Universal Stroller Frames, Are They Easy to Use, Worth It?

Good morning S.~

I have a 7 month old and when were registering I looked at the travel systems. What I did not like was how heavy the stroller is. I have the Graco Snug Ride car seat and the Peg Perego stroller. It is a universal stroller. It can be kind of heavy but I felt that dealing with the heavier car seat and carrier for the first year well out weighed dealing with a very heavy stroller for 4 or 5 years. The stroller weighs 9 lbs and can be closed using 1 hand if needed.

I had one and absolutely loved it!

Hi S.,

I too was the fortunate recipient of a Chicco carrier for my daughter, and I had the same problem. We looked at the universal stroller frame and I thought it was a little rickety-feeling, although it was very light and easy to transport. I also didn't feel like my particular carseat locked in very well - I'm not sure how it would work with yours.

What we ended up doing was buying the stroller without the travel system - for Chicco, you can buy the seat and the stroller separately, or as one travel system. We popped her seat onto the new stoller and made our own travel system - it works great, and I feel much more confident knowing that my seat is locked into the stroller it was meant for. I don't know if the model of seat you have works with any other Peg Perego strollers, but I think it's worth checking out.

Hope that helps!

C.

If you have a stroller already, your new carseat should fit onto it like a travel system. It may not lock, but as long as you're not "off roading" in the mall, lol I would think it would be ok. I had a seperate carseat and stroller for my first two and use to put the car seat into the stroller all the time. Heck, I even used the carseat with the tandem stroller that was handed down to me.

Its wonderfull that you have a used car seat. But keep in mind that car seat like food come with an expiration date. After soo long the plastic become brittle and is not safe to use. If the seat is more than five years old its not safe use and you should spluge on the travel system of your dreams. The peg pergo carriers were not that interchangable when I looked at them several years ago. They work best with their strollers. Good Luck.

I would take the car seat with you to the store. I don't know anything about the frames, but I would think that someone at a baby store would be able to help you. I know at Babies R Us, you can try the products before you buy them. We had every stroller out and thoroughly tested before we decided to buy. My husband even picked them up and threw them on the ground! You may also be able to contact Peg Perego and tell them what kind of seat you have and ask if they have a compatible stroller. Their stuff can be kind of pricey though. A quick note about used seats, make sure that the seat hasn't expired. I didn't realize that they actually put expiration dates on car seats now! I think they are only good for 5 years, no matter how long the previous owner used them. There should be a date on the back of the car seat. If there's no date, contact the manufacturer with the model number and they'll be able to tell you when it was made and if it's still "safe." I didn't realize that seats expired until we were given one by my sister. When I was cleaning it up, I noticed that it was way past the expiration date, even though she had only used it for a short time.

Absolutely! I LOVED my universal stroller frame. They're actually a lot smaller and more maneuverable than a travel system. Mine was one of my favorite pieces of baby equipment!

I love it! It is the MOST USEFUL piece of baby gear i've got! My son is almost 12mo old and when he falls asleep in the car seat i just tranfer him to this frame that is very lite and easy-to deal with. It weights nothing, folds and unfolds easily with one hand. You can go to BabysRus to try your carseat on one of them and see if you like it. They have open floor models that you can try. Good luck!

I am just curious and I am not trying to offend anyone but what happened to the one you had for your first child? Did you pass it on to someone else who could pass it back to you? I am from the generation of pack rats, I guess.
I would check around on recyle.com, ebay, craig's list, etc., to see if I could find a frame for the model I have before attempting to purchase a new one in the hope it would work.
The manufacturer could advise you as to whether or not a new frame will fit the model of the seat you have.
Good luck.

I second the Craig's List idea. They are often listed there very cheap!