Best stroller for city living?

[mija y mijo]

Not sure if this is the right forum to post this question in...  so please move it if necessary.

I'm looking for a stroller that will fit our needs now that we're living in the city.  I don't have a car and rely on walking and public transportation to get around with the kids.  I have a Chicco umbrella stroller that is great for bus/subway travel, but not for a baby less than 6 months old.  Plus, there isn't anywhere to put anything besides a couple of diapers and a water bottle or two.  I also have a Graco infant seat and the stroller frame it snaps into, but I can't imagine lugging that thing onto the bus or train...  although I LOVE the basket space it provides underneath.

I need a lightweight (for the times I need to carry it up & down stairs for the train) and easy to maneuver stroller that isn't too bulky to take on public transportation.  I would like to get something that we can use for the duration - newborn through toddler...  Some of the strollers I see around the city are quite expensive!  Are they worth the money?  I don't want to spend a fortune on one, but would be willing to try to find one secondhand on craigslist.

So, what do you use to get around the city?

[averlee]

In my city, you can only bring a stroller on the bus or train if it is fully folded and it has to be small enough while folded to leave the aisles clear- it has to fit between your knees and the seat in front of you. In addition to the regulations, it was tricky to find a stroller I could fold while holding my baby, and carry one-handed, and even that was difficult because then I had no hand free to hold the rail. It was always easier to avoid taking any stroller on the bus or train.

Eventually, I got the lightest, cheapest umbrella stroller I could find. Like you said, it has no storage space or cargo- I carry a backpack if I need to carry much. I also hang a tote bag on the handle of the stroller, for groceries or library books. It works well for when we need to foot-it. 

But until my daughter was old and big enough for the umbrella stroller, I carried her in a front pack. And when she outgrew the front pack, I got a backpack carrier for toddlers. I lived in an upstairs apartment and it was hard to bring any stroller up and down the stairs.

[woodchick]

I'd look at Macleran.  Not the Volo or Triumph because they don't recline fully, but the models above the Triumph do.  We have a Triumph and the storage basket is pretty good sized.  Ours is 5 years old now and still works great and it has even lost a wheel (double wheels on each leg) but you'd never notice.  It folds up small and has a shoulder strap for easy use on public transportation.

[Chamomile Girl]

You need a City Mini stroller. It is light weight, you can fold it easily with one hand while holding your child in the other and it folds totally flat (unless you have crap in the basket). I have taken it on buses and trains without issue.

The only down side is that small babies don't fit without a bucket attachment. And once you are hauling the bucket it negates the ease features.

But once your babe is big enough to sit in the stroller on their own it's all good.

[texmati]

I live in the 'burbs, but you might want to check out the city select. It's my dream stroller for my alternate reality where I'm a v. successful actress taking a break from her career while living in a Manhattan loft..

[mija y mijo]

Thanks for the suggestions!  I'm hoping to find a store that carries the different ones you all suggested so DH and I can test them out in person and see which one would be the best fit for us.  Chamomile Girl - would I need the baby bassinet for the first few months if I go with the City Mini?

[Chamomile Girl]

Originally Posted by mija y mijo 

Thanks for the suggestions!  I'm hoping to find a store that carries the different ones you all suggested so DH and I can test them out in person and see which one would be the best fit for us.  Chamomile Girl - would I need the baby bassinet for the first few months if I go with the City Mini?

Yes you would. The seat is too big and unstructured for an infant I think (although it does recline flat for sleeping). But I don't really know for sure since we got ours when DS was about 8 months old I think. But honestly I think this is likely to be the case with most strollers. There is a conversion bar that you have to purchase with the City Mini that will allow it to take your Graco infant seat (I'm pretty positive Graco is one of the brands compatible with the City Mini).

The other side of the coin though is that it is a very comfortable stroller for bigger babies and for toddlers. I think a kid will fit into there up to like age four. The sun visor alone makes it totally worth the purchase (it's amazingly full and has windows you can look through to see your kid), but along with the fact it totally reclines, folds easily and flat and has an adequate storage basket...can you tell I love my stroller?

