Trying to persuade friend not to bother with a travel system but dont really know why - help please!

[Enid]

A friend of mine, due in June, has asked for advice about buying a pram/pushchair/buggy. I warned her off buying a travel system but can't really explain why - can anyone help with good reasons why she shouldnt bother? Personally I feel that they often have very bulky buggies and you would end up buying a lighterweight one at 6 months anyway, and the seemingly attractive feature of clipping the car seat into the chassis actually isnt that useful - at least after the first few months.

My recommendation is to borrow a lie-flat pram/pushchair, then a Maclaren Techno and sling combo.

Still, she's had the travel system demo-ed in John Lewis and is keen. What do you all think?

I adored my Mothercare Colorado travel system (same as Graco). I still love the pushchair part even though the carseat was out grown long ago. The seat just lifts from the car and drops onto the pushchair - no faffing about, no fuss. The pushchair is a bit bulky but it's not too heavy and is great for longer journeys (and the back of the basket is strong enough to stand a 4 year old on - though not advised by the manufacturer I would add! Um, the basket itself can actually hold a 3.5 yo too now I think about it!). It steered easily, was perfectly fine in shops and is still going strong 4 years after we bought it.

The carseat is up to 10kg (approx 9 months). Mine were too heavy by 7 months.

The carseat was nice and sturdy too, rocked on the floor, had a hood and was easy to fit.

It was, like all of them, VERY heavy when carried witha baby in it! Never carry them in one hand, carry them hanging on crossed arms in front of your body - better for your back.

We didn't buy a travel system. I bought a fantastic pram (3 years old) second hand for £90.00 It's a Mammas and Pappas that came with the pram, the moses basket thing that clips on so they lie flat, 2 rain covers, a matching tote bag, cosey toes and an umbrella. It's been invaluable, light and easy to put down with just one hand. I thought it was a real bargain.

For a car seat we bought the home brand Mothercare car seat. I didn't see an issue in safety in relation to the manufacture of car seats as I believe it is more how they are attached to the car that is critical. I could be wrong just my opinion.

I am so happy I didn't buy anything expensive but did choose good quality as two friends had travel systems and they have hated them. They said they found them extremely heavy to lift in and out of the car, put on and off buses and so on.

I am always amazed at how many people buy brand new. It's obviously a huge market but I wanted to spend the money on other things for my son like educational books, toys, art and craft stuff etc.

At his age he doesn't care how he gets around, that it isn't the latest model or colour just so long as he is with me. I always advise friends to go and look in John Lewis and find out what they like and don't and then scour the second hand columns including Ebay.

I've been to a few NCT sales and they always have a lot of second hand prams/travel systems which seem really good value. Apparantly for a lot of people this is what parents/grandparents buy and so you can't get a lot of money for them second hand (see another thread 'how much should I ask for it?).

I broght a M + P pliko travel system ( 2 big paceies carseat pushchair 1 small pace base)cost £249 without acc, for ds #2 i had/have never been so free i love-it-to-death he is 11m. we used the car seat till he was 7 months, he became to big for it but the car seat was well used, now i'm useing the light pliko stroller.

With ds #1 i borght mothercare 4in1 ( 4 big paceies- carseat, pushchair, corrycot and chassis) cost over £500 without acc, when he was only 5w old i hated it. I kept waking him up, to put into the pushchair from the car seat, i never got any pace when i was out, it was cry cry cry, due to a bad mode being woken up, the pushchair was so beautiful bout so big and was not light at all.

So when i have baby #3 i will 100% go for a m + P travel system again, less stuff to pull about and half the price. Now to me 3in1 or 4in1 are just a waste of money, for saying your going to use the carrycot for 4m max, when most proper pushchair are stabale from brith.

Does any body know what double pushchair will fit the Ford Ka without obscuring much of the back window?

I've got a Jane travel system (see here for the latest one). DD is 18 months and we're still happily using the pushchair, which is all-terrain but quite light (7kg or so). The car seat lies flat in the car or on the chassis so its like a pram, and dd used it as a travel bed for the first few months. DD outgrew the carseat in lie-flat mode at about 5 months, and the "sitting-up" mode is not very good, so we got a 2nd-stage seat that faces backwards first, and forwards later. If I had to choose again, I'd get another Jane (but I'd get the 3-wheeler!).

Although its worth knowing that your baby won't necessarily stay asleep when the carseat is moved from car to pram or house - which is one of the reasons lots of people want a travel system.

jO

I had trouble fitting Maclaren single buggy in a (hired) Ka so cannot imagine how you could fit a double !

the car seat in my travel system goes by weight - up to 13kgs - as dd is small she is now 16months and still fits into the seat... but as I said that is only as she is so small.

I still use the pram part of the travel system - especially when we go into town and have a lot of shopping to do - it is so easy to use and with a lot of space in the shopping basket area.