Stroller Question

coffee bean

We did the double snap-n-go with the girls (loved that thing!), then moved on to the double jogger city mini when they got bigger.  I was assuming we'd just get another snap-n-go for the new baby, but I'd be interested in getting a setup where I only need to buy one stroller - one we can use with the infant seat or when they are bigger.  

Which travel systems have the best actual strollers?  Meaning - big basket, not too heavy, easy to collapse...thanks!!

Pirisino331

Britax has the best travel system! I can easily open it and collapse it with my squirmy 10 month old under my arm.

Everyusernameistaken

I liked my Graco, the basket was big enough for most of my grocery shopping so I never had to use a cart.

SingleMom31

I second Britax. I loved how integrated the infant seat was (it's a heavy duty snap and go essentially) and then is a great stroller.

coffee bean

Thanks!  The britax looks like a nice option.  And albeebaby.com has it for $299.

MrsGoody1118

I love my Uppa baby vista. You can get a carset attachment and it comes with a bassinet and a regular stroller seat. So easy to open and close.

SingleMom31

Depending on what pieces you need, Britax usually does a B Ready (the more expensive of their strollers) promo in the spring where you can get a free infant car seat or bassinet or second seat.

jg1011

Love my Uppa Baby Cruz. Cheaper than the Vista if you are not going to use the bassinet feature or have a need to expand it to a double.

I'm a bit sad to give it up temporarily to get a double. We are going to get the Graco double and then keep the Cruz for when we only need it for one.

Flowerchica

Im a britax momma here.... and you can put 2 kids in one

jmolr

Another vote for the vista. I loved mine. It also comes with the netting and rain shield for the stroller so you don't need to buy that separately.

fruitloop151

I'm interested in these answers, too... I'm one of those people that researches the hell out of things before making decisions.. I've been looking at travel systems and just can't decide which is the best! 

deviousmuse

We're going with the Chicco Cortina - best ratings on Consumer Reports, and my husband used it previously for his son and raved about it. (Especially considering the Britax Chaperone we originally considered didn't get high marks on CR, and it wasn't rated well for fitting in smaller backseats - he has a 2-door car.)

coffee bean

deviousmuse said:

We're going with the Chicco Cortina - best ratings on Consumer Reports, and my husband used it previously for his son and raved about it. (Especially considering the Britax Chaperone we originally considered didn't get high marks on CR, and it wasn't rated well for fitting in smaller backseats - he has a 2-door car.)

I was just going to ask about the Chicco Cortina.  I know a lot of my friends have gone with that.  I don't personally love that the stroller looks so boxy, but the big tray is major for a happy kid (drinks, cheerios, toys).  I didn't like that about the City Mini.

I like this one:

https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11217986&cp=2255957.2273443.2256189.2256206&parentPage=search 

ETA: Oh, I didn't notice originally that the Chicco is better for smaller backseats.  That's super important for us, since we will have two boosters back there too!

I'll have to spend some quality time at BRU playing with them all!

coffee bean

I read some reviews about the Britax.  Some were saying the car seat is pretty heavy.  Looks like it's 3 or 4 pounds heavier than a Graco Snugride or Chicco.

Britax moms - did you notice that being a pain?  

At one point with the girls (granted, we were carrying both kids + 2 car seats), 3 pounds of extra weight would have felt like a ton!

SingleMom31

We have the Britax BSafe, which is the Britax equivalent of the KeyFit or Snugride. It's 9.8 lbs compared to a bit over 9 for the KeyFit and 7.5 for the SnugRide. I doubt you'd notice the difference... They all get heavy if you carry baby long enough.

SingleMom31

In all seriousness, go to BBB or BRU and "test drive" strollers and car seats. They'll generally let you put the car seats in your car to check for fit too. I had my heart set on the City Mini at first, but ended up deciding on the Britax. My BFF was the opposite and went with the City Mini after thinking she wanted the Chicco Cortina.

