These are some products that we have purchased or used with my son, Samuel Grey. The reviews below discuss the products used and also describe what we liked or did not like about the products. These are only our opinions, the anecdotes of one set of parents and a child, but hopefully they can help inform your decisions when you are trying to decide on a product for your child. Likely, there are amusing stories to accompany the products as well. Enjoy!
Chicco Car Seat
Chicco Car Seat Base - Installation in a RAV4
Chicco Cortina Travel System
Chicco Stroller
Graco Pack 'n Play - Day2Night Sleep System
Chicco Cortina Travel System
The Car Seat Base - Installation in a RAV4
I was super excited to trade in my '95 Camry for this hot new dad-mobile. This is a 2006 RAV4 and it has a ton of bells and whistles like dual climate controls, a roof rack, fold-down 3rd row seats, and a lot more. We also got a great deal on it, so we are very thankful to have a safe and reliable family vehicle.
One of my jobs was to install the car seat base for our baby travel system. The travel system we went with was a Chicco Cortina Travel System after going to Babies 'R Us and test driving a lot of strollers. We liked the way it handled and looked, and the ease of use in moving from car seat to stroller. Here is a link to the product: http://www.chiccousa.com/gear/travel-systems/cortina-30lb-systems/travel-systems-30-midori.aspx
I had a hard time getting the base installed, as it is a little dark in my garage, and the RAV4 instruction manual didn't seem to mention the built-in baby seat buckles. These buckles are standard on most cars built since the early 2000's. Once I found these (they were marked on the seat by a tan button that blended in with the upholstery), the installation was a snap. Just buckle in the base, adjust the base to ensure it is level with the built-in hardware, and pull the straps as tight as possible. There should be no wiggle, and this is very important to the safety of your kid and the functionality of the seat.
The Car Seat
The car seat in this system is pretty great. It has the standard 5-point harness and a newborn insert that can be removed as the child grows. An easy to reach strap tightens the harness onto your little one, and a release button slacks the harness. The canopy folds down and is removable. The handle folds with the press of 2 buttons. The seat easily locks into the base or the stroller, and there is a big orange release handle on the back for removing it from either. Sometimes this is hard to press, but you get the hang of it...it is just a bit harder than it should be. I think the seat looks good and feels comfortable, and it works very well.
On a side note, notice also that the car seat is installed facing backwards. This is for the safety of the child. Your kids should not be facing forward until they graduate to a booster seat. It is also in the middle seat because that is the safest part of a car, away from potential side impacts and also compression from front row seats. We also installed a mirror in the headrest so that we can see little Sam's face when we look in our mirrors.
The Stroller
As for the stroller itself, it is pretty glamorous. The handling is really quite extraordinary when the front wheel locks are not set, allowing for tight cornering. The rear wheel locks are easy to use and strong. The car seat snaps right into the stroller, so no switching from one seat to another is required. The handle is adjustable, there is storage underneath, and it is collapsible. I also like the compartment near the handle, as it is a great place to store a binky. If I were to have any complaints, I would say that it is fairly heavy as strollers go, and the mechanism used to collapse the stroller for storage is clunky and takes practice to use smoothly. The system was on the higher end of prices that we looked at, somewhere around 320 dollars, but I would say that it is worth it.
Graco Pack 'n Play -Day2Night Sleep System
One of the big things that Elizabeth and I asked for on the baby registry was a Pack 'n Play (PnP). In particular, we wanted the Graco Day2Night Sleep System. For those of you not in the know, this is almost a must-have item for parents. It is many things in one, and this particular model had been described as the "Rolls Royce of Pack 'n Plays" by some of our parenting friends. I would tend to agree. This unit has several components. First, it has the play pen, which is a netted cube for your tot to play in once they can play. It helps you know where the child is, and ensures that they are not off somewhere getting into trouble, cabinets, or the liquor cabinet. The thin mattress at the bottom of the pen is removable and can be inserted into a second layer of the PnP, setting up the next feature. This PnP has a built in bassinet. The bassinet shares a level with two cloth storage bins, a third feature. Above the storage bins is the fourth feature, a fold down changing table. Finally, there is a battery powered function that vibrates the mattress at two speeds, as well as a speaker that you hook up your iPod to for baby sounds.
Did I say finally? There is one more feature, and it is awesome. There is a portable and removable bassinet included with the PnP. It fits in the built-in bassinet space, and has its own separate stand that is foldable and has extra storage. We keep one upstairs and one downstairs so he can sleep in the most convenient place. This bassinet has a fopding canopy as well to block out unwanted sunshine. If he falls asleep in the portable bassinet, we can carry the whole thing up the stairs and put it in the PnP, especially if we want to turn on the vibration, which he loves.
Minuses for this PnP: 1.) Moving the mattress to different areas for different functionality is very clunky and hard to do. 2.) This is called a Pack n' Play, denoting that you can pack it up, but the assembly is cumbersome, and it is HEAVY! 3.) The vibration eats up D batteries pretty quickly. 4.) Changing table is not the sturdiest, and it does bend a bit with a baby on it. We won't be able to use it for too long with our growing boy.
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