[nia82]

my cybex callisto fully reclines and has an optional newborn carrycot (which I would strongly suggest). I have that stroller as travel stroller for the airport since it is leightweight and super easy to fold. For home use I have a huge Teutonia with a carrycot, but I don't live in a big city. Anyways, I'd get a carrycot as it is so much better to lay down flat for an infant. And this thing is really easy to use and light. It also has a carrying handle and is approved from birth to 55lbs... I have it in green and bought it for 120 Euros while vacationing in Europe. It's a tad more here, but not too bad.

Stroller here: http://www.google.com/search?q=cybex&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=shop&sa=X&ei=hZ-oTfO2MsyJ0QGv_-X5CA&ved=0CFgQBSgA&q=cybex+callisto&spell=1&fp=e3ea459ea8afe82d

Carry cot here: http://www.mystrollers.com/shop/SearchResults.aspx?cti=0100&pti=&mnm=Cybex&sku=&pgn=2&kwd=&srt=Price-Descending&apr=&zpr=&viewall=true

[jeninejessica]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chamomile Girl 

Yes you would. The seat is too big and unstructured for an infant I think (although it does recline flat for sleeping). But I don't really know for sure since we got ours when DS was about 8 months old I think. But honestly I think this is likely to be the case with most strollers. There is a conversion bar that you have to purchase with the City Mini that will allow it to take your Graco infant seat (I'm pretty positive Graco is one of the brands compatible with the City Mini).

The other side of the coin though is that it is a very comfortable stroller for bigger babies and for toddlers. I think a kid will fit into there up to like age four. The sun visor alone makes it totally worth the purchase (it's amazingly full and has windows you can look through to see your kid), but along with the fact it totally reclines, folds easily and flat and has an adequate storage basket...can you tell I love my stroller?

We're going between the City Mini and the City Elite right now. I'm in love with BabyJogger strollers. My first experience with them was a 6 month old and a 2 year old in a double elite. It was amazing watching how smoothly it glided over ANY surface. They nestled in so well too. I think from about 3-4 months you could get away with the baby in just the stroller, since the seat is so deep, but you'd want something extra before that. And the mini fits up to 50lbs, so like she said, it's great for older children.  The fold on the stroller is pretty spectacular too, though I'm not sure I would call either of them "light" I guess it depends what you're comparing it to. For me for the features, it's worth it.

The elite is heavier, and a bit bigger, but has bigger tires, so the ride is smoother, and it's made a bit better. It also has an adjustable handle, so you can play wih the height. Those are kind of the main features why i can't decide which one to go with.

[MamaKickyPants]

We LOVE our city mini to! We are getting ready to use it for baby # 2. It actually does not recline totally flat. I think they say it has a 60% recline. I wouldn't put an infant in it without the bucket. It is easy to push, love the sunshade, comfy for kids - DS is a tall 3 and he still fits no problem. We got the glider board and I'm excited to use it for DS for trips around the neighbourhood. We also live in a small place, so the stroller gets folded every time we come inside. The fold/unfold is easy and compact. It can be unfolded one-handed in a pinch, and could technically be folded one-handed but it kind of 'slams' shut too fast if you do it that way.

HOWEVER

I do not use it on transit that often. I can take it on the bus as long as it's not rush hour. I have taken it on the subway, but it helps if there is an elevator to get down to the platform. I have 'bumped' it down the stairs in a pinch but I don't think that's great for the wheels. It's wider than our McLaren, and longer.

Honestly, I take transit ALL the time and hands down, no competition, the best option is a good baby carrier, especially when babe is so small. I can't wait to get this new little squishy in a wrap when they arrive! We used a mei tai a lot when DS was little, as well as a wrap and then an Ergo. I loved sailing through the turnstiles rather than struggling with a stroller.

Basically, the Baby Jogger is our 'walking around/doing groceries/going to the park' stroller and the McLaren and/or the carrier are our transit options.