What is a travel system?

A travel system is a buggy that includes a rear-facing infant car seat.

How do travel systems work?

Travel systems allow you to easily attach or remove a Group 0+ car seat onto the frame of a pushchair with compatible adaptors, making it easy to move your baby between your car and buggy without having to take them out of the car seat.

When do I need to buy a travel system?

Travel systems are often the most popular buggy buy for first time parents, as they come with Group 0+/infant car seats, you'll be able to use them from birth to around 15 months. 

After that, you're little one will have to move onto a second stage (Group 1) car seat, and you can use the pushchair of the travel system as a buggy alone.  

How much should I spend on a travel system?

There's a huge range in travel system prices.  Like most things, there are the budget versions and expensive models, how much you send really depends on your budget.

But to give you an idea on price, we've ordered these travel systems by cheapest to the most expensive, starting at a bargain £250 and going up to £1280!

• Travel systems under £500
• Travel systems over £500

What's the 2-hour car seat rule?

Car seats are vital safety tools for keeping children secure when travelling in a vehicle, it's important to remember car seats are made to be used in a car, not as a device where your child can sleep at home or on a shopping trip.  

You shouldn't keep him (or her) in the car seat for longer than 2 hours, the exception is if you're using a lie-flat car seat.  But if you're in any doubt contact your car seat manufacturer. 

Click on to see our top travel system picks...

• Step-by-step buyer's guide to travel systems
• Best double buggies that are travel system compatible

1. Red Kite Push Me Fusion Travel System, £250, MadeForMums Gold Award Winner

Suitable from birth and packed with features including a one-hand fold, reversible and convertible  seat unit/carrycot, there’s plenty of bang for your buck with this gold award-winning travel system.

The stylish navy version is trimmed with tan leatherette details and has a brushed aluminium chassis, and the £250 package includes a Group 0+ car seat, reversible seat liner, bumper bar and a rain cover.

Weighing 15kg, it folds down to 82cm x 66cm x 34cm.

What our MadeForMums Awards judges say about the Red Kite Push Me Fusion Travel System:

“Nicely designed affordable travel system. Feels light and easy to manoeuvre.” Mum of 2, Janet

“For those wanting a luxury look at a fraction of the price, this buggy fits the bill. Convertible space-saving seat/carrycot, easy to manoeuvre, very easy to fold and quite compact. Car seat hood looks good.” Mum of 2, Magda

Read our full review of the Red Kite Push Me Fusion Travel system here.

2. Ickle Bubba Stomp v3 All in One Travel System with ISOFIX Base, £449, MadeForMums Silver Award Winner

With its included ISOFIX base, infant car seat, separate carrycot, seat unit and chassis, plus a whole host of accessories, you get everything but the kitchen sink included with the Stomp v3.

The silver award-winning travel system was praised by our MFM judges for its stylish look and good quality fabrics, while it has an extra large easy-access basket, and reversible seat.

Ickle Bubba have thought of everything for the fashion-conscious parent – and the system comes with a choice of silver or black chassis, with contrasting fabrics in silver, back, pink, red or blue.

It folds down to 61cm x 71cm x 30cm, and the chassis and wheels weigh a lightweight 6.5kg.

What our MadeForMums Awards judges say about the Ickle Bubba Stomp v3 travel system:

“Large basket, light frame.” Mum of 1, Kat

“Some higher quality materials have been used. Good sized basket. Looks like it may stand the test of time. Car seat comes with base included.” Mum of 2, Janet

Read the full review of the Ickle Bubba Stomp V3 travel system here.

3. Obaby Chase Stroller Travel System, £330, MadeForMums Bronze Award Winner

The bronze award-winning Obaby Chase travel system is sure to keep your little one protected from the elements, with its adjustable hood featuring UPF 50+ sun protection and the included footmuff and raincover.

The pneumatic folding, aluminium chassis folds flat to 82cm x 49cm x 40cm and the reversible seat has an adjustable leg rest. Plus it’s relatively lightweight at 10.6kg.

