Combi Cosmo EX Umbrella Stroller - A Double Take

Price: $129.99

Barbie's Take: We didn't start using this stroller until Trent was over 5 months old. Right away I loved the stroller because its so easy to open and close, and its so lightweight. What I didn't like, however, was that the seat (where the butt goes) seemed to be slanted downward. I felt like the harness strap was the only thing keeping him from slowing sliding forward. I assumed this was something I could adjust and fix, but I was never able to find a lever to help me fix this. I'm assuming it's just the way the stroller was made. Bummer. As months passed and Trent gained more control over his posture and gained mobility this became less and less of an issue. Now he purposely leans forward most of the time just because he wants to. Now that my son is almost a year old and I've gotten some real use out of this stroller, I can say that I now wish I got a "lightweight stroller" that came with a tray for the baby and a tray for the mommy. Sometimes when we are out and about I want to give my son some food, but it's difficult to do since he doesn't have a tray. I did some research, in hopes they sold a tray separately, but I couldn't find anything on the web or in the BRU store. Also, when out and about, mommy might have a beverage, cell phone, and/or keys, but no place to put them. It would be nice if there was a cup holder, at least. This stroller does come with a cup holder for the baby, but I have yet to use this feature. There is also a decent sized storage compartment under the seat. Not quite big enough for my hefty diaper bag, but big enough for an average store bag or purse. In conclusion, I absolutely love how easy it is to open and close this stroller, and i love how lightweight it is, but I would have to shop around before really saying "yes i recommend this item" or "no, i don't".

Alicia's Take: When I first pulled it out of the box (as we were on our way out the door), I assumed it'd take seconds to put together (maybe even already be together!). Unfortunately, it was a little more difficult than expected. Perhaps the hardest part was trying to get it unfolded! I tried for about 30 minutes (all the while trying to get out the door to go for a walk) before I felt like tossing it out the back door. Then after a minute or two I realized that there was a little hook in the front that released it to open. DUH!

So, after figuring out how to open it up we were out the door. For the most part I've been pleased with it. It was much cheaper than a lot of the McLaren strollers that are comparable in style. It is also a lot smaller and more compact than the travel system stroller. It seems to glide nicely and get the job done. For someone looking for a nicer umbrella-style stroller I would recommend this with out a doubt.

I personally don't use it very often, but in the situation that I need a stroller I would grab this before going for my travel system.

Pros:
- reasonably priced compared to some light weight strollers
- easy to open/close/use (once you figure it out)
- doesn't take up nearly as much trunk space as a travel system
-back is adjustable (reclines) which is not a feature all lightweight strollers have.

Cons:
- Issues with the seat position for Barbie
- no tray for mom or baby

Recommend: Stroller Hooks

Stroll'r Swivel'rs
Price= $5.99

This is another item I threw on my registry and received at my shower. I assumed they would come in handy whether the stroller I was using had storage or not (one of my strollers does, one doesn't). Sure enough, I've used them a handful of times! You can't hang anything too heavy from them or the stroller will become off balance, but they are great for light-medium bags. My diaper bag is usually the heaviest thing I carry around so I throw it in the storage compartment of the stroller and then hang the lighter bags from the hooks. They are great for free'ing up your arms. I imagine they will be great when the day comes that Trent wants me to hold him as we walk through the mall. It will be bad enough I still have to push the stroller, but at least I wont have to push the stroller, carry my bags, AND carry the heavy child. This is just one of those little items that it doesn't hurt to have. You may not use them often, but you'll be glad you have them when you do use them.

Pros:
-snaps onto most strollers
-the hooks swivel 360 degrees
-inexpensive
-they are made of plastic, so they are easy to clean

Cons:
-can be difficult to remove from stroller
-some reviews on BRU say they break easily (mine have held up well so far)

Recommend: Yes. I like them. They would make a good bow-alternative if you are giving a baby gift.

