Stroller for 4 y.o.?

[4evermom]

I'm trying to find a stroller for long walks with my 36 pound, 39" ds. I want a jogging stroller with a swivel wheel that will hold 50 pounds and has a high enough backrest and low enough foot rest. I expect to be using it for at least a year or year and a half so I want a little room for growth. Of course, I don't want to spend a mint. Any ideas?

[Red]

Ok, so this isn't what you asked, BUT...

Why not something he can pedal, use up some of that energy? They have cool bikes with push handles for safety. Then everyone would get exercise.





and be tired!

[4evermom]

He pedals too slowly for me to get exercise and I like to do it in the afternoon when he needs a rest but won't nap. I also use the stroller for errands and don't think a trike would be welcome in the store and don't want to have to lock it outside (It would get stolen). Thanks, though .

[Red]

Stroller naps rock! Good luck finding the right one.

[Throkmorton]

I actually have a bike lock for my stroller so that I can go into the store. It is *wide* and a PITA to get through narrow aisles and standard checkouts. You have been warned.
That is with my fixed-wheel jogger which is one of the Instep-manufactured private label strollers.
A couple ideas for you:
http://www.joggingstroller.com/brand...p/safari.shtml is a really good stroller for the price and my DS fits ok in my knock-off with a similar seat

A more expensive, but awesome stroller: http://www.joggingstroller.com/brand...n-single.shtml it has a 100lb weight limit, and mt 46lb, 42" DS has growing room

I also have a Kool-stride Senior on long-term loan. It supports a lot and pushes smoothly. No swivel wheel though. It is a good running/fast walking/exercise stroller, but not so good for the store although it is narrower than the Instep.
http://tjskids.com/CART.ASP?whichpag...2&currency=USD

Other options are Zoopers, the BOB revolution, Dreamer Design Manhattan and the Phil and Ted's E3 (awesome option if you are planning another child.) Unfortunately, all of these are over $250 and I don't know as you want to spend that much.

[4evermom]

Thanks! I've been drooling over the Mountain Buggy one. I almost ordered this a few days ago http://shop.store.yahoo.com/comfort1...a12siswjo.html
but hesitated because it didn't list the weight limit. It was described as comparable to Schwinn's Safari. I found the weight limit on another site just now (50#), and the description up to 5 years, so I might go for it. I just hate not being able to test drive before buying. I did test drive some other strollers and found lots of flaws, feeding my insecurities .

[GoodEats]

We have a Mountain Buggy Urban Double for the twins. It's all-terrain, very sturdy and Bailey (4) is plenty comfy in it. When we're out long enough that her legs get tired, I sling one of the boys and she hops in beside the other. It's really well-balanced, too. There's no difference in steering with a 25 lb weight disparity between the two seats.

It has double front wheels that swivel (or can be locked into a fixed position), pump-up tires, folds flat without having to take the wheels off (a huge bonus over the others). They have a single as well and a "Terrain" model with a fixed front wheel. The seats recline (which is what gave it an edge over the Kelty, for us) and the foot rest is very comfortable.

There is the drawback that the wheels are smaller than a "real" jogger and they don't recommend it for people who are serious joggers (like pushing it on a 10k) but it is a breeze to push (mall, sand, grass, gravel) and has one hand steering when you're moving or standing still. Really, the only thing I would change is that I bought mine in bright orange... it's really hard to "blend" with a giant orange stoller.

Oh, my. I sound like a crazy person. Thank goodness you didn't ask about vacuums. I could go on for pages. :

eta: My double fits easily through all doors (including my circa 1870 front and kitchen doors) and checkouts... you can 'test drive' a single at The Right Start stores. I'm sure there are others, but I know they carry them. You can find dealers in your area on their website. And the weight limit is 100 lbs... if I lose weight, I could actually have someone push me around! :LOL

[4evermom]

Orange would be my color preference, too, but I can see how you might feel like a construction vehicle with a double! I'm envisioning you trying to make a discrete get away after knocking over a pyramid of canned goods at a grocery store :LOL . I have an electrolux, by the way.

[Throkmorton]

That jogger you posted looks like one of the "Instep-made private label" joggers I was talking about. My DS is starting to look a bit too big for it, but he's a big kid.
Sometimes you can get lucky and find stuff from www.costco.com at your local Costco, so you may want to check: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...pnav=&cat=&s=1
That looks like an awesome price.

[4evermom]

My ds is average sized for his age, so it looks like the one I was looking at will squeek me thru his stroller years. Anything will be an improvement over what we have, a good choice for the first 2 1/2 years, but outgrown. His shoulders barely fit and the Marbella one is 5 inches wider. Most of the stores I can walk to don't have narrow checkouts. Part of why I want a jogging stroller, in addition to seeming stronger, is to deflect the "stroller is for babies" attitude we are starting to run into (from older kids). The jogger looks less baby like, and the older kids are less familiar with them (they'll probably be jealous!). I might use it some days to pick up ds from preK, 2 miles away, in the fall. Thanks so much for the input, everyone.