Best Stroller Car Seat Combos 2023

A baby stroller and car seat combo, also called a travel system, consists of what is often called a bucket car seat and a stroller that fit together. The stroller will usually come with a separate seat that can be used as the baby grows out of the bucket, but the car seat also fits on the stroller chassis. It usually clicks into place easily.

Veteran parents swear by these creating travel solutions for seamless strolling because the youngest babies are often just too small to sit upright in traditional strollers for long periods of time.

What to look for in the best stroller car seat combo

"I really like parents to consider product weight and dimensions when shopping for their stroller. I find some expectant parents over-commit when it comes to their first travel system and aren’t happy with it past the newborn stage," says Abby Kalter, founder and lead consultant at Prepping for Peanut, a personalized concierge service that helps parents choose the best baby gear for their families.

She recommends considering where the stroller will most frequently be used (i.e., paved sidewalks, cobblestone streets, indoor shopping), how often the stroller will need to be folded down, who will be using it and how many other children might need to be accommodated.

"In terms of car seats," says Kalter, "all car seats are heavily regulated and meet the same government safety standards, so it’s important to know that they are all safe."

She adds that you might want to look for parent convenience features that make the car seat easier to install, because, as she says, "Over 60% of seats are actually not installed correctly so the seat you can install properly, 100% of the time, is the right seat for you!"

The best stroller car seat combos 2023

• Best overall: Chicco Bravo 3-in-1 Trio Travel System
• Best budget: Safety 1st Deluxe Grow and Go Flex 8-in-1 Travel System
• Best design: Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base
• Best luxury: Orbit Baby Stroll & Ride Travel System
• Best jogging stroller combo: Britax B-Lively & B-Safe Gen2 Travel System Stroller
• Best color selection: Maxi-Cosi Zelia² 5-in-1 Modular Travel System

Best overall

Chicco Bravo 3-in-1 Trio Travel System

In the grand scheme of strollers and car seats, this combination is both quite affordable and extremely versatile. We love that you can snap the car seat onto the stroller frame or put the car seat inside the stroller seat for double canopy coverage. This comes in extra handy as your baby grows and you're using both the car seat and the stroller seat depending on the outing.

Good-sized wheels promise a smooth ride on pavement, cement and other surfaces. The handlebar is also exceptionally comfortable compared to other similarly-priced models on the market.

Did we mention it's easy to clean? It is—and that matters. Babies spit up, poop, drool and create all sorts of messes. The last thing you want is a car seat stroller combo that's difficult to wipe down.

This set has a five-star rating on Amazon and verified purchaser Melissa says "This is the best car seat stroller combo I’ve had. I’ve had a few. This is my third child & this stroller is amazing! I’ve never had anything as 'fancy' but it’s definitely worth the money. The car seat snaps into the bases and stroller so easy!"

Pros

• Multi-position reclining seat that can be adjusted with one hand
• The stroller frame can also be folded using one hand
• Car seat can be used on the stroller frame or with the stroller seat
• UPF50+ canopy with mesh window
• Convenient cup holder and caddy for baby and you

Cons

• Car seat only holds infants up to 30 pounds

Safety 1st Deluxe Grow and Go Flex 8-in-1 Travel System

This car seat stroller combo is super affordable and very versatile. Like the Chicco, the car seat can click directly onto the stroller base or onto the stroller seat, which makes it easy to go from car to stroller. The car seat comes with a base and accommodates babies up to 35 pounds.

One of the best parts of this travel system is just how many ways you can use it. The stroller features eight different ways and while four of them are about the direction the seat is facing, that's still a lot of options.

One serious bonus? The stroller can be folded with the toddler seat attached. The fewer things you have to remove to get that stroller in the trunk, the better.

Pros

• At least four different ways to use the stroller
• Affordable
• Easy to fold
• Stroller seat can be used as a bassinet
• Large storage basket

Cons

• The recline position of the toddler seat is adjusted by loosening a strap, which users find finicky

Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base

How genius is this stroller? It's literally a car seat with wheels attached—or to look at it another way, a stroller that collapses into a car seat. It's FAA aircraft approved and the adjustable handlebar acts as an anti-rebound bar.

If you're frequently on the go, traveling from grandparents to the best all-inclusive resorts for families and other far-off places—this car seat stroller combo is your best bet. It's the easiest option we've seen on the market for air travel.

