Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe - Moonstruck: The Ultimate Travel System

Last year, when I was pregnant with our youngest child, my husband and I began searching for a new travel system, since the infant seat that we had previously been using, which was an older, Cosco brand child safety restraint system (CSRS), had become plenty old and worn over the years - as was the Evenflo double stroller that we'd used regularly for two of our children over the span of about three years. In fact, the infant car seat that we had owned at the time was getting close to being five years old according to the manufacturer date on the back of the seat, which I had heard was another important piece of information to consider in determining when a CSRS should be destroyed and discarded.

Our Desired Qualities in a Travel System

First and foremost, my husband and I agreed that we both wanted a CSRS that was highly rated from a safety standpoint. We also wanted a stroller that was sturdy and well-built, so that it would last for a long time. Personally, I was also looking for a travel system with a car seat base that can be left strapped into the car, yet the car seat can be removed from the base and then safely attached to the stroller when desired. Our older CSRS didn't have a leave-in base and the stroller we owned at that time didn't accommodate an infant car seat very well. I could fit an infant seat in the back seat of our old double stroller, but there was no way to secure the seat in properly, which bothered me. A travel system that actually had an overall matching color scheme, as well as both a stroller and a car seat with a five-point harness system were also on my list of desired features. The back seat of the stroller being able to lay flat for an infant or a sleepy toddler was another preference of mine, as well as an easy-folding style and a large canopy for blocking the sun. My husband wanted something with big, 'beefy' wheels on the stroller for better handling (in his opinion and I agree), plus, he did not want anything that was, to quote him accurately, 'too girlie looking', or else he wouldn't want to be seen pushing it. Ah - men. Gotta love 'em.

Our Quest Commenced