I chose the Peg Perego because the sales lady made a pitch about it being the safest on the market and threw around terms like "virgin plastic" and a bunch of other crap that made me feel like I would be strapping my baby into a loose cannon if I bought any other seat. Ridiculous. It wound up being very heavy and the straps frayed within six months (although I did get them replaced in advance of this baby and they didn't charge me for anything but labour - generous folk).
If I could do it all again I would have bought the Greco Snugride or ChicoKeyfit which are less expensive, lighter and meet every safety standard required of them.
I bought my City Select after going to a small baby store and talking to the lady there about features and my needs. I found strollers really overwhelming at first. This sales person really helped me narrow my focus and find a good fit for me. I still love my City Select. I later bought an inexpensive umbrella stroller that I also still like a lot although we barely ever use it these days.
Car seat - we got a graco snugride bc a friend gave it to us. We got a clek foonf and maxi Cosi pria as our convertible seats for DS, after researching I felt they were a good choice.
Stroller - uppa baby vista because it had a huge storage basket, could be used with a car seat and faced front and back. Plus it got rave reviews. Also got a BOB because my BFF had one and loved it, plus I wanted something I could run with.
I got the Britax B-Ready stroller and B-safe carseat. I drive a VW beetle, it's paid for and we're not changing my car anytime soon so bottom line was I needed something that would fit well in my car. I also wanted a full size stroller that could be converted into a double. It was a tall order and very few strollers made the cut.
I ultimately chose the B-Ready over the Uppababy Vista because the UBV had some things I didn't love about it, and the B-Ready didn't have the same "issues." The new 2015 model of the UPV corrected the things I didn't like, so if I was buying now I *might* be more tempted to go with the UBV, but the B-Ready has the no-rethread harness and the 4-way accessible basket in the stroller which is a huge plus in my mind.
Car seat- we got the britax bsafe based on reviews. We were debating between that and the chicco keyfit. We got a better deal on the bsafe. It was easy to use with DD1 and we were happy with our decision.
Stroller- we have both a city select and a BOB revolution. I love both. We got the city select because we knew we wanted another child and about a 2 yr age gap. We are going to have a 14.5 month age gap and so so glad we have this stroller. The BOB is awesome for where we live and all the 'off road' terrain we have.
We ended up going with the Britax B agile and B safe. We went with these based on reviews, recs, and safety info. We wanted something we could click our car seat into and something that was lightweight. The car seat is not light but for some reason I feel like that means it is safer and sturdier. We also considered the baby jogger city mini but they were so similar and I figured I would rather not pay the extra and have to deal with the car seat adapter.
We will probably look into purchasing a jogging stroller as well in a couple of months.
Post by emoflamingo on May 15, 2015 2:15:57 GMT -5
We got a snugride because the selection where we live is slim and it was reasonably priced. We bought a frame for the seat and have a Maclaren umbrella stroller for when the baby outgrows the infant seat, which I like because it's lightweight and small, but has storage underneath.
We chose the uppababy Vista for a few reasons. 1) we live in a more urban area and walk a ton of places almost as much as we drive so we needed something that will last 2) my sister has had hers for 4 years in NYC and it's still in amazing shape 3) we plan on having 2-3 kids relatively close in age and this will grow with us 4) I wanted the bassinet 5) it's prettier than other strollers and goddammit that matters to me.
ETA: 6) I also wanted something where the seat could face me or face out 7) It has a gigantic basket.
We chose the Uppababy Mesa car seat because 1) It clicks right into the stroller and I didn't want an adapter 2) the redesign is a lot lighter now than the previous model 3) the install is amazingly easy in the car 4) it fit well in my car, I have a BMW X1, which isn't huge 5) because it matches the stroller and again these things matter immensely to me.
I am not officially decided but right now it's the UBV for a full-size and Baby Jogger vue for the umbrella/car seat snap on for quick trips. I love the UBV for so many reasons - we walk a ton, I wanted a bassinet and parent facing options, multi kids, preferred the handle to the city select and b ready. I love that the Vue also parent faces and is super easy to use. I'm still undecided on a car seat. I don't think we will be using the Vista with a car seat as often as the Vue with one (planning on keeping the vista in the garage for all our walks and put in the car for longer shopping trips, zoo, etc, but otherwise use the Vue with or without the car seat for quick trips) but still interested in the Mesa. Also looking at the Cybex Aton 2.
We got the B-Safe/B-Agile combo last time because it was easy and the stroller was easy to maneuver one handed.
The car seat has a few years left before it expires so we're using it for this kid too. I'm in the market for a double stroller and am leaning towards the City Select because I don't think a double where the lkids sit side by side would be all that easy to maneuver on the narrow walks of our town.
Chiming in but I have a Graco snugride and love it! I read good reviews about them and liked that they were light weight. Plus they have a 4 lb minimum which was a must since I had twins and there was a chance they wouldn't be 5 lbs when they came home. The infant insert is a warm material which I loved.
I have double strollers but have a Baby jogger summit and have been very happy with the brand.
As of right now we've registered for the Britax B-Safe 35 and B-Agile combo.
We like that the B-Safe goes up to 35 lbs since DH was a super chubby baby and I want to possibly use it as long as possible (I was a super skinny baby so this isn't a guarantee). It also fits in both my SUV and DH's smaller Cruze.
When we went to the store to check them out, DH fell in love with the B-Agile. He loves how easy it is to fold up and the amount of space it will take up in his smaller trunk.
