Customer reviews from gracobaby.com
Graco - FastAction SE Travel System - Carbie
Average customer rating
4
(68 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 68 reviews
5 Stars
34
4 Stars
16
3 Stars
9
2 Stars
4
1 Star
5
79%of customers recommend this product.
(
30 out of
38)
Customer Reviews for Graco - FastAction SE Travel System - Carbie
Customer Rating
5
True to it’s @Fast Action” name
on April 21, 2019
Posted by: Serendipity
As a parent of 3 children, all under 6, life can get pretty hectic on the go. My family and I travel often, whether it is week long vacations, day trips into the city or visiting our local park and going for walks. Getting in and out of the car can be pretty tiresome and the trunk of our vehicle can be overcrowded with strollers, shopping bags, luggage, etc. I have always used one kind of stroller (jogging stroller with bike style wheels) so when I received the Graco FastAction SE Travel System from the weeSpring Parent Panel I was pleasantly surprised with the product. Here is my husbands and my personal experience:
Pros:
1- The stroller is true to its name. It does have a very easy, quick and efficient one handed “fast action” fold. This is great when I have my arms full and need to get the stroller out of the way. Just grab the strap at the base of the seat and lift. It folds down and automatically locks shut.
2- It folds pretty small compared to other strollers. The wheels don’t stick out so there is much more room when traveling with it in your trunk or storing it for later use.
3- The stroller is very agile. I can turn sharp corners with ease and maneuver tight spaces with little difficulty.
4- The car seat that comes with the travel system is very lightweight but yet feels durable.
5- This is my personal preference but the lever to release the car seat from the base is on the back of the seat and very easily accessible. Some car seat levers are on the front that can make it difficult to unlatch. This one is a quick snap in and out. I don’t have to struggle with it while trying to keep an eye on my other children in the cart or in the pouring rain.
6- It has a very audible click when connecting it to the base or stroller. That gives you the peace of mind that your baby is snapped in and safe!
7- The base is very easy to install (I prefer the hooks.) I have 3 children and several nieces and nephews so I have installed a lot of seats, this was by far the easiest and safest feeling. I was able to get it hooked in and tight without fighting it and using all my strength.
Pros:
1- The stroller is true to its name. It does have a very easy, quick and efficient one handed “fast action” fold. This is great when I have my arms full and need to get the stroller out of the way. Just grab the strap at the base of the seat and lift. It folds down and automatically locks shut.
2- It folds pretty small compared to other strollers. The wheels don’t stick out so there is much more room when traveling with it in your trunk or storing it for later use.
3- The stroller is very agile. I can turn sharp corners with ease and maneuver tight spaces with little difficulty.
4- The car seat that comes with the travel system is very lightweight but yet feels durable.
5- This is my personal preference but the lever to release the car seat from the base is on the back of the seat and very easily accessible. Some car seat levers are on the front that can make it difficult to unlatch. This one is a quick snap in and out. I don’t have to struggle with it while trying to keep an eye on my other children in the cart or in the pouring rain.
6- It has a very audible click when connecting it to the base or stroller. That gives you the peace of mind that your baby is snapped in and safe!
7- The base is very easy to install (I prefer the hooks.) I have 3 children and several nieces and nephews so I have installed a lot of seats, this was by far the easiest and safest feeling. I was able to get it hooked in and tight without fighting it and using all my strength.
Cons
1- In order to open the stroller you have to pull the same strap that you use to fold it. It requires a little more force and can’t easily be done with one hand. Nearly every time I open it it starts to roll everywhere. It’s frustrating when I’m in a hurry or am carrying one of my children.
2- The locks on the wheels have to be pushed really hard to actually lock. I have locked it a few times but not pushed it far enough and my stroller started to roll away. Try to listen for the “click” that’s when you know it’s locked.
3- The basket at the bottom, while convenient, isn’t very big. Luckily I carry a small bag so it worked for me but many families have full sized diaper bags that wouldn’t easily fit.
4- The car seat is a litter larger than other seats I have used. This makes it harder to fit multiple seats in one row without over crowding. It is also almost impossible for the person sitting next to them have access to their buckle if they are in a booster. This was a personal issue we experienced having an infant car seat, full sized car seat and high backed booster all in one row. It works but may take a little more time and effort buckling in.
5- The hooks are more difficult to unhook than they are when you install them. Many car seats have a universal hook design though so it would be the same for most brands and styles.
