Nurseries and Baby Gear

Stressing over strollers!

Hi ladies,
I'm hoping you can help me choose a stroller/travel system.

My top pick is the UPPAbaby vista/Mesa combo. I know it's pricey but it's a 3 in 1 and I just love it. The only thing is that DH doesn't want to spend that much on a stroller or even put it on our registry.

I then found the Mamas and Papas Armadillo which I love, but it doesn't have an infant seat.

Option 3 is the britax bagile which is okay but it bothers me that the basket is so small.

Lastly is the Graco stylus which is just too heavy but DH likes it because it "looks comfy".

Does anyone have any experience with these strollers? If so, please share! Thanks so much :)

Re: Stressing over strollers!

  • The Uppa Baby is a great stroller and so is the Mesa. BUT it is pricey and if DH is not on board with the cost which you will probably end up buying yourself, then I wouldn't do it. The B-Agile is a great stroller and the car seat is also super easy to install and has a high height/weight limit. The basket is small, BUT it is still doable. Stay away from Graco strollers. They suck.
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  • Make sure it is something you can lift & is easy to fold. That is my only advice. Those are the reasons I love my City Mini regular & GT.

    Would also check out how much space they take up in the trunk because if ypu cannot easily take the stroller with you, you'll be replacing it soon. Might be able to find one second hand.
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  • I don't know when you are due, but Britax is coming out with a new stroller that's basically the B-Agile improved (and lighter!). It's called the Affinity-worth checking out if you can wait for it! I heard January or March for release.
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  • I got super stressed over strollers while I was pregnant (way too many options) and decided to deal with it by just getting a snap n go for the first few months until I figured out how we would use a stroller. That way I can decide on which stroller would suit our needs later on once they became clear. Turns out I prefer wearing our baby and we hardly use a stroller. Plus I had a c-section and could not lift anything over 10 lbs for the first 6 weeks so the snap n go was a great option!

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  • I think it totally depends on your needs and usage. I have the uppa vista with a chicco keyfit carseat and love it. We need the great wheels enabling an easy one handed push for the brick sidewalks in our urban neighborhood so we love that feature of the uppa. The huge basket on the uppa is also great for us since I use it for grocery shopping. We did not go with the mesa carseat because it is so heavy. We needed to be able to go up and down the stairs of our building easily.. and the mesa just weighed too much. I also put the stroller in and out of cabs all the time and have had no trouble.

    I would think about how you will use it and the key features like wheels, basket, fold, weight, size and how much you will use it.
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  • I would do the B-Agile out of all of those, but I'm going to throw you another option.

    I have the double and love it, so I'm going to recommend that you check out the Valco Snap & Snap 4. The snap is only 2 lbs more than my G-Luxe and it has an amazing basket. It also opens and closes in one step without your foot.

    The double fits in most trunk spaces so the single should be pretty small. You can get an adaptor from Valco Baby for most car seats. I would check out Valco Baby and Amazon for deals on it. BBB stocks it sometimes as well.

    I also like a snap n go for certain situations, so if you can't make up your mind it's a great option.
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  • I absolutely loved my Vista and would highly recommend it. I see them used regularly for $300 to $400 so that could be a great option for you. The fabrics come off easily and you can just wash it all up good as new.  I loved the bassinet, the huge basket, amazing canopy, etc.  I sold it when my son was born and I totally regret it.  I used it with the Keyfit and loved that combo too but the Mesa wasn't out when I had my first. 
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  • I have an UppaBaby Vista with a Chicco carseat.  I love the huge basket.  I use it for grocery shopping all the time ( I can fit 4 bags of groceries underneath).  I only used the bassinet twice, so that was a waste

    I also have the B-Agile.  Brand new and only used it a couple times.  I have the carseat adapter for the chicco as well.  I love it too!  The carseat snaps in and it is really nice to steer.  In hindsight I would probably just have the B-Agile.  We are using it as our second travel stroller.  It is WAY cheaper than the UBV. ( I got it on amazon with a coupon for $149, and the car seat adapter for $25, open box)  Taking it to Disneyland next month along with our UppaBaby G-luxe.  I'll see how it does on the plane and out and about.

    Another option would be the UB Cruz. 

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  • I have the uppababy vista and the Mesa and absolutely love them both. MH didn't think we needed such an expensive stroller/carseat option but now he is constantly saying how worth it they both are. Can't recommend them enough!
  • Thanks ladies. I'm due May 10 so luckily I still have some time (I'm a serious planner hence my stressing now!)
  • @mimaloo - I was just looking at the Uppababy Vista at the store yesterday and found that the Britax B-ready was nearly identical. Seemed to have all of the features of the Vista but at a smaller price tag. Maybe that's a better option for you?
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  • if not due till May, woukd wait until Spring for new product lines/watch for sales or good deals. We got our stroller in Nov (baby was due in Dec) and newer version of stroller that had preferable features came out in Feb. Was frustratrating.

