I think I need a stroller

[littlegreenlady]

My son is 13 months and weighs 26 lbs.

I've been carrying him up until now and would continue to do so, but I'm trying to use the car less.

So there are a few places we would like to go that are at this point too far for me to carry him, and still carry him while there etc.

I would like a stroller that has:

lots of space to carry other stuff (groceries and so on)

can be used in the rain and snow and keep my son and other stuff dry (is this possible)

less important, but ideal:

able to go on non paved areas

ability to face my son towards me (does this exist for his size?)

Any advise is welcome.

oh and I'd also like to mention that he has never been in a stroller, and has mixed feeling about being strapped into his car seat.

Does anyone have experience with introducing a stroller at this age?

[jammomma]

I introduced a stroller around 12 months, and my son LOVED it. And he stilll likes it quite bit. (he wasn't too fond of his carseat either) We just bought a baby planet umbrella stroller for $83 and it has worked out great for us.  It has really come in handy for trips.

[KJoy]

I put dd in the stroller for the first time at around 14 months (she lived in the wrap). She loved it. LOVED it. And she hated her carseat at the time too.

DS is heavier, so I put him in around 10 months, and he loves it too. 

I don't have any recommendations for you, as mine are hand-me-downs and are just okay, not great (Baby Trend jogger and Inglesina).

Good luck!

[dakotablue]

I put DS in stroller for the first time around 10 months, I was very sad about it (I just couldn't carry with back issues and pregnancy). He faces out. He loved it. I felt...distant. He still hates the car seat. But he loves going for walks. No recommendations on stroller, we got ours like new at a yard sale for $10.

[crunchy_mommy]

I'm not sure why I clicked on this thread, I hardly ever use a stroller lol. But I did see a couple cool ones that face you:

http://www.stokke.com/en-sg/Stroller/Stokke-Xplory-concept/Grow.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EEY6N4/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000JOQM0O&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0N79ZP3JK0JNG30GYJVM

Unfortunately the face-in ones seem to be more streamlined European design (not to mention expensive!) so the don't have a ton of storage.

The one we use(d) with DS was on this idea:

http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Aura-Select-Travel-System/dp/B001H0GGS2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1291332376&sr=8-1

Which faces out but the storage area underneath was huge, you could easily fit 2 bags of groceries and your purse etc.

No matter what stroller you get, you'd probably need a separate rain cover... ex: http://www.amazon.com/Stroller-Rain-Cover-Comfy-Baby/dp/B000GE1MBQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1291332461&sr=1-4

Anyway, DS used the stroller occasionally from birth - 1.5 years -- mostly on walks, and by occasionally, I mean every month or two. He liked it OK most of the time but often he'd want to get out halfway through a long walk so I'd end up carrying him AND pushing the stroller. Uphill. In the snow. (just kidding about the snow, but it wasn't fun carrying & pushing at the same time). He likes to look around on walks so I don't know how interested he would have been in facing me (even though *I* wanted him facing me!) Anyway, he's 22mos now & we really haven't used the stroller even once in months so... I don't know how much use you'd get out of it. We do have a push bike that he likes for short walks (this one: http://www.amazon.com/Little-Tikes-618277-Trike-Red/dp/B003DRFW1O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1291332933&sr=8-2 which is horrible quality, was a gift, but I'm sure there are better ones out there!) which is something else you could consider because even if he doesn't like it, it converts to a trike so he'd still get use out of it. DS loves his.

And I hope by 'carrying' him on walks that you mean wearing him in a good-quality carrier, if not then forget everything above & get a carrier!!!!

[littlegreenlady]

Thank you for the feedback. I'm still trying to adjust to the idea of not always having him super close to me.

I've been wearing him for so long, and we both enjoy it so much.

I still wear him in an ergo when I cook, wash laundry, and do other house work.

We use the carrier as a tool for soothing and napping.

Well I guess he is pretty much in it all the time when we aren't at home unless he is playing with friends or with nature.

