Which travel system do you recommend??!!

[MissusC]

I'm pregnant with our first, so DH and I are entering a totally new world of baby gadgetry - and we're confused by so much choice!!
We live in the country, so the travel system needs to be robust and we probably won't use it much in town, so I'm not too fussed about the weight/size. (Think I'll get a cheap and cheerful buggy for town - again, any ideas?)
So far we like the Quinny Speedi and the Quinny Freestyle, both rugged 3 wheelers, but are they any good??
All opinions on all systems, good and bad, gladly and thankfully received!!
MissusC (aka Confused of Wiltshire!!)

Hi

I ahve had both speedi and freestyler if you arent worried about the weight/ size and will be using it lots on rough ground they are both fantastic - I only sold my speedi last week due to having to get the bus more now moved and it will be too big when lo arrives - havent tried either as a travel system as I dont drive but i'm sure it would be good - never heard anything bad - good luck with the minefield of info and choice

by pushchair I meant in the total recline position)

Sexymadscientist - do you have any links to back up your claims regarding the length of time a baby under 3 months can spend in the car seat?

This is the first I have heard of this and sounds a bit bonkers to me. Was at the baby clinic this week with my baby in his car seat, along with every other baby there.

Suspect you may be the only person who is aware of this 20 minute threshold.

sexy mad, i was told around 2hours.

misdee, it does say an hour and a half in my car seat destructions.

20 minutes is bonkers and would make the product unfit for the purpose.

yes, because harefield is a 45min dirve away. 20mins leave me halfway there on the M25.

missusc - good luck for your scan on the 2nd. And for the birth itself of course! Yes, will hopefully see you somewhere on these pages so we can keep up to date with progress

Here is the most recent warning about the dangers of car seats.

What I actually said was that I wouldn't use a carseat for longer than 20mins unnecessarily. This basically means that we have avoided travelling far for the first 3 months, we don't use a travel system just so LO can face us (but we do use it to 'pop' into shops now she is older), we don't leave her asleep in it when we arrive home....I have seen my baby go blue in a car seat (she wasn't even asleep) and it petrified me. Maybe I am over cautious - but it doesn't even take 20 mins for a baby to die of SIDS (sorry for any raw nerves).

I did hear 20mins quoted verbally by retailers when travel systems first hit the market 6-7yrs ago - although I think that was based upon theoretical spine damage. The Breathing problems are more recent observations I believe.

At the end of the day my opinions are clear - you need to make your own mind up. I just wanted to raise awareness around this as many people seem to use there travel system as a means to turn their baby to face them.

I will look for the other, more scientific article I have seen - if I can I will post it here. Other than that I will shut up and leave you to form your own opinions.

that must've been scary madscienctist.

i wasnt actuallly driving till dd3 was 6months old, so when we did go to harefield she was sat next to me in her seat in the back. so i always had an eye on her.

sorry to hijack this thread, missusC, but really interested in what sexymadscientist has to say...am concerned as am due on the 27th of July, but a month later (1st September) I am due to go to a close friend's wedding which will mean driving to wiltshire the day before (about a 3 hour drive from where I am in London). What do you think would be the best thing for me to do in this situation? I was thinking about getting the mamas and papas pilko pramette travel system (that comes so highly rated in the mumsnet prodcut reviews) but am worried about such a young baby being in the carseat for so long (plus I have to idea how flat the M&P carseat would lie). Should I get a different (flat as possible) car seat, or would risk be minimized by taking breaks getting out of the car as much as possible? Advice appreciated! x

You can do the drive, but I'd suggest taking a break (and dd right out of the carseat) every hour or so, and using the pramette lying flat for times when you're not actually in the car.

The carseats that go lie flat across the back seats with only one strap across the baby have a shockingly poor safety profile in crash tests compared to rear-facing ones with a harness, so it's a matter of weighing up the risks for yourself.

I may be missing something too - but am not sure why you are so against the baby facing you madscientist? I had read lots about using slings and how one of the benefits was that the baby could see your face easily when their eyes are still developing, and how when they are new, seeing your face is one of the more comforting things for them.

Fair enough when they are a bit older and face out to see the world, but i dont see why they shouldn't face you to start with?

no no no

Having the baby facing you is a conceptually a good thing

Having the baby facing you if it means they are hunched in a carseat for long periods is not a good thing - better to have them facing away and lying flat.

