New Perego travel system

[mommy2tandk]

I wondered if anybody has tried or bought the new Peg Perego travel system with the infant car seat and stroller? It looks wonderful and I would like some feedback before I decide on it! Thanks!

Kelly

[sdownie]

HI, there.
I am expecting in two weeks and my husband and I were considering ordering one of the new PP travel systems. We decided against doing so for two reasons:
1)since we'd have to order it (no one has them in-stock yet around here), there was no way for us to check the fit of the car seat in our vehicle; and
2)after a lot of back and forth w/one of their customer service people, I finally found out that the PP seats are not LATCH/ISOFIX capable. I realize that there are only a couple of seats out there right now that do include this in their design, but I expected PP to be a little more on top of things, in terms of latest safety innovations. Furthermore, it really bothered me that the customer service folks with whom I spoke had NO idea what LATCH or ISOFIX means -- I wound up having to get the info on the seat from someone in the Engineering dept. Crazy.

We wound up buying a Milano XL w/car seat adapter bar...

[glickstein]

We'd like to know if the Perego travel system can only take the Perego car seats, or if there is a Perego system that will adapt to any infant seat to build a system. Seems that the Fields' are giving the Perego infant seats a thumbs-down.

[Steve&Laura]

We can't seem to find an adapter bar on Perego's web site. Is there an adapter so you can use the Milano stroller with an infant seat other than Peg Perego's?

[Geebee]

I've seen the adapter bars for the Pegs at babystyle.com.

[dave]

We bought the 2001 Peg Perego Pliko (from lots4tots.com $179), with an attachment bar (barebabies.com $20) and use it with an Evenflo On My Way position right carseat/carrier. It works great.

I didn't like the looks of the Peg Perego carrier, and the Fields agreed.

The stroller is awesome, and with a good carrier, I think it's the best travel system you can buy.

[evelyn]

We just bought the Perego system (including car seat) for our baby due in a few weeks. After lots of searching and deciding that we wanted a Pliko no matter what, we were able to see the car seat in person. Quite honestly, although I know it isn't a favorite of the Fields' yet, after asking them some specific questions, we went ahead anyway. We would have liked something with a track record, but none of the infant seats really have a good track record. The biggest objection we were given was the cost, which for us was around $30 or so. The seat seems much more secure, is very easy to use, and locks into the stroller very securely. When we looked at the attachment bar, we discovered it is flexible, flimsy, and doesn't hold the other car seats as well as the metal locking bars in the base of the seat hold the Perego carrier. The only problem we have with the Perego carrier so far is that you must use a base to strap it into the vehicle - there are no seat belt guides on the carrier portion of the seat. This may make it troublesome for urban dwellers who use taxis a lot. Otherwise - we really like it and it has been flying off the shelves of the retailers who did receive it here in our area (Westchester, NY). Just my two cents,

[mommy2tandk]

Thanks for the info. So far you are the only one who seems to like it. Personally, I like Perego's products. especially the Prima Pappa high chair. I have tested the strollers, but haven't had the chance to buy one yet! I like the idea of a travel system, but that also depends on the baby. My daughter wouldn't sleep in the stroller no matter what i did. My son would stay sleeping from car seat to stroller and back again. I still am going to try it out!

[KEGNLG]

There is also a Perego travel system called Primo Viaggio, it is a bit heavier than the Pliko (17 lbs vs. 15lbs) It also has a handle bar that runs straight across as opposed to the umbrella handles. There is no need for the adapter because the seat goes right into the stroller itself. It is avilable in two versions, the Trek and the Winter. Difference between the two is the Trek comes with a cover that is "waterproof" (its avail. in blue/red & yellow/gray), the Winter version (blue/white & gray/white) comes with a bootie warmer which is nice on a cool day its "water resistant". We were wondering if anyone has seen it in person. Thanks for your help!

[CaraM]

When I asked Peg Perego customer service about their new travel system and the differences between the 2001 and the 2000 Venezia, their response was the "car seat adaptor". My understanding is that the Venezia 2001 can be combined with a Perego car seat, but would still require the $20 adaptor for any other car seat. The Venezia 2001 also seems 3 pounds heavier, so what's the point if I don't plan to get the Perego carrier?
Why not get a 2000 or 1999 Venezia or Milano on sale? Please give me your opinions.

[evelyn]

You may be very right about this with the Venezia - not all of the 2001 versions came with the full system as an available option. If you can find the Venezia or Milano on sale and the combination is not so important to you, then I say go for it. If you really want the system, then I think Pliko (Trek, Winter, etc.) is the option for 2001.

[mckitt]

My husband and I had the exact same feeling about the Perego Travel System re: stability and the security of the car seat attachment. We compared it to the the Combi Ultra Savvy (with a Century Smart Fit seat) and thought the Perego stroller itself was more stable and easier to open and close and preferred the nubby tires since we plan to take the stroller both on city sidewalks and on gravel paths. The car seat seemed to sit down a bit lower in the Perego stroller, which also contributed to the added sense of stability (and like you, we liked the metal locking bars at the base of the seat). Although it has the umbrella handles while the Ultra Savvy has the horizontal bar, the Perego wasn't too difficult to steer one-handed (although next time we may take a 10-pound bag of flour with us as a mock baby to check for stability when carrying something other than the car seat).