1- In order to open the stroller you have to pull the same strap that you use to fold it. It requires a little more force and can’t easily be done with one hand. Nearly every time I open it it starts to roll everywhere. It’s frustrating when I’m in a hurry or am carrying one of my children.
2- The locks on the wheels have to be pushed really hard to actually lock. I have locked it a few times but not pushed it far enough and my stroller started to roll away. Try to listen for the “click” that’s when you know it’s locked.
3- The basket at the bottom, while convenient, isn’t very big. Luckily I carry a small bag so it worked for me but many families have full sized diaper bags that wouldn’t easily fit.
4- The car seat is a litter larger than other seats I have used. This makes it harder to fit multiple seats in one row without over crowding. It is also almost impossible for the person sitting next to them have access to their buckle if they are in a booster. This was a personal issue we experienced having an infant car seat, full sized car seat and high backed booster all in one row. It works but may take a little more time and effort buckling in.
5- The hooks are more difficult to unhook than they are when you install them. Many car seats have a universal hook design though so it would be the same for most brands and styles.
In conclusion, I am happy I was given the opportunity to review such a product. It is a great compact travel system for everyday use. It’s lightweight, durable, easy to maneuver and super easy to use, the fast action fold being the selling point for me! The setup was simple with straightforward directions and easy to follow pictures. Overall the many positives definitely outweighs the few negatives. No product is perfect but for my family and our needs this one takes the cake. We have switched from our old system for this system permanently. I would recommend this product to families who want a simple yet efficient travel system.
Written by a customer while visiting gracobaby.com
Customer Rating
4
Fast ‘n’ Fabulous Fold
on April 21, 2019
Posted by: Funnypharm09
I was excited to try this Travel System as part of the WeeSpring Parent Panel. I’ve used a different travel system in the past, so it was fun to try something new. I loved the idea of an easily folding stroller, and this one did not disappoint! It took me about 10-15 minutes to put the stroller together following the instruction booklet, and I was able to successfully open and close it on my first try. It looks EXACTLY like it does in the video on Graco’s website: a clean fold, lightweight, and compact enough to stash in the back of my Subaru Ascent (with the 3rd row down) or leave in the corner of my garage. The compact fold is a nice feature! And it easily and securely reopens for use as well. I have 2 daughters: my 5-year-old is 38 pounds and 42 inches tall and my 7-month-old is 19 pounds and 28 inches tall. Because my baby can sit up on her own, she preferred riding in the seat of the stroller “like a big girl” so she could look around as opposed to in the car seat carrier (Travel System Mode), but it’s nice that the only conversion required to use the stroller with the carrier is to fully recline the stroller seat back. The ease of being able to pop the car seat into the stroller if she’s asleep or drowsy is a major advantage over other travel systems I’ve used. It did take me several tries to secure the seat into the stroller (hence the 4 versus 5 stars overall), but I’m sure practice will help. There is plenty of growing room for my baby when used as a traditional stroller, but my older daughter also rode comfortably (the stroller can be used for kids up to 50 pounds, so my family will get years of use from the stroller). I wish there was a panel or window of some sort on the stroller’s canopy shade so that I could see my baby or child when it’s up, but it does pop up and down quickly if I needed to glance at them. My favorite feature of this Travel System besides the quick fold was the roomy basket beneath the stroller for all the baby and kid gear we always have with us. We will keep using this Travel System until our baby outgrows the carrier, but the stroller will continue to be used for a long time.
Written by a customer while visiting gracobaby.com
Customer Rating
5
Great stroller and travel system
on April 21, 2019
Posted by: Ladybug35
Great stroller and travel system! I have really enjoyed this travel system and stroller by Graco. I have a very nice jogging stroller that I planned to use, but I am so happy to have this stroller also. It has an easy one step fold, it folds very compactly and is very lightweight. I love that the stroller has a 5 point harness for while my little guy is small, but can convert to a 3 point harness when he's a bit older. The under seat storage is adequate and it comes with both parent and child 'console' for drink or snack. The stroller seat reclines but not quite to fully flat. The car seat clicks in to the stroller very easily to convert into a travel system. In comparison to my jogging stroller, it does not have a hand brake and is bumpier on rough surfaces, but that is to be expected as they are for very different purposes. When folded, this stroller is MUCH more compact and lighter, easier to move around, put in the vehicle, etc. One thing to note is that while folded, either the seat portion of the stroller exposed or on the other side the foot rest and child tray is exposed, so it is important to be mindful of that when it is folded so you don't set it somewhere that it will get dirty or scratched up. This is not a big deal however as if there isn't a clean place to put it the stroller can stand on it's own while folded. Overall a great stroller. I was planning on just having the jogging stroller (which I prefer on rough terrain), however I love the ease of use, weight and compact nature of this stroller as the jogging stroller is much heavier and more cumbersome. This is also such a great travel system which is so convenient when using the infant car seat- so nice to be able to put the infant car seat in and out of the car and directly into the stroller. I received this product for free to test as part of the Wee-Spring Parent Panel in exchange for my honest review.
