Saris Bike Rack - What is the best baby carrier/car-seat/stroller combo?

What is the best baby carrier/car-seat/stroller combo?

I am looking for one that has a carrier that will latch into both the stroller and the car-seat, so I can avoid constantly having to switch the baby around. Does anybody know of any good products like this?

Public Comments

I have an awesome jogging stroller that the car seat attaches to the stroller and we have the base in our cars. It is very convenient. Here is the stroller/car-seat combo http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5621878 We also have this car-seat that works with it since it's the same brand. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5544272 All the car seats and bases above are interchangable so no need to worry about having two different brands that don't work if you have two cars. We love this thing. My baby is 8wks and the convenience when going to the store is great.
I bet you'll get a lot of answers saying the Graco plastic piece-o-crap travel system is the way to go. Gotta love their 16 different shades of plaid! We went with the Britax Vigour and the Britax Companion infant carseat. The seat on the stroller actually comes off so for the first 5-6 months you always just snap the carseat onto the stroller base rather than resting the carseat on top of a whole stroller. Plus it's got suspension and big rubber wheels. Not those plastic rickity things like the Graco strollers. it looks like the Bugaboos but it costs 1/3 as much.
I did all the research possible before I had my baby. Originally, I wanted to purchase a pink Graco one from Babies'R'Us...but heard that their systems are just too bulky! Anyway, I have two answers for you. The best one I found was called The Orbit Baby. You can check it out at OrbitBaby.com. It's fairly expensive, I had to save up for it...but it is VERY useful! Check out their videos and features. :) I never have to unbuckle my little girl back and forth out of the car. I just click the carseat out and click it right into the stroller. It's fabulous. (And believe me, when you're dealing with a sleeping newborn or infant, it matters!) Another way to research is to check the reviews on Babies'R'Us. Also, check the reviews from Buzzillions.com. When you type in what you're looking for, make sure you type in "Travel System". That's the only way to do it. Best of luck to you!
When my daughter was still in an infant carrier, I had a Graco Snugride/Metrolite Stroller combination. I loved it! I still use the stroller without the car seat obviously and it's great. It has adjustable height handles, wheels that turn on a dime, a large area for storage underneath, sippy cup holders, adult cup holders, and collapses with the push of a button. It seemed to be the best value for the dollar that we could get.
I have the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe. I HIGHLY recommend it. The car seat is the Graco Safe Seat, Step 1. It has a higher weight capacity than most infant carrier car seats. The car seat can be used in the car, or you can remove it from the base and carry the baby in it. The car seat also attaches to the stroller, and the stroller can be used without the car seat as well. Many people have referred to teh stroller as teh "cadillac". We spent A LOT of time at the ball field last year, and the stroller was like a miniature play pen. You can lay the seat flat, and there is a boot that velcros up to close off the foot opening and my daughter would sit backwards in it like that, and play with her toys. The basket on the stroller is large, there are snack/cup trays for parent and child as well as a couple of cubbies to put cell phone, keys, etc. I can fold it with one hand, and it is not very heavy when having to pick it up to load it in the van. My daughter is about to outgrow the carrier, but will still be able to use the stroller for quite some time. There is also a snap & go stroller, and Graco makes tehir own version of that. This is just a frame, which the car seat snaps into. It works very well, is inexpensive and lightwight. Of course, you will not be able to use it after your child outgrows the car seat, and sometimes you might want to take your child out of the car seat so that they can "breathe". With the combo, you can use the stroller without it when you want.
I have the Chicco Travel System and the Chicco High Chair both products work really well.
We have the Chicco KeyFit22 and Chicco Ct. 1 Stroller. Absolutely love it. I gave away the carseat and now Im going to buy the Chicco KeyFit30 which also works with my stroller(For Baby #2)
MAXI-COSI car seat and the stroller from QUINNY
While you'll get numerous answers, you need to base your decision on one thing.. the safest one. Consumers Report probably has tested the latest models. If you don't subscribe to the magazine, see if you can find out what brand and model they recommend.
It is really completely up to your preference, but, here's my 2cents. Personally, I'd pick out an awesome stroller (since the ones that come in a travel system often aren't all that great!) b/c the stroller is the part that you will be using for the next 3-4 years. You really need to like it, and have it be quality so you don't find yourself with a busted stroller in a year. Also, you can save money by purchasing a high quality used stroller, whereas if you buy a travel system, you can't get it used b/c it is not safe to get a used car seat. You could however, get a used stroller and check its compatibility, and get a car seat new that would work with it. That's what I did. All that said - as a single parent on a seriously limited income, I now realize I should've completely skipped the infant carrier stage. Its not a 'needed' stage in car seats, its just a convenience thing, and a recent - as in the last 15 years or so - invention to have a stay in car base and separate carrier. Here's why I think its a waste: doesn't last babies very long at all. You spend $60 and up on this carrier that is only going to last 5-8 months! And then you have to purchase a convertible car seat, and somewhere down the line a booster seat. If you skip the carrier phase, you just eliminated one seat. There is now one carrier on the market that promises to fit 99% of babies up to at least their first birthday - Graco SafeSeat1, goes to 30lbs. However, there are limitations to this awesome seat. It really will fit most kids that long, but that's a catch-22. You really going to carry your 25lbs baby in a carrier?! My son was a BIG baby (still is a BIG kid!) and outgrew his carrier at 4 months. And, after baby gets above 10lbs