How Much Money Will You Save From Buying a Travel System

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As a parent, there is no shame in choosing to be practical. Looking for hacks to save effort, time, and money is perfectly valid as long as your child’s safety is not compromised. When preparing for your child’s must-have list, one of the things that are surely included would be a car seat and a stroller. Of course, you can’t skip the car seat because it’s vital for safe car rides. And although there are some parents who prefer to carry their children around, strollers are more convenient for walking on long durations and distances.

You can buy the two separately, but you can also purchase a travel system. Basically, a travel system is a car seat and a stroller combo. When you follow this link, you can quickly notice that some manufacturers even include other goodies to the set. Now, the question here is which one will save you more money? Is buying both equipments in a single purchase gives you a bang for your buck?

Car Seat Stroller Combo vs Separate Purchases

A travel system is composed of two separate parts that fit together. They are easy to attach, and you don’t need to buy extra equipment for them to work. Another advantage with the combo is that you can leave the base of the car seat in your vehicle. 

This means you don’t need to wake your sleeping baby when you transfer him/her in and out of the car. There are also other inclusions and features in the travel system which we will talk about later.

But travel systems also have a downside. Some parents can say that a combo is one of their regretted purchases. The reason for this is because some travel systems can be costly, and buying a cheaper unit has its cons. In order to lower the price point, manufacturers have to do some tweaks. 

For example, you can get a seat that is a joy to adjust and install in the expense of a bulky and hard-to-unfold stroller. Or you can also get a one-hand folding stroller in the cost of a car seat that is challenging to adjust.




While travel systems eliminate the hassle of matching a stroller and a car seat yourself, buying the two separately gives you more personalized options. You can search for a car seat that will surely fit well into your vehicle and a stroller that is less bulky but works with a lot of brands.

How Much Money Will You Save From Travel Systems?

Directly speaking, you can save from $80-$100 depending on the inclusions and features of the unit. Because some models allow you to recline the car seat horizontally and vertically, your child can use the combo for longer. This saves you from buying a separate bassinet, although some units also offer a bassinet along with the stroller toddler seat.

Because you’ll be getting a toddler seat in the stroller and an infant car seat, you can think of it as getting three purchases in one. Some models even include a separate bug shield from the UV shield of the canopy which is a plus.

There are even car seat stroller combos like the UPPAbaby 2015 Vista that allows you to experiment with the configurations. You can add the included bassinet along with the toddler seat or use the car seat with the toddler seat. 

This feature is useful since you don’t have to purchase a separate stroller. At the same time, you can have both of your children in one stroller while walking. You can also position the seat from facing you (rear-facing) to forward-facing as your child grows.

Another area where you can save money is the fact that infant car seats have higher weight limits than bassinets. Bassinets usually have a weight limit of around 20 pounds while infant car seats can accommodate up to 35 pounds. 

If you add this number to a stroller with a 55-pound limit, you can get a long duration of usage. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t have a specific limit of using a stroller, it is best to get one with a higher number.

Final Take

Prioritize quality over anything else. But this doesn’t mean that you have to use your child’s college fund just for a car seat and a stroller. First, evaluate the car seat and the stroller of the combo individually. Check if the car seat fits well into your vehicle and weigh the features and capability of the stroller since you will use it longer than the infant car seat.