Need Stroller/car seat Help

[kt_mom]

So we are having our 2nd baby in June 2010. Our DD will be 7 in March and we didn't save any of her baby stuff so we will be having to purchase everything again. The stroller and infant car seat are my two biggest concerns at this time.

When we had DD a friend gave us the stroller/carseat combo as a babyshower gift. We had registered and she did get the one we had registered for. But in the end, it turned out to be a terrible stroller. I didn't know anything about strollers then and still don't really now. Except that I hated that one. The car carrier was okay as far as those go, I think they are all a pain. I think the set was a Graco and the one thing I hated was the wheels were the kind that you could pump up if they went flat, but they ALWAYS went flat and it was a real pain. Plus it was heavy and difficult to open/close.

So I'm looking for some suggestions. We don't want to spend a fortune on it either. My husband would collapse if I told him the stroller I wanted was $500 or something like that. So I think we're probalby looking to spend no more than about $400 for both.

Thanks!

 

[Bren's Mom]

What month is your little one due and what state are you in? (Or rather, what I really need to know is do you have cold winters where you are.) ETA: Apparently I can't read, you DID say June 2010!!! LOL

As a CPST, my all time favorite infant carrier seat is the Chicco KeyFit. 2nd choice would be a Graco SnugRide with a front adjustor. If you're somewhere with cold winters, and depending on what month your baby is due, would decide for me whether to suggest a 22lb seat or encourage you to spend a little more for a 30-35lb seat to get through 2 cold winters if possible.

As for a stroller, get either of those carriers and a Baby Trend stroller frame or Graco stroller frame. You'll only use these until the carrier is outgrown. And then I'd recommend something like a Baby Jogger City Mini or Maclaren Volo or Techno or Quest, Quinny Zapp or a Pliko P3. Something light, easy to travel with, easy to fold up and haul into the trunk, preferably with a higher weight so at 40lbs you're not looking for yet another stroller to purchase.

Oh, and one other piece of car seat advice; don't register for a convertible seat. Or if you do, return it and get a gift card after your shower. By the time your child is ready to outgrow the infant carrier you will have lost valuable 'life' on the convertible. And in addition, every month it seems there's a new seat, or an old seat is improved and rereleased. Plus you won't know until after baby is born what he/she will be like body wise. Some kiddos are round and heavy, others very long and thin...and then you can make an informed choice and get the best convertible seat for your little one.

Congrats!

 

[WDWAurora]

I agree with the PP about the keyfit. Amazing reviews and friends have loved it. We have it for DS coming in May. BUT it will not fit in a stroller frame. It won't snap in and isn't safe. Get the travel system if you go with it.

 

[Bren's Mom]

I still stand by my original post that it DOES fit into and work well with the 2 stroller frames I mentioned. It doesn't 'snap' but the KF sits nice and deep inside of it. Baby Trend's own website says it IS compatible with the KF30 and I know several people who have successful used that combo.

http://www.babytrend.com/strollers_snap-n-go/1305.html

Oh, and I also forgot to list the new Maclaren Easy Traveler frame. The Chicco works with that one as well.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

I recommend the Chicco Keyfit/Cortina combo. I would not use the keyfit in one of those frames it seems unsafe to me jmho.

 

[Lisa_M]

We had a Graco Quattro deluxe stroller system. It comes with the Safeseat 1carseat that has a higher weight/height limit than most infant seats, which was great. The downside is that thing is HEAVY. The stroller is good, but bulky. It folds easily, just takes up a lot of space. It was about $260ish for the set. I'm glad we got that one though, it has held up very well for us.

I also picked up a maclaren volo umbrella stroller super cheap while I was pregnant. That thing is AWESOME for Disney and the mall once the baby is big enough for it (about 1 year).

 

[woodkins]

I have had all of the strollers mentioned & I would by a Baby Jogger City Mini or City Classic (difference is in weight limits & classic is a tiny bit larger). They are lightweight, push and turn on a dime, super adjustable handles (I'm 5'2 & dh is 6"2 and we can both use it very comfortably. You fold it by simply pulling up a strap on the seat, that is it....People literally stop and stare when I fold it, they can't believe how easy it is. It has a HUGE sun shade, larger storage basket. They have a car seat adapter so you can use it as a travel system & it will last you until your child is too old for a stroller. There is no need or want for another one. I got a great deal for one on albeebaby.com they run specials all the time & free shipping as well.

Good luck!

 

[*Seanaci*]

I simply LOVED my Graco Mosaic Stroller . We needed a stroller that folded small and didn't take up a lot of room in the trunk of my car. It was wonderful! It also accepts all Graco (for sure) infant carriers. 2 years ago when we bought the stroller, I believe it was relatively new and we had limited color choice and looked for weeks before finding where we could buy it. But now, they have a great color selection (boy and girl friendly) and I'm pretty sure I've seen them at Babies R Us. Though you could probably order it online as well. And it was inexpensive as well. I think for the stroller and carseat we paid somewhere between $150 and $200. Had my neighbor not gotten pregnant the beginning of this year, we would still have the set...however, I decided to sell the infant carrier and stroller to her and ended up buying a smaller Graco umbrella-type stroller that my son will most likely be in still until he is 5.

I LOVE Graco products...and highly recommend them. Especially if you're in a specific budget range.

Good luck! And Congrats on the coming baby!

 

[DMickey28]

Another vote for the Chicco KeyFit. I have the 22lb one from when DS was born in 2007 and will use it for this baby. DS grew fast and only used it for 5 months before he was 22lbs and we moved to a Britax Marathon.

