Stroller Frames

Stroller frames accommodate a car seat

According to experts, the most economical solution is a low-priced stroller frame that accommodates most major brand infant car seats. This allows parents to buy the car seat of their choice and to wait until their child is older before investing in a good stroller. The Baby Trend Snap-N-Go (*Est. $65) was the first stroller of this kind on the market. The Baby Trend stroller frame weighs about 16 pounds. It has a lower storage basket and parent tray, and is designed to be compatible with most infant car seat brands including Evenflo, Kolcraft, Cosco, Century, Safety 1st, Graco and Peg-Perego. (See our report on infant car seats for reviews of the car seats themselves.) Baby Trend also makes a double version called the Double Snap-N-Go (*Est. $110) that accommodates two infant car seats one behind the other.

The Kolcraft Universal 2 Car Seat Carrier (*Est. $60) is another stroller frame option like the Baby Trend Snap-N-Go. Its features are virtually identical, with a lower storage basket and a removable parent tray. Some parents say the basket is a little larger than on the Baby Trend. The downside is that car seat compatibility may be an issue. The Kolcraft Universal 2 comes with a warning that it's only for use with one of the 17 infant car seats specified in the instruction manual. The Evenflo Discovery is listed, as is the Graco SnugRide -- both popular infant car seats. An additional list of 12 car seats that will not fit is included in the instructions. The Peg-Perego Primo Viaggio and the Baby Trend Latch-Loc are among the models that specifically can't be used with the Kolcraft Universal 2 Car Seat Carrier. The Kolcraft Infant Rider and Kolcraft Secura should also not be used. If you're considering this carrier with a specific infant car seat in mind, it's essential to check first to make sure they're compatible.

Graco also makes its own stroller frame. Company representatives told us that it is only meant to work with Graco infant car seats, but we found comments from parents who say it works with other seats as well. If you own or plan to buy a top-rated Graco SnugRide or Infant SafeSeat car seat, this stroller frame may be the way to go, since your car seat is guaranteed to fit. Features on the Graco SnugRider stroller frame (*Est. $60) are similar to the others, with a storage basket along with two parent cup holders. The one big difference is that the Graco SnugRider has a height-adjustable handle, so it would be a good choice for parents of differing heights, or for shorter or taller parents. Comments for all of these stroller frames are very good overall; many parents say they started out with a full-size travel system but found it much too cumbersome -- the stroller frame is just a better idea, many parents say.

Combi has also entered the stroller frame market with the Combi Flash EX (*Est. $60) . The Flash weighs eleven pounds, collapses into a tri-fold with a shoulder strap and claims to accommodate most leading manufacturers' infant seats. Parents posting to sites like Amazon.com and Epinions say the Combi Flash EX is lightweight and folds up well, but there are several complaints that the basket is small and hard to access.