Buggies v travel systems

Alleycat

Just to be awkward (lol!) how about using a sling with your newborn until she/he is bigger, then you can always get a lightweight stroller. There are some absolutely gorgeous ones and your baby will be soo happy to be cuddled up to mum or dad whilst out and about. Being close to mum is so important when they are little and it is really convenient when you want to hop on and off buses, mooch around shops etc. A lot of the slings are really versatile as well. I got a ring sling when dd was only a couple of months old and it was a godsend when she was cranky, needed a feed as soon as my dinner was ready etc! I still use it now with a 14 month old when I want to quickly pop to the shops or get a bit of housework done and she wants 'up'.

You can buy them or if you are handy with a sewing machine you can make some. I made a mei tai (an asian baby carrier) a few months ago for our toddler and its great. I really wish I had found out about slings before dd was born as I wouldn't have bothered with our great tank at all. It is sitting collecting dust in the corner of the nursery since she was about 4 months. We did buy a lightweight stroller (M&P Pulse) when dd was 4 months old and use that quite a lot as well as carrying her a bit as well. I've posted some pics below to give you an idea of the type of thing that is available and would be suitable for a newborn.

Ellaroo lightly padded ring sling:-



Hotslings cotton pouch:-



Didymos wrap carrier:-



And this is the one I made (I look rough in all the photos I have so far so not an action shot I'm afraid!).....

Rachie_B

aww how fab are those slings!

Cullumpster

jasmin10 wrote:

I am a new mum and have loved my Travel System, although at times it can be a bit bulky.

Now that my baby is 7 months I am looking into getting a buggy for running around with for short trips out. I will still use my travel system pushchair for longer trips out and about as I think that are more comfy for the little'ens

On another note however. I no longer have a use for my Graco Car base (only used it for 5 months) and just haven't got round to putting it on ebay. If you are interest let me know as it saves me a job.

Sam

Ahh that's a lovely thought, thanks Sam, but my friends carseat is a Mammas & papas one so it wouldn't fit, pity

Thanks for the offer though

Thanks guys for all of you suggestions, i'll have another look at e-bay i think, i was very anti 3 wheeled buggies, i think they look horrid, but i've seen one that is actually quite nice, can't do links i'm afraid i'll try and find it and post it on here to see what you guys think :J

Rachie_B

if its the primo viaggio carseat then you can get a mamas & papas Pliko or Aria which are pretty lightweight and the carseat attaches easily to them both

HTH

Cullumpster

I've got to check actually, i've go no idea........ i thought they'd be all the same thing

Rachie_B

lol no the newer ones are primo viaggio or theres the older style called uni traveller

s@sha

I've got a six month old, and as I have a disability I had to try a lot of pushchairs & prams to make sure I got one that I could use easily. We went for the Mamas & Papas Pliko Pramette & I haven't regretted it. Basically, its a small pram that you can use while the baby is young and they can face you,then you can turn it into a forward facing pushchair for when they're older. It can take the Primo Viaggio carseat if you want to use it as a travel system.

Looking back it has been handy to be able to put the car seat onto the pushchair, but I think a separate pushchair & car seat would have done just as well. My son is already outgrowing the car seat & we're finding him too heavy to carry in it so he's going to have to go into the next stage fixed car seats ASAP anyway.
I think if you're going to be out & about a lot in the car with the baby, then being able to click the car seat straight into a lightweight pushchair is handy, but if you walk more, then something for the baby to lie flat in & be more protected from the elements is better, with a separate car seat if necessary.

We do both, so the pramette suited us and I found it the easiest to manage with my disability.

Forgot to add that I would definitely consider getting one second hand from Ebay or local ads, but always buy a new car seat unless you're absolutely sure the secondhand one hasn't been in a crash & that it will fit properly in your car.

jellyhead

i saw somebody with a pliko today in town and it looks great. isn't that the pram that wins all the awards for being the best?

you can buy cheap plastic rain covers for car seats by the way, they sell them in pound shops etc. and on ebay i think. i used my sister's old travel system for a week or so and the rain cover was handy but i hated the travel system, too hard to push and handles too low down for my tall husband, it was an old britax one. the only time i was glad i had a travel system rather than a buggy was when i had an asthma attack in town and needed to get a taxi to get children from school otherwise i'd have been late - i needed the car seat to take the baby in the taxi. otherwise i've never really needed a travel system and my baby definitely slept better lying flat in a buggy rather than in the carseat. mutsy make a system where the car seat lays flat when you put it on the pram - that's a good idea but it costs a few hundred.

my baby was out of his 0+ car seat by 6 months, and so was the baby down the road. at that age they're too young for a forward facing carseat, so i had to buy one of the birth to 4 ones which can go rear or forward facing. just used it forward facing today, he was rear facing before. travel system car seats seem to go up to around 9 months or 13 months but it all depends of the weight and size of the baby. in theory my baby should still fit into his infant carrier car seat because he weighs less than 13kg, but he's just too tall. if i'd bought a travel system i'd feel cheated by him being out of the car seat at 23 weeks old!

bobsa1

I've had a pliko (fantastic) and Aria which I use all the time. I bought mine second hand for about £50 but argos do the aria with all sorts of bits for £100. I wouldn't say it would be great if you walk a lot.

If you do get the pliko but it is only forward facing, or you could get a mamas and papas pramette.

My last DD was a small baby and we used the car seat for over a year and used it as a travel system quite a lot.

Rachie_B

ive had plikos with both my sons and loved them,fab for all ages and more of a pushchair than a buggy but still fairly lightweight ish / small folding

couldnt get on with the aria really though,was fab for holidays as fits in the overhead locker of a plane etc

but it was quite small seat and my son didnt look comfy in it ,didnt like the fact there was no adjustable legrest and only 2 positions