or so, they are a pain in the butt to carry - quite awkward. So its not as convenient as it may at first seem. And some of the 'convenient' ways people use them aren't good. Carriers should NEVER be placed on grocery carts. It makes the carts unstable and they can tip over, seriously injuring the baby. Also, not all car seats fit all carts, and they don't lock on, they're just sitting there, posing an obvious threat. And some of the carts are shaped or sized in a way that it puts the carrier at an unsafe/uncomfortable angle for the baby. I've seen babies laying in carriers on carts with their head lower than their feet - not a good idea for digestion or spit up. The American Academy of Pediatrics says Parents and caregivers should never Place an infant carrier on top of the shopping cart. "Many infant-only car safety seats lock into shopping carts, and many stores have shopping carts with built-in infant seats. This may seem safe, but thousands of children are hurt every year from falling out of shopping carts or from the carts tipping over. Instead of placing your baby's car safety seat on the cart, consider using a stroller or front pack while shopping with your baby. " Also, we are seeing rampant developmental delays becuase babies are in these carriers (and swings, and bouncy seats...) so much. Look around everywhere you go and instead of holding their babies, people have them in these carriers. When on their back and harnessed (and any time a child is in a carrier, he needs to be harnessed, even though its not in a car!) they can not work the muscles they need to develop to crawl, sit up, and walk. In the manuals for these carriers, it even says specifically 'for use in cars and strollers only'! But we all seem to miss that part. So I highly recommend skipping the carrier phase. I think they are more a pain than a blessing, and a wasted of money if you don't have a lot to throw around. Instead, get a convertible car seat that will fit a newborn (more on that later) and a sling, pouch, or wrap. Not one of those silly snugli or infantino carriers, but something like a ringsling, moby, or maya wrap. Wearing your baby gives everybody what they need. Babies get much needed closeness to mom (or dad, or anyone else for that matter!) and you get your hands free to do what you need to do, as well as you can even breastfeed in one! They offer many different positions to use them in, too, and go higher than carrier car seat weights (20-22lbs). Most go to at least 35lbs, so you will get much more use out of it for your money. OK - so if you choose to skip the carrier phase, be careful about the convertible car seat you choose, b/c not all will fit newborns well. You want it to have low bottom slots. Perfect options: The Evenflo Triumph Advance (not the original Triumph, make sure it says Advance) is a great seat. $150 version at Babies R Us has padding similar to Britax seats, top slots of 17", harnesses to 35lbs rear facing, and 50lbs forward facing. $120 Walmart version just has little less plush padding. Wide open belt path, easy to install, though it doesn't have built in lockoffs. The harness adjusts at the front of the car seat, you don't have to take the car seat out of the car just to raise/lower the straps. and it has infinite harness adjustment so the harness always fits perfectly until its outgrown. You tighten and loosen the harness using knobs on the side of the seat. It can be used in a recline position even in forward facing mode. Cosco Scenera - $50 at Walmart/Kmart/Target. Great seat for the price. Goes up to 35lbs rear facing, 40lbs forward facing. Great rear facing seat, but is outgrown very quickly forward facing b/c of short top slots and short shell. You'll still get you're $50 worth out of it, though, as it will last most kids to at least 2 years, quadruple the amount of time of an infant seat! As you're shopping, remember these rules about seats: 1)the BEST seat is the one that fits your child, fits your car, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. (This is why convenience features DO make a difference and ARE worth the money! If its easy to use, you're more likely to use it correctly. 2)Children should stay rear facing AS LNOG AS POSSIBLE!!!! The 20lbs/1 year rule is outdated and provides a bare minimum for turning kids forward facing. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration both recommend keeping kids rear facing as long as possible, up to the limits of their seat, preferably until at least 2 years of age. For good reason: A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 4 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age. A child's vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone. In other countries, rear facing 2 - 3 - 4 year olds is standard, they understand that its safer. 3)Once you do turn them forward facing, they need to stay in a 5 point harness as long as possible. 4 years/40lbs is the minimum for riding in a booster, and most 4 year olds have no business using one yet. If they can't sit upright for an entire trip, they need the harness of a car seat still. And, even if they do sit properly, a 5 point harness is safer, so you want to keep them in one as long as possible. This is important to consider b/c most car seats only forward face to 40lbs. If you choose to go with an infant seat I would pick the seat you (stay away from Evenflo infant carriers, too many recalls, crappy recall fixes, overall a very cheap seat) and get a universal car seat stroller like Baby Trend Snap n Go, Combi Flash EX, Kolcraft makes one, too. That way you can spend a little less, sell it when you're done, and get a higher end stroller that will last better. DANGEROUS ON SHOPPING CARTS: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/aug06shoppingcart.htm http://www.medem.com/search/article_display.cfm?path=n:&mstr=/ZZZT24LYQMC.html&soc=AAP&srch_typ=NAV_SERCH WHY REAR FACING: http://www.carseat.org/Resources/633.pdf In the foreground is a forward facing seat, in the background a rear facing seat. You can see how much trauma the forward facing dummy has to endure. http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/frontcrash/maxicosipriori.mpg Here's another video. You can see how there is NO trauma to the baby, it simply sits there waiting for it to end. http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v163/jen_nah/carseats/?action=view&current=video06A_MGA_213_RearFace-Convertib.flv SLINGS: http://www.thebabywearer.com TOO MUCH TIME IN SEATS: http://www.oandp.org/jpo/library/2003_03_102.asp http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/child_health/car-seats.html