20 weeks pregnant and totally confused by travel systems - help needed!

[carrotkate]

I am 20 weeks pregnant and have been looking forward to buying stuff for the baby for a while now, but our first trip to look at prams at the weekend was more stressful than enjoyable! We have decided that we want a travel system, but am totally confused by all the options! We have a ford focus that cannot take isofix and so need to be able to use a base that fits using seatbeats. Our other criteria are that it needs to be fairly small, lightweight, easy to steer and fold up (ideally with one hand), and good for walking on pavements and in the park. I also want one in which the baby can face both ways. My husband is set on the Bugaboo Cameleon, which I also like but I am concerned that it may not be easy to set up and fold away with the baby in one arm!
Any advice gratefully received... Thanks!

get a wrap sling and a standard car seat. Then go straight to a Maclaren push chair when they can sit up.

I just bought Babystyle Oyster with a separate carrycot and a Britax Baby Safe SHR II car seat which clicks directlty onto the chassis. Have also ordered the Britax belted base for our car which like yours doesn't have Isofix. It all seems to be good, folds quite small, seat faces both ways, seems easy enough to get carrycot and carseat on and off chassis but as I've not had the baby yet I can't actually comment as to its actual practicalness.

I hope someone else will be able to give you more advice.

I have a 2 month old. I was totally sold on the travel system and duly got one with bells and whistles on. So far we have used tge maxi cosi seat and frame, and I am currently looking for a lightweight stroller. I don't think we will ever use the pram, and I'm really unsure as to where I would be going with the stroller part that would warrant throwing that massive contraption in the back seat as well as the massive frame that just about fits in the boot.

If I were buying again, I'd get the maxi cosi carseat and base (easy fix uses the seatbelt but you only attach the seatbelt once rather than faffing around everytime) and much cheaper frame that would take the carseat, maybe a Quinny Zapp. I wouldn't bother with the stroller part or the pram part. I would possibly even look into other carseat options, especially when you don't have the isofix attachments.

But I have been there, and got the same advice and totallt disregarded it. Its like a rite of passage! Best of luck choosing!!

like udderly said or go with a wrap sling and a stroller which will lie flat like the Silver Cross one?

I got the graco mirage. It was cheap, the car seat is light, it folds up smallish with one hand, it's comfy to push and it's lasted for dc2, still looks new. I did get an umbrella fold stroller when ds got bigger though, as took up less room in the car.

the seat has a click in base as well.

My sisters had whistles and bells on theirs but ended up having 2 or 3 buggies per baby

meaSURE YOUR BOOT/ HALLWAY whatever you do. And factor in weight.

Try to think about where you are likely to want to go with your baby.

We had the bebeconfort loola up, with the carrycot and adaptors so that maxi cosy car seat could fit in.

We live in London, and tbh any pram is very difficult to get on a bus, so I was either walking locally, or getting in the car.

The carrycot we had also doubles as a car seat (but we never used it that way), so weighed a ton. So if I was going out in the car just for a shortish outing, I would clip the carseat into the base and leave the carrycot bit at home. But loved having the pram for walking out the door of the house iyswim.

DS and I didn't get on with a sling personally, but used my baby bjorn loads.

After a year, we bought a Babyjogger City Mini, which is genuinely one-handed folding. If I were buying now, I would look at that with the pram attachment, although I've not seen it.

We got the base for the Maxi-Cosi and I did appreciate being able to just click the car seat in and out, so would recommend that if you can afford it.

Good luck!

Also second the measuring boot/hallway advice - you would be surprised how many popular prams/pushchairs won't fit in the boot of a standard small family car.

Bee Bee Bee Bee Bee Bee Bee Bee Bee :) If I had bought this first I wouldn't have gone through all the others. compact, light, takes a maxi cosi seat, suitable for newborn, rear facing if you want, folds with the seat unit on (which the Cameleon doesn't) and folds one handed.

cameleon is a 2 handed fold. you need a bee really, cant think of anything else that works for a newborn that has suspension to push across grass that also folds up small, with one hand, is light weight and rear faces. They really are an amazing pram

Bee would be ideal for your needs, loved mine with dd1, now got Phil teds for two dd's and the seat is way bigger and will last till she doesn't need it, my three yr old tested it first! Same three yr old grew out her bee....well she could've gone in but she walked lots, shoulders looked squashed and it just looks odd seeing toddler in them I think! They are cute for babies though. Also.....why need fold one hand? I drive and bus and have never needed to hold babies and fold a pram.....just lay em in car seat or on seat in car, or on floor in house or in a sling? I think one hand fold daft marketing ploy! Although.....some prams are certainly easier to fold than others and the bee is soooooo easy! So is baby jogger. Putting car seat on chassis is handy but once baby 4 or 5 month becomes less and less appealing as they weigh a tonne anyway, also by 6or 7month baby gets more predictable nap times and you can .....shock horror actually just carry baby from car to house!!! Leaving cumbersome car seat happily secured in car for next trip! Parent facing is lovely but again not the law..... And after first few months they love a look about, vie had tonnes buggies.......don't get a bells and whistles travel system! Choose separates to suit your needs. I was told this and ignored it! Maybe it's a pram right of passage! I've had loads diff buggies and best were Mac xt and Phil and teds....also a cheapie chic stroller for hols from asda! Have fun choosing!