Strollers « Back to Group Discussions

[sjdragonfly]

Because I like to start threads about things like this, I guess. :)

I'm planning to baby wear as much as possible, but DP is insistent that we get a stroller anyway. Never having bought a stroller before, I'm wondering if there are some that are good for newborns as well as older children. Since I probably won't use it but so much for the first year or so, I don't want to get something that I have to replace too soon if I can help it. 

I'm also needing something smallish, not like one of those SUV sized strollers. Not only do we have a tiny car (VW Beetle) with a tiny trunk but the Vancouver sidewalks are quite narrow. I always get so annoyed at those jerks who walk around the city with their kids in these humungous strollers and take up the entire sidewalk so you basically have to walk into traffic to get around them. I don't want to be one of those people. haha

Any particular brands/styles that any of you really like or have found to be good? Any to stay away from?

[Nicole730]

I always recommend our stroller, it's a Combi.  It's compact, but still has some storage.  It folds into itself vertically, kind of like a bag of golf club size.  I wasn't able to clip an infant seat into it, and I didn't really want to - I believe the Combi infant seat can clip into it though.  We started using it around 3 months and the seat does recline back pretty far. 

[Iowa]

We do have a Bob Revolution for neighborhood walking (we have lots of brick streets around here and do lots and lots of walking even in winter so I do really like that for what we use it for.)  Real, inflated tires are key for that kind of use.  We never collapse this or take it in the car with us.  It just stays in the garage.  For a small, portable stroller, we have a Maclaren Techno that we like.  It's small, light weight, and easy to take in and out of the car or to travel with.  The thing I like about the Techno is that the seat reclines almost totally flat so my son can take really good naps in there.  Not sure what the recommendations say, but you can probably use it totally reclined for a young infant too if needed.  The Techno is also one of the few umbrella type strollers that you can pop a car seat on.  We didn't use this often, but a few times when flying we'd use it in the airport since we needed the car seat with us and it was very handy.  They are a little pricey for an umbrella stroller, but I bet you could find a nice used one or there are stroller deals all the time online for discontinued colors, etc.  If you're doing miles and miles of daily neighborhood walking, I would suggest a stroller with inflatable tires though. 

http://www.albeebaby.com/maclaren-techno-xlr-2012-black-champagne.html

(yikes!  didn't realize they were that much!  I was given mine as a baby gift by my sister but I know it was purchased for about $170.  I bet if you searched around, you could find a good deal!)

[sjdragonfly]

Thanks for the suggestions! It seems like most of the strollers I've looked at online that have any kind of features to them and aren't huge are all about that price. Another reason I'm hoping that I don't have to upgrade too soon! 

I'm definitely looking for one of the compact ones. We have a tiny city apartment and right as you walk in the door to our place, you have to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the apartment. I'll be having to lug the stroller up and down the stairs every single time I use it. I don't really see myself using it too much, anyway, but DP is insistent, so I want to make it a good one.

How exactly does that work when you clip a car seat onto a stroller? I'm trying to picture that, but don't really know how that works. I think we're going to get a Britax car seat so it probably won't do that anyway, I'm just curious.

[Charliemae]

We're also planning to baby wear, I don't know if we will have a stroller unless it's a gift.  I've looked mostly into umbrilla strollers, there are some very nice ones that are affordable and compact.  The Combi looks similar to the styles I was looking at.  The only real reason I haven't bought one is that our baby budget is pretty tight and I am trying to focus on needs, and for us I don't think it's a need... at least not right away.  

[scowgirl]

This is good to hear because I was kicking around the idea of getting a jogging stroller and an umbrella stroller, and it sounds like that was basically your strategy and works out pretty well. I don't think I would want to plan on taking the jogging stroller with me anywhere. Now to figure out which jogging stroller... most are so expensive and none seem to be universally liked. Or maybe they're all fine and people are just being really picky (not that I would blame them at these prices). I run into that sometimes when trying to make sense of a product based on Amazon reviews.

I didn't think I wanted a car seat compatible stroller because, like a lot of you, we are hoping to babywear--was hoping to save some money on a cheap umbrella stroller if we have to spend more on the jogging stroller--but the point about being able to use it while traveling is an interesting one.
 

Originally Posted by Iowa 

We do have a Bob Revolution for neighborhood walking (we have lots of brick streets around here and do lots and lots of walking even in winter so I do really like that for what we use it for.)  Real, inflated tires are key for that kind of use.  We never collapse this or take it in the car with us.  It just stays in the garage.  For a small, portable stroller, we have a Maclaren Techno that we like.  It's small, light weight, and easy to take in and out of the car or to travel with.  The thing I like about the Techno is that the seat reclines almost totally flat so my son can take really good naps in there.  Not sure what the recommendations say, but you can probably use it totally reclined for a young infant too if needed.  The Techno is also one of the few umbrella type strollers that you can pop a car seat on.  We didn't use this often, but a few times when flying we'd use it in the airport since we needed the car seat with us and it was very handy.  They are a little pricey for an umbrella stroller, but I bet you could find a nice used one or there are stroller deals all the time online for discontinued colors, etc.  If you're doing miles and miles of daily neighborhood walking, I would suggest a stroller with inflatable tires though. 

http://www.albeebaby.com/maclaren-techno-xlr-2012-black-champagne.html

(yikes!  didn't realize they were that much!  I was given mine as a baby gift by my sister but I know it was purchased for about $170.  I bet if you searched around, you could find a good deal!)