The matching Group 0+ car seat and changing bag complete the package, but a lie-flat, from birth carrycot is available separately for £139.99.

What our MadeForMums Awards judges say about the Obaby Chase Travel System:

“Easy to steer and operate. I really like the big open basket space along with the additional pockets around too. I liked having the pushchair either parent or forward facing along with the ability to use from birth with the carseat too.” Mum of 1, Zoe

“The frame looks sturdy and well made.” Mum of 2, Magda

Here's the full review of the Obaby Chase travel system

4. Mountain Buggy MB Mini, £349 with Mountain Buggy Protect infant car seat

Part of the newly updated fleet of pushchairs from Mountain Buggy is the MB Mini travel system. Described as the “lightest and slimmest urban travel system” in its collection, the Kiwi brand has taken the ‘Mini’ literally.

It’s given the MB Mini a smaller footprint, smaller fold, new harness, bigger seat unit, adjustable handlebar and included the car seat in the bundle.

Our MFM mum loved the buggy so much she gave it a great 4.5 out of 5 stars, and said "though it's supposed to be designed only for urban parents, the MB Mini is honestly so great it makes you wonder why anyone would need something heftier."  High praise indeed.

Check out the full Mountain Buggy MB Mini review here.  

You can buy the MB Mini from Kiddicare

5. BabyStyle Oyster 2, £437 with Maxi-Cosi Cabriofix car seat

An updated version of the best-selling buggy that we've come to love, the BabyStyle Oyster comes as a single buggy but has scope to become a travel system by adding a carrycot and a car seat - with adaptors of course.

Features include a lie-flat seat that's suitable from birth, which can also be rear or forward facing. The chassis is relatively narrow, so if you spend a lot of time getting on and off buses or at the shops this buggy could work for you.

The height adjustable handle means that all the family can push and despite needing two hands, the folding system is relatively simple. Available in a whopping eight colour options and compatible with a range of car seats including Oyster, Maxi-Cosi and Britax.

Check out the full Babystyle Oyster 2 buggy review here

Buy the BabyStyle Oyster 2 at Kiddicare and Amazon. 

6. Cosatto Wow travel system, £599.95, MadeForMums Gold Award Winner

There’s no missing a Cosatto pushchair, and this gold award-winning system comes in seven unique, head-turning patterns.

With its sturdy frame, large basket and separate reversible seat unit and roomy carrycot, our judges were impressed with just how robust the Wow is, and the value for money.

It’s also light – weighing just 7.3kg with the seat or 9.7kg with the carrycot attached, and it folds down to 82cm x 58cm x 31cm.

Add the Port Group 0+ car seat for £164.95, and a matching footmuff (£59.95) and change bag (£59.95).

What our MadeForMums Awards judges say about the Cosatto Wow travel system:

“I love the bold, funky design - it was great fun getting it all out of the box and it really cheers you up drizzly walks! It was pretty easy putting it all together, and overall the quality and design was great. It all seems very sturdy, safe, and comfy for little one. I'd definitely recommend it to any mums who like to make a statement.” Mum of 2, Alice

“Amazing price! It’s narrow and compact and folds very flat, compact when folded. Fab designs - love the print!” Mum of 2, Lucy

Read our full review of the Cosatto Wow travel system here.

7. Silver Cross Surf 3, £845, MadeForMums Silver Award Winner – Joint

Off-roading families will love the multi-terrain Silver Cross Surf 3, which can be converted from a four-wheeler to a three-wheel trekking mode, using the quick release system and included trekking wheel.

It’s super stylish and comes with a separate reversible seat unit and ultra comfortable carrycot, which can be used for overnight sleeping.

With a slim frame width of 58cm, the Surf 3 folds down to 71cm x 58cm x 28cm, and it weighs 11.3kg with the seat unit attached.

Add the Simplicity car seat (£150) to make a complete travel system.

What our MadeForMums Awards judges say about the Silver Cross Surf 3:

“Fantastic travel system - everything feels solid and sturdy without being too heavy. The suspension is so good and it wheels around very smoothly. Love that the carrycot can be used for overnight sleeps, and that the seat unit can be parent- or outward-facing.

