The 9 Best Car Seat and Stroller Combos of 2024, Tested by Parents and Babies
Baby stays buckled into the infant car seat so you don’t have to remove the child harness and lift baby out of the car seat and into the stroller. Don’t assume that learning to use your car seat and stroller is intuitive. “Read the manual that comes with it to make sure you are using the products correctly, from strapping the child in properly to correctly installing the carrier in your car,” Moriarty urges. If you need additional help, many parenting products feature a scannable QR code to pull up a digital manual on your phone. In terms of ease of use, the Uppababy Cruz travel system is hard to beat.
There’s no clear winner when you compare Graco travel systems with Chicco travel systems. Both are mid-range options, though Chicco travel systems are a bit more high-end and look more streamlined and stylish. Graco travel systems cost less, so they are the best choice for parents on a tighter budget. Ultimately, it’s up to you to pick the model that’s right for you and your baby.
Car seat and stroller combinations should be user-friendly for parents, grandparents, babysitters, and others who may watch your child. Additionally, the strollers should maneuver effortlessly on different terrains and have safety graco travel systems features, such as brakes, UV canopies, and five-point harnesses. This travel system is above average, with a lay-flat bassinet option for the stroller, in addition to the infant car seat and the standard seat for older children.
Despite the claim that it’s a one-handed fold, we also found that reality requires two hands to complete the job. We had a little trouble assembling the stroller and detaching the toddler seat. The buttons on either side of the stroller seat require two hands to push down. Also, the handlebar doesn’t adjust, and we can’t fold the stroller one-handed.
Infant car seats and strollers can be purchased separately or together as a travel system. If purchased separately, it is important to be sure the car seat and stroller are compatible. In some cases, purchase of an additional adapter is needed to secure the graco stroller infant car seat into the stroller. A travel system will include the infant car seat with stay-in-car base and stroller. All strollers in Chicco travel systems are ready for click-in attachment of the infant seat, with no additional adapters required.
If you don’t plan on doing this, it’s not necessary—you can just purchase a separate car seat and stroller. Chaunie Brusie, RN, BSN, is a labor and delivery nurse turned health and parenting writer and a mother of five. She has written extensively on parenting products, including car seats and strollers and their combination use. The three-wheeled design of this stroller makes it highly maneuverable and easier to steer in tight spaces. The KeyFit 30 infant car seat is highly rated in safety tests, giving parents peace of mind.