[Nicole730]

My Graco infant seat could sit on our Combi stroller, I tried it once.  So, if you aren't traveling a lot, you might just be able to handle resting the carseat in the stroller and wheeling it through the airport.  Especially if you only have one child and two adults.  It's obviously not the safest, but if you are holding the carseat the whole time, it's fine IMO.   I also find having a small basket and a nice handle to hook bags on to be nice.  Basic umbrella strollers are good for certain situations, but they aren't that good for any trips that are longer or you might want to hang bags off the back, IMO.  The handles are lower to the ground and it's more uncomfortable to push them.  I liked that the Combi doesn't have two handles because then I can easily steer it with one hand in the middle.  It also has a nice carrying strap.

[Iowa]

Originally Posted by sjdragonfly 

How exactly does that work when you clip a car seat onto a stroller? I'm trying to picture that, but don't really know how that works. I think we're going to get a Britax car seat so it probably won't do that anyway, I'm just curious.

It comes with a bar that clips across the front and then the car seat sits on there with baby facing you.  We had a Britax infant seat and it was compatable with that.  Like many, I don't like to have the baby in the car seat any more than I need to, but this did come in handy for traveling. 

And scowgirl, if you're looking for a jogging type stroller, I'd recommend one with a swivel front wheel that can lock for going on runs.  Otherwise they get a little annoying when you have to rock it on the back wheels every time you make a turn. 

My sister has purchased many stroller on Craigslist and has gotten some great deals so that's another route to try.  Strollers can get spendy, but I am very happy that we did a lot of research and got ones that meet our needs.  Many of my friends have ended up going through 3-4 strollers by the time their child was 3 and I knew I was NOT going to let that happen!         

[ThreeLittleBirds]

I big fluffy heart my Joovy Caboose (in Appletree). http://www.amazon.com/Joovy-Caboose-Stand-Tandem-Stroller/dp/B001AXJ8O0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1333479345&sr=8-2

The price was perfect, and its lightweight and not hard to manage at all. 

We are getting a Mazda 5 (mini-mini van) and folds up to fit in the micro trunk of this thing.

[prairie girl]

OMG. Strollers are my stress point. I just want someone to tell me "this is the perfect stroller". But everyone keeps stressing I need to figure out what I want, try them out and find the best one. Ugh, on this decision point, I just want someone to tell me what to do.

So far, I think the best advice is to keep in mind that one stroller won't meet all purposes.

Also, I wish strollers had better branding. On a vehicle the make & model is clearly identifiable. I wish strollers were like that. I find myself leering and staring at strangers as I try to find out what kind of stroller they have.

My SIL has highly recommended the Mini City by Baby Jogger http://www.babyjogger.com/city_mini_lp.aspx. She found the bigger wheels better than typical Graco-styel tires. She also found the tires to be good enought to navigate winter sidewalks without the bulk of inflatable tires.

[Shinyredstar]

We didn't use our stroller often. More often than not, I was carrying the baby and using the stroller to tote bags- but it is handy for that! One thing I would definitely suggest is to either get one with an adjustable handle or make SURE that the handles are a height that's comfortable for you and your partner.

[lbkw]

We have city mini and really like it except the model we have doesn't totally recline or sit completely straight up. I think they have fixed that.

Also have Joovy Caboose. Love for bigger kids. Only works for baby if you put in infant car seat which we are not planning to get this time.

[triple07]

I am also in the boat of getting a jogging stroller & an umbrella stroller. I am planning on wearing the baby most of the time anyway and I know there are jogging strollers where you can unlock the fixed front wheel to make it more "non-jogging" compatible. And a semi-basic umbrella stroller will work for pretty well for us, too.

I think for the jogger we were going to go with the InStep Safari Swivel/Lock jogging stroller (best for our price range) http://www.amazon.com/InStep-Grand-Safari-Swivel-Jogger/dp/B002QDOKRI/ref=sr_1_56?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1333727610&sr=1-56

and umbrella I like the Kolcraft Contours Light http://www.amazon.com/Contours-ZL014-TLO1-Lite-Stroller-Tangerine/dp/B0030EH8OO/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1333727725&sr=1-1

or the Graco LightRider http://www.amazon.com/Graco-1801006-LiteRider-Stroller-Pasadena/dp/B004Y9AKLM/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1333727858&sr=1-2

which are both sort of in between a regular & an umbrella stroller.

[scowgirl]

Off to check out those links... I am so glad y'all have recommendations/preferences to share because the selection just gets so overwhelming!