"Folded up, it's incredibly compact and light, and it's easy to change the seat into its various positions.   On that related point, I quite like the fact that it can convert from 'city' mode (four wheels) to 'trek' mode (three wheels), especially with the puncture-free wheels.” Mum of 1, Shiona (Tregaskis)

“Love the rear off-reading tyres and large basket. Carrycot very comfy and soft. Looks high quality,” Mum of 2, Magda

Read our full review of the Silver Cross Surf 3 here.

8. Stokke Xplory, £869, MadeForMums Silver Award Winner - Joint

The iconic high seat on the Stokke Xplory makes it really stand out, and was a winning feature for our judges.

With its adjustable, forward or rear-facing seat that promotes eye contact with your little one, and its narrow base, this is an eye-catching buggy. Plus there are well-thought out features like the multi purpose use as a restaurant highchair, though it isn’t that compact to store, folding down to 99cm x 34cm x 56cm.

Add a carrycot (£170) and Stokke IZI Go Modular by Be Safe car seat (£219) to create a full travel system package from newborn.

What our MadeForMums Awards judges say about the Stokke Xplory:

“I was really impressed with the quality and manoeuvrability of the buggy. In the seat, my daughters loved being up so high and enjoyed their improved viewpoint. I found it was easy to steer, even singlehanded, which was fantastic when holding my eldest daughter’s hand on the preschool run.

"Overall I loved the flexible options of this model – the seat can be rear or forward facing, you can the height and angle of the seat and push bar – and being able to tailor it to exactly my preference and comfort felt very luxurious.

"Everything was well designed, from being able to adjust the seat or handlebar simply and easily to little details like the rain cover, which has a small window you can open to allow your little one some fresh air and a better view if the rain is light.” Mum of 2, Christy

“An excellent travel system, stylish and compact. It is faultless, my only criticisms are the lack of baggage space as there is nowhere to hang shopping or bags so it's not desirable for parents who need that. Also it takes up a lot of room when folded so if you have a small car, this is not the buggy for you. Otherwise, it's fantastic!” Mum of 1, Tiara 

Read our full review of the Stoke Xplory here.

9. ABC Design Salsa 4, £650, MadeForMums Bronze Award Winner

With a maximum weight limit of 25kg, the Salsa 4 is a  2-in-1 travel system with one of the longest age ranges out there – a great reason for it to be awarded the bronze gong in the MFM Awards 2017.

Our judges loved its no-nonsense quality and German engineering, and were impressed with its robust but lightweight feel at 10.2kg.

The included Group 0+ car seat and cosy carrycot are comfy, and features like the leatherette trim and logos add a touch of style, while the frame folds down to 30 x 63 x 82cm.

What our MadeForMums Awards judges say about the ABC Design Salsa 4 travel system:

“Lovely padded seat/carry cot/car seat, and big basket. Very classic looking and super comfy. Looks expensive and no nonsense, handle extends very low and high, really compact and light to carry.” Mum of 2, Lucy

“Simple but absolutely does the job for a great price. Sturdy frame. Huge basket. Like the styling. Like the fact you can swap in a different group 0+ car seat from variety of manufacturers.” MadeForMums Editor Susie Boone

10. Britax B-Ready, £540 with Britax Baby-Safe Plus SHR II car seat

Britax have really thought about family life with this new buggy, which was released in summer 2016.

Not only can it be used from birth to 17kg, but there’s the option to add a second seat so it’s got an extra lease of life as your family grows.

There’s an adjustable handle, puncture-free tyres and four colour options on this sturdy pushchair, and the seat unit can be used either parent-facing or world-facing.  

And, naturally, the £400 B-Ready can be combined with all of Britax’s car seats to create a travel system: we chose the Britax Baby-Safe Plus SHR II car seat at £140.

Read what our reviewer thought of the Britax Baby-Safe Plus SHR II car seat here.

Buy the Britax B-Ready from Kiddicare, Mothercare, and Precious Little One.   

