[wembles]

My mother in law is in town to visit and mentioned she would really like to get us a stroller before she leaves. I have done a little, but not a lot of looking around at strollers, but thought I might check here for any opinions. I would really prefer something lightweight, but from what I've read, those are mostly for children a year and older? Or are there any lightweight strollers out there for infants that anyone knows of? I am leaning against the travel system strollers, just because the bulk of it all isn't that appealing...but, does anyone have one and really love it? We are also planning to get a sling and a wrap, but would like the stroller as well for longer walks, trips, etc. Any advice? Thanks!!

 

[theboysmama]

This is just my opinion and experience so take what you want and leave the rest.
If you are getting a good carrier then a stroller will not be necessary and really won't even be helpful for quite a while. My children were always so much more comfortable in a carrier than a stroller so the stroller I had sat in the trunk or was used for hte older kiddos.
When the baby starts to get bigger around 6+ months then it is nice to have the stroller for longer journeys. I would put the ergo in the stroller basket so I had both options, they can just see so much better when being worn but when it is really hot it is nice to have them not on you for brief moments.
The stroller that I love is the combi. Make sure that it is one that tri-folds. It is really light and reclines enough for a little baby and folds really compactly so I don't feel guilty about having it in the trunk most of hte time even if I never use it.
The combi is a stroller that you either love or hate so go check one out before you get one. (they sell them at bru).

 

[avivaelona]

We have a super light weight stroller (maclaren volo) which has been great since DS was 6 months old but it does not recline at all. That means no sleeping in the stroller basically. We use it for the infrequent mall trips we take and for getting around NYC when we go..its easy to carry up stairs and folds and unfolds really quickly. We also have an all terrain stroller which is not good for taking in the car, but good for long walks on the bumpy dirt roads near us or if we are at a fair or horseshow all day. (mountain buggy urban single) We've used that since DS was about 3 months old. Before that we used an infant bucket carrier (not a travel system, just a frame that you put a bucket car seat on) when we used a stroller which was infrequently. (I think the brand was kolcraft but I'm not sure)

That system worked really well for us, we did a lot of baby wearing too, using a pouch and an ergo mostly. I don't think there are any strollers that are only good for a year and up, the ones that don't recline at all do require the baby to be able to sit up supported, so they aren't good til the child is five or six months and if you have a child that likes to fall asleep in the stroller or if you need a cup holder and snack cup for the stroller they won't work at all.

I think when you buy a stroller you have to look at what you are actually going to do with it. There are lots of good options but it doesn't make sense to buy a travel system if you never walk anywhere that is smooth enough for the small wheels, or a bulky all terrain if you spend all day taking the stroller into and out of the car.

ETA--If MIL is planning on spending say $100 dollars on this or so, you may want to consider seeing if she'd be interested in buying you an ergo instead of a stroller. IME while I loved having a sling and a wrap too and both strollers the Ergo was the single most useful piece of baby travel equipment we had. It and the Volo are also the only two things we still regularly use 3 years later.

 

[dsaucone]

I love my umbrella stroller that was $14.99 from JCP.

I would just wear or carry our dd around, or someone else would. I hated getting the stroller in and out. Honestly all it did was hold my stuff when we went shopping. I would look into an umbrella stroller with a little bit of storage space underneath if we weren't going with the baby trend sit and stand one (because of the 2 under 3 deal).

Most of the unbrella/lightweight/jogging strollers are good for 6 month olds and up. Maybe she can buy you a nice one of those? Or if she's so intent on spending the money, a carrier or sling, or something else that you really need/want.

 

[wrzos]

With my first, I insisted I wouldn't need a stroller and would baby carry (sling/wrap/bjorn) all the time. My mother insisted and we ended up with a Perego Aria - 13 lbs and a full recline. The lightest I could find locally with a full recline (similar reasons for wanting that as to OP).

I'm now working on #3, and have had some changes in my parenting. I firmly believe that the baby does better in a carrier of some kind. I'm currently searching for something good for a newborn, b/c I hate my sling. But highly recommend an ergo/beco type thing for when they are larger. That said, with multiple children, I think a stroller is essential. My oldest is actually the worse about strollers - he'll insist that he'll walk, so I'll bring a single, then he'll insist on being allowed to ride once he's tired. grr....