I've resisted strollers up until a few days ago, when I though maybe it was time to walk a few extra miles instead of driving.

I tried walking this far occasionally, but always felt overwhelmed trying to lug all the extra stuff (cloth diapers, library books, groceries).

So I always end up taking the car.

crunchy mommy it seems you are correct every stroller that faces me is lacking storage space and is very expensive. I was thinking about the theory behind wearing your baby facing out

and how it can be overstimulating, but maybe that's just for younger babies. Thank you for pointing out that I can get a rain cover, that makes my search considerably easier.

[Peony]

For the ability to go on uneven road, in snow, etc... you'll need to focus more on joggers but not a true jogger with a fixed wheel because that is a massive PIA for pushing if you are not running. I'd suggest the BOB, they are pricey but can found used. I have a single and double along with some other smaller strollers and my BOBs are my go-to stroller. They fold so easy, a dream to push, I can load them up with all sorts of stuff, they are quite heavy duty, you can get the rain covers, etc... and the hood is huge to keep out sun/wind/rain. 

ETA: You don't need to feel guilty about wanting/needing a stroller at this point. Sometimes we get to a point where we just can't lug a child around 100% of the time on our backs anymore. 

[crunchy_mommy]

Originally Posted by littlegreenlady 

crunchy mommy it seems you are correct every stroller that faces me is lacking storage space and is very expensive. I was thinking about the theory behind wearing your baby facing out

and how it can be overstimulating, but maybe that's just for younger babies. Thank you for pointing out that I can get a rain cover, that makes my search considerably easier.

I think it's different to wear baby facing out vs. put them in stroller facing out. I really can't for the life of me explain why though lol!!

Another option, if it's more a matter of carting 'stuff' than anything else, is getting one of those push carts like this http://www.amazon.com/Jumbo-Folding-Shopping-Black-Swivel/dp/B002R13XLS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1291381951&sr=8-4 and continue to wear him but put all your stuff in there. :)

I do think it may be a hard transition for YOU, I felt much the same as you & I think that's why we never really end up using the stroller. Have you tried using the grocery carts in the store? That for me is a good compromise, I get a bit of a break from carrying him but he is still close to me, facing me (I still often do a weird balancing act rather than leave him in the seat lol because he wants to be IN my arms not near them). You can try that out to get a feel for how he & you like it!

[tzs]

i'd check craigslist and the cheap-o mom websites (zulily, mini social etc...). the pseudo-joggers are great for terrain, weather, etc...i take it to the dogpark all the time and go on trails, hills, etc. i got the phil and teds because it turns into a double but alot of other ones do now too (valco, city select, uppababy.) BOB is an alltime favorite. my friend get her bugaboo off of craigslist for $150. it's not a jogger but i think it does well enough off road. 

i think if the kid likes the stroller than why feel guilty? dd loves to look out and move around and bounce up and down.

[lemonapple]

We moved to PR when ds was 11 months old, and began our car-less journey (almost a year!). I fought buying a stroller out of a real since of guilt for two months, but finally broke down and settled on a cheapo umbrella stroller. I needed something that could be easily folded up for bus rides, so I ended up with lightweight but no storage whatsoever. MAJOR bad idea. Ds LOVED the stroller, but I had lots of guilt over the whole thing...

We moved mainland again when ds was 15 months old, and gave up our stroller because ds was walking so well we thought we might be able to manage with just the Ergo and lots of slow walking. Yeah, not a good idea when the grocery store is like 2 miles away and a toddler walks at a turtle pace! lol, so I talked myself into a $50 beauty listed at Baby R Us and focused entirely on the storage situation. I have a HUGE bucket under the main seat and these days the stroller is basically used to cart groceries or library books...I went for cheapo again because I wanted ds OUT of the stroller rather than luxuriating IN it, and I basically just needed something that would last until he could walk a decent reliable pace to and from the store.

