Travel System: What features do you value most?

[Spring740]

Hi everyone,

In your experience, what are the most useful features / functionality to look out for when buying a travel sysyem i.e. car seat, pram, buggy? Is it weight, storage, ability to recline, swivel etc. What have you found a real benefit in the products you have bought? What would you buy again and why? Thanks

Let us know what you need it for and you'll get more tailored advice.

Weight and width. Need to be able to go to any London tube station and carry it down steps on my own (unfolded with baby inside) and navigate tiny shop aisles where people stop and stare at the shelves, and squeeze my way down pavements cluttered with al fresco dining, hire bikes and scooters and wheelie bins.

Re: what I need it for.

Car seat for my VW golf..general trips out and about. Nothing long distance. Going to my mums 20miles away or day trips out.

Pram cot for walks in a semi rural area and thinking of using it with a stand for overnight sleeping.

Buggy for lots of walking around rural roads and maybe some paths and trails.

Does that help?

Yes, sounds like you need a terrain-ish capable pushchair with a sleep certified carrycot. Golf boot isn't miniscule, so you ought to be fine with anything really.

Could look at for example

Babyjogger Citi Mini GT
Uppababy Vista
Bugaboo Fox
Cybex Balios S Lux (less terrain-capable than the others)
Mountain Buggy Swift

In terms of car seat, most of the big names will have the same car seat compatability, so you've got a choice of a basic model costing around £100 (e.g. Maxi Cosi Cabriofix i-size, Britax Babysafe Core, Cybex Aton T) with optional base approx another £100, or you can opt for more fancy features on the car seat which cost more. All of these three I've mentioned are nice with good safety and positioning for babies.