A travel system is simply a package of travel equipment like a car seat, pushchair or pram that you purchase all together.

Here is a round up of pros and cons of using travel systems as opposed to a stand alone buggy, and things to look for:

Pros

• The car seat will fit on the pushchair, either on the chassis or will secure on top of the pushchair
• Everything will co-ordinate
• You don’t have to wake your baby up if he falls asleep in the car, you can just take the car seat and secure it onto the pushchair
• You can get tandem and twin travel systems. Sometimes you can add on items to the main pushchair. ie with the Phil & Teds Sport you can add on the double kit for a tandem ride. Then add on the accessories from car seats to cosytoes.

Cons

• The initial price can be daunting. However as you could need all of the items anyway, you COULD be saving money.
• If you need to replace the car seat, you will usually have to buy the same one again, different seats won’t necessarily fit onto the pushchair
• When your baby grows bigger (About 9-12 months) they will need a new car seat, which is not included in the travel system

Things to check

• What age/weight is the car seat suitable for?
• What age/weight is the pushchair suitable for?
• What items are included in the travel system? e.g. some come with a carry cot, some with a change bag or parasol.
• Storage area, some pushchairs have much better storage areas than others. Not only should they have a good place to hang a change bag, but a good storage area can be invaluable. When out shopping this can often be your only way to carry things.

What safety features are included?

• a locking wheel either in the front or the back of the pushchair
• what type of restraint is used, the safest restraints are 5 point safety harnesses
• side impact protection on the car seat
• removable newborn insert for the car seat, so they fit snuggly into the seat while they are small
• multiple position options
• Some car seats for use with travel systems use ISOFIX, some don’t. (See our ISOFIX articles)

Will you use all the items in the package?

Does it fit with your lifestyle?

What experience have you got of a travel system? What kind have you used – what did you think?