The long-debated question among new parents is whether or not to buy a travel system instead of a separate car seat and stroller. I say, “Yes!” to travel systems. The travel system is a simple, convenient way to journey with baby and I highly recommend them to any parent.
We had an Evenflo travel system for our daughter. The travel system came with a car seat, a car seat base, and a stroller with various accessories. Thankfully, we received it as a gift and did not have to pay the $189.99 for this set.
Okay, so $189.99 sounds expensive, but consider what you get. Any high-quality, safe car seat is going to cost at least $100 by itself. Any stroller that comes with the same accessories will run another $100+. In addition, with the ease of the car seat base, you do not have to worry about the inconvenience of switching the seat between cars or having to buy one car seat for each parent’s car. All you have to do is move the base (or purchase an additional for $35) and the car seat locks right into the base.
Not only does the seat lock into the base, but it also locks into the stroller. Instead of having to carry the car seat that holds baby, you can place it right into the stroller and it safely locks into place. This also prevents you from having to remove baby from the seat into a stroller. Plus, once baby gets too big for the car seat, you still have the stroller to use on its own.
The stroller is quite sturdy and opens and collapses with just the simple push of buttons. Once the stroller is upright, the seat itself is initially in a lying position. There is a strap on the back that you can pull to make the back of the seat straight up for older babies. When your child is a bit older and may require snacks on your outings, there is a tray you can place on the front of the stroller for baby’s snacks. For moms and dads, there are two cup holders near the handle at the top, as well as a small compartment that can hold baby’s snacks, a pacifier, or even a pair of sunglasses.
Convenience and safety are two points a new parent considers when thinking about traveling with baby. Picture this: Mom, you need to run to the grocery store and you have to take baby with you. You hang your purse from your shoulder and pick up baby in the other arm. You unlock your car and put baby into the car seat which is safely installed in your car. You drive to the store and park and discover that baby is asleep. Now what do you do? Do you take out the car seat which is already strapped into your car or do you take baby out of the car seat and place her into the stroller and risk waking her? If you had a travel system, all you would need to do is gently pop the car seat out of the base and lock it into the stroller. Problem solved.
Depending on the brand of travel system you examine, the prices generally average from $130-$280 at Babies-R-Us. Take note that just because the system is more expensive, that does not mean it has more accessories or is any stronger. Only you can decide which travel system is the right one for you.
You can decide for yourself whether or not the travel system is for you. In the long run it will save you money and a lot of unnecessary frustration.