Are you a first-time parent or soon-to-be first-time parent? Are you confused about what car and stroller seat combo you should get for your little one?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
In fact, pretty much every single new parent has to face the question of what stroller and car seat combo they will put their baby in. It’s not an easy purchase to make, and for good reason. Your baby will be spending the majority of their infancy in some kind of seat.
Think about it: every time you want to go anywhere, you’ll be bringing your baby with you. Need to pick up groceries? Strap them in the car seat. Going for a walk to the park? Load them up into the stroller.
Even when you’re just at home relaxing, where’s your baby? In the bassinet.
Your baby’s stroller seat, car seat, and bassinet are essential to your baby’s comfort and safety. Plus, they’re essential to your sanity. Being a new parent means you’re on the clock 24/7. Even when you escape for a bathroom break, there are safety, security, and even practicality measures you’ll need to take to minimize stressors.
The function and compatibility of this trio will either add chaos to your life as a parent they will give you the peace of mind of knowing you have one less thing to worry about.
In this article, I’m going to share my experiences with you, reviewing the UPPAbaby Vista Stroller, Car Seat, Stroller Seat, Bassinet, the UPPAbaby Bassinet Stand, and the Maxi-Cosi Magellan Convertible Car Seat.
Quick Overview of UPPAbaby
To start off, UPPAbaby is one of the best baby brands in the US. They make high-quality strollers, car seats, and accessories which easily last for years. Their products are constantly being spotted in the hands of celebrities like John Legend, Hilary Duff, and Rachel McAdams.
Their products are durable, well-designed, and follow all chemical compliance policies, meaning they aren’t full of nasty toxins.
They also include a solid warranty. All of their strollers and some of their accessories (including the Bassinet) come with a 3-year extended warranty. Every car seat comes with a lifetime warranty, which really means until the expiration date labeled on the product.
1. UPPAbaby Vista Stroller (Toddler Seat & Bassinet)
Key Features
- Includes stroller, toddler seat, bassinet
- Versatile front or rear-facing toddler seat
- Multi-position recline toddler seat
- Compatible with MESA Infant Car Seat
- Extra-large carrying basket (Can handle 50 lbs)
- For infants and toddlers
Review
First up on the list is the UPPAbaby Vista Stroller and Bassinet. This combo includes the stroller frame, a full-size front or rear-facing toddler seat, and the Bassinet.
The UPPAbaby Bassinet was great for our newborn up to about 4 months old. It fits well on the stroller and looks great overall. The canopy is also retractable, which was great for coming inside on a sunny day. The easy-access basket underneath the seat is surprisingly large, able to hold up to 50 pounds. Fitting your purse, diaper bag, and snacks is quite easy.
However, after our baby was about 2-3 weeks old, we wanted to be able to sit our baby upright so they can start observing their surroundings, which gave us some challenges. This bassinet can’t be positioned upright as it’s simply a bed without any straps, and the toddler seat is still too big for a newborn at 3 weeks old.
2. UPPAbaby MESA Infant Car Seat with Base
Key Features
- Includes car seat with base
- Lightweight carrier weighs under 10 pounds
- Install in seconds with SMART Secure system
- Tightness indicator window (changes from red to green)
- Compatible with Vista and Cruz strollers
- Adjustable headrest with side protection
- For infants 4-35 lbs and up to 32” in height
- Hideaway canopy
Review
Next up on our list is the UPPAbaby MESA Infant Car Seat with Base. This car seat is perfect for making sure your babe is protected while nice and snug during car rides.
Plus, as mentioned above, after your little one is a few weeks old, they should begin sitting upright, looking around while in the stroller. That’s where this MESA Infant Car Seat comes in handy as a dual-purpose seat. This UPPAbaby car seat is fully compatible with the UPPAbaby Vista Stroller (and is the only UPPAbaby car seat available).