Word of warning do nit buy from Mamas & Papas - their customer serviceis about as shite as their products - I am on Ziko no 4 at the moment - it is tied together with string as I know if I venture into t
he shop I will wrap it around someone's head!!

oh no twinkle, thats awful!

yes to babies facing you, but no to car seats for long periods of time.

glittercaz, i would take a couple of breaks on your journey, and get your baby out of the car seat and laying flat in her pramette(marvellous choice btw, lvoe them for small babies) for a while each stop.

We've used a Jane Powertrack 360 which is fab (still the only pushchair/pram/buggy we have had to buy and ds is 18mths old).

The carry cot lies flat in the back of any car and can be used up until about 6 mths old (depending on size/weight)- brilliant for sleeping. This then goes on the 3 wheel chassis for a front facing pram then when older just use the chassis as a pushchair. We live in a new house in the countryside and the pram performs well across fields (really!), building site and unmade roads etc...I would definitely recommend it.

just to add - by front facing, I mean facing you..

Hi I'm 16 weeks pg and looking into the pram thing too. DP drives and will have the car 90% of the time so I need a pram that is suitable for long walks but also has a car seat for weekends when DP is home.
A friend bought a MP's Venezia Completo Travel System last year when her baby was born but she said she rarely used it and so it is still quite new. She has offered it to me but I've not seen it.(I've seen pictures on the internet)
Does anyone know what it is like. My budget is about £400 if my friends old pram isn't suitable. I like the three in one travel systems where the carrycot clicks on in the place of the car seat but they are quite expensive

MissusC, I have a Speedi SX. I bought the dreami carry cot to make a pram and initially we had the maxi cosi cabrio car seat (which attaches as travel system). I never used this for long periods but it was really useful when he was very little for nipping into town without waking him.

My DS is nearly 2 now so I would think there may be an updated version. My Sister has the Buzz (which may be replacement?) and she loves it.

The Jane lie-flat carseat got an 'ok' Which review. Not 'fabulous', but not dire - it was an M&P lie-flat one that got slated. I've used the Jane one for my first two but have to think again for my third as it takes up 2 carseats.

Info on tiny babies in carseats:

info

more

ideas

more stuff

googling away

again

this might help

I think if you have a 10-lb-er you don't need to worry too much. If you tend to produce 5-lb-ers you might want to have a plan in mind.

Apologies for the major thread hijack!

Has anyone looked at the Red Castle Sport carseat? Lies-flat and attaches to a lightweight stroller. Hang on ..

Lie Flat Car Seat by Red Castle Sport

You can put it on an itty-bitty stroller or on a lightweight 3-wheeler or on a heavy-duty-country 3 wheeler. Looks cool.

The Venezia looks quite good but doesn't look like it'd handle rough terrain too well on those small wheels.

TBH I'd echo my earlier post and buy a) a carseat that fits the car properly and b) a seperate pram/pushchair that'll be good for you to walk with and not worry about whether they click together.

(if you have the budget the Silver Cross Sleepover or any of the Emmaljungas are very good - there are usually some on ebay too.)

same mrsB.

Hi guys - I think the questions posed to me have been answered - but I didn't want to walk away and ignore them - so my answers would be as follows:

glittercaz - agree with MrsB. Try and take 1-2 breaks over the course of the 3 hours, and during those breaks try and let baby spend some time lying completely flat. TBH a 1m baby is going to want 1-2 feeds during the journey anyway.

conkertree - I have nothing against baby facing you - just as long as they are lying flat. It is just that I encouter so many people that use the travel system - so they can see baby.

The carseats that lie completely flat - are much better from the breathing point of view - BUT I have seen many objections to them on the basis of crash safety. I think there is one that is like a tradiciotnal car seat in teh car, but lies flat on hte chassis - may be the one linked to above (don't have to to check properly).

The references linked to are good - but most of them do refer to premies. There is more reseach at teh mo concerning full termers though. There is at least 1 ref I wanted to find which looks at full term babies - but have to come home from work early to collect sick child. It is a study looking at the amount of oxygen in full term babies blood over the course of about an hour. Will have to check on Monday.

HTH