Okay, I need some extra opinions!
Bech and I have a 20% coupon to Babies R Us that expires in a week and a half. I wanted to use it on the crib, but it was out of stock through Babies R Us (I found it through Amazon and actually got just as good a deal!). I think we should use the coupon on one of the more expensive items we'll have to buy, so that we'll save more!
So we started checking out the travel systems. A few months ago, I decided we should get a Graco travel system. You know, one with an infant car seat/carrier and a stroller that it attaches too. The problem is, we don't like any of them. We looked at all of them last night, and they are all bulky and kinda ugly (at least to us! sorry if you love yours!).
[Travel System by Graco]
So Bech said, "Why do we even need one of those strollers? I've seen people use lightweight strollers that I like a lot better." He's talking about an umbrella strollers, which are super lightweight. The problem is that those are only for slightly older babies...you can't put an infant in one of those.
So we started talking about how much we would actually even use a stroller while the baby was under 6 or 9 months. And we realized that it wouldn't be very often. We don't go out and about much now, and I doubt we will with a child. And I am much more interested in wearing a baby sling or wrap most of the time. So the stroller wouldn't be missed that much.
But the carrier is a different issue. It would be great to use when going out to eat (again, we don't go out much, but still, when we do...) and if the baby fell asleep in the car. But is that enough of a reason to pay a lot for a travel system we really don't like?
I also remembered that people sell old infant seats on craigslist all the time. While I wouldn't use those as a car seat (I've read never to buy a secondhand car seat), we could use it as a carrier.
Then we started looking for car seats that we actually like. Over Christmas I had lunch with one of my high school friends who is also pregnant, and she was telling me how she was just going to get a convertible seat. That way the baby can use it for much longer. Plus she felt the same way about the carrier--she just wouldn't use it very much.
With a convertible, the baby can use it as an infant, all the way up to 3 or so years old.
And then we found this car seat. And we fell in love!
Okay, Bech would probably not describe his feelings as love, because he's not me. But he likes it a lot too. It's the Combi Coccoro. It's made by a Japanese company. It's extremely lightweight and has padding for the infants. It is made for compact cars and smaller cars--while Bech's truck isn't necessarily compact, it's still on the smaller side. Plus it comes in green! And orange!
I have read some reviews so far. Most people seem to love it! There were some unhappy customers, but they were few and far between.
So now I want some advice, please! Did you just love your infant carrier and stroller? Do you think I am absolutely crazy? And at what age can babies start to use umbrella strollers? Do you know anyone who has had a Combi car seat?
4 comments:
I didn't have the travel system but I did have a car seat that was a carrier, and a Graco stroller. I believe both of my sisters had the travel systems and didn't care for them. I do prefer the umbrella strollers because they are easier. Get one with the basket at the bottom. When you put a diaper bag on the handles they are lightweight and will flip!
Your ideas sound good to me. You and Beck definitely seem like Sling parents to me! You are right about the carrier, you don't need one for long, so I guess I would either borrow one or buy one on Craigs list. Just make sure that you have enough room in your vehicle to take the carrier too. It is amazing how much stuff you have to take with you when they are little!
You also have to take into consideration the type of vehicle you drive and the type of car seat. Ashley had a problem with space in her car, when her car seat was was rear facing. No one could sit in the front passenger seat of her car because the car seat took up so much room when it was rear facing. Her seat wouldn't fit in the middle of her back seat so she had it behind the passenger seat. She has a Corolla. Some car seats just work better in certain cars.
We had the Chicco travel system. Basically the exact same thing as the Graco. And they are not the prettiest of things, but we did use it ALOT. We used the carrier car seat until Paige was 8 months old, which was when we switched her to her big car seat. (We went with the Safety First Air Protect). Until she was 8 months old, I wouldn't have felt safe with her in the bigger car seat. It was just too big.
I didn't think I would go out a lot with her, but girl, that travel system was a life saver. She would always fall asleep in the car, but she didn't transfer well into a crib, so it was so nice to be able to just take the whole car seat in the car, or into Target, wherever with me and she would stay asleep while I ran my errands.
I never used a sling. A report about babies suffocating in them came out right about the time Paige was born and that scared me to death. (oh geez, I don't say that to scare you. I was being completely over reactive and really was nothing to be worried about...with number 2 i am planning on getting a moby wrap.)
It's a tough decision. I will say we still use our Chicco stroller. I only use the umbrella stroller for short little trips. ( I think she started using umbrella around 9 months) The chicco just looks and feels so much more comfortable. I guess I always think about which one I would rather be sitting in and the umbrella never wins out!
Whatever decision, it will be the best one for your family and your lifestyle!
oh, also, try out the combi in your car first! with our air protect, when it was rear facing, we had to scoot the passengers seat so far up that no one could sit in the front, so if matt and i were together, i sat in the back with paige. it was HUGE when rear facing!!! so just measure.
We bought the travel system. Even though its bulky, I think they are more comfortable in them than the umbrella kind. We did buy one when we had Paxton so Anna Claire could have a "big girl" stroller haha. They work good for older kids.
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