Stroller review? Check.
Car seat review? Check.
Buying both in a package deal?! Double Check.
Aaron Rogers? Discount Double Check.
I Need a Car Seat AND a Stroller!
Well you’re in luck! The Graco FastAction Fold Sport Travel System is a great way to fill both of those needs. In this review, we’re going to talk about the stroller – is it durable, easy to use, etc.
And the car seat – the things we like and dislike.
It can be challenging to find a stroller that fits your needs as a family. Some are big and bulky and cost $5,000 (no, really). Others seem too cheap to trust putting your child in and maneuver cracks in the sidewalk. Never fear! At Fathercraft, we go deep on strollers, so chancers are we have a stroller review for you.
Once you finally find a stroller that you like and think will work for your lifestyle, you now get to see if the carseat you planned on buying (or already have) is compatible with said stroller. Quick side note: why is it helpful to have a stroller and car seat that are compatible? Well, when your little one is real little, he may fall asleep in the car and you may really not want to wake him to transfer to the stroller. Hence: strollers that have car seat adapters. Simply unclick the car seat from its base in the car and click it into the stroller. Do all this with the super stealth transfer moves you’ll quickly develop as a parent and viola! Your baby continues to sleep peacefully.
But, what if you could buy a stroller that works for your family, is from a reliable brand, is easy to use and it includes a great car seat that is compatible?! That’s exactly what we have here. So, let’s get into it.
The Stroller
This Graco Stroller has been used and abused for over 2 and a half years in my house. We bought it before our first son was born, and now use it with our second boy. It has been folded and unfolded hundreds and hundreds of times. It has seen puke, poop, food, water, juice, milk, dirt, mud, chalk…. you name it, this stroller has seen it. It has been pushed around the neighborhood, the campground, the zoo, 5k’s, vacation – just about anywhere and everywhere you can take a stroller.
So – before we get into the minutiae of “was it easy to assemble” and “how much does it weigh” and “would it survive the Dwight Schrute Stroller Test?”, I’ll go ahead and give my opinion on this stroller:
It’s Awesome. In fact, we’ve named it one of our top strollers of 2023.
Now, for the minutiae.
Specs
- Stroller holds a child up to 50 pounds
- Stroller features a one-second fold
- Multi-position reclining seat to find the perfect position for baby’s comfort.
- Large storage basket with expandable rear pouch to hold all your travel essentials.
- Stroller weight: 21.38 lbs
- Child’s tray with cup holder pivots or removes for no-fuss stroller entry
- Convertible 3- or 5-point harness grows with your child
- *Meets Disney size requirements*
Lets go over some of these specs;
- One Second Fold: Yes, really! There is a red strap right in the middle of the seat. Pull up on the strap, and the stroller folds in half. This is super convenient – you don’t have to click 20 little buttons to get the stroller to break down. This part is awesome!
- Reclining Seat: This is also a cool feature. When your little one is in their car seat, the stroller needs to be fully reclined. But when they can sit in the stroller on their own, you have the option to have them sit upright or recline to almost completely flat.
- Childs tray pivots or removes: This is also a feature I like. Sometimes it’s just easier to leave the tray off – it makes for easier transportation and it allows your little one to just hop in and out easily.
My Takeaways After 2.5 Years
I like…
- That this stroller is super easy to use. I have had to fold and unfold this thing hundreds of times of the last few years. The folding mechanism shows no signs of breaking down or getting worn out. Like I mentioned, it really is a 1 second process.
- That this stroller is durable. We have used this thing in all different types of environments – walks, camping trips, zoo visits, etc. and it has stood the test of time. It has been loaded into the trunk of my car over and over. The wheels have gone through gravel and dirt. The fabric has been abused with goldfish crumbs and juice. Yet, it still looks new and functions just the same.
- When I’m pushing the stroller, it feels big and solid but I can easily load it into the trunk of my small car. This isn’t a small, flimsy stroller that weighs 2lbs. But at the same time, its not so bulky that its a bear to move around. When I’m pushing my kid in it, there is a nice weight there so I feel confident that a small bump won’t knock us over.
- That this stroller came with a great carrier that just clips right in! We have been using the stroller for our 2yr old, but with the birth of our second son, we can just go back to clipping his carrier in for walks. It’s super easy and intuitive when attaching and removing the carrier.