The great thing about this car seat is that it easily unlatches from the car seat base and to be attached onto the UPPAbaby Vista Stroller. This solved our need for our little one to be propped up in an upright position in the stroller. You can easily transition your little one from the bassinet at around 3 weeks so they can easily sit upright.
The one downside to the MESA Infant Car Seat is that it maxes out use when your baby is about 3 months old so you really don’t get a ton of use out of it.
One great thing about the MESA Infant Car Seat is that you can keep your baby peacefully cradled in the seat whether in the car, stroller, and even at home. It can be used as a standalone seat on the floor at home to gently cradle your little one back and forth, making it easy to get them to sleep, allowing them to rest.
This makes any trip out much more convenient since you don’t need to keep pulling your baby in and out of equipment.
3. UPPAbaby Vista Infant Baby Stroller & MESA Car Seat Bundle
Key Features
- Includes stroller, bassinet, toddler seat, car seat with base
- Install in seconds with SMART Secure system
- Both the carrier and bassinet weigh under 10 pounds
- Hideaway canopies
- Versatile front or rear-facing toddler seat
- Multi-position recline toddler seat
- Extra-large stroller carrying basket (Can handle 50 lbs)
- For infants and toddlers
Review
The UPPAbaby Vista Infant Baby Stroller and MESA Car Seat Bundle also come as a combo, which is what I bought originally since I figured I would be needing to get something to easily transition my baby up from infant to toddler. And I can honestly say that I’m really glad I did.
If I
had just got the Vista stroller and bassinet, I would have been disappointed
when wanting something to put my baby upright in. And I needed a car seat
anyways, so the different pieces worked perfectly in sync.
If you do decide either the UPPAbaby Vista or MESA is right for you, it’s best
to get the combo rather than a single piece. With strollers, carriers, seats,
and bassinets, the easier you can transition your babe, the fewer headaches
you’ll have to deal with in the long run.
4. UPPAbaby Bassinet Stand
Key Features
- Compatible with UPPAbaby Bassinet
- Bassinet easily snaps in
- Open and close in 1 step
- Elevated 29” off the ground
- Max child weight 20 pounds
Review
When I picked up the UPPAbaby Vista and MESA combo, we had trouble finding something compatible with the Bassinet, so we chose to get the UPPAbaby Bassinet Stand as well.
Overall, I thought it was a bit on the expensive side for what it does. It’s really just a stand for your bassinet which you’ll only really be able to use for about 3 months (or until your baby is 20 pounds).
It was honestly just an “Oh well, we might as well” kind of purchase. The main factor was simply the design. We could have just used a table or dresser with a similar height to put the bassinet on, but overall, the UPPAbaby Bassinet just looked cleaner.
5. Maxi-Cosi Magellan All-In-One Convertible Car Seat
Maxi-Cosi is another premium baby brand in the US, operating under the Dorel Juvenile parent company. They make durable, long-lasting strollers, car seats, rockers, high chairs, and more.
They offer a standard 2-year warranty on every product. However, on their car seats, bases, strollers, and carrycots, they offer an impressive lifetime warranty.
Key Features
- 5 in 1 convertible car seat
- From birth to 10 years (5-120 pounds)
- Adjustable torso side-impact protection
- 14 position headrest adjustments
- Rear-facing, forward-facing, belt-positioning booster
- One-click latch for quick install
- One-handed recline adjustment
- 7 recline positions
- Machine washable fabrics and padding
Review
The Maxi-Cosi Magellan All-In-One Convertible Car Seat was made famous as the first car seat to advertise that it works from birth to 10 years. By the time we found out about this car seat, we had already gotten the UPPAbaby combo, and had to get the UPPAbaby MESA before being able to use the toddler seat.
Thankfully, the Maxi-Cosi Magellan doesn’t have the same size restrictions (which were really time restrictions) that the UPPAbaby combo had. This car seat is great because well, you really don’t need to sell it or upgrade it ever with natural growth purchases that every parent goes through.
It really is the best value car seat I’ve come across, and we’ll sure be using it for years, which is what makes it such an impressive deal.