I did email Perego re: my concerns about the safety record (or lack thereof) of the infant seat and got the following reply within 24 hours of my inquiry (I had asked it they made the seats themselves or subcontracted with another company): "Our new infant carseats are made in our Italian factory. We have been selling carseats in other countries for several years. They are only new to the USA this year. Any carseat sold in the USA all pass the same safety standards. The Department of Highway Safety has very strict guidelines on all carseats sold in the USA." The car seat base did look a bit basic--I'd be curious to know how well it fit in your car (although at carseatdata.org, many of the adjustable carseat bases needed towels for leveling and a snug fit anyway).

Right now I'm in the process of pestering Perego about the differences between the Sherpa, the Trek and the stroller base of the Travel System. My hunch is that the only differences are the fabric and the rain cover options (they already told me that all three have the same wheels), but I'll post their response once I get it.

[Canuckie3]

I also just bought the PP Pliko Travel System. I was concerned with the stability of the attachment bar, and, as far as asthetics, nothing else matched it. Therefore my husband and i decided to try it and see. My concern is do you think a black stroller attracks more heat than a navy stroller? My friend thinks its a terrible idea to buy a black stroller, but since i am having a girl i really dont want navy. I was thrilled with the animal print/black material as it is very modern looking. Has anyone read anything about this?

[evelyn]

Just came from Car Seat Safety Class on Monday, and I have to tell you the more time I spend with the Pliko system, the more I like it. It seems to be fairly easy to get properly installed into our car (are any of the truly easy?!), clicks in and out of the stroller and base like a dream. I'll be able to tell everyone more in about 2-3 weeks when the new baby actually takes a ride it in!

[babyjessi]

We just purchased the PP Pliko travel system. We had to order online sight unseen since it wasn't available close by us. We are generally happy with it. The stroller is fairly light (and much lighter than the larger travel systems like the Graco) and the infant seat snaps in the car base and stroller very easily and tightly. You have to place the car seat in the stroller in the 3rd recline position, and it seems difficult to get the stroller to latch into this spot. The car base is easy to install and sits flat. A level indicator would be nice to ensure it is level. We did not need to use towels to level it out in our Suburu Outback or Saab 9-5. In our Saab the place where you snap the seat belt clips into are fixed and rigid which means the base cannot fit between them in the middle and we will have to position the base on the side. I think this might be an issue with any base however.

[lgiglio]

I'm also considering this stroller system, but I want to know if anyone has tried the standing bar feature for toddlers. I have a new baby about to arrive any day and a two year old. My toddler doesn't like riding in a stroller very much anymore but I think she'd hitch ride on the baby's stroller if it seemed like a fun thing to do. However, my other concern is that if the toddler is not strapped into the stroller, do you spend all your time chasing after them? I'm considering this option vs. a double stroller for the two of them.

Another concern about the new Perego travel system is the size of the stroller basket. It is hard to tell from the product shot on the Perego website how big the basket is.
Thanks.
Lisa

[zora12]

My husband and I tried out the new Venezia w/ the PP car seat. We didn't find that it felt very stable. The car seat wobbled around. Of course, we didn't have a child in it, but for an investment of over $400., we decided it wasn't worth it. We ended up buying a Zooper Sport. It's got ATV wheels and is lightweight, but also has a carriage feature. Baby
s not due until July, so we'll let you know how it works then.

[Nooknookmom]

I tested the Pliko travel system at Babies R Us on Sunday. We tested it with the carseat (which compared to the Britax is extremely flimsy)and it was quite difficult to hook the seat into the buggy. Finally we installed the seat and pushed it around the store with my daughter on the back "2nd child" steps, it was VERY hard to steer. This next isuue is the part that totally swore me off the 'new' Perego's-when we folded up the stroller which was kinda hard, need two hands and muscles; the left plastic umbrella handle broke off! Peg is using a new type of plastic these days and it isn't as strong as the earlier type. So I hope this helps, for the money you will spend I really would recommend a Maclaren! They have a new stroller coming out at the end of the year called the Global Travel System and it will hold infant seats, see www.Babysaurus.com.

[greyhound mom]

After much searching and debate between my husband and I we settled on the new Primo Viaggio travel system. We bought the red/blue Trek edition from Strollers4less--sight unseen--$349. I bugged the Perego customer service numerous times prior to purchase with questions and then tried with no success to see it in person. We are very happy with it, however, our baby is over due so we still haven't "used" it. The infant seat and base are presently residing in our Tahoe. It wasn't a great fit, but my husband adjusted it and I'm confidient that the baby will be more than safe. One huge reason for buying the Primo was that it only weighs 17 pounds. We both found it very easy to open and close too.

I was disappointed to see that the Perego travel systems didn't get rave reviews in the 4th edition of Baby Bargains, but we are very happy with it. Then again I also shelled out $265 for the new Britax Advantage convertible seat that a didn't garner favor either.

[Geebee]

Did you see the most recent email from the Fields that stated that the Peg travel systems are going to be recalled?