For many parents, getting a baby travel system is one of the best investments to make. The combination of an infant car seat and a stroller means you save time and money compared to when buying pieces separately. Baby travel systems are often featured-packed, too, and put a premium on safety and convenience.
Now, the Graco Modes Nest is arguably one of the most popular models to get. It’s a sturdily-built travel system recommended for its comfort and ease of setup. Growing families, however, stand to benefit more from the Evenflo Pivot Xpand. The robust modular system boasts 22 configurations, including a single to double stroller conversion. In this review, we take a closer look at the two travel systems to see which is better.
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Graco Modes Nest vs Evenflo Pivot Travel System Comparison Chart
Design and Safety
The Graco Modes Next and Evenflo Pivot Xpand travel systems are designed for comfort and built with safety in mind.
The Graco Modes Nest and Evenflo Pivot Xpand are both well-built baby travel systems. Graco’s full-sized stroller is sturdy, with big wheels for maneuverability. The same thing can be said for the slightly larger Evenflo Pivot Xpand. Keep in mind, however, that the wheels on both brands are made of plastic. While the choice of material adds less weight to the systems, they are not as durable as rubber tires.
Even though both travel systems are made from aluminum frames, Graco’s stroller is lightweight and easier to move around. The Evenflo Pivot Xpand comes in at almost 30 pounds with the stroller frame and toddler seat. Add the infant car seat into the picture, and you’ll be pushing over 40 pounds plus your children’s weight. But this is expected with the versatile seating configurations the Evenflo travel system offers.
Parents will find that the Graco Modes Next and Evenflo Pivot Xpand put great emphasis on safety and comfort. These travel systems use a 5-point harness system with strap covers that minimize irritation. Graco and Evenflo share that their infant car seats have also been tested to meet US safety standards. Evenflo’s SafeMax car seat, however, adds an anti-rebound bar designed to absorb and dissipate crash forces.
Both Graco and Evenflo sport large canopies to protect your child from the elements. The travel systems are also available in different colors.
Configurations
The Evenflo Pivot Xpand can accommodate two riders and has more configurations than the Graco Modes Nest.
As expected, the modular Evenflo Pivot Xpand is more versatile than the Graco Modes Nest. Parents can adjust the Pivot Xpand travel system based on 22 configurations. Its key feature, however, is the ability to convert from a single stroller to a double one. Here, the toddler seat slides up and reclines into an infant bassinet. The separate infant car seat, on the other hand, fits into the frame through a slide and lock system.
In addition to expanding, Evenflo’s travel system can be set up either as rear-facing or front-facing strollers. The toddler and infant seats are also adjustable across different heights and recline positions. This makes it easier to find the most comfortable setting for your child.
Graco’s Modes Nest travel system is similarly flexible. While it cannot accommodate two riders, the stroller comes with a functional Slide2Me seat. This feature allows you to adjust either the stroller or infant seat to any three height positions. They can also be oriented in either a parent-facing or forward-facing mode. Graco’s toddler seat can convert into an infant bassinet, too.
Check out our Graco Modes Nest vs Pramette Travel System here.
Additional Features
Both Graco and Evenflo travel systems boast several convenience features.
Parents are not just looking at safety and comfort when choosing a travel system. They also want features that make moving around convenient. In this area, both the Graco Modes Nest and Evenflo Pivot Xpand fare quite well.
Graco’s Modes Nest is highly recommended for its expandable storage basket that can accommodate plenty of essentials — bags, toiletries, and more. The stroller also includes nifty removable components. Parents, for instance, can attach a cup holder on the stroller’s frame for drinks on the go. The infant seat’s child’s tray, which also comes with a cup holder, can also be detached from the seat itself.
Unlike Graco, the Evenflo Pivot Xpand doesn’t come with a child’s tray. However, the bumper bar on the toddler seat is removable as well. This makes it easier to take the children in and out of the stroller. Just like the Modes Nest, the Pivot Xpand comes with a parent holder and offers more than enough storage space at the stroller’s bottom. Parents who like to move around casual wear will also appreciate the flip-flop-friendly brakes of the travel system.
Recommended Use and Storage
Graco’s Modest Nest and Evenflo’s Pivot Xpand can accommodate almost similar weight ranges and boast the same self-standing fold mechanism.
The Graco Modes Nest stroller seat can comfortably hold a child up to 50 pounds. The accompanying infant seat, on the other hand, will accommodate a child between 4 to 35 pounds with a maximum of 32-inches in height. Meanwhile, the Evenflo Pivot Xpand’s stroller can be used by a newborn up to a 6-year old, with a maximum weight of 55 pounds. Similar to Graco, the Evenflo infant car seat allows for a child between 4 to 35 pounds but with a slightly shorter 30-inch height cap.
Users can fold the travel system when not in use. This should give parents some convenience in terms of storage. Keep in mind, however, that although they can stand while folded, these are still pretty bulky travel systems. Moreover, they don’t come with a carrying handle that would make it easier to move them around.
Verdict
The Graco Modes Nest is an ideal travel system for most families, but those with at least two children will benefit more from the versatile Evenflo Pivot Xpand.
The choice between Graco Modes Nest and Evenflo Pivot Xpand will largely depend on your family size. For most parents, Graco’s travel system is more than enough. It shares many of the same safety and convenience features as Evenflo’ anyway. Of course, you also get assurance from a standard-setting brand like Graco.
Families with at least two closely-aged children, however, will stand to benefit more from the Evenflo travel system. As its name suggests, the stroller can expand to accommodate two riders. The seats are versatile and adjustable, too, ensuring maximum comfort for your children. Evenflo’s travel system is almost similarly priced to Graco, too, even though the latter is made for one rider only.
FAQs
The Graco Modes Nest is an adjustable travel system that can carry an infant or toddler while the Evenflo Pivot Xpand is designed to accommodate two riders simultaneously.
Graco recommends that wheels be lightly oiled if they begin to squeak.
No, the Evenflo Pivot Xpand’s toddler seat does not have a child’s tray. Instead of a tray, the Pivot Xpand’s stroller has a removable bumper.
The Evenflo Pivot Xpand’s storage basket can expand up to over 2 feet in length.
Last update on 2022-05-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API