I don’t like…
- My biggest complaint is about the wheels. This stroller isn’t marketed as an ‘off-road’ stroller – BUT… if those front wheels catch a rock the wrong way, they lock up and put the breaks on. We’ve had a couple times where we were going at a good pace and hit a rock or large bump/crack in the sidewalk and the back wheels nearly lifted off the ground because we came to a sudden and abrupt stop. I’m not asking for off-road jeep wheels and a 3 inch lift kit, but being able to walk down a sidewalk without flinging my kid out would be nice.
- The cupholders are not very deep. Yes, I know – first world problem times 10. But if you have a drink in the cupholder like coffee or something with an open lid, bumps will be your enemy. We’ve even had taller water containers flip out of the cup holder because they are only an inch and a half-or-so deep.
Are the dislikes enough to outweigh the likes? Not in my mind. For the value – this stroller is perfect for our family. It’s not too expensive, it comes with a carrier, it’s very easy to use and its good quality. It’s like a Camry or Accord. Are they the most luxurious? The fastest? Coolest looking? No. But they’re not cheap, poor quality or impractical. That’s what you’re getting with this stroller.
The Car Seat
The Graco SnugRide Click Connect 35 Infant Car Seat can be purchased on its own, but it is included in this package deal along with the stroller. This car seat on its own comes in at $143 on amazon.
As far as car seats go – you can’t do much better than this one. Like I’ve said, we have used this one twice now in the last two years. To be honest – there’s nothing I don’t like about this carrier. One thing I especially love about this system is that the car seat just snaps into the base (which stays in the car). Meaning, you don’t have to get the baby out of the car seat in order to leave the vehicle, you just pick them up in the car seat and move on.
Lets go over some of the details:
Specs
- SnugLock Technology – A Hassle-Free 3-Step Installation; infant car seat helps protect rear-facing infants from 4 – 35 lbs and up to 32″
- Adjustable base with 4 recline positions lets you customize fit to your vehicle; easy-to-read level indicator helps eliminate installation guesswork
- Click Connect technology provides one-step secure attachment of baby car seat to all Graco Click Connect strollers and bases; convenient compartment stores both the LATCH connectors and manual when not in use
- Rotating canopy provides shade and sun protection for your baby; removable newborn head and body support cushions baby; easy to use front adjust 5-point harness helps secure your child; lightweight infant car seat for easy carrying
- Side impact tested for occupant retention solely with the built-in 5-point harness system; engineered & rigorously crash tested to meet or exceed US standard FMVSS 213
- Graco ProtectPlus Engineered: a combination of the most rigorous crash tests that helps protect your child in frontal, side, rear & rollover crashes; additional testing based on the New Car Assessment Program and for extreme car interior temperatures
These are the main talking points from Graco. I want to go over a few of these in more detail:
- Click Connect technology: This is super cool. When you put the car seat into the base, you hear a loud click sound that tells you everything is good. Same for when you put the carrier into the stroller – loud click telling you that it is properly latched.
- The canopy is really nice – super convenient for helping block out the sun.
- The fabric is durable and completely removable for washing. As we found out on consecutive weekend camping trips, sometimes little kids get carsick…
The Car Seat/Stroller Combo
So we’ve covered each individual product, now let’s talk about using them in conjunction. Like I’ve mentioned, using them in combination is incredibly easy. To use the stroller with the car seat attached, all you have to do is recline the stroller seat and snap the car seat in (you’ll hear that magic *click* sound). To use the stroller as simply a stroller, you can adjust the recline of the back to your child’s liking.
If you’re wondering, when should I use the car seat or just the stroller? Well, that depends on the age of your child.
Use the car seat and stroller when…
Your child is unable to support their own head. Usually, sometime around the 3 month mark kids are able to support their head. Until then, you need to have your child in the car seat when using the stroller.
Use the car seat or stroller when…
Your child is able to support their own head, but maybe not old enough to be strong enough to sit in the stroller for a long period of time. We found that if we were going on a short walk we would toss the baby in the stroller and get moving. But if we were going to be on the move for a while, we’d have him in the car seat just so he’d be more comfortable.
Use just the stroller when…
Your child has outgrown the car seat. We still use our stroller with our 2.5 year old – it’s still plenty big enough and comfortable for him.
Wrapping Up
If I could wrap up this review with 2 takeaways, it would be this: Easy to use. Good quality.
That summarizes the stroller and the car seat. They are both super easy to use. This is so nice when you’re in a hurry, when you’re by yourself or you are in the parking lot and a downpour just started. Everything about this ‘travel system’ was created with ease of use in mind – and they did a great job. Quality – like I alluded to earlier, these items have been made with good quality materials and they last through a lot of use.
Here is the link to the travel system on the Graco website.
Here is the link to Amazon.
