I get so many questions about our UPPAbaby Vista Stroller and Mesa Car Seat! Are they worth the money, are they different than any other stroller & car seat out there, why did you choose them, etc.

Hopefully I can answer everything on this post for you and you can decide at the end if this is the stroller you want to buy or add to your own registry!

My Outfit

Nike Fleece Pullover I Kindred Bravely Maternity Leggings I Nike Tennis Shoes

UPPAbaby Vista Stroller Review

Here are the reasons we love the UPPAbaby Vista Stroller (comes with toddler seat and bassinet):

1.The next few chapters will be about how EASY this stroller is to use and ease was at the top of the list for me when I was looking for a stroller.

As you know, I don’t have a whole lot of muscle. I wanted something I could easily break down and lift to and from the back of my car. THIS STROLLER IS SO LIGHT! You just lift it out of your car and there is one lever you pull and boom, the stroller is ready to go. Then, you just pop whatever seat you are using (bassinet, car seat, toddler seat, etc) into the frame and you are on your way. The seat literally just pops right in.

When you are ready to break everything down, there is one button you push on both the seat and the stroller and it comes off and breaks down. SO SO EASY!

The stroller is also really smooth and really easy to push. I also love that you can move the handlebars up and down to adjust to your height! We went jogging with Miller for the first time this week and we had her in the stroller with the bassinet! It was so easy to push! I don’t even need to buy a jogging stroller.

If you want to try it all out for yourself, just do so at any of the stores that carry UPPAbaby! That way you can see how easy it is for yourself.

2.We also picked the UPPAbaby Vista because it is gorgeous. I mean you can’t find a prettier stroller anywhere. The bassinet alone is to die for and the brown leather handles had me SOLD! We went with the color Gregory, but it was close between that and Emmett (the green is soooo pretty!) Gregory is more of a grey/blue (definitely a hint of blue in there so Miller is sometimes called a ‘HE’ when she isn’t wearing a bow!)

PS- Did you know you can buy a color without the brown leather and then just BUY the brown leather handlebar and bumper bar? If I had known this I would have gone with the Jordan color! HERE is the link for the handlebar & bumper bar.

3. Lastly, we needed a stroller that could easily fit two kids! This one just seemed like the best choice for that. See all the adds on they have HERE:

I will skip all the tech specs that you can geek out on. Those can be reviewed HERE (and trust me, my husband read it alllll before deciding on the stroller!)

*You can buy spare parts if anything happens to your stroller (wheels, bumper bars, fabrics- for the seat or canopy!)

*See all of the accessories you can grab HERE (like a cup holder, snack holder, organizer, rain shield, etc.)

UPPAbaby Mesa Car Seat

This is a lot harder to review because I don’t have a lot of experience with different car seats and we didn’t go around and try different car seats out before deciding on the Mesa.

We picked the UPPAbaby Mesa Car Seat because we knew it would easily go with our UPPAbaby Vista Stroller. That’s about the gist of it.

The Mesa Car Seat is pretty heavy, but I think most car seats are because of durability. I do like that you can move the headrest up and down to make it more comfortable for the baby and the straps seem to be well cushioned for her as well.

It is so easy to pop in and out of the car dock and in and out of the stroller, which I really like!

All in all it seems great, but again I don’t have a lot to go off of! It does it’s job well and Miller doesn’t seem to hate it too much!

Tips for Traveling with a Newborn

This will have it’s own post later on once we take Miller on a few trips. So far we have only done one, but I learned so much from it!

TSA Tips

1.Get TSA Pre-Check. Troy and I actually have global entry and it is amazing. It is $100 a person and WORTH EVERY PENNY+. Check to see if your airport does Global Entry. If not, try to sign up for TSA. Getting to skip the line, not having to take your shoes off, keeping your tech gear in your carry on, etc is KEY when traveling with a newborn.

2.Wear as few layers as possible. If you need a heavy jacket for where you are going PACK IT and get it out when you get to your destination. You will not want to have to shed all of your layers at TSA while trying to break down your stroller, grab your baby (yes, you have to put the car seat on the belt and you will hand the TSA agent the stroller and will have to carry the baby through the metal detector with you), etc. I made the mistake of wearing a cardigan and a jacket- ugh. I had to take it all off at TSA then put it back on then had to shed it all again on the plane when it was time to nurse. Plus it was 100 degrees on the plane and I was DYING! Just don’t do it! You will already feel so crowded with a baby you don’t want all your layers crowding your set and floor space too.