Ok - onto strollers. If I were to do it again, with one child, I'd suck it up and buy a full stroller with bassinet feature. Something like a chameleon. I'm actually thinking of getting one anyway for this baby. At the very least, for my last friend who had a baby, I recommended a Quinny Buzz or Perego P3. Depends really on what you plan to use it for, and if a bassinet feature is important to you. I tend to only use the single stroller when the baby is sleeping and I want a hot,sticky baby off my chest. Otherwise, I'm carrying them.

As for lightweight strollers, all the macs have good reviews, some more so than others, but I wouldn't steer you away from them, just be aware that many do not recline. I have a Quinny Zapp and love it - but be aware it does not recline either. I like the microlight fastfold - but can't fathom spending that much for a basic umbrella!

Personally, my kids spend most of their time in my BOB (I have a duallie, but you can get singles). The recline is decent, the steering is incredible and the suspension is bouncy enough that I'd put a really young babe in it. Keep in mind I'm talking walking here - not jogging.

However, it is heavy, the fold is 2 handed and you need a larger car to fit it in.

What I think you need to do (especially since she WANTS to buy you one) is figure out how you plan to use it and get the best made one you can afford. Are you strictly a trunk to mall person? Or will it see a lot of festivals and broken sidewalks? This will determine if you need better suspension and wheels. Is a large basket important to you b/c you'll be doing walking/shopping? Does the push need to be good b/c you'll have something in your other hand (another child, a dog on a leash or just a latte?) - if so you need to factor that in and get the best 'push' stroller you can afford.

If you really want to get into the obsessive nature of researching this, check out the yahoo group strollerswap. These ladies talk about strollers ALL.DAY.LONG. You can get a ton of info by searching their archives. Good luck!

 

[pantufla]

The higher-end Maclarens are good from birth on up. I have bought, used, tested, tried out TONS of strollers. I wish I had bought a Maclaren from the beginning. I would have spent a lot less money in the long run.

I am also a firm believer in using a GOOD carrier. Again, if I'd had a GOOD carrier (and someone to show me how to use it) right from the get-go I would have had a much easier time of things.

Sometimes strollers just aren't practical. The same goes for carriers. And some days I just want a place to hang the diaper bag.

 

[mamasthree]

I bought a Maclaren Triumph when my youngest dd was 1 (this one from this store, actually--well the seat on mine is red) and I love, love, love it. I have always used strollers and have had several. I wish I'd gotten one of these from the beginning. It does recline. It is so light, easy to fold, fits easily in the trunk, and pushes like air.

Did I mention that I love it?

 

[arahzel]

I never used my stroller, except for the few times we went to the zoo in the summertime. Too hot for a carrier. I usually carried DD everywhere.

I'm so glad she walks everywhere now. I'm going to try to stay away from the strollers again. We do have an umbrella stroller that cost us about $10. It's in the trunk of my car.

That being said... if you are going to use a stroller as your main form of transportation during outings, go for the gold. If not, then I'd stick with something small and easily portable.

 

[quantumleap]

We have an old Chariot, and I think we'll cave and get a newer model so that we can use the ski attachment. It's ridiculously expensive, and we totally intend to wear baby most of the time, but, I want to be able to haul kid and groceries home from the store. And, we're outdoors most of the time. I just think pulling the chariot with the ski attachment will allow us to continue on with the things we love while still including the baby (and showing him her how to love the same things!). I resisted for a long time, but now see the value.
Anything that can't easily get through heaps of snow and ice, and can't also be entirely closed in, is just not practical for where we live (winter eight months of the year, -40C and colder for many of those months...).
So, I guess you just need to figure out what you might use a stroller for, and then match that to your local conditions.

 

[arizonawillow]

With my oldest I needed a stroller from the beginning because of my c/section; I didn't have the strength to carry him for long periods of time for a long time. I did use my sling every day but needed the stroller out and about. We had a stroller that reclined and stuff but didn't steer well, we didn't love it.