Written by a customer while visiting gracobaby.com
Customer Rating
4
Perfectly Average
on April 22, 2019
Posted by: sware
I received this product from the WeeSpring Parent Panel.
This travel system is perfect if you want a stroller with the average features and nothing more. You want the child tray, large storage basket, canopy, and parent tray. This stroller has all that. The storage basket is quite large. The netting is really high which stinks when trying to put things like large library books in it. The netting is great when you want those large books to stay in the basket. The parent tray comes with two cupholders and space for a cell phone, keys, and a wallet. However the cupholders are on the small side and my average size water bottle was a tight fit.
I have mixed feelings about the child tray. It's handy with two cupholders and space between them for snacks. I don't like the release mechanism. In order to take off the tray, you need both hands. This can be troublesome if you need one hand to hold a kid. The tray also can't pivot. You can't take off one side and swing it around. It's take off both sides or nothing.
I have always considered a peek-a-boo opening in the canopy as a standard feature. This stroller doesn't have one. If you want to check on your child, you have to walk around to the front of the stroller. This is my biggest complaint with the stroller.
This stroller really can be folded with one hand and it is so easy to do it. The fold is fairly compact but not an amazing amount. I have an older Graco clickconnect stroller and the fold on the new one really is better.
The maneuveribility ok. I have no trouble crossing curbs. It's fairly easy to lift the front wheels to cross curbs and uneven sidewalks. I have had no problems with slightly rougher terrain like grass or dirt.
The stroller seat reclines quite a bit which is fantastic for naps. It's super easy to adjust how much it reclines.
Carseat
There isn't much to say about the carseat. The removable padding for the head is a nice plus. The carseat is easy to lift out of the base and put on the stroller. I love that there is a clicking noise to let you know when the carseat is secured onto the stroller.
Cons
The handle isn't adjustable so if you are very tall, you might want to test drive this first before buying. That being said, my 6 ft tall husband had no problems pushing the stroller around.
No peak-a-boo window in the canopy.
There is no suspension so the kid might feel every bump in the sidewalk. I can certainly feel it through the handlebar.
Child tray doesn't pivot.
This travel system is perfect if you want a stroller with the average features and nothing more. You want the child tray, large storage basket, canopy, and parent tray. This stroller has all that. The storage basket is quite large. The netting is really high which stinks when trying to put things like large library books in it. The netting is great when you want those large books to stay in the basket. The parent tray comes with two cupholders and space for a cell phone, keys, and a wallet. However the cupholders are on the small side and my average size water bottle was a tight fit.
I have mixed feelings about the child tray. It's handy with two cupholders and space between them for snacks. I don't like the release mechanism. In order to take off the tray, you need both hands. This can be troublesome if you need one hand to hold a kid. The tray also can't pivot. You can't take off one side and swing it around. It's take off both sides or nothing.
I have always considered a peek-a-boo opening in the canopy as a standard feature. This stroller doesn't have one. If you want to check on your child, you have to walk around to the front of the stroller. This is my biggest complaint with the stroller.
This stroller really can be folded with one hand and it is so easy to do it. The fold is fairly compact but not an amazing amount. I have an older Graco clickconnect stroller and the fold on the new one really is better.
The maneuveribility ok. I have no trouble crossing curbs. It's fairly easy to lift the front wheels to cross curbs and uneven sidewalks. I have had no problems with slightly rougher terrain like grass or dirt.
The stroller seat reclines quite a bit which is fantastic for naps. It's super easy to adjust how much it reclines.