3.Are you breastfeeding? Wear something that will be easy to nurse in on the plane and don’t forget your nursing cover. I love this one from Bebe Au Lait. I also recommend bringing one bottle of stored breastmilk in case something happens and you are unable to breastfeed! You can bring as much milk as you want through TSA. TRY TO NOT pack tons of breastmilk if you don’t have to. Our flight was delayed and the cooler with the ice packs wasn’t enough and I lost 50 ounces of breast milk (it was breast milk I had stored up in Omaha.) So so sad.

Are you formula feeding? BRING ENOUGH FOR A DAY (or more!) You never know what will happen with your flight. Our flight home from Christmas was 6 hours delayed. I definitely wouldn’t have thought to bring extra formula.

Airport & Other Tips

4.Find out ahead of time if your airport has a ‘Mother’s Room’ and where it is located. You will want to know in case you are short on time. Nursing rooms are amazing if you do have time to nurse in one (especially if your baby has a blow out since most Mother’s Rooms have changing tables!)

5.Decide ahead of time if you want to check the stroller and carseat at the counter before you go through security or use it throughout the airport and check it at the gate. Either way (and I don’t have an opinion yet on either) make sure to grab some travel bags for the stroller and car seat. Just google your specific model, like ‘UPPAbaby Vista Stroller Travel Bag and Mesa Car Seat Cover‘ and see if there is one made specifically for your stroller or if there is one that it will fit into. Same with the car seat- although most car seat bags fit ALL car seats. We borrowed my sister’s so we need to buy some too!

We took our stroller through the airport with us because I had a huge diaper bag tote that I threw underneath in the stroller storage area and Miller doesn’t LOVE being carried in a Boppy or Solly Wrap yet.

There was a couple at our gate that recommended we break everything down and put it in bags BEFORE we started boarding! That saved us because we flew Southwest and our seats definitely would have been taken since it takes a minute to get all of that stuff stowed in the bags.

PS- make sure you go to the counter when you get your gate and let them know what you have. We had to get two tags for our stroller and car seat. You carry them down and leave them at the front of the plane before you board and then they will be there waiting for you when you get off the plane.

If your baby loves being carried in a wrap then you could also try that and just check everything at the counter when you get to the airport. It is free and does not count as additional luggage! I will try that soon and let you know which one I preferred.

6. You will have to go to the ticket counter when you get to the airport and stand in the self-service line to get a boarding pass for your baby. Some carriers require proof of birth date (like Southwest), so have their birth certificate with you. Miller was only 7 weeks old and they asked for identification.

7.Plan on everything taking MORE TIME and get to the airport at least 2 hours ahead of time. You never know what kind of line will be at check in, TSA, etc.

8.Nurse/Feed/Put a paci in their mouth on the way up and on the way down to prevent their ears from popping. This is extremely hard to do btw. I feel like I was always off on timing. I would start nursing too soon and she would be done as we were ascending or I would start nursing on the way down too late and we were already almost landing. Just do what you can. When you aren’t feeding or nursing just try sticking a paci or your finger in their mouths to give them something to suck on! As long as they are sucking on SOMETHING they will be fine.

9. Is your baby used to a DockaTot? Are you flying with someone? If so, I would bring the DockaTot with you on the plane for longer flights! You can lay it over you and your travel partner’s legs and have your baby lay in it (swaddled or unswaddled!) It will help them sleep if they are in something they are familiar with and it will help you guys be hands-free during the flight.

10. Bring a toy with you that won’t disturb all of your neighbors in case they get fussy! Something that rattles is fine since the plane is already so loud. A sound machine helps too! We brought Miller’s favorite toy, FIFI.

11. Try to get a window seat. It is much quieter, you have control over the brightness, and you will have something to lay your own head on.

12. Check your diaper bag (so much easier with a backpack- I like THIS ONE) three times before leaving.

-Lots of diapers (again, who knows if your plane will leave on time)

-Wipes

-Paci

-Rattle

–Sound machine

-Milk or formula

–Something to catch your let down if you are breastfeeding along with something to put it in.

–Nursing Cover

–Changing Pad

13. Don’t let the fear of flying with your baby keep you from traveling. Take deep breaths. Not everything is in your control but it will all work out! I heard traveling with your baby at a young age will make traveling easier for them as they get older!

You got this mama!

If you have any more tips please leave them in a comment below!

xoxo Amanda

Photos by Adria Lea