Choosing the Right Baby Travel System
Executive Summary Baby Travel System by lionel lonszt
There are many baby travel systems out there and choosing the right one can make traveling with a baby or toddler safer and more convenient across town or across the globe. Can I jog with my stroller? Does the car seat pass all the safety regulations? Which system accommodates a premature baby under 7 pound safely? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has current information on federal and state car seat regulations.
The NHTSA also recommends that you keep your child in a rear facing car seat for as long as possible, as long as your child fits the seat’s height and weight requirements no matter the age. There are child car seat inspection stations in most metropolitan areas offered by police departments, fire departments, and sometimes medical facilities or clinics. Make use of them after installing a new car seat. You can also lookup child car seat laws by state from a link on their site.
There are many baby travel systems and price ranges available for you to choose from. Be aware that not all travel systems include the car seat base, the base unit that is permanently installed in the car that the car seat is snapped into, so check to make sure and purchase separately if needed.
Make sure that the stroller offered with the system is engineered to securely hold the car seat (which is doubling as your infant carrier). The systems that in my mind are true ‘systems’ work together and the stroller holds your infant securely in the car seat/carrier above the built in stroller seat until they grow into it or is the only seat until you are ready to upgrade.
If you plan on using the car seat as your infant carrier, a great reason to consider a travel system, take a close look at the handle and weight of the car seat to make sure it is comfortable and not overly heavy. Some systems offer a child front facing or rear facing adjustable stroller handle. I prefer a system where the child seat rotates 360 degrees, not a system where the handle on the stroller flips to the other side.
Having a rotating seat is incredibly convenient for you not only when on the stroller but also when placing the child into the car while in the seat. There are many frustrations about how some of the seat belts or harness systems on the car seats adjust. More information on baby travel systems. For more information about the travel system I mentioned and our top choice go here Orbit Baby G2 Travel System.