Carseat
There isn't much to say about the carseat. The removable padding for the head is a nice plus. The carseat is easy to lift out of the base and put on the stroller. I love that there is a clicking noise to let you know when the carseat is secured onto the stroller.
Cons
The handle isn't adjustable so if you are very tall, you might want to test drive this first before buying. That being said, my 6 ft tall husband had no problems pushing the stroller around.
No peak-a-boo window in the canopy.
There is no suspension so the kid might feel every bump in the sidewalk. I can certainly feel it through the handlebar.
Child tray doesn't pivot.
Written by a customer while visiting gracobaby.com
Customer Rating
4
Great and Compact
on April 22, 2019
Posted by: bjcxoxo
What a great compact stroller! I love how easy this stroller is to fold. The little strap to fold and unfold is clearly labeled and very easy to pull. Once closed, i love how small the stroller gets! It fits perfectly in my car when i have my third row up, which my other stroller does not. I also like how easy it is to connect the included car seat. Although i do not use the car seat as much, i think having a stroller this compact and it being able to fit the car seat is a huge plus! I think my favorite feature of this stroller is how easy it moves and i can’t stress this enough, but how compact it is. Other strollers i have tried have always been so bulky and i can usually only keep them in my garage, but this stroller fits perfectly everywhere! It also was extremely easy to set up, i think it took me around 10 minutes after getting it out the box to set up. The only downside is the fabric on the cover which is very thin. Being in an unpredictable climate, i look for strollers with great coverage since I usually don’t know how heavy the rain will be. Aside from that, this is a great affordable stroller and car seat travel system. Thanks to the weeSpring Parent Panel for providing me with this product!
Written by a customer while visiting gracobaby.com
Customer Rating
4
Great travel system!
on April 22, 2019
Posted by: MtnMama
I was given this from a WeeSpring parent panel. I absolutely love it! I love how easy it is to fold and unfold the stroller, also, the stroller was super easy to put together! It was incredibly easy and quick to connect the stroller and the car seat with no additional connections needed. I also really liked the tires, and how you can push it anywhere without risk of popping a tire. The car seat is great quality and fairly light. The only downside was it didn’t come with any little shoulder straps to help their necks not get pinched by the strap. I would however still highly recommend this travel system!
Written by a customer while visiting gracobaby.com
Customer Rating
3
Great compact stroller with easy maneuvering
on April 22, 2019
Posted by: eotalora
I was given this Travel System to try as part of the weeSpring Parent Panel. When I got the package, assembling the stroller was really easy. It took less than 15 minutes to get everything together. It is super compact, which is great because our trunk is not big. I can fit a decent amount of groceries while also having the stroller in the trunk.
I really liked how easy it is to open and close the stroller with the pull of a strap. One day, it was raining after swim practice and I was able to get both my kids and the stroller in the car really quickly, while another mom was still trying to get her stroller in the car.
I also like how easy it is to maneuver the stroller. My 3 yr old doesn’t use a stroller anymore and walks with us everywhere. However one day, he wanted me to carry him. I thought it was going to be difficult to have him on one had while pushing the stroller with the other, but I was able to carry him and maneuver the stroller. It was super light and responsive to me pushing it with only one hand.
Another nice feature of the travel system is that it uses the same lever to take the carseat out of the base and to take the carseat out of the stroller. The one click system is a really handy feature because you don’t have to remember which lever is for the carseat and which is for the stroller.
There are some things, however, that could be better. There is no viewing window in the shade canopy, so I have to pull back the canopy if I want to see the baby. The wheels do not have any shock resistance, so when I take my morning walks on the sidewalk, we can feel every bump. The car seat base latch is manual which makes it difficult to unhook and re-hook the base to the car. Some other minor things, the car seat doesn’t have shoulder straps, the stroller handle is not adjustable, and I can’t put hot coffee in the built in cup holders.
Overall, this is a great stroller if you are looking for something compact and easy to maneuver.
I really liked how easy it is to open and close the stroller with the pull of a strap. One day, it was raining after swim practice and I was able to get both my kids and the stroller in the car really quickly, while another mom was still trying to get her stroller in the car.
I also like how easy it is to maneuver the stroller. My 3 yr old doesn’t use a stroller anymore and walks with us everywhere. However one day, he wanted me to carry him. I thought it was going to be difficult to have him on one had while pushing the stroller with the other, but I was able to carry him and maneuver the stroller. It was super light and responsive to me pushing it with only one hand.
