How to Buy a Travel System Stroller for Your Baby

Travel system strollers for babies are essentially a combination stroller, infant carseat, and baby carrier. They come with three components: a stroller, a carseat/carrier that clips to the stroller, and a carseat base that you can leave in the car and simply snap the carrier into.

The good news: a good travel system stroller will give you a sturdy stroller that will last your child well into toddlerdom, and a sturdy carseat that may carry your little one until they're ready for a toddler seat. The bad news: travel systems are heavy and more costly than strollers or carseats, though cheaper than the two together.

For this reason, you should ensure you choose exactly the right travel system before you plunk down your money.

Things To Consider When Choosing A Travel System

Put cost aside. Though you are buying baby items on a budget, spending a little more now will almost certainly save you considerable cash later on. (If you decide you simply can't afford the one that you choose, you may want to just go with an infant carseat and a standard stroller instead; lower-end travel systems are prone to breakage and other problems.)

The first thing to look at is weight. You're going to have to lug the travel system stroller and infant carrier around with you, and if you can't lift them into the car, or if the carrier feels heavy to you without a baby in it, they may not be a good choice. However, weight is also associated with the sturdiness of the travel system. Heavier travel systems are generally more likely to be sturdy and hard to break. You want a happy medium. The only good way to determine this is by handling the system in the store, but you may be able to get an idea of what you're looking at by reading customer reviews as well.

The second most important thing is the safety of the car seat unit. The best carseats are detailed in Consumer Reports; as of 2007, the Graco line of travel system infant seats are rated at the top. If the carseat unit is safe, the stroller will also be sturdy and safe.