you have to take the seat unit off some before you fold it. It also stands up when folded which is good if keeping it in the house.
5. It's not too heavy. I loved the Ocarro but my days I couldn't lift it over the lip of the boot! I could....but it wasn't easy!
6. I never bought a 'buggy'. I still use our pram pretty much every day. I liked her facing me until fairly recently so didn't wsnt a buggy anyway but because it's not bulky and heavy I'm happy to keep using it.

Things that could be better:

1. It's very open...hard to explain! Fine when awake but when asleep I would wish she was more tucked away...in fact when didn't sleep in it much. She was very nosy and it was impossible to shut out the outside world if you get me? An example is if you walk past a child sleeping in a Bugaboo, you can't really even see the child! The hood and angle of the seat etc. make it look so nice and cosy in there! Oh a dark coloured hood helps here too!

1. Not really a problem for us as we knee this before buying it...but we definitely couldn't go for a walk through a forest etc.! We did actually try once and had to take her out and carry her because she was going to catapult out with the bumps haha! Keep it in mind though depending what your lifestyle is like!