Another nice feature of the travel system is that it uses the same lever to take the carseat out of the base and to take the carseat out of the stroller. The one click system is a really handy feature because you don’t have to remember which lever is for the carseat and which is for the stroller.
There are some things, however, that could be better. There is no viewing window in the shade canopy, so I have to pull back the canopy if I want to see the baby. The wheels do not have any shock resistance, so when I take my morning walks on the sidewalk, we can feel every bump. The car seat base latch is manual which makes it difficult to unhook and re-hook the base to the car. Some other minor things, the car seat doesn’t have shoulder straps, the stroller handle is not adjustable, and I can’t put hot coffee in the built in cup holders.
Overall, this is a great stroller if you are looking for something compact and easy to maneuver.
Response from gracobaby.comBy Graco, Consumer Services, June 11, 2019
Thank you for your feedback. You will be contacted shortly by a member of our Consumer Care Team.
Written by a customer while visiting gracobaby.com
Customer Rating
3
Ok at Best
on April 22, 2019
Posted by: LaurenB22
As a new mom, there are few major factors I take into consideration with a stroller and a car seat. Ease of use, safety, comfort, storage, and overall quality. The Graco FastAction SE travel system ticks some of those boxes, and falls short with others.
In terms of the stroller, it was extremely easy to put together. I definitely needed to read the manual in order to put the back wheels on, but putting the rest of the stroller together was second nature. I really loved how easy it was to fold and unfold the stroller, and the fact the snack tray folds with the stroller is a nice feature. Putting the car seat onto the stroller was a breeze. The stroller is also extremely lightweight and not terribly bulky, so it’s great in terms of storage. The infant car seat is not bad, but I found I had to really put some muscle into unlatching the car seat from the base. Also, when moving the handle you almost need a third hand, two to press the side buttons the the third to physically move the handle, without that third hand the handle tends to catch and it’s very awkward to move.
When considering safety, the stroller overall seems decently safe. I feel as if the quality may be lacking a bit though, the plastic seems somewhat cheap, but I never felt like my baby was unsafe in the stroller at all. The car seat on the other hand, I do not trust my baby in. My daughter is currently 15 pounds and had so much extra room to move around in the car seat, the idea of her being in a car accident in this seat would make me horribly uneasy! Not to mention the thought of her as a newborn in this car seat at 6 pounds, I never would’ve been comfortable having her in this seat. The infant insert seemed did not help to bridge the size gap and was quite cheap and appeared like it could fall apart very easily. With that being said, I love the car seat when it is attached to the stroller, because my baby tends to feel too confined in other car seats and is miserable! She is much happier with a roomy car seat on walks, but I feel as if there are car seats that are definitely safer (likely at higher price points). My baby was comfortable for the most part, but this stroller did not handle bumps well at all and was jostled awake a few times on walks. The wheels are plastic-type and do not absorb bumps and cracks as well as those with pneumatic or rubber tires. I was decently comfortable pushing the stroller, but the handle has no adjustments. I am 5’1” and the handle seemed to be in a good location for me, but when my husband who is 6’2” pushes the stroller, he complains about the height.
When I consider the storage available, there really isn’t much, the basket below is really small and my diaper bag barely fits. For short trips around the neighborhood this is no big deal, but if I have a full day out planned this is extremely inconvenient. But the built in cup holders is definitely nice and the tray in between in convenient for your phone.
All in all, the quality of this product is not the best, but considering the price point it’s actually great for what you get. You do end up losing quality and durability for a lightweight product, I had no problem lifting, storing, and folding this stroller which is a huge benefit in my opinion as a petite woman. Even with a 15 pound baby, the car seat is a manageable weight which is also a huge plus.
I must say, my favorite part of this stroller was definitely the sun shades, there is one on the stroller and one on the car seat, so when you’re dealing with the sun coming at you from all sides it’s so convenient to use! My least favorite part is without a doubt the car seat in the car, but I love it in the stroller and my daughter loves it on the stroller too!
Overall I would recommend this for walks around the neighborhood or the park any time, but if you’re going to be using a stroller and car seat everywhere you go and long periods of time, I don’t think this one is up to the task. Thanks to the weeSpring parent panel, I had the opportunity to try out the Graco FastAction SE Travel system and now I have a great, lightweight system that I love taking to the park and walks around the neighborhood.
Written by a customer while visiting gracobaby.com