thraesja's Full Review: Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Travel System - Deco Str...
The stroller has a strong, well-designed frame and large, maneuverable wheels. The turning radius is nice and narrow, which makes life easier in busy stores and other tight corners. The wheels are too small to be useful for jogging, off-road use, or heavy snow, but are certainly bigger and more durable than many other brands on the market.
The seat is comfortable and has an easy-to-use five-point harness, which you can reduce to a three-point one if you prefer. My son is wriggly and likes to lunge forward to look at things, so I feel safer leaving it as five-point.
The back can be adjusted from completely upright to almost completely flat, with two other positions in between. This is great for naps on the go, although the handle to change the back positions is a bit tricky to figure out how to use properly; there were several days of frustration before I developed the knack.
The stroller comes with a large canopy that works well as a sun shade and less well for rain. The canopy has a clear window (with a zip shade if preferred) which allows you to keep an eye on your child.
The stroller is also designed to fit with the carseat: a simple click into place and locking it down with two tabs, and you're ready to go with your young baby facing safely toward you.
Underneath the seat, there's a large basket where diaper bags and other bring-alongs can be stored, though the space is significantly reduced when the backrest is all the way reclined. Up by the handle, there are two cup-holders, a small storage space, and (at least on my model) a digital clock and thermometer, all of which I found useful. Your child also has a tray with cup-holders, which can be detached entirely or swung open and closed for ease of entry. I normally just plunk my son in behind it without undoing it at all.
The one-handed fold feature is amazing. A flick of your thumb and twist of your wrist, and the whole stroller folds easily. Unfortunately, it's still fairly bulky, but it's certainly easy to collapse and unfold, if not always easy to maneuver into your trunk.
PROS: maneuverable, comfortable, safe, multi-purpose CONS: some of the controls are tricky to master, you'll still need an umbrella stroller when you also require trunk space as it's bulky, and it won't replace a jogging or off-road stroller.
The carseat and base are also well-designed. Once the base is installed in your car (which isn't difficult if you carefully follow the instructions), it's easy to click the carseat in and out on thego. The bases are also sold separately, so you can buy a second one if you have more than one vehicle. The carseat can also be used without a base, though it's a bit more of a hassle to load and unload.
The design of the five-point harness is easy to use, even on wriggly little ones, and it certainly felt safe to use for my newborn. It's easy to adjust. There's also extra head cushioning for small babies, which can be removed as your child grows.
The bucket itself is comparatively heavy. When you add a 20 pound baby, it becomes almost prohibitively heavy. You'll want the stroller or a shopping cart handy; you won't be able to carry it for long.
We bought this carseat primarily because it was good up to 32 pounds (check your manual, there's some variation depending on exact model), which we thought meant we'd be able to go straight to a forward-facing seat afterwards. Unfortunately, our son outgrew the height restriction long before his first birthday, which meant we had to buy a 3-in-1 anyway. However, if your kid isn't on the 98th percentile for height, you'll probably have better luck.
PROS: easy to use, convenient, adjustable, holds heavier babies than most bucket seats CONS: heavy
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 225
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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