11. Hauck Twister, £579.99 complete with Hauck 0+ car seat

This smart buggy will turn heads with its clever 360-swivel seat design, which makes the switch from rear facing to forward facing simple and quick. Our reviewer was particularly impressed with the Twister's handling - the buggy "glides" along  the pavements and copes pretty well with paths too. Suitable from birth and with a lie-flat seat this is a one bit of kit that will last well into the toddler stage.

The lightweight chassis means that it's easy to carry when folded and because the Twister package includes the bassinet, seat unit and car seat, it's great value for money.

Read the full MFM review of the Hauck Twister

You can buy the Hauck Twister on Amazon

12. Jané Epic, £675 complete with Jané KOOS car seat and ISOFIX base

Jané created the first folding pushchair in 1932. Since then the Spanish company has developed a reputation for creating innovative products, including the first reclining buggy and the first lie-flat, Group 0 car seat.

The Epic is a truly versatile buggy that's equally at home on urban pavements and on off-road paths. It has fantastic handling, a lightweight chassis and the ability to fold with the seat unit facing forwards or to the rear! 

The Epic comes with a separate bassinet, that can be used for overnight sleeping.  And the lightweight Koos car seat at 2.9kg is "noticeably lighter than other infant car seats," says our reviewer.  

Read the full review of the Jané Epic.

Buy the Jane Epic and Koos car seat at Precious Little One, Kiddicare and Amazon.

13. UPPAbaby Cruz £719.99 with Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seat

Labelled the perfect pushchair by mum-of-two Lily Allen, the new, updated UPPAbaby Cruz is a lightweight city travel system that's perfect for negotiating the busy streets and looking stylish too.

Scoring a brilliant 4.5 stars out of 5 in our review, the Cruz is suitable from birth with the addition of the carrycot (sold separately at £164.99) and has a lie-flat seat unit that can be used face rear or forward facing.

A major plus point is the one step fold which allows you to collapse the buggy with (or without) the seat unit attached.

What's more, the Cruz stands when its folded - a nifty space saving feature. Weighing in at just under 10kg with the seat unit on the Cruz is a good bet if you spend time getting in and out of the car.

It costs £529.99 as a standalone pushchair plus adaptors for a Maxi-Cosi car seat (Pebble Plus £190).

Read the full UPPAbaby Cruz review here

Buy the UPPbaby Cruz from John Lewis or Kiddicare.

14. Bugaboo Bee 5, £729 with Britax Baby-Safe Plus SHR II car seat

The much anticipated Bugaboo Bee5 hit the shops earlier this year and it didn't disappoint.

There are around 100 new parts to the Bee5, including improved front wheels, that are more stable with a better swivel.

It’s .2kg heavier and 5cm longer, the height remains the same, at 92cm, but the basket can now hold up to  22 litres (4kg).

Apart from that, the main changes to the Bee5 are on the style side. It’s now got way more customisable options than before – so you can really pimp your baby’s ride. 

And like other pushchairs in the Bugaboo collection, the Bee5 is travel system compatible with Britax, Maxi-Cosi, Cybex and many other car seats.

Read the review of the Bugaboo Bee5 here

Buy the Bugaboo Bee 5 from Bugaboo, John Lewis, and Mothercare.

15. Mountain Buggy Duet, £807 with two Mountain Buggy Protect car seats

A double buggy that is as slim as a single buggy, the Mountain Buggy Duet is 63cm wide and yet it can fit two infant car seats on the chassis, side-by-side. 

It comes in at £549 for the buggy, plus £129 for each of the Mountain Buggy Protect car seats, which scored a whopping five stars in our review.

The award-winning buggy is great for rougher terrain, a joy to push and steer and although narrow, still very comfortable for little ones.

Check out the full Mountain Buggy Duet review

Click here to buy the Mountain Buggy Duet on Amazon, or find it at John Lewis.

16. Joolz Geo, from £953 (single version) with Cybex Aton Q car seat

A sleek pushchair, the Geo is the only double buggy made by Dutch parenting company Joolz. It can be used from birth with carrycot and from around six months with the seat unit attached.

