Design
The Steelcraft Strider Plus Infant Carrier is a little bit of luxury for your baby having a nice flocked cotton cover and lots of accessories for comfort. It comes in black, kingfisher blue and toffee.
The Strider Plus Carrier comes in two parts, the base which is permanently fixed inside your car and the carry bassinet which is portable. It is designed so that in the event of a car accident the base will absorb the shock minimising the energy felt by your baby.
It's rear facing only and will ‘seat’ an infant up to 9kgs.
Features
The Strider Plus Carrier comes with lots of features including a plush seat cover, head support, crotch & shoulder straps and boot cover. It also features a large hood.
For safety, it has a stabilising bar at the foot of the base to provide additional security in the event of an accident.
For your comfort it has a thick contoured carry handle.
Performance
The Strider Plus Carrier's instructions are easy to follow and the unit should take you about 15 minutes or so to install. The carrier has a 3 level adjustable base so you can adjust it to fit snugly against your car seat.
Once installed, the carrier is very easy to get in and out of the base. The safety harness is reasonably easy to adjust when you need to.
The Strider Plus Carrier has a nice comfy padded seat for the comfort of your baby and which is removable and washable in your machine. The sun hood is a good size and can be detached.
One of things I like about the Strider Plus Carrier is that you can buy additional bases so if you have more than one car or Nanna & Pop do a great job looking after Jnr you can easily move the carrier from one car to another.
Finally the Strider Plus Carrier is easy to remove from the base. Just depress the button on the base and lift.
As part of a travel system
The Strider Plus Infant Carrier is compatible with the Strider Plus pram to create a travel system. The carrier is easy to fit into the stroller in a two step process; basically slot & click.
The benefit of using the Strider Plus travel system is that you can accommodate a baby in a carrier and a toddler in the optional second seat or twin infants up to childhood. I'm sure the parents of twins would welcome an adapter which would allow the Strider Plus to accommodate 2 carriers.
Removing the carrier from the pram is as easy as lifting the handle around and lifting the carrier up and out.
You should be aware though; infant carriers are not made for long periods of use so if are intending to be out and about for longer than an hour or so you should use the pram by itself.
Drawbacks
The Strider Plus Carrier can accommodate a baby up to 9 months and/or 9ks. It's also a little narrower than some other carriers on the market so if you have a larger baby they may grow out of it earlier than you anticipated.
Traffic Authorities recommend that you ensure adequate air ventilation around your baby while they are in a baby capsule. It you are concerned point your air conditioning nozzles towards your baby's head if you are concerned.
Also, this is more of a safety tip than a drawback, Steelcraft do not recommend you use the bootcover while in the car. This is to ensure easy access in the event of an emergency.
What our tester said
Our tester family found the carrier easy to install. They loved the convenience of being able to use the Strider Plus Carrier with the Strider Plus Pram and found using them as a travel system easy and functional.
Unfortunately our tester bub was on the chubby side and outgrew the carrier at 6 months which limited the carrier's period of use.
Conclusion
The Strider Plus Carrier is a comfy & practical baby carrier options, especially if you want to use it for the Strider Plus Pram or you want to use it in more than one car.
If I wasn't in a position to use it as a travel system or in multiple vehicles I'd choose a carrier that could accommodate a baby up to 12 months.
It is also worth paying extra to have a professional install your seat for you. Ring your local transit authority for their recommendation in your local area.
You can never know enough about car safety for your baby. Find more information on the NSW RTA website or from your local state roads and traffic authority.
About Steelcraft
Steelcraft is an Australian icon and have been making nursery products for more than 60 years. Britax a European company, own Steelcraft and are well known for their car seats, baby gear, and prams.
