Gear Review: Lilly Gold Sit ‘n’ Stroll

Addie in the Lily Gold Sit ‘n’ Stroll.

While we were getting ready for our last trip to Europe, we made tons of lists, especially in regard to what we needed to bring for Addison, our 19 month old daughter. The one thing I was dreading was toting her car seat. It wasn’t an option for us – we needed a car seat for the land travel we were planning. We were going to just take one of our regular car seats until our friend Janet told us about the Lilly Gold Sit ‘n’ Stroll – a stroller and car sear combo.

When I first looked at the website and descriptions of the Sit ‘n’ Stroll, I rolled my eyes. It looked impractical, and expensive at $319. However, Kendra persisted, and less than a week later, a Nautical Blue Sit ‘n’ Stroll was sitting in our living room. I took it as a positive sign when Addie climbed into it and smiled. If nothing else, it looked very comfortable. I was even more pleased when it fit into our car seat bag. So, begrudgingly, I agreed to let the Sit ‘n’ Stroll come with us to Europe.

Here is the part of the story where I humbly admit that Kendra was right, and my skepticism was unwarranted. When we landed in London, I plopped my very exhausted daughter into the Sit ‘n’ Stroll and popped it up into a stroller. It was surprisingly easy – there is a bar along the back of the seat that you squeeze and push downward, which releases the wheels. The handle pulls up (and as a bonus, has varying heights). You do need to hold the seat above the ground when you pop out the wheels, but it is fairly light (16.5 lbs.), so I was able to do it myself.

As a stroller, the Sit ‘n’ Stroll is incredibly easy to steer. I navigated through a very crowded airport with just one hand, while pulling a suitcase behind me. When we got to our bus, I pulled the wheels in using the same bar, pushed the handle in, and quickly installed the Sit ‘n’ Stroll as a rear-facing car seat. Addie passed out during the ride to the hotel, and because she was in the Sit ‘n’ Stroll, I didn’t have to wake her up by taking her out of the car seat when we arrived at our destination. I just converted it back into a stroller, and she continued to snooz.

The Sit ‘n’ Stroll can also be installed as a front-facing car seat for  children 20-40 lbs., used as an FAA certified seat on airplanes, and as a booster seat when dining out. Though we didn’t use it for the plane ride on this trip, we will definitely be using it in the future when Addie gets her own seat.

One drawback I found with the Sit ‘n’ Stroll was when it was in the rear facing position on the bus. It fit fine when we had her in one of the front seats, but when we moved her back a row, the seat barely fit. We ended up turning it around, and it fit just fine as a forward-facing car seat. Luckily for us, Addie is big enough to do this, but it would not be an option for little ones weighing less than 20 pounds.

My other complaint about the Sit ‘n’ Stroll is the lack of a cup holder for mom’s drink. I like a place to put my cappuccinos when I am pushing Addie around town.

There is also a 50+ SPF sunshade that attaches to the Sit ‘n’ Stroll, but we chose not to install it for this trip. I wish we had – it would have been useful, especially on the bus when Addie had trouble falling asleep because of the sunlight in her eyes.

You can also purchase a mesh bag that attaches to the stroller. ($29.99) It has a zippered pocket and bottle holder. This is an accessory I plan on buying – as we travel enough that it will be worth the investment.

I strongly recommend the Sit ‘n’ Stroll for traveling moms – it is easy to use, performs well, and cuts down on the gear you need to bring on trips. Addie seemed extremely comfortable, and had no trouble falling asleep while in the seat. It was completely worth the $319.99 (though you can definitely get it cheaper on Amazon.com!)