Evenflo Shyft DualRide Infant Car Seat and Stroller Combo w/Carryall Storage (Sylva Pink)

Very thankful from a toddler mom, comparison with a Doona
I looked into upgrading my car seat when baby #2 was on the way which led to many hours comparing the two main options (Doona = D, and this shyft dual Ride= SDR to not make this review an entire book). I am writing this review in hopes to summarize my experiences with both and so you can have all the info in one place. I bought the SDR with my own money and borrowed a D from a friend to compare the two, so there is no outside influence in my review!My situation: at the time baby #2 arrived, my toddler was very busy, mobile and almost 2. I previously used a Graco infant carrier for #1. We have multiple cars in the family but only drive one when we have both children (can be a deciding factor if you have to install car seat itself without a pre installed base). I am not a car seat tech or in the trade by any means.Pros- The big pro for me is that the wheels and seat detach from each other (ONLY WHEN IN THE BASE IN THE CAR- this in itself if a con). In other words, you can leave the wheel part in the car seat base and carry in only an infant carrier. This is a major plus when grocery shopping, there are many carts (Target most definitely) that the whole folded up seat+wheels either don’t fit or take up the entire cart. So if I need a cart when shopping, I detach the seat and leave the wheels in the car seat base. It is NOT easy to push a cart and the car seat when in stroller mode at the same time so this was a make or break decision for me! (The D wheels do NOT detach)- when searching for information comparing the two main options (D vs SDR) one thing I saw a lot was that the people fumbled a lot when trying to convert from the wheels out to wheels in. After using the SDR for months, I do not find it awkward. The movements and which botton you press become muscle memory and I genuinely don’t have to think about what to do.- no rethread harness- something I did not know I needed. This means that to move where the shoulder straps are, you do NOT have to *flip it over, unhook the straps, move the straps, reposition, reattach*. It is like most convertible car seats where there is a handle you pull up/push down. I feel like I am better at moving the straps when needed (straps are at or just below shoulder level per instruction manual) to keep baby as safe as possible. The baby can be in the seat and I can one handed adjust the straps- A+ for this feature. (D has the more difficult rethread harness- system, this is not a deal breaker to me as I was accustomed to it with my Graco)- Manual is offered as a pdf online (as are most other brands), just a good to know fact. I keep my manual in the door of the car but the online pdf is useful when you want to reference on the go.- the umbrella is really big, bigger than most infant seats (much bigger compared to D)- I can’t get over how functional the stroller feature is, especially with a toddler running around too. It is a feature I can’t imagine living without now.- Car seat handle can be in any locked position when in the car so you don’t have to adjust the handle when getting in/out of the car. (Per instruction manual)- wheel locks are easy to use, just step on one side or both.- I anticipate I will use this infant carrier longer than I used to Graco solely because I don’t have to physically carry the child+carrier. Once my #1 reached ~12-15lbs, carrying the infant carrier got to be a big task so I switched to using the rear facing convertible car seat before maxing out the height or weight on the Graco. Since I don’t carry this one much, I foresee us using it much longer.- ***comes with the car seat base*** The fact that this came with the car seat base was a huge plus financially. The car seat base stays installed in the car so when loading baby up, all you have to do is lift the baby unit (seat+wheels as one unit) into the base until it clicks. When I was shopping most sets of the D did not offer this and it was an additional lump sum to get the base.- the car seat base is A+ also with the easier install lever you push down on and a rebound bar which deserves it’s own write up —->- the rebound bar (plastic part of the car seat base that covers the back of the vehicle seat) is an additional safety feature AND keeps the back of you actual vehicle seat a lot cleaner/scuff free.- this came with an optional attachable bag and cup holder which seems like nice features but as a slightly unorganized and overly busy mom, I’ve never used either. Great ideas though- TRAVEL. A car seat stroller combo like this is GREAT FOR TRAVEL. We used the car seat for baby on the drive to the airport, pushed baby in the stroller through the airport+security, gate checked in a car seat travel bag at the airport, and installed in the rental car.Con- Weight. This thing is a hog at 19.7lbs when the wheels and infant carrier are together. I would recommend thinking about how much you may need to carry the entire set up. I have to lift it in and out of the car and up our three stairs, but can do so without a problem. The rest of the time I either push it in stroller mode or detach just the infant car seat which is lighter by itself.- the biggest con for me is that you can only detach the wheels when it is in the car seat base. So you cannot leave your wheels in your house; they alone will not detach by themselves, only in the base. This probably is not a big deal to most- it’s only an issue to me bc of my toddler’s rotating car seat being installed right next to the SDR base, so when the wheels are left in the car (which only happens on grocery store visits), my toddler’s car seat is blocked from being able to turn. Again, probably not an issue to 98% of the targeted audience.- the umbrella does not fully shut when the shoulder straps have been adjusted higher- additional car seat bases are not available (at this time of posting). Instructions for installing the seat into the car without use of the base are on the side of the car seat and simple to follow, it took me less than 5 minutes to figure out this install method the first time.**EDITED TO ADD: EVENFLO JUST RELEASED ADDITIONAL BASES. I DO NOT OWN ONE SO I DONT HAVE A REVIEW FOR IT, BUT THEY ARE AVAILABLE. The bases are different than the original one with additional features. THIS IS NO LONGER A CON**Evenflo produces very short YouTube videos (3-5 minutes I believe) that demonstrate the different functions and how to shift between settings. Watching these helped me visualize the seat before actually ordering. Highly recommend taking a few minutes to watch.Overall I am VERY HAPPY with this purchase. I bought it on a prime day sale so it was less than $300. This is a great solution if you have multiple kids to keep track of or if you travel. For my family, this option was the best pick.READ ME ***EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: don’t be silly like me. This comes with the infant insert pre installed. This is basically extra cushioning that a long the sides of the legs that provides more support for infants and attached by slipping on/off over the crotch buckle. Definitely read the manual when to remove it. My baby was looking really bunched up in the legs area and she was well beyond the time that I should have removed it. See last picture- I am pointing at the removed infant insert**

YES!
i loved this car seat! i used it up till my son was about one and half, it goes up to 35lbs in weight but he simply grew out of it! it also being a stroller was EXTREMELY helpful, that was my favorite part. You can link it to the Evenflo app and it tracks the location, gives you safety alerts, lets you know when its unbuckled or not locked correctly into the base. I also loved the compactness of it, its not bulky or heavy at all. The only downfall or negative thing id have to say is that it has no storage compartment but other than that i truly loved this stroller and id recommend (:

Good quality
Love this car seat stroller duo only complaint is it is heavy but I guess that’s what you get with good quality

So worth it!
I absolutely love this car seat. It glides around very smoothly and is so compact. It’s so nice not having to haul around a heavy car seat. It’s so convenient having the stroller, especially when I go out with all 3 of my young kids by myself.