[XanaduMama]

I would seriously recommend buying a used stroller, unless you've got rich family members who are going to buy one for you off your registry. This is also true for a lot of the big baby gear, like high chairs and exersaucers and infant bucket seats, if you're using one (obviously you'd want to buy/borrow from someone you know well, in that case). We have used strollers so rarely in the 6+ years we've been parents; when our babies were infants, hardly ever. We've actually used our $20 Target umbrella stroller the most, when dd was 2-4 and couldn't walk very far at places like the zoo. I just picked up a free Maclaren Techno XT from friends of ours who are moving, and it seems pretty awesome, but I nearly died when I saw how much they cost new! (Around $288!!) It boggles my mind that people would pay that for a stroller, let alone the $500 that folks shell out for the Bob strollers I see all over town these days...

So I would honestly evaluate how much you're likely to use the thing, and how, and where (are you going to take it shopping? For walks on trails? Around the city? On buses/trains?), and decide based on that. Go to the store and see how easy they are to fold and unfold single-handed, possibly while holding a squirming baby in your other hand; how they drive one-handed; whether you can easily fold it and lift it onto a bus while holding a baby/toddler...etc. Just my advice.

[sjdragonfly]

Used is a great idea. I just have this picture in my head of a used stroller being covered in dried food and spit up and pee or something. haha I'm sure that's not the case, but for some reason that's what I imagine.

I think I might try and put one on my registry and just see if anyone gets one for us new and if not, I'll try craigslist. I have to admit, I'm also a bit hesitant about buying things used in this city because there is a HUGE problem with bedbugs around here and I know they can live on fabric and some of the creases and such on a stroller. I'd hate to end up with bedbugs just because I didn't want to pay full price for a stroller. Don't get me wrong, I buy used things all of the time, but sometimes it's hard to decide what is and isn't a good idea.

DP and I really need to go to one of the local baby stores and look at some of the strollers. We just haven't had the time. We pretty much only have whatever weekend time when we're not working and lately the weekends have been so gorgeous we've been trying to take advantage of that. Can't there just be more time in a day?!

[Nicole730]

I definitely second the buy-used.  You can find some really good stuff used and it's such a better deal.  I wish I had told myself this when I was pregnant with my first, but I don't think I would have listened anyway!  Since then though, pretty much everything we've needed has been second-hand. 

Do you have any local mom's groups you can hook up with now?  In addition to rummages and Craigslist - we have a local mom's online board and it has been great for finding pretty much anything you might need.  We just post what we're looking for, and almost every time there is another mom who can clear out whatever it is. 

[ms.shell]

don't just go to LOOK at them; drive them around.  I almost never used the stroller with either of my boys.  One because yeah, I babywear, but also because the ones we had were both a PITA to maneuver and drive.  Like someone else said, check the height of the handles to be sure they aren't too short for you, and also use the button to collapse/ uncollapse and see how difficult they are to do that one handed.

This time I won't mess with a stroller until babe is big enough for an easy, lightweight, umbrella stroller- and I may even skip that, too.  I just have never liked the stroller and both times so far they were just a waste of money and space for me.  

[lbkw]

Originally Posted by XanaduMama 

We have used strollers so rarely in the 6+ years we've been parents; when our babies were infants, hardly ever. We've actually used our $20 Target umbrella stroller the most, when dd was 2-4 and couldn't walk very far at places like the zoo.

So I would honestly evaluate how much you're likely to use the thing, and how, and where (are you going to take it shopping? For walks on trails? Around the city? On buses/trains?), and decide based on that. Go to the store and see how easy they are to fold and unfold single-handed, possibly while holding a squirming baby in your other hand; how they drive one-handed; whether you can easily fold it and lift it onto a bus while holding a baby/toddler...etc. Just my advice.

All of our strollers have been gifts but ones that we picked out. We definitely made some uninformed choices on our first. Actually, it all depends on the person you are taking advice from. I took mine from a very well-meaning neighbor who was nothing like me. Alas, we have moved onto strollers that we are very happy with. I am very intrigued by the people who say they hardly used a stroller for their newborn/infant. As someone who will be ditching the bucket seat for the first time (after 2 kids) I am trying to embrace baby-wearing. I am not opposed to it, I just never felt like it was comfortable. Also, as a working mom, how did your caregivers (if applicable) take to baby-wearing? Our au pair-to be is open to it, but she is 7 inches taller than me so I would probably have to get something different for her (and probably DH to share LOL). Sorry to hijack the stroller thread. I think there is a babywearing one somewhere, but more in reference to the question if others care for your baby, do they need a stroller?

[Naughty Dingo]

I highly recommend a Mclaren umbrella stroller, especially if you are tall.  Many strollers seem to be built for shorter people and are not comfortable to push around.  The umbrella stroller won't work for an infant but once they can sit up it is great.  We used our McLaren for over 8 years and it travelled all over the world with us.  It was light, easy to fold up, and simple.  It also lasted.  It had a shocking price tag but in retrospect, it was all worth it.  I sold it last year and am kicking myself for this!!!