This is an amazing stroller. Read the review and watch the 5 minute video by Baby Gizmo if it is still available. She did a great job at putting together that video to explain how it handles and general usage. Be warned where you buy it though, I bought this from BabyAge and had many problems working with them (I'd recommend avoiding BabyAge and going with another Amazon seller, even if it costs more).
(Yes the review is long. Read below for detailed information on the quality, assembly, handling, the all important 5 point harness, and individual reviews of the stroller and car seat as well as how well they work together. I've also submitted pictures showing these features. I'm writing this review since many seem to have disappeared recently when what looks like Amazon merged them all from various sellers into a single product review set.)
First of all is the harness that holds baby into the seat. Unlike some lower end systems, the harness clasps do not all connect at the same point near baby's waist. The arm straps clip together at chest level so that your baby's upper body is firmly held into place. Then the waist belt clips connect to the leg dividing strap for the lower portion to be secured. Rather than looking like a "¥" (Yen, Japanese currency, character #165), think of double parentheses joined in the middle ")(" and sitting on top of a capital "T". The upper (chest) clips and the belt clips are not joined, to allow for a comfortable and solid fit over different parts of the body. This is more comfortable for baby. There is even padding around the head piece and sides for when baby is still small and needs more support / snugness to fit properly.
Yes it is heavy compared to others, but it is solid. We've had it almost a week and have made several trips out with it. We get compliments from almost anybody who notices how well built it is and that it has a sturdy feel to it. We found this one originally while visiting up in Montreal Canada. Unfortunately the retail stores down here don't sell good quality stuff. (I had to find this online because the same store chains sell falling apart discount stuff here for the same price they sell the higher quality stuff in other parts of the US and Canada.)
Assembly was easy and the instructions are simple and industry standard layout (part listings with letters, step by step guide with pictures). They are in English and Spanish (didn't see French). I am classed as legally blind, with vision of 20/300, and didn't find it difficult to put together, so I'd expect that most others should have no problem.
How does it handle off road? You would think that sidewalks are illegal in our city but the wheels show how much they were made for this kind of outdoor and off road situations. We've ran this over gravel and dirt, grass, curbs, speed bumps, and various surface textures (slippery to rough). It handles everything great. The shocks in the front help absorb impact when baby is sitting in the car seat (the basket / older baby seating area hasn't been tested in use yet, but feels like it will absorb the bounces in place of rear wheel shocks).
Folding and unfolding is easy, although unfolding might take a 2nd hand to set it into place. (We're not that experienced at it yet so this could be something that needs getting used to.) The canopy extends about half way over the stroller and has a window built in. The window appears to be angled more for seeing baby while in the car seat rather than in the stroller. Brakes are a bar and cog type. The bar (which extends to both sides and has a brake petal on each end for one foot breaking) snaps down in between the lumps in the cogs. You won't find a pressure pad or clamp that can slip. This is a secure and sturdy braking system that easily holds up against a steep slope (great for when you're on a hill and don't want to use a lot of energy holding the stroller in place).
The car seat actually has 4 holes for the shoulder straps. Our baby was still over 4 weeks premature when he first tried to use it, only weighing 6 pounds (or an ounce under), and he needed the second strap. The manufacturer says it supports 4 pounds, and based on his size (having only grown 2 inches since birth) this fits the description. Adjustment isn't hard to do, and the excess strap can be rolled and tucked into an opening under the seat cover (down near the end between baby's legs). The level is a bubble level built into the top of the sides (so it can be seen from above, not inside the side casing as some are that require you to stick your head in the nearby seat in order to see).
How do they work together? The stroller has 2 buttons that stick out from each side, with the end resting just on the child's tray. (You're aiming so that it barely covers the handle cut outs of the cup holders.) It locks into place securely and the carrying bar does not extend far beyond the stroller's edges, so it is in line with everything else and not an overhanging obstruction. Also, the canopy of both the car seat and the stroller meet against each other (stroller slightly overlapping, securely overlapping if you flex the clear end over the car seat canopy's rim - this is snug enough to keep a strong Oklahoma/tornado alley wind from pushing the two apart).
The manual does mention that replacement parts are available, which is always nice as a backup, even though it shouldn't be needed with this one.
(4 customers reviews)
Customers Rating=4.0 / 5.0
More Detail For Eddie Bauer Endeavor Travel System
- SureFit infant car seat with one step quick click stroller attachment
- Specially designed insert for smaller babies
- Adjustable infant car seat base
- Securely fits infants 4-22 lbs
- 1-hand release gravity fold 'n stand stroller
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