Baby Gear: On the Go

This Baby Gear post is dedicated to the items we use to transport BabyL. 

First, the infant car seat. Based on recommendations from both Baby Bargains and Consumer Reports, we chose the Chicco Keyfit 30 (pictured at left in the Adventure pattern). We also considered the Graco Snugride, but went with the Chicco because friends commented that the straps on the Chicco are easier to rethread than the Graco's. Chicco is approved for babies up to 30 lbs or 30 inches tall (whichever measurement the baby meets first). We may transition BabyL to a convertible car seat before meeting EITHER of those measurements, because right now, at only 15 pounds, it's getting harder to carry the car seat with him in it (or maybe I just need to hit the gym). We purchased a second base for D's car. After we installed the bases, we had them inspected by Safe Kids USA. 

We haven't decided yet which convertible car seat we'll use. We're considering the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1, but we haven't purchased it yet. 

On to strollers. I wanted a stroller that was lightweight (for carrying up and down the stairs to our apartment), easy to fold, and would handle walking over rough terrain (the sidewalks in our neighborhood are in desperate need of repair, and we occasionally walk the dogs in a local park with a dirt path). We chose the Baby Jogger City Mini. 

We also wanted to be able to use our stroller with the infant car seat, at least for the first month or two. We registered for both the Baby Jogger car seat adapter bar, and the Baby Trend Snap n Go. I figured that if anybody bought one for us, I would remove the other. In the end, we did not receive either as a gift, so I opted to buy the Snap n Go from Craigslist. I haven't regretted the decision. The Snap n Go is easy to fold, our car seat fits perfectly, and it has a roomy basket underneath. 

Chicco came out with its own stroller frame called the Caddy in the fall of 2011. However, it retailed for $30 more than the Snap n Go. Since the Chicco Keyfit fits perfectly into the Snap n Go, and I was on a really tight budget, I couldn't justify the extra money. 

Now that BabyL is three months old, we've started using the City Mini for going on walks with the dogs. It reclines flat, has adjustable straps, and I like that there are flaps in the canopy, so I can look down at BabyL without having to stop and walk around to the front of the stroller. The City Mini doesn't come with any attachments, like a parent tray, so we bought the Sunshine Kids parent tray. 

One more baby transport item that I felt was a great investment was a baby carrier. These have long been popular in other cultures, but "babywearing" only recently caught on in the mainstream United States. Some carriers work better for infants, and others are recommended for toddlers. I started out with a Moby wrap (pictured at left). Some are turned off by the Moby, thinking it's too difficult to learn to wrap, but after following along with an instructional video once, I was able to wrap on my own after that. Other carriers include ring slings, pouches, soft-structured carriers, woven wraps, and mei tais.