But, yeah, be prepared, the worst part is the guilt. It's so ridiculous too...I mean EVERYONE and their mother has a stroller for just getting from the car to the store door!, but here I was feeling guilty for MONTHS because I just couldn't carry him and a purse, and groceries along a two mile walk!

[dollyanna]

It's hard to find a stroller that faces mama for a toddler. 

You might want to check out Maclaren brand strollers.  Albeebaby.com often has sales on older models.  They're not designed to "offroad" but I've used ours on a tire track dirt /grass road & it did ok.  It does great on sidewalks.

Most strollers that fit toddlers don't have that much storage underneath, BUT remember you can both shove a few bags under AND if you have one like Maclaren with separate handles instead of a handlebar you can also balance groceries off those.  Just remember to take the bags off BEFORE you pull your child out or the whole thing will tip over (something I eternally forget to do).

[omamasmama]

I had a hard time having our little one face away from me. She was always in a carrier and I wanted to interact more, but she LOVED facing out and seeing everything. We still talk about what she sees. I'd look on craigslist and try them in person before buying them. We live in the woods and found a random Australian stroller on craigslist for cheep that has a thing that locks it into an all wheel drive mode and it has inflatable tires. 

[whynot]

We have an Uppa Baby Vista. I think it's good until 40 or 45 pounds, you can check online. My son's at 25 pounds and I hope to be able to keep using it for a while. It's great for the groceries - I do all my shopping with it. Your toddler can face you or face outside.

But it's rather expensive and comes with a bassinet that would be useless in your case - but I think you could sell it for a good portion of the cost. Or get it second hand.

Good luck!

[Caterina]

We also have the Uppa Baby Vista and really like it. It seems to be the cool new stroller around my neighbourhood (which usually means a pretty high resale value). We have our DD face in or out depending on her mood, and I love that I can switch her so easily, even mid-walk if her needs change.  We do all our errands, including grocery shopping, with it and have taken it on gravel and dirt roads  and grass successfully. It's not great for truly off-roading or trails since the wheel base is so big. Our's is 2 years old and we're going to get the rumble seat for it when our new little one is bigger so they can ride together (facing each other if they want).

[pregnant@40]

May not fit your criteria, but I really love Joovy. They have several kinds of strollers, good price/design:

http://www.joovy.com/

[MsFortune]

Love the BOB.  It's awesome.  Easy to push, good storage, great on all kinds of terrain.  Only downside is not that easy to unfold and put in car.

And don't feel guilty.  Kids love being in the stroller.  If I leave the front door open, my son will go out onto the porch and climb into the stroller.  

[coyotemist]

How about a wagon?  Fits most of your criteria.  Ours fits in the back of the van, we love it!  And the weight limit is higher (my 2 year old is 37 pounds).

[klk197]

We also have the Uppababy Vista and continue to wear DS for public transportation.  My 28 month old faces me 95% of the time when we use the stroller.  Occasionally I flip him forwards if I'm trying to get him to sleep and I want to avoid conversation.  Even though he faces me, he has excellent spatial sense, always knows where we are, and protests if I go in a direction that he disapproves of (towards the post office, for example!).  We don't have a car, and the huge basket was the main selling point.  We use it for all of our grocery shopping and it easily fits a case of beer (as DH has proven on numerous occasions).  Just yesterday we used it to get our christmas tree home!  I've used it in all weather conditions, including last year's record-setting snow.  The only obstacles it can't conquer are snowbanks.  Also, if the tires are less than 2 years old, the company will give you free replacements if yours are too worn.  Its not cheap, but has been worth every penny for my family.

[mom61508]

also have uppababy vista and LOVE it! We have another on the way so this is a good stroller for 2 so If you plan on having another one it's awesome but  DD loves it to and wants to ride in it all the time. It sits up high so I think that's what she likes about it. 

[missnoodlesmom]

LOVE my Phil n Ted stroller.  Highly recommend it for Urban living.