    Also bear in mind, this day in age, with Amazon & many other retailers you can get it 2 days after ordering. You won't be going far the first couple of days so there is pleanty of time.
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  • Mimaloo said:
    Hi ladies, I'm hoping you can help me choose a stroller/travel system. My top pick is the UPPAbaby vista/Mesa combo. I know it's pricey but it's a 3 in 1 and I just love it. The only thing is that DH doesn't want to spend that much on a stroller or even put it on our registry. I then found the Mamas and Papas Armadillo which I love, but it doesn't have an infant seat. Option 3 is the britax bagile which is okay but it bothers me that the basket is so small. Lastly is the Graco stylus which is just too heavy but DH likes it because it "looks comfy". Does anyone have any experience with these strollers? If so, please share! Thanks so much :)

    Uh, the Armadillo is compatible with the Cybex Aton and the Maxi Cosi, you just buy them separately. I've really good experiences with this brand, highly recommend. The Mesa is nice too, and the Versa would be in the running for me.

    I wouldn't touch the Stylus with a ten foot pole.

  • Have you thought about the Uppababy Cruz? Its very similar to the Vista, just doesnt have the bassinet and its about $250 less. We got that and the Chicco keyfit to snap into it.

    BabyGaga

  • You did not mention this, but I love our City Mini!  It is so easy to use; pushing it is a breeze, it folds with one hand and it is light.  We bought the car seat adapter and used it with a Graco Snugride 35 (you can use with with many different car seats) and that worked great.  You really only need to use it with a car seat for a short period of time so I would not pick one based on the fact that it comes as a set/system. 
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  • You did not mention this, but I love our City Mini!  It is so easy to use; pushing it is a breeze, it folds with one hand and it is light.  We bought the car seat adapter and used it with a Graco Snugride 35 (you can use with with many different car seats) and that worked great.  You really only need to use it with a car seat for a short period of time so I would not pick one based on the fact that it comes as a set/system. 
    I dragged DH back to the store last night to look at strollers AGAIN (poor guy).  I started pushing the City Mini and went to throw my (medium size Longchamp) bag into the basket and needless to say, DH almost fell on the floor laughing at me - it's not for me. 

    He really liked the Britax b-agile travel system but also caved and gave me the go ahead on the Vista/Mesa combo so it looks like we have a winner :)
  • I LOVE LOVE LOVE our Graco 3 in 1 modes click connect travel system . The stroller is amazing - 10 different modes for stroller, very light , can navigate with one hand, can collapse and open easily with one hand, the storage under stroller is HUGE!
  • @mimaloo - I was just looking at the Uppababy Vista at the store yesterday and found that the Britax B-ready was nearly identical. Seemed to have all of the features of the Vista but at a smaller price tag. Maybe that's a better option for you?
    I don't really know what it is exactly but I have owned both of these strollers and the B-Ready just feels heavier and wider.  It's hard to pinpoint exactly but it just is.  The Vista felt quite a bit more nimble to me.  I would only get the B-Ready if I needed a double otherwise, I would get the Vista.  

    Also... yea the City Mini baskets are terrible.  I seriously don't know why everyone the Bump loves that stroller so much.  I think it's so overrated.  
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  • ebp913 said:
    @mimaloo - I was just looking at the Uppababy Vista at the store yesterday and found that the Britax B-ready was nearly identical. Seemed to have all of the features of the Vista but at a smaller price tag. Maybe that's a better option for you?
    I don't really know what it is exactly but I have owned both of these strollers and the B-Ready just feels heavier and wider.  It's hard to pinpoint exactly but it just is.  The Vista felt quite a bit more nimble to me.  I would only get the B-Ready if I needed a double otherwise, I would get the Vista.  

    Also... yea the City Mini baskets are terrible.  I seriously don't know why everyone the Bump loves that stroller so much.  I think it's so overrated.  
    @ebp913 - I agree with you here.  We checked out the B-Ready as well (that was actually my first choice when I found out I was pregnant) and the back wheels are HUGE!  Even DH thought it was too bulky. 
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  • We're going with the Mamas & Papas Armadillo stroller. It's compatible with a Chico infant seat or a Maxi Cosi infant seat. Check the Mamas & Papas website for connection clips.

    This is our second child and I love the Armadillo stroller. It's super light weight and will be easy to use since we travel out of the country for the summers.

    Best of Luck! Stroller hunting can be daunting.
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