What you need to know about travel systems

A travel system is a pushchair that you can attach a Group 0+ car seat to. This makes it easier to transport your child from car to pushchair and back again without disturbing them if they’re asleep, as you can just click the car seat on and off the chassis.

What to look for

Travel systems come in all shapes and sizes, so if this option appeals to you, try out a few models to see what suits your lifestyle.

Almost all traditional carrycot-style pushchairs can form a travel system, but many lightweight, 3-wheeled and all-terrain models now have this capability, too.

Make sure that you are happy with the compatible car seats for your chosen system.

Although all car seats sold in the UK have to meet European safety standards, it's possible a car seat included with a cheaper travel system may have only been through the bare minimum of testing. More expensive models are more likely to have had additional tests. Most travel system-ready pushchairs have adaptors however, so you can choose from a wide variety of car seats.

Some models allow the car seat to fit directly onto the pushchair without removing the seat, others have a removable seat unit and the car seat attaches directly the chassis.

Need to know

Check that the car seat offered with the travel system is suitable for your make and model of car.

A travel system can seem a more expensive option, but remember, a car seat is often included in the price.

Checklist

• Do you need a travel system? Yes, most likely if you're a regular car user
• Make sure you're happy with the pushchair AND car seat
• Check that the car seat is compatible with your vehicle