Overall, a pretty good travel system.

This was a shower gift from my aunt, and I can honestly say that I am as pleased with it 13 months later as I was the day I unwrapped it!! I maybe stronger than other people though, according to the other reviews, but I did not find the stroller or the carseat very difficult to operate or carry. I am pretty apt at putting things together too, and I managed to put the entire stroller together in about 15 minutes, all while being about 7 1/2 months pregnant. (My husband was working out of town in case you were wondering...)

I really like the dark pattern, although alot of people assumed I was carrying a boy in it even though I have a very beautiful little girl! It dosent show stains and I have had to undo it all and wash it plenty of times, but its only because I know its dirty. Alot of people complain about the twisty straps on the 5 point harnesses on the Eddie Bauer seats, but it just dosent bother me I guess... Now if they twisted in between the chest buckles and the puzzle pieces that was annoying but that usually can be avoided by not being so hasty when undoing them. But I would rather untwist the straps than have stiffer straps.

I never had a problem figuring out the fastenings, to me it seemed very easy and possible to do with one hand after some practice. The carrying arm/handle is a little annoying when trying to put it up or down because you have to squeeze the BIG lever things on the sides completley flush with the handle piece at the same time and then push, but I understand this is needed for safety, I just think it could be easier to do, maybe some thing one handed.

One big complaint I do have is the canopy for the carrier. It dosent really fit on the carrier well for long and it is difficult to fold it up without the folds touching your baby's head. Also the arms that hold the canopy get loose or something and the canopy sags below the carrier. But it is easy to adjust and you can take it off easily when your baby insists on pulling it in front of her to play with it.

I will say that you should always be very careful to pay attention to how things are adjusted when you take the straps off to wash them, the cover, etc... My daughter stayed in this carrier carseat until she was 12 months old, and she looked a little big for it, but she was still within the weight limit and we wanted to keep her rearfacing at least until one. She has never had a problem being in the seat unless we are on a road trip or something.

I really REALLY love how easy it is to secure the carrier on the base. You basically just drop the carrier into place and go, nothing else!! That is a really big plus for this mom! Also when she goes with Grandma or something, the carrier is easy to secure with a seatbelt. you should always put the shoulder strap part of the seatbelt around the back of the top of the carrier though for it to really be secure, not just the lap part! And very secure too!

Along those lines attaching the carrier to the stroller is sooo easy! I can hold the carrier by the handle in one hand and undo the attachment bar behind the parent's tray and attach it to the strollerand just click the carrier into place like the car seat base! And I think the stroller rides as smooth as a caddilac very smooth and good turning, although sometimes the wheels can get turned all the way around from each other and mess you up for a second, but no biggie.

As far as loading and unloading the stroller itself, I find no trouble except I do have to push up with my hand on the bottom of the storage basket to get it out of the trunk without catching or dragging. I love the one handed folding and unfolding as well, another BIG plus! No bending and crouching and having to completley empty the basket to get it closed, just close and go.

I have a stock of diapers, toys, wipes, etc. in the storage basket which is great for lots of smaller things but not so good for large shopping bags or purses. Also it is a little difficult to get to your stuff sometimes due to the back of the seat being too close to the opening, especially if it is reclined.

Another big complaint is the degree of recline/incline. I wish it FULLY laid flat 180 degrees and I wish it sat up to a 90 degree angle. But the adjustment to put it up or down is cool. I Like it. I dont know if its just my baby but she can push the child tray off with her feet, so maybe that could be attached more securely, so mom isnt always having to take it off and put it back on. The brakes work very well, and I like that there are front and back brakes, and they are easily operated by one foot!

I'm really into the whole one handed one footed thing arent I? Is that lazy? O well!

Overall, I really like this travel system and I will hopefully use it with my second child too!