Below is an in-depth photo review of the Graco Aire3 Click Connect Travel System (which includes a car seat, base, and stroller), highlighting it’s coolest features and functions from a Mom’s point of view! I’ve always used a Graco brand car seat for all of my infants because they are affordable, well made, and come in these helpful travel sets. Once baby #4 arrived we decided it was time to upgrade to a newer system and that is when I found out about Graco’s Aire3 Click Connect Travel System.
I was delighted the day this arrived on my doorstep and I immediately went to the garage to take everything out of the box! These were all the included parts/pieces: car seat, stroller, base, 3 wheels for stroller, remove-able arm bar, and parent tray. The best part about this system, is there are no screws or bolts, it simply clicks and connects! 🙂
The owner’s manual had easy to follow directions on how to put the stroller together. The first step was to open the stroller. There was a storage latch on the side that was easy to locate thanks to the photo instructions in the manual. I just had to gently pull it towards me.
Then “snap” it open.
Then it was time to put the wheels on. It was super easy to do. I just put the wheel on the click and connect system and pushed it in. Then I pulled on the wheel to make sure it was on correctly, which it was….it’s hard to mess up on something so well designed!
The Graco Aire3 stroller/car seat system is a 3 wheel stroller making it easy to manuever! I’m used to my older 4 wheel, heavier stroller where when it came to curbs I’d have to step on the basket part to tilt it up. The Graco Aire3 is lightweight coming in at only 21 lbs and takes those curbs with just a slight pressure on the handle bar tipped towards the stroller driver.
That is all it took for basic assembly, it took less than 1 minute to do! This is where the fun really started-learning about it’s cool features! The arm bar is easy to “click” into the stroller by using another click and connect feature. Just slide the arm bar into the connecting side bar located on the stroller. It clicks into place with that piece I am pointing to in the picture below.
To remove the arm bar simply press the buttons and pull the arm bar out.
The arm bar has a built in soft cup holder. I love that it is soft. I can’t even count the number of times my other children have hit their little heads on the hard arm bars of past strollers. The arm bar is covered in a removable soft padding making it work for any need you may have.
The parents tray was the next thing I attached to the stroller. It has 2 cup holders (not suggested for use with hot drinks), a zippered pouch and a mesh front pocket. This tray also “clicked” into place.
The Graco Aire3 stroller has a built in 5 point harness buckle that is easily adjusted and can support a child up to 50 lbs. We will get a lot of use out of this stroller, as my 6 year old doesn’t even weigh 50 lbs yet!
It also is equipped with 2 brakes. One brake is located on the front swivel wheel to make use on uneven surfaces (such as grass, stones or gravel) easier! Cool right?!
The other brake is on the back right wheel which restricts the stroller from moving when in the “locked” position.
It also has a basket which can hold up to 10 lbs. We took this stroller out on Halloween when the kiddos were trick or treating and the basket easily held all three of the walking aged kid’s coats, 3 winter caps, my scarf, and at one point we dumped out our 3 year old’s candy bag into it too because it was getting too heavy for her to carry. The items weren’t heavy, but there was a lot of stuff that we “stuffed” into the basket. I was pleased with its ability to hold everything that I didn’t want to hold. 😉
I hope you are still with me because the next feature is one of my favorite features of all….the reclining feature! Every stroller I’ve ever used in the past had 2 reclining options, flat and almost upright. The Graco Aire3 Click Connect system reclining feature is customize-able thanks to the awesome strap system it uses!
To raise the seat you simply pull both straps upward.
This allows you to choose several different reclining angles….not just the standard two options most strollers provide! This is great for my 3 month old as she isn’t quite old enough to sit up at the regular “sitting” position of my old stroller but still does like to see what’s going on. I can customize her angle perfectly! I seriously LOVE this feature. Lowering the seat back down is just as easy as it was to move it up. Just push the button down and pull seat towards the rear. That’s it!
The shade on the Graco Aire3 stroller also had some awesome features! One feature that I have never seen before is the zippered hood that allows the hood to extend farther and has a mesh “window” so you can keep an eye on your infant and keep the air fresh!
It also has another great mesh window near the back of the stroller. It gives you a perfect view of your baby’s face while they are seated in the rear facing car seat. This window features a Velcro rolling system that will keep it the window open for you.
The shade is also much larger than my older stroller’s shade was. Which is really nice because once the car seat is attached in the proper rear facing position, the stroller shade fits OVER the car seat shade helping keep my baby protected from the weather!
Another neat feature is that the stroller can become completely enclosed like a bassinet! To do this you just unfasten the flaps.
Thread the straps through the button holes on each side of the seat cover & fasten.
This makes it look like one of those completely enclosed baby carriages from the 50’s!
Just when you think that the Graco Aire3 Click Connect system couldn’t get any cooler then I tell you about the awesome folding feature. On my old stroller system, I had to push a button on the handle, while trying to rotate it, and put pressure in the middle so it would fold. Most of the time I left it up because it was such a hassle! For the Aire3 stroller you can see the folding mechanism is under the stroller seat, covered by a pocket.
