Poppy Whirl

I’m in the same boat and heavily considering the Joie Poppy Whirl. The toddler seat doesn’t convert into a pramette like the Ginger DLX does, but it is compatible with Joie’s carry cot, which is approved for overnight sleep. The addition of the carry cot will put you over your $500 budget (retails for $250), but it also comes with a stand so it can function as your baby’s safe sleep space in your bedroom for the early days, a lounger for showers or cooking, or on the go when traveling or staying in hotels, which may be worth the extra for you.

We went Joie! It felt like the right balance of features and price. Ginger DLX + mint latch, though I wouldn't be surprised if we get a nutmeg for travel at some point too. I know the Nuna is probably better, I just couldn't get my head around spending that much. Mostly you just have to decide what's important to you. Lightweight, bassinet, parent facing, storage/comfort, etc. Even within one brand, there are usually different options best suited for each of these. Also keep in mind you can often find secondhand strollers for cheap on Facebook marketplace, though you should buy the car seat new.

Honestly I haven't installed it yet, but baseless seats pass all the same safety tests! I learned on reddit that the mint is still compatible with their base, so worst case we hate it and buy a base. We travel to family by plane so mostly I just want to avoid having to bring a separate piece every time. With or without a base, most seats can be installed with either rigid latch or the seatbelt, so it's not as different as you might think. Nutmeg won't parent face, it lays almost flat for tiny babies but only faces forward. Ginger does parent face (in any mode - bassinet, seat, or car seat). Its main benefit is theres no separate bassinet piece required, the seat converts. If you want parent facing but don't care about that bassinet conversion, try Poppy whirl. If you're interested in single to double, check out Chive. Can you tell how much time we've spent on the Joie website 😅 lol