With #2 I had the VBAC and slung him when we were out (and lots of the time at home) from the beginning, didn't need to use the stroller until he was 6 months old. He cried the first time, just for a minute, poor guy was probably really confused. With him we just used a $12 Kolcraft stroller from Kmart (we had bought it when ds1 was 1 yo) but there were a lot of times I wished we had a basket underneath at the very least.

That stroller finally bit the dust (really, yep, after 7 years lol) and for this baby I'd like to get another lightweight stroller, sort of like an umbrella stroller but with a basket and maybe a sun shade for baby. I don't know if I'll get one that reclines b/c I'm planning on using baby carriers a lot and may not need it. My #2 slept sitting up in the umbrella stroller a couple times....

 

[meetoo]

I second and third the maclaren's. I bought a truimph for my son around three months and he did just fine in it. Plus the fit kids for a while, my 5 yr old could still ride in it LOL. We really don't use strollers much when they are tiny and withe this one being a winter baby I'm about 90% sure we will not need a stroller at all until spring at the earliest. I do wish I would have spent a little more and bought hte quest though. It has a foot rest.

 

[Biscuits & Gravy]

I have a Graco travel system (snugride seat and metrolite stroller). DS hated being in a stroller until maybe around a year. I wore him everywhere, and really only used the stroller if I went shopping and needed it to carry my bags. In hindsight, I wish I'd bought the infant seat and one of those inexpensive frame strollers to hold it, then decided on a stroller later when I actually started using one. Now I have a Chicco umbrella stroller, and that is the one I keep in my car.

Can you take a raincheck on the offer? If you can, that's what I'd do. My stroller needs ended up being so different from what I would have anticipated. It would have been nice to be able to assess my needs and get the one stroller that fit them. Now I have 3 strollers that all serve different purposes (metrolite that never gets used, chicco umbrella, and jogger for walks on our crappy city sidewalks), when I would have preferred to have one stroller that worked for everything.

 

[wembles]

Thank you all so much for all the suggestions! They have been really helpful to read through and I think we may ask MIL if she wouldn't mind purchasing a beco carrier instead...we did go look at the Maclarens yesterday (which I really liked), and I think if she doesn't want to do the carrier, we may go with that...again, thanks so much!!

 

[jrabbit]

snap-n-go for the stroller in the beginning. I used a sling nearly 100% of the time, but there were times when it made more sense to keep baby in the infant bucket, and I really can't stand big strollers.

Maclaren "umbrella" once she outgrew the infant seat. We didn't really use it much, we both preferred the sling or mei tai.

i work at a children's resale shop, and we see/sell lots of strollers. the ONLY one I've ever liked is the maclaren "umbrella" - all the rest are either too big/bulky or too wimpy. I'm short, and regular umbrella strollers are uncomfortable for me to push - I can't even imagine being average or above-average height.

 

[Swandira]

Maclarens are awesome and lightweight, and you can use them from early on if your kid will tolerate it. Also, they fit in practically any size trunk if you need to drive somewhere with them.

Sometimes it's nice to have a stroller available. I like to walk longish distances, and I remember once going for a long walk with no stroller when my first kid was about three months old. About a mile or two out, the baby got bored being in the sling, and started freaking out and squirming around, trying to get out. Fortunately I was walking with a friend whose baby was getting sick of sitting in the stroller, so we just switched them out, and she wore her baby in my sling and I pushed mine in her stroller. After that I tried to bring both a sling and a stroller if I was going to be walking farther than about a parking-lot's distance. It's good to have options, because babies are not known for their flexible nature.

Nealy
mama to T, 5; L, 2; and baby boy, EDD 12/20/08

 

[wunderbubble]

i bought two strollers one was the maclaren < many nice models to choose from, the other was a three wheeler which i used for running or rough terrain...

there are different types and no 'one' is suitable for everything

it's just one of those gadgets that tend to be really personal

good luck

 

[Starfish11]

I'm glad you are getting the beco

We bought an Ergo and I'm excited to use it.

We do quite a bit of putzing around and travelling, though, so went with a stroller, too. DH is a research geek so he went through almost every brand we could find and did customer reviews and safety stuff. We ended up with the Britax Vigour.

Here's a link to it:

http://babyproducts.about.com/od/tra...tax_vigour.htm

I don't think it's heavy at all and have been amazed at how easy it is to maneuver.