Graco SnugRide...I have a question...

[bensgirl1222]

So I bought the book Baby Bargains. LOVE.IT. It is very informative. I have one question though...They rec the Graco SnugRide. I looked online and it doesn't say it comes with a Travel System and I'd like a Travel System. However, they do have the Quattro Tour Travel System... I guess what I'm asking is, can you buy the SnugRide and then get the Travel system and will they both work together? So if I buy the SnugRide and then buy the Quattro Tour Travel System, are they meant to work together or do I have to use the infant it comes with? I'm confused...

[magdesilver]

All the graco travel systems either come with the snugride or the safeseat.

[mommydearest]

I have a Quattro, which I bought online when they first came out to match my SnugRide (read: I didn't test drive it first because I didn't know any better at the time). Its OK for in the neighborhood, but it REALLY heavy and clunky for shopping or going in small spaces. I wouldn't buy it again because it is so large and have replaced it with a P3 (which also is compatible with a SnugRide). I love my P3, which is about 10 pounds lighter and folds much smaller. I also have a Zooper that fits the SnugRide that I like, although if I could just have one, it would be the P3 hands down. I sent the Quattro to live in grandma's garage where it doesn't need to be lifted in and out of the car and size doesn't matter.

So, before you buy one, consider how you are going to use it. I wish I had, as I now have an almost new Quattro that will almost never get used because I can't hoist it into my trunk very easily and can't stand how big it is at the mall.

[Toonces]

I wouldn't put a lot of thought into a travel system with a Snug Ride. I got a travel system several years ago from my former employer, before DD was born. DD was only in her Snug Ride for 3.5-4 months before outgrowing it and DS, at only 5 weeks old is 1.25" away from outgrowing it already. IIRC the Snug Ride length max is 26" and they recommend moving baby out of it when he/she is within 1.5" of the max, or 24.5". My DS is already 23.25" long. We bought him a convertible car seat a couple of weeks ago and he's been in that.

I'm sorry to kind of hijack b/c I know my response isn't an answer to your question, but I wish I would have known about the length limitations of the Snug Ride. FWIW, we never used the Snug Ride in the stroller it came with. I ended up wearing DD and now DS in slings/carriers b/c it was easier than lugging around a big stroller.

[Sal03]

we had the travel system and they are so heavy. if I had it to do again I would have just bought the snug ride and a snap n go stroller. those are so light and the snugride fits right in the frame. Both my kids were only in the snug ride 4 or 5 months so I would rather spend the money on a nicer stroller for after like the maclaran.

[magdesilver]

Just to update Catgirl's recommendations, the newer snugride goes to 22 lbs. and 29 inches in height, or as long as your child has 1" of hard shell above their heads they are fine in the seat even if they are above the height recommendations for the seat. The newer model called the safeseat goes to 30lbs. (not sure what the height on it is) and claims to fit 90% of all 1 year olds, so for the money it would be a good buy, I don't think it is much more $$ than the snugride.
I'd also recommend not getting a put together "system". The P3 is a fabulous stroller, accepts graco carseats, and is much better quality.

[Wrighty26]

IIRC the Snug Ride length max is 26" and they recommend moving baby out of it when he/she is within 1.5" of the max, or 24.5".

Just an FYI - the newer Snugrides (starting this year) have a max length of 29 inches OR 1 inch from the top of the seat (a baby can be 29 inches and still fit in it-- if they have longs legs). The weight max was increased too - to 22lbs.

That said, I LOVE my snugride and will be very very sad when I have to switch DS to the convertible carseat. He's 5 months and probably has about another month left in it.

I did not get a travel system because I'd heard/read a lot of bad reviews-- and just registered for a P3 instead. It's a sweet ride-- especially indoors (at the mall/Target/etc)! The snugride fits right into the P3 without any problems.

ETA - Oops, madgesilver! Cross-posted :D At least we said the same thing :)

[ShelbyMay]

Eh, I have the Graco Metrolite travel system (with Snugride) and have been happy with it. DD is 5 months old.

[dionysia]

We didn't really like the stroller that is part of the travel system with the SnugRide, so we bought a Zooper Waltz. It can be used with the SnugRide to make a travel system. :)

Di

[{b}]

I have a Graco Snugride car seat, and a Peg Perego A3 stroller. Yeah, they don't match, but I never use them together, anyways. I'd heard the travel systems were bulky and heavy and awkward, and I'm a weakling.

I hate carrying the bucket. I think my arms are too short or something - it's crazy uncomfortable, I bang up my legs, and my back is always sore if I carry it more than to the car to the house or vice versa.

One push of the Peg Perego and DH was sold on it, too.

[jh124]

Eh, I have the Graco Metrolite travel system (with Snugride) and have been happy with it. DD is 5 months old.

We had a snugride and a metrolite (not the system) and they worked well together. At 14 months, I still use my metrolite in the 'burbs when we are doing a long shopping trip. It's huge and carries a lot. But I just bought a Maclaren Zolo for the city trips and traveling.

If I were you, I wouldn't commit to a big heavy expensive system.

[jbenny75]

I remember how confusing all of this stuff was! You can buy the Snugride seperately or the Graco travel systems come with the Snugride or Safeseat. I have a Graco travel system with the Snugride and a Metrolite stroller. I loved the Snugride. DS had issues with it, but I'm finding out that he has issues with anything that he gets strapped into, so I'm not sure the Snugride had anything to do with it. I liked my stroller up until recently. I'm finding that DS doesn't like riding in it for very long now that he's just in the stroller w/out the infant seat, so it must be uncomfortable and it's too big to get around well in stores. I'll be buying something new that's smaller and more comfortable for DS for shorter shopping trips. If we need to carry a lot of stuff, I'll still use the Metrolite.

[Kanga]

We have one of the graco travel systems (can't remember which one though) and have zero compalints. We still use the stroller as our only stroller at nearly 14mo. I love it so much we're getting a duo glider system for #2 (our old infant seat and travel system was a handme down and has since expired). I don't exercise other than the occasional walk to the playground ~4-5 blocks from my house, so I knew I'd use it only for trips to the mall a few times a month if that and have used it in restaurants if dd is napping. Also, we only travel by plane once in a blue moon and didn't forsee us taking a baby with us.

I'm fairly petite (5'3 and ~100 lbs) and have no problem lifting it out of my trunk. If I did strollersize or something, I'd probably want a little nicer stroller but could get by with the travel system. Just make sure whichever stroller you end up with lays flat or nearly flat for a newborn. (I'm pretty sure all the travel systems do, but have no idea about other strollers)

[LILRTL]

We bought a Snugride car seat, and the matching stroller. They were not sold as a travel system, but worked as a travel system. We still use the stroller today. :)

[Jane&Andy]

after hearing about Graco strollers being too heavy and clunky I didn't want one. My sister gave me her Snugride and for the stroller I bought a Zooper Waltz. I love my stroller! The snugride fits in it just fine and there is a strap to secure it - very easy to use. But I only used it in the stroller 2 or 3 times (even though he was in the Snugride for 6 months). The Zooper Waltz has a full recline so he mostly just rode in the stroller. He didn't sleep through the car stopping so I didn't see any advantage to leaving him cooped up in the car seat when we were out. There are a lot of non-Graco strollers out there that work with the snugride.

[jh124]

If you are planning on having more than one child, you might want to consider just buying a frame stroller and snapping the snugride in that. With two kids over several months, you will likely get your money out of it.