Product Review: Baby Trend Expedition Travel System

Why a travel system?

There are a lot of options out there on the “stroller” market for getting your baby from point A to point B. This includes: umbrella strollers (simple fold-out strollers with no bells or whistles great for packing on the go); car seat carriers (stroller carts that you can snap a car seat into easily, but with no seat to strap an older child in); and “travel system” strollers (strollers with the ability to seat an older child or to snap an infant car seat in). Within the category of the travel system, there are strollers with four smaller wheels, lots of cupholders, pockets, baskets, etc. for convenience of walking.

There are also “joggers,” strollers that are meant to be more lightweight and portable, tend to have two larger back wheels, and a front wheel that can be locked or unlocked in place for ease of handling while either jogging or walking.

Why a jogger?

We decided to buy a “jogger” travel system instead of a traditional stroller for the obvious reasons — I hoped to return to running by taking the little one out on the trail with me. I say “trail” very metaphorically, because in reality, I would not expect any jogger/stroller to handle well on actual dirt trails, let alone while trying to keep a running pace. (Then again, my running pace is currently comparable to a six-month old baby’s crawl… but that is irrelevant.) I ran a lot during my pregnancy, and I felt it would be a cool way to come full circle by then taking my baby out running with me in vivo versus in utero.

At this point, I have left the baby (and stroller) at home with my husband when I have gone running, because it seemed like a great way for me to have some private, “me” time. But we have taken the travel system out on quite a few family walks.

Which stroller did I choose?

I chose the Baby Trend Expedition Travel System for a number of reasons. First of all, we got the car seat that goes with this system at a screaming deal at Goodwill. (Yes, the car seat was brand new; no, it was not expired or close to expiration; yes, it was a gamble to buy a pink car seat without knowing if we were having a boy or a girl yet!) We saw that it had good reviews online, so we took a chance. Ironically, we ended up buying a second car seat, just in case we did have a boy, and it was the most inconvenient thing to take in and out of the car!

Apparently, Goodwill will get donations from Target and Kohl’s semi-frequently of new, returned, or lightly used stuff. You just have to catch them at the right time to get some awesome products! That same day, we also got two nightstands for more than 50% off.

The travel system comes with a car seat, a stroller, and the car seat base to snap into the car.

How has it been?

Overall, this jogger is pretty awesome. I would recommend it to others. Here are the details on why.

The pros:

• The car seat can easily snap into slots on the cupholder/snack tray and feels very secure once in place.
• The wheels on the stroller are a decent size, making it easy to maneuver on asphalt; it also has led to a much smoother ride for the baby (another we tried out was so bumpy that we practically carried the stroller up the street so as not to wake the baby).
• There is a basic basket under the seat of the stroller for storing bigger items during your walk.
• It is well-built and sturdy. The plastic doesn’t feel cheaply made or like it will break when being stored in the garage.
• The front wheel can lock or unlock depending on if you want a steady ride or more maneuverability.
• The cost is very affordable.

The cons:

• It is pretty big when folded up and would be hard to easily take in and out of a sedan. It fits easily into our Chevrolet Traverse, but we do typically put down the third row of seats to make it slide in more easily.
• There are no “frills” or extra storage compartments to make it super convenient to place your phone, coffee, snacks, etc. up by the top.
• It is a lot smaller and less sturdy than high end models like a Bob Travel System.