baby travel system

itfgm

Hi,

I am shopping for a new travel system as my partner is 7 months pregnant.

A few people have recommended the Jane Slalom Pro Matrix travel system.

It is expensive as it is about £450 and then there are other accessories as well on top of that which can add up to £130.

Has anyone used this travel system?

What is the best travel system to buy?

Thanks

overworked_underpaid

We bought a Graco Travel System from Toys R Us for £130. That included the Pram/Stoller, Rain Cover, Foot Muff, Ruck Sack and Car Seat. Follow the link below to view the travel systems sold by ToysRUs.

http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Category.aspx/bruhome/brutravel

mamaoba

Choose a good car seat first and then make your choice from there. Not all car seats fit all car cars and are only as safe as their individual fit in your car. britax do a website that shows the best models of car seats for individual car marques. This might be a good place to start. Local councils also have a department that can advise on and check the fitting of car seats - mine has been really helpful with both my son's car seats.

Then and only then ask yourself if a travel system is what you will really need. If yes then the choice of car seat will in large part have narrowed your choice of travel system considerably by default.

Do be aware a newborn should ideally spend no longer than 20 mins at a time hunched up in a car seat - a 3 month old no longer than 2 hours. It's really bad for babies backs to spend loads of time hunched in car seats so all those people who spend hours wandering round their local shopping centre with bubs still in situ are doing the child's long term health no favours at all. :mad:

The car seat will also need to be replaced by the time the child gets to 9 months - 1 year (depending on the size and development of your child) so don't spend a fortune on a specific model just for the travel system aspect as you won't be using as a travel system for that long iykwim.

I didn't use a travel system, choosing to get my pram/pushcahrir and car seat seperately to get the best overall fit to my individual needs for my money and didn't miss the "convenience" (which is often only achieved at the expense of the baby's spine) at all. You may find the same.

I'll be using my pram (with a new mattress) again but have passed on my 1st car seat. This is because by the time I have another car seat saftey standards will have improved and also because the manufacturer for the one I had (a graco) states that the plastic degrades after 4 years so the seat is no longer as safe. It may be worth checking this for the model you have your eye on as £450 seems a lot of money to spend if you can't then use it for subsequent children.

Rachie_B

i can recommend the mamas & papas pliko travel system or for even more £££££ the mamas & papas 4 in 1 system but with everything it cost over £700!

i know a lot of people like the mothercare 3 wheeler travel system

Js_Other_Half

Mamas and Papas now have a factory shop open in Huddersfield.

starlite_2

The bebe loola is great according to my friend..but I second the thought that travel systems are not really good for babies..
it is just as easy to have a small carrycot pram in the boot and a seperate car seat..

markdavey

mamaoba wrote:

Choose a good car seat first and then make your choice from there. Not all car seats fit all car cars and are only as safe as their individual fit in your car. britax do a website that shows the best models of car seats for individual car marques. This might be a good place to start. Local councils also have a department that can advise on and check the fitting of car seats - mine has been really helpful with both my son's car seats.

Then and only then ask yourself if a travel system is what you will really need. If yes then the choice of car seat will in large part have narrowed your choice of travel system considerably by default.

Do be aware a newborn should ideally spend no longer than 20 mins at a time hunched up in a car seat - a 3 month old no longer than 2 hours. It's really bad for babies backs to spend loads of time hunched in car seats so all those people who spend hours wandering round their local shopping centre with bubs still in situ are doing the child's long term health no favours at all. :mad:

The car seat will also need to be replaced by the time the child gets to 9 months - 1 year (depending on the size and development of your child) so don't spend a fortune on a specific model just for the travel system aspect as you won't be using as a travel system for that long iykwim.

I didn't use a travel system, choosing to get my pram/pushcahrir and car seat seperately to get the best overall fit to my individual needs for my money and didn't miss the "convenience" (which is often only achieved at the expense of the baby's spine) at all. You may find the same.

I'll be using my pram (with a new mattress) again but have passed on my 1st car seat. This is because by the time I have another car seat saftey standards will have improved and also because the manufacturer for the one I had (a graco) states that the plastic degrades after 4 years so the seat is no longer as safe. It may be worth checking this for the model you have your eye on as £450 seems a lot of money to spend if you can't then use it for subsequent children.

I cant agree enough with mamaoba. My wife is 5 months pregnant with our first and I have done extensive research into this subject. Given that babies are not supposed to spend an extended amount of time in a car seat I think these so-called travel systems are completely not fit for purpose given they are slated for newborns.:mad:

I purchased the Britax Cosy Tot Premium (with ISOFIX) as it was the top Car Seat in the Which tests (managed to get seat and base for £130 in last seasons colours from www.kiddicare.com). I then went about looking for a push chair system that allowed me to keep baby flat initially whilst converting to a push chair for when she/he gets older. We have settled on the Silver Cross Sleepover system (http://www.twoleftfeet.co.uk/acatalog/2006_Silver_Cross_Linear_Sleepover_Marina.html) with the Linear Chassis (should last until baby is approx. 4 years old). We looked at the M&P Pramette and decided that, against the Silver Cross, it was completely flimsy (mostely plastic against the SC's aluminium), not built at all well and difficult to colapse (our own opinions obviously).

I hope this helps.

Mark

starlite_2

indeed..in my opinion travel systems are another symptom of a society wanting 'all in one' and minimum effort..regardless of what is best.

we bought an old style, but modern design pram/pushchair combi with proper suspension and tyres..it's more comfy than his crib and I have no problem taking him out in it all day..

and we have a car seat..which we use as intended..in cars..

cmh4135

I'm due to give birth any day now. Like several of the other posters we have decided against a travel system for the simple reason that the baby is better off laying flat than curled up in a car seat.

My other criteria was that I wanted a pushchair that faced both ways. I like to think that communicating with a child is important and there may well be occassions where the ability to face the child towards you is preferable (including if they are ill or fractious).

In the end, we went for the M&P Ultima 4in1 BUT did not go for the car seat. We have a Britax instead. It was expensive but I also wanted to be able to sleep the baby in the carry cot overnight so it came to a choice between the M&P and the SilverCross sleepover (I didn't like the handles on the Loola). The Silver Cross was lovely but had a very long lead time. It's also not made by the original Silver Cross company and so we decided against it. The Ulitima was also slightly smaller.

If you can get to Peterborough, I cannot recommend Kiddicare.com's warehouse shop highly enough. They are very competatively priced and the shop has one-off offers that are really good.

Good luck

nadnad

however if after all that you're still fixed on a travel system then can highly recommend the Graco travel system - my sister and my best mate both have one and the buggy is extremely durable and comfortable and the car seat is probably as good as any other of this type.