I go back and forth on the Baby Trend Snap and Go vs a full sized stroller. With DS I had the Chicco Cortina (the travel system with the KeyFit) and I did like it a lot. However, once DS was about 1.5 and fairly heavy it became more of a pain to push around, especially with one hand. It tended to have a mind of it's own. I dreamt of the Baby Jogger City Mini at that point but ended up getting a great deal on the 2008 model or the Pliko P3. I still really like that stroller and we barely use a stroller now.

If I was back in 2007 and doing it again, I'd get the Chicco KeyFit (probably still 22lbs, because once DS was that big it was hard to carry him anyway .. I'd never carry him up to 30lbs in it!) and the Chicco Trevia Stroller. It's a fullsized stroller with most if not all the amenities but it is an umbrella fold and more similar in size to the P3. I haven't used it but tried it out in the stores and really liked it. They didn't have the Trevi when DS was born, it came out a few months later!!

I really wish I had a need for a double but I just don't see it. DS very rarely uses a stroller but if I do find the need for one in the spring, I'll probably be going with the Baby Jogger double ... either the city mini or the city elite.

 

[RangerPooh]

With our girls we purchased a Graco travel system that came with the snugride carseat, and held up to 30 or 32 pounds. I had no issues with it and it worked quite well! One of the things that we really liked was the adjustable base that made fitting it into different vehicles a snap. The stroller was wonderful, large basket, easy to collapse, fit inot the trunk of my car, and relatively light weight.

Right now we're shopping for a new carseat (perhaps entire system) and have been considering the snugride again as well as the Chicco and Babytrend Key Fit seats. As our youngest still prefers to ride in a stroller we purchased a Phil and Ted side by side double stroller, and plan to purchase a bassinet for that rather than use a carseat attached to it.

 

[couponclary]

LOVED my Chicco KeyFit/Cortina! It was awesome as a car seat/stroller combo, and after using two other strollers (jogging & Maclaren Volo) off and on when I needed one for working out or a smaller one for shopping, I am back to the KeyFit. We went from the KF to the Britax Marathon @ 8 months when he outgrew the carseat which is another great buy (but I agree, wait and buy it when you NEED it)...yes, it is pricey, but it is SAFE and you can use the Marathon until 65 pounds, so you don't have to buy another @ 40.

 

[kt_mom]

Thanks everyone! This gives me some ideas of ones to look at. I never thought about getting one of the frames instead of a travel system but it seems like a good idea. Then later on getting a lighter weight stroller to use without the carrier. It's nice to hear what people have found that actually work well as opposed to just reading description of them online.

I didn't even know they made car seats that go up to 65 pounds. Wow. DD will be 7 in March and she has been in a booster seat since she was around 4. I'm looking forward to being done with that next year when she's 8 and she's a good two years away from weighing 65 pounds I think.

 

[WDWAurora]

If you decide on the keyfit, test out the frames for yourself. I wasn't satisfied with the fit, although it sounds like Bren's mom was. YMMV, but I did test them out in BRU, so that might be a good way to see what you think. The guys there will help you.

 

[Bren's Mom]

The recommendation now is to keep kids in boosters until they pass the 5 step test. Even if she's over the min. age and weight limit specified by your state's law, if she fails the 5 step test she should remain in her booster.

http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm

The 5-Step Test.

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to make both the shoulder belt and the lap belt fit right for the best crash protection. Your child will be more comfortable, too!

 

[Adi12982]

This is what we got for our DD (2 months) and LOVE it!! The stroller is easy to fold and it drives amazingly (turns on a dime). .

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3224013

 

[strmtroopr96]

And then I'd recommend something like a Baby Jogger City Mini or Maclaren Volo or Techno or Quest, Quinny Zapp or a Pliko P3. Something light, easy to travel with, easy to fold up and haul into the trunk, preferably with a higher weight so at 40lbs you're not looking for yet another stroller to purchase.

I have owned all four of these strollers (actually had 2 P3's and 2 Quests) and we still own the Zapp and BJ Mini.

The p3 was great when DD was a tiny baby and as she grew. I loved that the shade could pull down to totally enclose her and it was easy to use. Her first 2 WDW trips at ages 3 months and then at 15 months were spent in 2 different P3's.

We also had 2 Maclaren Quests. I used one a few times and the other never left the box (Yes, I am stroller obsessed LOL) but at the time I was just not "in love" with the Quest. DD was still a small baby our Mod Quest had a slippery fabric and I guess we just really didn't need that style as much. Now that she is 3 1/2, I think we would get more use out of it.

We still use our Quinny Zapp often which would make the Maclaren still not used as much by us. It is super easy to steer and a small fold which is great in most cars we use it in. My DD is happy in it but it doesn't have a recline so not good for a small baby. She started riding in it at around 11 months or so.

Our current WDW stroller is our Baby Jogger City Mini which DD has used at 2 yrs old and at 3 yrs old. She loves the shade on it as well as the recline and the fold is awesome! Perfect for Disney and perfect for at home. It also doesn't take up too much space in the cars. I haven't tried a small baby in it, but the recline is near flat so I would think it would make a good possibility.

Both of my DD's have only ever used their car seats in the car...never in the strollers. We always laid them down in the strollers with a flat recline. DD who is now 3 used a Chicco 6WD stroller as a newborn...super plush and flat recline along with huge rubber wheels made a perfect choice.

I also currently own 4 reversible strollers which are nice to have with a newborn, a Zooper Zydeco (huge and heavy), an Icoo Infinity (hot pink so DD calls it her Princess stroller), a Peg Perego Domani, and a Fisher Price Infant to Toddler. We also have a Rock Star Baby bassinet to attach to the Infinity. Having the bassinet or the reversible option eliminates the need to use a car seat in order to have more direct face to face contact with the baby.