Infant Stroller

[GrammyJudy]

My daughter is due in Sept with a new baby boy. We are all going to WDW in Jan. He will be 4 mos old. I plan to buy her a stroller for her shower. Should I get a travel system or seperate car seat and stroller? What brand? Help please!!!!!!

 

[mickeymaker2003]

I don't know what your budget is, but I would avoid the travel system if possible. No one I know who has a travel system likes their stroller once their child is out of the car seat because the travel system strollers are too bulky. I would get a car seat with a canopy and enough bases to put one in each primary person's car and a stroller frame (it holds the car seat and folds really small to put in the car). The baby is just as comfortable as in the travel system since they are really just sitting in their car seat either way, and the stroller doesn't take up the entire trunk. Our daughter is just outgrowing her infant car seat (and her stroller frame), so we are going to get a nice umbrella stroller. We've never missed the travel system and know several people who got the travel system and ended up buying a different stroller because the travel system is too bulky and heavy.

 

[F1Julie]

I agree with the last poster. With my first, I had a travel system. I hated that stroller. This time around, I am searching for the lightest, smallest stroller I can find. I'll probably end up getting a stroller frame to use with the infant seat or maybe a Peg Perego Aria. It is a lightweight stroller that you can attach an infant seat to it. The other stroller I'm considering is a MacLaren Triumph or Quest.

 

[Skwinkles]

I have to somewhat disagree with the previous posters. While technically not a travel system because they're sold separately, I had the Peg Perego Pliko P3 and matching Primo Viagio infant seat, and I love them. Even now that DD is too big for her infant seat, we still use the stroller all the time. DD (12 months) loves it and is so comfy.

 

[kellyf2626]

We brought our son at 4 1/2 months old this past Christmas, and THANK GOD for the travel system!! It was so nice to simply click-in the seat into the stroller, and have the ability to cover him completely with the shade on the infant seat combined with the shade on the stroller. We could not have done without it down there!!!! I got the Chicco Cortina Travel System (pic below) and I think it's a great system (as compared to the bulkier Graco ones). The actual infant seat is very light....and the stroller is nice too. I still use the stroller even though my son is now 8 months old! I highly recommend it!!

 

[abouley]

Another vote here for the Peg Perego Pliko P3. I just bought last year's model online for $175 shipped (e-bay). I used mine with a graco snugride carseat and it worked like a dream! So, you still have the "travel system" convenience but you have a GREAT stroller for when baby outgrows the travel system. Things I like about the P3....super comfortable seat with full recline and adjustable legrest, nice big canopy that unzips to move for sun protection when seat is reclined and when seat is upright, closes all the way down for rain/wind/sun/etc, removable child tray, parent cup holder, decent basket, adjustable handles, folds like an umbrella stroller so compact for travel, storage, trunk, etc, fairly lightweight, sturdy stroller, and it has back footpegs for an older child to ride on (my 4 year old loves this)! Several of my friends have purchased this stroller and all love it! It really grows with your child and has all the features of a larger stroller but folds compactly. Also, it's a high quality stroller that doesn't end up with squeaking wheels.

Alison

 

[DisneyMOM09]

I personally loved my travel system! Yes the stroller takes up a lot of room, but the convenience of taking baby carseat and all from the car to the stroller was wonderful! My daughter is about to turn 2 and I still love my stroller! I love the large storage basket underneath also! I do plan on buying an umbrella type stroller for Disney because she will be almost 3 at the time and since we are renting a van to drive to Disney I don't want to take up unnecessary room that could be filled with luggage. However I will keep my huge stroller for mall trips and such because you can't beat the huge storage underneath!
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9189530

The one above is very similiar to the stroller I own!

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

Everyone has their own preference on what they like and don't like I owned the travelsystem and it has gotten plenty of use two kids three trips to disney and numerous other outings while I don't have the carseat anymore I just can't seem to part w/ my stroller. I have since purchased another stroller for my dd4 who doesn't walk I made my decision based on several things one I needed some of the same features that my larger stroller had and so I purchased a Maclaren Techno the seat fully reclines, has an adjustable foot rest, and storage (its on the small side but I have been finding new solutions for this everyday). The only features this stroller doesn't have that the bigger strollers do is a snack tray for child and parent tray/cupholders for adult, I purchased the valco universal cupholder and it holds my disney mugs perfectly. This stroller/ brand is especially nice for taller people closer to the six foot height range.

I don't know what your price range is but the techno XLR also comes w/ a carseat kit to attach the infant seat to the stroller, holds up to 65 pounds, and it is 349.

This is a video on you tube of the techno XT the only difference is that the weight limit is 10 pounds less, is not carseat compatible and is 100 dollars less.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2EJew1DvD5w

ETA~I would also try to get an idea of what she likes and wants maybe take her to babiesrus for a shopping/testing trip. If you have a babiesrus near you that would be the best place to go since they carry a large aray of brands.

 

[katied]

To be honest, in Jan. baby will probably be happier in a carrier like a sling or a Baby Bjorn. DS would not want to be in his car seat for long periods of time at that age (nor should he be). In addition, he would not be very comfortable in a stroller, and was happiest snuggled w/ me in his Baby Bjorn. You can take a stroller, but you'll have to park the strollor often, and carry baby anyway. At 4 months, DS was really happy in his Baby Bjorn - he would be in it whenever I went shopping, and I quickly learned that the stroller would just hold all the packages.

I took DS to Europe at almost 6 months, and we did not even take a stroller at all - by this age he did really well in a hip carrier, and DH and I would switch on & off so neither of our backs got sore.