Just pull the pocket back to reveal the fold strap.
Then pull it!
That is it! It folds nicely down with out any twisting, pressure, or pushing!
I made a quick video review highlighting it’s features!
After I learned about all of the features of the stroller it was time to connect the car seat to the stroller.
To do this, I reclined the seat all the way back, double checked the arm bar to be sure it was securely attached and opened the car seat attachment flap.
Then I slid the car seat in (rear facing) and pushed down until the car seat snaps onto the click connect mount.
It is properly placed if you do not see the red hook.
It fits together nicely! Making it easy to go from your vehicle to the stroller without having to take your infant out of their car seat.
To remove the car seat from the stroller, squeeze the release handle located at the back of the car seat and lift the seat out of the stroller.
The infant car seat that comes with the Graco Aire3 Click Connect system has several awesome features as well! It has 4 different levels for the seat belt straps making it work as your infant grows.
On the backside of the car seat the straps are split into 2 different sections. You can use the upper section to make the seat belt smaller if your have a small baby or the regular bottom section as your child grows. The car seat can safely carry a child weighing in between 4-35 lbs.
The strap system is set up so you can pull to tighten by pulling on the strap or pressing it’s release button and pulling on the actual seat belt part that is snug around your child.
The “loosening” feature is awesome when it comes time to take your baby in or out of their car seat. On the sides of the car seat there is the “alternate buckle feature” that allows you to buckle into a vehicle without the base. It is also great to hold the straps when you are putting your child into the seat.
The car seat base buckles into any vehicle that has a seat belt. 🙂 The Graco Aire3 base is equipped with a knob that you turn to adjust the reclining angle of the car seat. It is so easy to use compared to my old one where I used to try to squish those tiny buttons in on both sides at the same time and it always turned into a 2 person job!
Overall I give the Graco Aire3 Click Connect System 5 stars! It is equipped with so many awesome features that I’ve already fallen in love with in the last 2 weeks I’ve been using them. The complete Graco Aire3 Click Connect system retails for $349.99, comes in 4 awesome color choices, and can be purchased at Babies R Us.
Photo credit to Babies R Us site
I hope you enjoyed this post, I tried to make sure I shared all of it’s awesome features, so it got quite long. Thanks for hanging in there and sticking with me! I’d love to hear what your favorite feature is about this Graco Aire3 Click Connect Travel System. Leave me a comment below telling me your favorite feature!
Disclosure: I received the travel system mentioned above so I could gain an opinion to share with you. Regardless of our arrangement I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions expressed above are my own.
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This would make an excellent baby shower gift for a new mom! This stroller and car seat looks really comfortable!
I love the way this looks and all the functions ot has but the snapping parts have me a bit worried. Its alot of movement.. but I do like it.
that appears to be one of the nicest strollers/car seat Ive ever seen
Thanks for the review! On the infant seat…is it easy to clean? And is it cool for babies? We have a Britax infant seat and my baby sweat constantly in it.
It is really easy to clean. I’ve only needed to wipe it down so far, but it cleans up really easy. As she gets older it may need a serious washing once she starts eating more on road trips. 🙂 I don’t think I have ever gotten her out and her been sweaty. It is overall a GREAT car seat! Hope that helps Adrianne!
Thank you for the thorough review. I had a few questions:
1. How do you carry this when it is folded up? Is there a strap or handle? How sturdy is it?
2. How long have you used this? What goes bad as it gets older?
3. Do they make rain covers for this model?
HI Shireen, thanks for your questions!
1) I am guessing you are referring to the stroller when it is folded up, I pulled it by the arm bar but I didn’t need to take it far since I collapsed it near it’s storage place. It is lightweight and easy to load into my vehicle. I think it is very sturdy, I have no complaints about it’s quality.
2) I’ve used this system since October of 2014-so approximately 5 months. I haven’t seen any thing go bad in the 5 months I’ve had it. If something changes I will certainly update the post. 🙂
3) I have never even heard of a rain cover! It looks like I have some research to do-that sounds great! Sorry I don’t know that answer to this question. I will see what I can find out for you!
I just recently bought this same system and can not wait to use it! Got it on sale at babies r us for a deal I could not pass up! The only down fall I see is when the baby hits that age where they like to have snacks, play with toys etc. and there is no tray for them! Have you looked into if they have add on tray you can buy? I’ve been looking and have had no luck. My first soon loved riding his cars on the tray or eating snacks!
Did you have any issue with the foot part staying in locked up when stroller is unfolded. I always have to stop and push the side buttons to fold the flap down from (bassinet up to how I would want to use it with my heavy toddler-seated). It’s not been convenient when I’m holding him and trying to get stroller out…has anyone had that issue or is it just an issue with the unit I have? Thanks for any replies you can give.
Oh man! I haven’t had this issue. I am sorry that you are having it, it does sound inconvenient. Is there something broken or bent on it perhaps, causing it to fold on you?