Graco Aire3 Click Connect Travel System Review

If we would use car industry analogy, Graco would be something like Honda – a mid-priced brand with solid quality but not too many talk-of-the-town features. The company’s main stroller niche is the so-called Travel System, which typically combines standard strollers with infant car seats. These are usually aimed at brand new parents who’d like to have everything they need in just one product.

The secret behind the fact that Graco’s travel systems sell so well is the SnugRide, which is their line of excellent car seats that has received a lot of praise over the years. A seat from that line is also a part of the stroller/car seat combo that we’re reviewing here – the Graco Aire3 Click Connect Travel System.

A combination of Aire3 Stroller and SnugRide 35 Car Seat, this combo system comes with a lot of convenient features that make it worthy of being considered for purchase. Some of these features include an outstanding construction quality, a 5-point restraint system, one-hand fold mechanism, a sizeable storage basket, padded handle, and other useful traits.

If you’re interested in buying this stroller/car seat, read the paragraphs below first – we’ll check out its features in more detail.

Specifications:

• Stroller weight – Stroller 21lbs, Car Seat 8lbs
  

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• Weight limit  – Stroller 50lbs, Car Seat 35lbs
  

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• Dimensions   – 17″ x 24.5″ x 40″
  

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• Harness System  – 5-point
  

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• Storage Basket Capacity  – 10 lbs
  

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• Wheels – front 6.25″, rear 9.5″
  

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• Stroller Seat

The seat of this combo sports a very sturdy frame and has an exceptionally charming finish. It accommodates children up to 50 pounds of weight and can recline almost entirely flat. To recline it, one has to simply squeeze the straps (located behind the seat) and then slide to recline.

When it’s almost flat, the buggy seat can be used for diaper changes without having to worry that the baby will slip. Moreover, the fact that the seat is not too upright means that it’s suitable for use with younger infants. We should also mention the fact that it accepts all of the car seats with Graco’s Click Connect technology, including the SnugRide 35 which is a part of this combo. As the name of the technology suggests, no special adapters are needed.

• Infant Car Seat

Capable of accommodating children that are not heavier than 35 pounds, the SnugRide 35 is one of the most comfortable products of this type on the market. It’s a crash-tested model that meets and exceeds all of the safety standards imposed by the U.S. government, and it’s fully capable of protecting the infant from injuries in case of a collision.

Just like the stroller seat, it also has an adjustable recline feature and a large canopy, as well as the machine-washable cover that makes keeping it clean very easy. It comes with the clip-style LATCH anchors that allow the parent to attach it to the anchors in the vehicle. Furthermore, it has three harness height positions, a carrying handle, as well as a color-coded guide system which assists in getting the correct angle during installation.

• Fold

To fold the stroller, one has to locate the grab handle (situated under the seat) and just pull on it – the model will wrap itself. An important thing to mention here is that it won’t immediately get a perfect fold. Moreover, the use of both hands is required to collapse it all together and get it locked on the side.

Unfolding the buggy will also require you to use both hands – just one to unlock the lock, and then both to get it wide open.

• Handlebar

The handlebar present on this model has nice padding, but it’s not one of those handlebars on which it’s possible to hang a bag without using a hook. Although doing this is not really advisable (bags can make the pushchair tip over), we think that it’s okay to put a stroller hook on Aire3’s handlebar to assist with carrying lighter bags. This is especially true when the model’s storage basket is filled with heavier items.

• Canopy

The model’s canopy extends for 180 degrees and features two mesh peek-a-boo windows. The first one of them is situated on the top of the sunshade and can be hidden or exposed by a simple Velcro flap cover. The second one has a horizontal position on the canopy and can be unzipped to provide ventilation due to its mesh netting.

• Trays

The parent tray is attached to the handlebar and has two cup holders (medium-sized drinks only), a zippered compartment for keys, wallets, and phones, as well as the small mesh netting for additional storage.

The child’s tray is actually a removable and padded arm-bar with a special pouch which acts as the cup holder. Unfortunately, this bar does not swing open and needs to be wholly removed when you want your kid to get out of the pushchair.

• Restraint System

As we already mentioned, the Graco Aire3 stroller comes with a 5-point harness system, which is a standard when it comes to these types of products. It can also be converted into a 3-point system when needed. However, the best thing about it is that it has shoulder pads on its straps, which is not something you can find on cheaper baby travel systems.