A simple slide and click mechanism transforms this buggy from single to double, while many of the Geo's features such as unlocking the bumper bar, adjusting the handlebar or pushing the buggy, can be done one handed (folding the Geo is a two handed job though).

Price-wise it's costly; the Joolz Geo mono (single) configuration (chassis, cot, seat and xl shopping basket) costs £799, plus £29 for car seat adaptors. The duo (chassis, upper seat, lower cot and seat and xl shopping basket) costs £999.  While the twin (chassis, upper seat and cot, lower cot and seat and xl shopping basket) costs £1,099.

Read our full review of the Joolz Geo here

Buy the Joolz Geo from Joolz or John Lewis.

17. UPPAbaby Vista, £1,039.99 with Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seat

A Bronze award winner in the 2015 Prima Baby Awards this travel system was rated for its versatility - as well as being a top notch single travel system.  

The Vista can be converted from a single buggy into a two-seater, to accommodate twins or two children.  And if that wasn't enough, it also includes a bug shield, rain shield, bassinet storage bag, large canopy with a SPF50+ sunshade and Maxi Cosi/BeSafe iZi Go Car Seat Adaptors - result!

Read the full UPPAbaby Vista review

Buy the UPPAbaby Vista from John Lewis

18. Babystyle Egg, £1,048 with Kiddy Egg Evo-lunafix car seat and adapters

Be prepared to swoon: The Babystyle Egg’s stunning look is a real head-turner, with its sleek curves, four chic chassis options and seven seat colours to choose from.

And those good looks don’t come cheap, with the main buggy costing £699, then another £320 to add the compatible car seat, though this does include an ISOFIX base, and £29 for the car seat adapters.

But is it really worth that kind of cash? Well, our reviewer certainly thought so, describing it as the “perfect pushchair”.

She loved how easy it was to push, and that it folded up compactly. In fact, her only negative was its weight, at 13.5kg.

Read the full review of the Babystyle Egg here.

Buy the Babystyle Egg from Mothercare, Kiddicare, and Natural Baby Shower.

19. iCandy Peach 3, £1,065.99 with Maxi-Cosi Cabriofix car seat and carrycot, Blossom (twin version) £1265.98

The Peach 3 is the latest 3-in-1 model from must-have brand iCandy, whose celebrity fans include Tamara Ecclestone and Jacqueline Jossa. Designed using tips from the aeronautical industry, this is a robust and stylish buggy which our reviewer says is "a dream to push and manoeuvre".

As a single buggy, the Peach 3 can be used with carrycot, seat unit or car seat but what rocks about this third generation Peach is the ease with which it converts from single to a double buggy - known as the Peach 3 Blossom. You simply attach the second seat or carrycot with the clips supplied. Like a Land Rover, the Peach 3 is equally at home on the city streets and off road on the parks and paths.

We added car seat adaptors (£30) and a Maxi-Cosi Cabriofix car seat (£95.99) to get our travel system package.

Read the full review of the iCandy Peach 3 Blossom here

Buy the iCandy Peach 3 Blossom from John Lewis

20. Cybex Priam, £1280 with Cybex Cloud Q car seat

A Gold award winner in the Prima Baby Awards 2015. German manufacturer Cybex has created a high-tech travel system that folds down in a two-step process and can be reclined with one hand, leaving the other free to hold a toddler's hand, clutch your shopping bags, or guzzle that must-have coffee.

This is a high-end, luxury travel system with the option to customise the wheels to your favoured terrain and to choose the car seat and carrycot from a range of colours. Suitable from birth to around 13kg the basic price just for the pushchair with carrycot is £1,060 but there's a full range of options available to upgrade your Cybex one step further.

Read our full Cybex Priam review

Buy the Cybex Priam from Mothercare

Read more...

• 10 of the best convertible pushchairs
• Best new pushchairs to buy in 2017
• MadeForMums Awards 2017: The winners
• 10 of the best forward and rear facing buggies