NYGirl02

I have the city mini single and have loved it. I bought a britax bagile double when amazon had a great price on it. I've already used it a couple times when I've been babysitting and love it! I love the adapters for the britax seats too. I already have a key fit that isn't expired though, so I won't be using the britax adapter that came with the stroller. I haven't decided what to do about the infant seat yet. I think there's a good chance I will be wearing the baby, or just putting them in with the seat fully reclined since its approved for newborn use without the infant seat. I could also see myself using my snap n go occasionally if I don't need a stroller for my 2 yo. I have too much baby gear. Lol.

JSS1002

deviousmuse said:

We're going with the Chicco Cortina - best ratings on Consumer Reports

This is what we have. I love it!

fruitloop151

Has anyone with the Chicco Cortina noticed that it's very heavy??  I only ask because the reviews on BRU say it's very heavy.  I knew I should have gone there today when I had the chance lol

KayNatural

Thanks for posting this thread!!  I need advice too! Lol!  My SIL has offered to buy our stroller and she suggests either Britax or Bugaboo.  Can anyone chime in on the bugaboo brand?

Pirisino331

The Britax adapters that come with the stroller are for Britax seats only. They do have an adapter for other seats that you are able to buy separately though.

jg1011

dearfoam said:

Me too @fruitloop151. I'm also trying to figure out the most versatile and easy to use system. Don't have room for loads of extra parts in our house! I'm curious if the fast click jogger strollers by graco would be good. Rugged but takes the infant seat. I like the narrow (three wheel) designs. I drive a Subaru outback so I have good space in the back but wouldn't want to use it all up. I guess eventually I'll be asking everyone I know to let me test theirs out for ergonomics and weight.

@dearfoam I drive an Outback too...and thought it had lots of space. Then I had my son. LOL. The space goes quickly! Choose your stroller wisely! I have a Uppa Cruz and am looking for a good double that doesn't take up a lot of room and isn't going to break the bank. Saw a Gracco I liked, but I'm still looking. 

And choose your convertible carseat carefully too. I chose a Britax which I LOVE however, it's not as narrow as some of the others. With two carseats in the back it's quite crowded.

KayNatural

zoeygirl1105 said:

KayNatural said:

Thanks for posting this thread!!  I need advice too! Lol!  My SIL has offered to buy our stroller and she suggests either Britax or Bugaboo.  Can anyone chime in on the bugaboo brand?

We have the bugaboo chameleon and it's big and takes up a lot of room. I don't find it very convenient for quick trips to the store. I ended up buying the chicco liteway for that. I think it would be useful if you lived in a big city walking a lot and not having to break it down.

Thanks for the heads up!  I was looking at that one or the buffalo.  I'll definitely test them out at BBB before making a final decision.

Jayhawkali

I recommend going to the store and trying them out. Buy buy baby has a better selection of strollers in store than babies r us

chusum

I have a city mini single and love it! It collapses and I can place it in my car all using one hand. And it has adaptors to put a car seat in it. I think most strollers have the adaptors, but the city mini is insanely light weight and thin.

natalie559

With the britax- do any of you find your kids uncomfortable with the reclined seat position?  I read as the child gets older they get frustrated with sitting reclined.  Also as a FTM but wanting a second child would you suggest going with the single rider bagile system or the bready system that you could incorporate another child into 2-3 years from now (is that thinking to far ahead re strollers?)

Other than those 2 britax models I was looking into the Chicco key fit 30 car seat with the lightway plus stroller.

whataboutscience

My husband is crazy about getting the safest, highest rated as long as it's not way more expensive than everything else. After hours of research, he insisted on the Chicco Cortina system and I got to pick the color. I hope I like using it since he probably won't very often.

CplusJ=S

I have the Chicco Cortina travel system and am really happy with it. I wouldn't say it's heavy. I can easily fold it with one hand. It has a big basket, a tray for the tot and storage for mom. It maneuvers well. It IS rather large and takes up a considerable amount of trunk space and I wish it had a larger sunshade.

We went to WDW last August and needed something more compact and lightweight. We scored an awesome deal at Target on the Chicco Lightway Plus. I've never used it for the infant seat, but love it as an umbrella stroller. The basket isn't as big and it only has one cup holder. The sunshade is smaller than I'd like and it doesn't handle as well as the cortina. I like that it is small and easy to fold and that it can be used with infant seat. It is great for places like the zoo or theme parks.