Confused about travel systems

[swiftt]

First time mum and looking for really simple advice around travel systems. I’m only 16 weeks so got plenty of time, but the more I read about them the more confused I feel.

I keep reading conflicting things about travel systems that include a car seat that can attach to pram - is it useful or not? Are the car seats that come with travel systems good enough? I’ve read people saying they would buy the car seat separately. Do I need to be able to attach car seat to pram? When would you do this - if you’ve driven to shops and they’re asleep?

I’ll be a single parent, live in a first floor flat and will probably be using the car quite often. Can anyone help?

I have a bugaboo with adaptors for a maxi cosi seat. I would prefer a well known brand of car seat.

No advice but I'm a FTM a few weeks behind you and have the exact same questions!

So far all I know is that most car seats can't lie flat so it's bad for babies to spend too much time in them.

But I think most travel systems involve a car seat, carry cot and pram chassis right? So I guess most of the time you could use the carry cot attached to pram but in rare instances eg if they sleeping in the car and you don't want to wake them, just attach the car seat onto the pram. I'm really not sure though so interested to see the other answers you get!

You shouldn’t use the car seat for long periods of time although a lot of people do this. It is bad for the baby’s spine and can cause them difficulty breathing.
A baby should lie flat hence the carry cot pet of the travel system which is usually used until about six months and then your baby should be able to sit.
If you live in a flat and have to carry the pram upstairs I’d recommend looking at the weight and how small it folds.

Part not pet

Modern travel systems are so much more flexible and useable than separate units

The Cybex Zi is almost an completely lie flat caraway . Which means baby can be transitioned from pram to car very easily and you don't need to stress about how long the baby has been in it. It also has a swivel base for the car, which means you don't have to twist and do your back in.

Most car seats have adaptors that enable you to fit most car seats to almost any Prams.

I’ve opted for the cybex cloud z car seat this clips onto the pram (I’ve got the cybex priam) and also clips into the base in the car. It’s also very good in that it is one of the only car seats that lies flat (although not whilst in the car for safety) which is a massive advantage being able to keep baby in the seat for longer if needed without having to move to the pram separately.

Firstly, I wouldn’t stress about it. You get lots of people telling you that you’re some kind of dreadful parent if you don’t buy the UltraBabyMegaSuperAwesome gadget at only £699 but it’s nonsense - they’re ALL tested to a very high standard, they’re much safer than in our parents’ or grandparents’ day.
If you choose to buy a full travel system, the car seat will be tested and safe to use. If you find a car seat you like better, they pretty much all have adapters that fit the big brands of prams. Either way your baby will be safe.
Re why it’s good to have a car seat that fits on the pram, it means that you can strap the baby in the seat when you’re upstairs in your flat, carry baby and seat downstairs and put in your car (either on isofix base or secured with seatbelt - isofix easier but more expensive) and then the other end put the whole thing straight onto pram chassis. All without disturbing baby or unstrapping and restrapping baby. But everyone is different and you’ll find what works for you. Good luck!

They are useful if you are popping somewhere in the car and rather than taking the pram with the carry cot attachment etc you can just stick the chassis in and grab the car seat out of the car and pop it in? Eg visiting people where you know the baby will be out of the seat getting held etc rather than just walking around the shops for hours. As they get older the rule about how long they can be sat in the car seat doesn't apply so you can use them for longer when out and about

Having had five kids, I would say travel systems are completely overrated.
Having a decent car seat permanently installed in the car (had an extended rear facing seat which was expensive to buy but lasted until child was four) and then having a decent pram/buggy makes more sense.
If the baby falls asleep in the car, you simply transfer them into the pram and most of the time they fall asleep again.
If you are sixteen weeks now, your baby is due in spring/ summer so you may be okay without a full carrycot on the pram as long as the seat unit is well padded and fully lies back. I would maybe add a sheepskin liner or other inset for extra padding.
The car seats in travel systems can only be used for the baby stage and while good in the car have never convinced me as being overly comfortable for the baby for any length of time. It is best to minimise the baby's time in the car seat for actual car journeys.

With my last child I had one like this.
incarsafetycentre.co.uk/kiss-2-plus.
Scandinavian safety and fitted into a smallish car. If you absolutely needed to you could take the middle bit out similar to maxi Cosi type ones (I rarely bothered) and it lasted until she was ready for a high back booster.

From experience, it was very useful to be able to attach the car seat to the pram wheels. If I was going to be out for a long time I would transfer DD into her pram bassinet but for short errands and trips it was much easier to be able to lift the car seat out and attach it to the wheels, particularly if DD was asleep. We lived in a first floor flat when DD was small so I used to keep the pram in the car and carry her up and down the stairs in the car seat, which was so much easier when she was tiny. Then depending on what we were doing she either went in the bassinet or straight onto the wheels when we arrived at our destination.

The other thing to bear in mind is that you don't have to have the same brand of car seat and pram if you don't want to-you can get adapters so that you can attach different car seats to different prams, which means that you can mix and match giving you more choice.

If you don’t have a car then you really need a car seat that attaches to the pram for when you get taxis etc. Otherwise I would probably get them separately - more choice that way.

I bought a travel system and over the course of two babies I used the adaptors and car seat on the chassis a grand total of one time. If I had my time again I would get a similar pram (one with carrycot attachment and separate seat bit) but not the carseat. I'd get the Joie360 we got later but from birth with the newborn insert. My car seat barely left the car.

I found having adaptors and the carseat really useful, but that's because I don't drive so if we were in a car, it was a friends/taxi/relatives, and either meant we just needed to take the chassis (far easier to fit in the boot) or literally just the carseat (if only going to a baby class, etc.). I think if I was driving, then it would not have been so important.

I would avoid a carrycot as they're really bulky and only last for a few months. I bought a mamas and papas ocarro for my second (pushchair only) which was the only big name brand pushchair I could find that lays flat so can be used from birth. In the winter I use a cosy toes to make it all snuggly but in the summer I just had a light blanket over him. You can buy adaptors for most car seats. We have 2, 1 of which could go on but never does as it barely leaves the car, our other car seat is a joie 360 spin which i'd really recommend like a PP. The only downside is it's not great for long journeys whilst they're really little and have all the padding inside

(because even on the max recline the baby is quite upright)

I got a full travel system for my LO who was born in September and we have used the carrycot once. Baby has reflux and colic so absolutely hates being laid flat! We use his car seat with the adaptors on the pram base and it works perfectly, especially if he has fallen asleep there's no need to wake him transferring into the car seat, good luck! Xxx

@TH22

Modern travel systems are so much more flexible and useable than separate units

The Cybex Zi is almost an completely lie flat caraway . Which means baby can be transitioned from pram to car very easily and you don't need to stress about how long the baby has been in it. It also has a swivel base for the car, which means you don't have to twist and do your back in.

Most car seats have adaptors that enable you to fit most car seats to almost any Prams.

TH22

That is very interesting, thanks for that info. This may be a silly car seat newbie question, but can it lie flatter while being used in the car? We live out of area for the hospital we are using (due to high risk underlying condition) and so I am a bit worried about the first journey back, would be good to have something a bit more ergonomically suited to newborns.