Graco - Comfy Cruiser 2.0 Travel System

4 in total, with two children. I don't drive and we walk daily, in all weather. I had a Graco Comfy Cruiser as my daily driver. Less than $200 and it was an absolute workhorse. I used it for over 6 years, between the two kids. Huge basket was perfect for grocery shopping. We also had a Joovy Caboose, for the short period of time when my older child was not a reliable distance walker, and needed a place to rest. And then two running strollers - a Chariot Cougar 1 and Cougar 2 (single and double versions of the same stroller). My youngest is 4 and we are still using the Cougar 1 for runs together.

We initially had a convertible Greco set and then bought a Doona for our first baby because we had to travel for a work conference. We kept the doona and now plan to use it as an infant car seat for our second and I am so excited for it. I remember my husband having to awkwardly carry our first born out of the hospital in the big car seat. This time, we’ll be rolling our baby girl out in style 😂

Used for almost everything, the only thing worth splurging on is a BOB. Everything other than a jogging stroller is the same basic design. The move is to buy them used/cheap as possible, then you can buy multiple strollers that each meet a certain need for the same price as a new “jack of all trades” stroller that won’t be. We have a BOB all terrain (the big purchase, because we run with him) and then an ultra compact one for travel, we also had what was essentially a Graco cart that his car seat clipped into (but didn’t have a seat otherwise) for when he was <1 year.

I was going to post this too. It's enormous. It's great and well made, but no way I'm bringing this on an airplane or lugging it around a foreign city. We bought a Graco fold up that fits in an overhead compartment. Frankly, I keep that one in my car and use it around town as I just can't be bothered to dismantle a Vista every time I put it in the trunk. The Vista stays in our garage for walks from home. Or my wife uses it around town.

I got Graco everything. Pack and play and bassinet, jogger stroller, travel stroller, high chair, infant car seat, and regular car seat. Haven't had an issue with any of them. Love Graco. Went with them because they've been around a long time and I trust the brand because of how long they've been in the game. I didn't consider any pricier options because I couldn't afford them. And my daughter has not been uncomfortable in anything. Nothing has broken. Have no complaints. I also don't notice what other gear people have out in public. It all kind of looks the same at a distance anyway.

I got a Graco travel stroller for $99 from Costco. Doesn't get used all that often but it was $99 and folds and unfolds single handed.

We didn’t have that expensive of a stroller for our first but it was pricey. It served us well for the first year but once she learned to walk, it was game over. She never wanted to be strapped in. It was also super bulky and I got annoyed having to load it into my car every time I thought I might need to use it. We ended up getting a cheap umbrella stroller to keep in our cars, and eventually replaced those with a nice Graco travel stroller that she actually likes to sit in. It also came with an infant seat that we only used for a few months as we upgraded to a rotating seat. We gave the stroller away to a friend - I felt terrible that someone spent so much money on the stroller and we barely used it, but at least it got new life with another family. I think researching baby products is very important and what matters to you might be different than what matters to someone else. Just because something is more expensive doesn’t make it better. But if it’s more compact, if it has higher weight limits, if it’s lighter, if the car seat is safer - I think that’s what matters most. And then just always keep in the back of your mind that you might not use it very long.

We got a Graco travel system from our registry for our firstborn. She’s 2 now and I don’t think we have used the stroller since her first birthday. We also stopped using the infant seats even before then and opted to get rotating seats for each of our cars. It would’ve been such a waste if we had gotten a more expensive set. For another family/baby, it might make sense. When we stopped using the stroller, we started using a Cosco umbrella stroller - broke after a few months of use. So sometimes cost/quality does matter.

I think it depends what kind of use you’re looking for! I am a SAHM and we lived in a big city when my daughter was 0-2.5 years old. We splurged on the Uppababy Vista because I was going to be using it daily, on city sidewalks (aka uneven and bumpy and sometimes snowy and icy) between 2-6 miles, and for daily grocery shopping (so the large basket was very useful). It basically was our car. And it’s still in great condition 3 years later. We later got a graco travel stroller for a trip to Disney and it was incredible for the parks, so light weight and easy to manage. Then I tried to use it in Chicago for a walk and it really could not handle the uneven sidewalks. Like my daughter was almost launched out when I tried to walk over a lip that my Uppababy would’ve been able to handle easily. I personally feel like the Uppababy Vista is really useful for city dwellers who are using it daily instead of a car, and maybe not as necessary for people who are looking to just go on a few leisure walks a week on nicely paved sidewalks. Congrats btw!!

We just did last weekend there wuth and 8 month old and brought our own. We flew down from OREGON and my daughter had the Graco travel stroller and the strap on baby carrier. It worked out fantastic. Sometimes she was strapped on them, sometime she was in the stroller sleeping. I would suggest getting a stroller cover thing for when shes inside so people don't cough, sneeze, spill etc on her.

The one I have it’s a bassinet that turns into a normal stroller seat, so it grows with baby. It also comes in handy when we’re out and about and he passes out in our arms, we can easily transition the seat into a bassinet and let him snooze comfortably while we eat or whatever it is we’re doing. Graco travel