Expectant parents will also appreciate the convenience of a “one-stop shop” with the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe - included with the travel system are the pushchair, soft-sided carrycot, 0+ car seat and base and pushchair apron. You have everything you’ll need for the first year of life and beyond. My husband and I investigated many pushchairs for our first child, Ella, and decided upon the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Travel System because of its smooth folding system, well-padded seat, car seat and base as well as the soft-sided carrycot, which converts the pushchair into a pram.
What we love
My husband and I had made the decision that we liked the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Travel System the best of the other travel system models that we looked at. I received it as a surprise Christmas present in 2007 and we gleefully set it up on Christmas Day at my in-laws house. The Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Travel System was very easy to assemble and was very attractive when finished.
I loved the fact that you could easily clip the car seat in the pushchair to make it a pram-style travel system; where my child would be facing me and would be completely covered and secure under the reversible canopy with viewing window.
Additionally, we could install the soft-sided carrycot in the pushchair to have that pram style as well. We didn’t use the soft-sided carrycot in this way but it was particularly helpful for daytime napping and as a travel Moses basket on trips.
The car seat with the base was exceptionally useful as once the base was installed, the car seat could simply be clicked in and out quietly, swiftly and simply with little effort - tremendously helpful when transferring a sleeping baby from car to house.
From the parent perspective, we loved the fact that our baby Ella could be facing us so we could see her and know that she was safe and happy. We also found the parent console with cup holders, storage space, sunglasses holder and clock/temperature gauge very handy and practical.
Once she was old enough and sitting well unaided, Ella turned around to face the world. She was still secure, comfortable and happy and I could still check on her through the canopy viewing window.
Finally, the storage basket is one of the biggest and best that I have seen in any pushchair on the market. You can get a great deal of shopping in it and can access it easily by releasing the basket which puts an end to stuffing shopping items through a small opening.
What to watch out for
The Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Travel System claims to fold with one hand and also states that “with its aluminium frame you don’t have to be a bodybuilder to lift it in and out of the car”. I struggled to fold the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Travel System with one hand. You needed to turn two dials on the handle while pressing a small lever and I don’t think I was ever able to do this with one hand as my hands are on the small side.
Also, I found the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Travel System to be heavier than I liked. It took a good heave-ho to hoist it into or out of the boot and due to the size of the pushchair, we always had to remove the front wheels in order for it to fit into the boot of our Volkswagen Passat. Once I was used to doing this, it was not a problem, but the first few times I was panicking a bit to get the wheels off in time to get out of the car park. I had had a caesarean as well and found that it was on the bulky side in the first weeks post-delivery. I could feel my abdominal muscles straining a bit when pushing it and I didn’t dare lift it until about seven weeks post-delivery.
When Ella was 5 months old, we began to look for a lightweight pushchair in anticipation of a trip to the US as we felt that the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Travel System was just too big and bulky for travel and was getting a bit too cumbersome for day-to-day use.
Who is the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Travel System for?
New parents who want to have everything in one reliable, sturdy package.
The Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Travel System is a sensible purchase if you are looking for one product to take care of all of your child’s transportation needs for the first year of their life and beyond. The car seat with its fixed base is a brilliant feature and the peace of mind of having your child facing you when riding in the pushchair in the first several months are all big plusses. However, the bulkiness and size of the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Travel System may mean you need to consider a secondary lightweight buggy when your child’s older, for travel or quick trips.
