3 vs. 5 point harness

nycmommy13

Hi ladies! We're starting to look into an umbrella stroller for LO. He's 6 months old and we're getting ready to transition him into a convertible carseat before he's 7 months. He has a heavy duty stroller with a 5 point harness that came with the carseat (the carseat just clipped into it.) We'll need a new lightweight stroller, though. The cheap ones at BabiesRUs seem great. It's really important that I be able to collapse it one-handed pretty quickly and that it not weigh very much since I have to go up and down subway steps. The only problem is that it has a 3 point harness. Is that a problem, especially for a baby so young? If so, what strollers have you found that meet all of my criteria but have a 5 point harness?

chein1

We have the Babies R Us brand stroller. We've had the red one for over 2 years and used it with DD1 and now with DD2. We've had no problems with it. The back's incline adjusts and the straps can either be shoulder straps or just waist straps. We've used it since LO was 5 months old.

VexedMommy

Have you looked into wearing your baby at all?  I would imagine it would be much, much easier just to hop on and off the subway with baby held close (and mama hands free.)  They're light weight and can be folded small enough to fit into the diaper bag instead of lugging a stroller around. 

That said, the umbrella strollers work well for babies who are sitting up on their own.  The 5point harness is good so they don't slump over while they sleep.  I picked up an inexpensive 3pt harness for DD1 and she literally hung off the side sleeping in it one day at the flea market.  I think she was 2 or so at the time. 

elbou

Ditto what Vexed said. Babywearing is way easier for subway (and even bus) travel. I didn't start using a stroller for bus/subway trips with DS1 until he got too heavy for the wrap I have. Now when we do those kinds of trips DS1 is in an umbrella stroller, and DS2 is in the wrap.

Something you may not have considered yet is just carrying the whole stroller up and down the steps. Some umbrella strollers weigh less than the infant carseats. I have two that are both that light. I found it to be easier to just pick the whole stroller up (including the kid and whatever else I've got with me) and just carry it up or down the steps rather than get the kid out, fold up the stroller, tackle the steps, and then get the kid back in.