Britax Excel Travel System

xmaslolly76

Looking at the pics i think thats as flat as most pushchairs go. if you can still buy them new have you been to a shop to see if they can demonstrate it to you :-)

RLH33

I have a sneaky suspicion that as the seat does not go down completely flat then it is only suitable for a baby of 3months or older. I have had a quick look on the internet but all the adverts for this pushchair are unclear on this point. However as there is a car seat that fixes onto the pushchair then usually what they advise is that you use the car seat attached to the pushchair until they are 3 months and then you put them into the pushchair itself. This is what happens with my pushchair at the moment.

That said I have never really figured out why you have to wait until they are 3 months old as there is only a very small incline on the back of the seat and the baby would not be laid flat in the car seat anyway. I have the M&P Luna Mix which says you can't put a baby in the seat until they are 6 months old - well my 4 month old sits quite happily in there and it reclines flat!!

Another point while I am writing - you are missing the part of the harness that comes round the sides to clip onto the two shoulder straps and then into the clip that goes between the baby's legs - the harness should have 5 straps, 2 for the shoulders, 2 round the waist and one between the legs - you are missing the ones that go round the waist. As it is shown in the pictures you wouldn't be able to put a child in it as there is no way you could restrain them or clip them in securely.

skintchick

RLH33 wrote: »

I have a sneaky suspicion that as the seat does not go down completely flat then it is only suitable for a baby of 3months or older. I have had a quick look on the internet but all the adverts for this pushchair are unclear on this point. However as there is a car seat that fixes onto the pushchair then usually what they advise is that you use the car seat attached to the pushchair until they are 3 months and then you put them into the pushchair itself. This is what happens with my pushchair at the moment.

That said I have never really figured out why you have to wait until they are 3 months old as there is only a very small incline on the back of the seat and the baby would not be laid flat in the car seat anyway. I have the M&P Luna Mix which says you can't put a baby in the seat until they are 6 months old - well my 4 month old sits quite happily in there and it reclines flat!!

Another point while I am writing - you are missing the part of the harness that comes round the sides to clip onto the two shoulder straps and then into the clip that goes between the baby's legs - the harness should have 5 straps, 2 for the shoulders, 2 round the waist and one between the legs - you are missing the ones that go round the waist. As it is shown in the pictures you wouldn't be able to put a child in it as there is no way you could restrain them or clip them in securely.

Babies should not be in car seats for long periods of time, and the advice is not for more than 2 hours at a time, especially when very young, as it holds their spine bent and it isn;t very good for them.

Personally, I would only put my DD in a pram that laid completely flat AND faced me, because studies have shown that being parent-facing is important for verbal development among other things.

There are systems available that enable you to have the baby in a carrycot, and the pushchair can face either way, although I appreciate you were probably trying to save money, I am not sure I could put a price on my child's health and development.

Anyway, your system definitely sounds like the baby goes in facing outwards from the start, and shouldn't be lying on the buckle.

honeypop

Although a different make, this is exactly the same as the lie flat stroller I had for DS from birth.

To answer your questions, yes that is as flat as it goes, and is fine for newborns. The baby will only face frontwards, it is not rear-facing, you are talking about putting your baby in upside down lol.

It is a stroller not a pram, so baby will need to be strapped in at all times. You have the shoulder straps and the bit between the legs but are missing the straps that come round the waist, you will not be able to use the stroller without these as baby will not be strapped in properly.

-monky-

thanks to those pointing out the straps - i think you're right, they are missing. if anyone who still has one of these could post a picture of the whole harness clipped together, that would be really helpful to get my head around.

i am going to ring britax in a bit, but their website seems to suggest i have to get spares via a retail outlet. i wonder how well mothercare will understand what i am trying to explain!

-monky-

panic over :j

i have found the missing straps, connected to the side of the pushchair, caught up under the padding etc.

thanks everyone for help, i think i am confident enough to use this thing now...

(dont tell anyone i have an engineering degree...:o)

Ms_Piggy_2

skintchick wrote: »

Babies should not be in car seats for long periods of time, and the advice is not for more than 2 hours at a time, especially when very young, as it holds their spine bent and it isn;t very good for them.

I was just going to say that. The 'C' shape that the seat forces the baby in can interfere with their breathing too.

skintchick wrote: »

Personally, I would only put my DD in a pram that laid completely flat AND faced me, because studies have shown that being parent-facing is important for verbal development among other things.

Yep - parent facing is very important for young babies (and toddlers too actually!)

tiamai_d

As everyone else said, that is as flat as it goes. Baby lies in as a toddler would sit in, but with the seat reclined. Had more or less the same model for DS2.