It's a rear-facing car seat only with a maximum weight restriction of 35 pounds and 32 inches tall. And because it serves just two purposes for one size of child, it's really light at only 16.5 pounds. You'll be obsessed with it from the newborn days till baby outgrows it—we promise.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Foolproof installation (even on the go)
• Easy to transform from car seat to stroller
• Great for car rides and taxis
• Makes air travel easier than any other solution

Cons

• Only good until the baby is 35 pounds and then you have to upgrade to a new stroller
• No storage

Orbit Baby Stroll & Ride Travel System

If rotating car seats are life-changing, imagine what a stroller with a rotating seat will do for you. It's one of the baby trend developments in 2023 we just can't get enough of. Orbit Baby's travel system includes a rotating car seat and base (the base stays in the car) and a stroller frame. Parents rave about the smooth ride.

The seat rotates 360 degrees on the stroller frame and rotates in the car, too. It makes getting baby in and out of any vehicle simple—and it's super stylish. It also features a large basket and it can be converted into a double stroller with the company's Helix+ attachment.

We love the extra-large, rugged wheels that make park grass feel just as smooth and easy as paved sidewalks.

Pros

• The car seat rotates in the car and on the stroller
• Three reclining positions
• Converts to a double stroller with an attachment
• Folds small enough to fit into small car trunks

Cons

• Pricier than other options, and a bit heavy

Britax B-Lively & B-Safe Gen2 Travel System Stroller

This stroller car seat combo is perfect for active, adventurous parents. All-wheel suspension makes it great for jogging and taking off-road for hikes or trail walks. It folds quickly and with one hand and the car seat is easy to install.

The car seat attaches facing the stroller seat so you get a double canopy for your infant—and you can make faces at them as you walk, jog or run. A total win for everyone involved, right? The canopy offers incredibly useful UPF50+ sun protection and has a mesh window. Peekaboo!

Pros

• All-wheel suspension great for a variety of terrains
• Great for jogging
• Works well on uneven surfaces
• Easy to install car seat
• UPF sun protection

Cons

• The car seat can only be attached one way

Maxi-Cosi Zelia² 5-in-1 Modular Travel System

Let's be honest, there are a lot of car seat stroller combinations on the market and many offer loads of great features. It just comes down to choosing the best features for you—and sometimes it's about fashion. The Spring Meadow teal shade is a great gender-neutral color that feels fresh, but it also comes in Radish Ruby red, Slated Sky blue grey, Northern Grey and Midnight Black.

This combo has a huge basket, a bassinet that turns into a seat, a highly-rated car seat, and of course, it comes in great colors. True to its name, it also boasts five modes: forward-facing carriage (with bassinet), rear-facing carriage, rear-facing infant car seat caddy, forward-facing stroller and rear-facing stroller.

It also has excellent height and weight limits, promising months of seamless use.

Though it's less popular than more mainstream models like the Chicco Keyfit 30, we think this car seat stroller combo is a smart, stylish choice that sets you and baby apart from the crowd.

Pros

• Wide selection of bright and colors
• Big basket for storage
• Lightweight car seat
• All-wheel suspension
• large canopy

Cons

• Some users complain about the stroller wheels rotating too much or locking unexpectedly

How long can you use a car seat combo?

"Car seats that attach to strollers to make a travel system are rear-facing only car seats designed for infant use and have a bucket shape and carrying handle," says Kalter. Most can be used starting at four or five pounds and max out around 30 to 35 pounds.

"Many children outgrow these seats in height before weight. And the baby becomes too heavy to tote around this way, so families often move their children to convertible seats prior to maxing out the limits of their infant seats." So invest in a great car seat, but make sure that you love the accompanying stroller just as much because the combo is usually ready to be retired by the time your baby is one year old.

What is the best stroller car seat combo?

The best car seat stroller combo is the one that's going to work best for you. "The seat that is right for one family is often not right for another, and there are great seats at all price points," says Kalter.

But she does have some favorites — "I typically favor seats that have been on the market for a while and have experienced multiple iterations. These seats often have the best parent features as they’ve improved them over the years," she says.

Is it better to buy a car seat and stroller combo than individual pieces?

According to Kalter, buying a car seat stroller combo is worth the potential extra cost of buying an infant car seat, rather than starting with a convertible one that will see you through until your kid is a tween. "The convenience during the newborn stage can make a really big difference and help you get out and about with a bit more ease," she says.

But she says it doesn't matter whether you buy a combination or you opt to build your own travel system with the right adapters. "Both purchase methods are just as convenient."