We won't need a jogging stroller until next Spring so we will look into picking up something lightly used at that time.
Post by sierramist03 on May 15, 2015 8:09:42 GMT -5
We have a chicco keyfit30. I really like the safety ratings and it was hard decision between graco and chicco. I'm undecided on a stroller but really thinking about the BOB resolution SE
I chose Chicco Keyfit 30 because it was recommended everywhere and I'm a sheep.
I chose my strollers based on flash sales (got all of them over 65% off).
Same on the Chicco Keyfit. I trust reviews and many rated it very highly. We also went to BRU and tried out a few of the top rated and we liked it the best. It is pretty light and felt well made. The other one we were looking at (a Graco maybe?) the buckle hurt my hand to undo.
We we are starting with just a snap and go stroller frame based on my sister and friends recommendations. We will probably buy a nicer umbrella stroller with the baby is older. I'm leaning towards one by Uppababy, but we don't want to buy it until after the baby arrives.
Oh some reasons why I like the Aton 2 specifically: - European belt path install for travel / second car (might be good for you Muddled with city living) - linear side impact - load leg which the Mesa doesn't have
Another Britax B-Safe/Agile/Whatever travel system signing in. I basically based my decision on the Lucie's List review, safety features, and the fact that it doesn't have obnoxious baby "prints" smothering it. Simple black. The car seat portion is heavier than most, but is steel reinforced, and hey I guess I'll get a bicep workout in.
Oh some reasons why I like the Aton 2 specifically: - European belt path install for travel / second car (might be good for you Muddled with city living) - linear side impact - load leg which the Mesa doesn't have
I have looked at these specifically for the install. I get stuck on cost. For the number of tines we will actually use it as a carseat, it will be a large cost per use.
Very safe Very easy to install Car seat is one of the lightest on the market Goes down to 4 lbs Base has a small footprint and the seat is one of the shortest front to back, so it fits in most vehicles Both car seat and stroller are in my budget (well, my sisters' budget, they bought them) Stroller can accept the car seat and converts to an umbrella stroller Like the way the stroller feels
The best car seat for you will be the one that fits your child, your vehicle, your budget, and that you will use correctly 100% of the time.
Another Britax B-Safe/Agile/Whatever travel system signing in. I basically based my decision on the Lucie's List review, safety features, and the fact that it doesn't have obnoxious baby "prints" smothering it. Simple black. The car seat portion is heavier than most, but is steel reinforced, and hey I guess I'll get a bicep workout in.
Oh some reasons why I like the Aton 2 specifically: - European belt path install for travel / second car (might be good for you Muddled with city living) - linear side impact - load leg which the Mesa doesn't have
I have looked at these specifically for the install. I get stuck on cost. For the number of tines we will actually use it as a carseat, it will be a large cost per use.
Oh that's a good point! Honestly, if you don't use it that much what about just getting a convertible? The only problem would be if you are taking it somewhere where it's not convenient to carry one, but might be a better option than a rarely used infant seat and will last much longer.
Is there an already made spreadsheet somewhere that compares these things by weight?
Try csftl.org
Thank you!
boiler717, we have considered that. They tend to be heavy and may potentially have a higher minimum weight limit than we will need. It is an option, though.
We chose the UppaBaby Vista with UppaBaby Mesa (we preordered a 2015 to be released next month). Last time I did a Chicco Cortina travel system (DS is 6) and that stroller was the most terrible stroller ever. I think it did some brand damage to me with Chicco, although the car seat was great and I had no complaints. After we graduated from the infant seat I ditched this stroller and got a City Mini.
This time I knew I didn't want a traditional travel system because honestly, you don't get the best stroller when you buy them together. I looked at a lot and really liked the Uppababy for the basket size, the wheels, the adjustable hand bar, that you can have the baby face you.
Also-- DS had to wear a helmet... I attribute this in part to us using the car seat as a stroller attachment too often (in addition to the way he slept and he was a baby who would rather sit next to you propped up, than actually be held) so I really wanted something with a bassinet. A more expensive stroller with a bassinet is far cheaper than a helmet! It will also make me feel that if this baby did need a helmet I would have done everything in my power to avoid it. I was really firm on this with DH and this is what sold him. I think we still have helmet guilt.
Later on down the road I will also grab another Baby Jogger City Mini (I donated mine a few months before I got pregnant) for the other car/quicker trips/Disney World. I love the color of the Honest Company's version. The City Mini is a must for Disney (the B Agile is the same thing so that would work too!). For a less expensive option, I believe this is the best stroller.
Another Britax B-Safe/Agile/Whatever travel system signing in. I basically based my decision on the Lucie's List review, safety features, and the fact that it doesn't have obnoxious baby "prints" smothering it. Simple black. The car seat portion is heavier than most, but is steel reinforced, and hey I guess I'll get a bicep workout in.
The weight thing is a huge drawback for me.
Yeah I hear ya. Ultimately I try and remind myself too that the kid is not going to be in the carseat for THAT long until it's time to switch to a convertible. H and I are on the taller side so she will probably be too tall for it by 1YO. The stroller part is more important since you'll likely be using that for a few years.
Yeah I hear ya. Ultimately I try and remind myself too that the kid is not going to be in the carseat for THAT long until it's time to switch tIo a convertible. H and I are on the taller side so she will probably be too tall for it by 1YO. The stroller part is more important since you'll likely be using that for a few years.