Strollers, car seats & carriers

The car seat is the one purchase you cannot leave the hospital without, and the one where fit matters more than features. Everything else here is the same problem from a different angle: how you get out of the house with a baby who cannot walk. Infant car seats, strollers that take a bassinet for the newborn months, and a soft carrier for the days when a stroller is more trouble than it is worth.

Two things that save money. Check the seat fits your car before you fall in love with a whole travel system, because not every base works in every back seat. And most fire stations and many hospitals will check your installation for free, which is worth doing once even if you are confident you got it right.