Baby Trend Travel System vs. Graco Stroller and Car Seat

Baby Trend Travel System (Orange Oak):

Travel System Price: I believe the system was approximately $169.99

The travel system I own is no longer available on Babiesrus.com, therefore I can not provide an exact price. The reason I chose this travel system is because I liked the way it looked. We did not know if we were having a boy or girl, so we needed something gender neutral. I'm on a big orange kick right now, so majority of our large baby items have orange in it. In hindsight I wish I had played with the travel systems on display for a bit before choosing one to register for.

Pros:

-affordable

-nice colors (if you like orange)

-car seat attaches to, and removes from, stroller easily

-stroller has a nice window feature so you can peak in on the baby if he's sleeping

-stroller has a nice cup holder tray with storage compartment

Cons:

-car seat handle is very difficult to adjust

-stroller was oftentimes difficult to collapse

-strollers storage basket on the bottom is not very large and barely holds my diaper bag

-harness system on car seat is a pain to deal with

-car seat is very heavy and awkward (though, I'm assuming all car seats are heavy and awkward to handle)

-car seat does not come with a head positioner for newborns

Would I recommend: No. My husband actually had a woman come up to him in BRU saying she was about to register for this system, and she asked if he liked it. He immediately told her it was junk and he had her check our out. It didn't take long before she realized it was not the best system out there.

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Graco Quattro Tour Stroller and SnugRide Car Seat:

Stroller Price: $149.99
Car Seat Price: $149.99

Total Set Price: $299.98

Note: I have the Quattro Tour Stroller and the Safe Seat, not the Snug ride in "french roast". The Safe Seat was recently replaced by the SnugRide. When comparing them in the store, I determined they're very comparable and it seems the biggest difference is that the SafeSeat holds babies up to 30 pounds and the SnugRide up to 35 pounds. In addition the "french roast" pattern was discontinued.

There is no particular reason why I chose to buy the two separately as opposed to in a set other than I liked the green and brown color better than any other Travel Systems I saw. It offered the same convenience as a Travel System though and really is no different.

Pros:

-The car seat goes up to 30 or 32 pounds - most other infant car seats only go up to 20-some pounds, so you'll get more time out of it.
- They both seem to be of great quality and very durable.

- Car seat adjusts easily

- When comparing how easy it is to move the carrying handle recently (compared to above brand), the Graco won hands down.

- Comes with a built-in head rest. This is nice because 'technically' you shouldn't be using a head rest/head positioner unless your car seat comes with one that is crash-tested.

- Window on the side to confirm that car seat is positioned correctly

- Easy to get car seat in and out of base

- Car Seat attaches easily to stroller and has locks to keep it in place

- Stroller is a great height for us - and seems like it wouldn't be too low for taller couples.

- Stroller moves easily - not difficult to steer.

- Convenient to leave baby in the car seat when sleeping or going in a restaurant.

Cons:

- Price! More expensive to buy the two pieces individually than in a set.

- Even though it holds babies up to 30 pounds, it's already getting heavy, so pretty impractical that we'll need it that long - it's not uncommon now for me to just carry him in a store, etc.

- Strollers storage basket on the bottom is not very large and barely holds my diaper bag

- Stroller seat needs to be straight up to get items into/out of the storage basket, but down to put the car seat in making it difficult to access quickly.

- While the harness system on the car seat is great, in general I'm not a huge fan of the harness system on the rest of my graco products. I still haven't totally figured out how to adjust the sizes and the way they fit together is almost annoying.

- Stroller is large and takes up a significant amount of space in your vehicle.

Would I recommend: I'm very torn about whether I'd recommend a Travel System to any one at all (no matter what the brand). Part of me loves it, part of me hates it - the car seat gets heavy quickly, the strollers are pretty bulky, but it's nice to be able to move baby easily while sleeping and I'm sure would be great to get him in his car seat inside during the winter instead of in the cold. If I had to recommend a Travel System though, I would say that the Graco brand is all around wonderful. To save some money though, try to find a pattern you like that comes in a set and be sure to check the weight capacity on the car seat to get more bang for your buck.