The Great Stroller Thread

jenotontx

In attempt to avoid one massive registry thread and have great suggestions/advice lost week to week in the STM to FTM threads, some of us thought it would be a good idea to start a weekly thread focused on one core registry item. This way we can focus the conversation and make it easier to search as time goes on. So today I am starting a thread exclusively to discuss strollers! Lets hear all about em! 

Which ones do you already have? Likes/dislikes? Which one are you eyeing? Questions/concerns? 

ekendall09

Have:

Uppababy Vista....recommend 100%.  It has  great under storage and I used it with ease in airports.  I use this as my everyday stroller.  I also added in the organizer attachment (cup holder and a little storage)

Bob Revolution Pro (single)- also 100% recommend.  I use this for just running but we also love it!  Also bought the organizer for this one too!

Want:

I'll probably want the double bob once number 2 comes but i'll wait and see before I buy because I don't have DD 100% of the time.

kmalls

Personally I'll always recommend a jogging stroller, whether it's your first baby or more. There's a lot to be said for the maneuverability as well as smoothness, particularly those that come with shock absorbers -- bumps in the road are hardly felt! I'm not a jogger AT ALL and I love jogging strollers. 

For our first baby we went with the Chicco Activ3 and loved it. It's compatible with all Chicco car seats (they click right in) and it's been a workhorse for us. We still use it with kid #2 and it's held up great. 



For a double stroller we went with the Bob Revolution Flex Duallie. I covet this stroller. It turns easier than our single stroller and I could push it with 1 finger if I wanted to. Adapters are available for all major car seat brands to enable the use of an infant car seat on one side plus an older child on the other. I cannot sing the praises of this stroller enough. One downside: it's not very portable if you don't have a big car. We have a huge SUV so it works, but it doesn't fit in the back of my mom's Outback. 



ETA: for an easy, portable stroller when your baby is small (still in a bucket seat), get yourself a snap n' go stroller to keep in your car. They're GREAT for malls and very light walking. It's literally just a frame that the car seat snaps right into. So easy. 

whatabout2ndbreakfast

We have a graco click connect travel system for DS. I liked it a lot when he was smaller - it was super convenient to just pop his car seat in there. It's a bit large though, it doesn't fold up very small.

I think I'm going to need a double stroller of some kind now since DS will still be little. I'm leaning towards a tandem or sit and stand (any advice appreciated!). I was also thinking of foregoing the double and just wearing LO. 

kmalls

@peppersmith22 FWIW, I think even just a cheap double stroller is a good idea to have as backup. I babywear a lot, but there are times when I just don't feel like it and it's great to have a stroller to use. Like a few weeks ago we went to an outdoor food festival and there was a ton of walking involved and it was HOT. Wearing DD would have sucked, so the stroller was perfect to have. 

ladythrice

kmalls said:

@peppersmith22 FWIW, I think even just a cheap double stroller is a good idea to have as backup. I babywear a lot, but there are times when I just don't feel like it and it's great to have a stroller to use. Like a few weeks ago we went to an outdoor food festival and there was a ton of walking involved and it was HOT. Wearing DD would have sucked, so the stroller was perfect to have. 

Agree, we babywear a lot too but the double stroller has been well worth the investment.

irenejean

We bought the city mini gt, and it's a great stroller. It's super smooth riding, and the car seat adapter was super easy to use. We could just click our chicco infant car seat in and go. 

I won a Burley solstice jogging stroller and I really love it. Running with it is a breeze. 

Between the two strollers, I love my jogging stroller, but it is bigger and heavier. The city mini gt rides as smoothly as my jogging stroller when I'm walking. But I do love being able to run with a stroller, so the Burley is definitely something I use frequently. DS is 2 and I was still running while pushing him until the exhaustion set in. Hoping to run with him again soon. 

danjoly

We have the Thule urban glide and I love it! We are active people and the stroller didn't disappoint even in the sand or the snow! It's very light weight, fold with one hand and the wheels can be remove easily for storage . Only downside, all accessories are extra and pricey (cup holder, mommy tray, car seat adapter, etc!) 

ladythrice

I love the Baby Jogger series of strollers (despite the confusing name, they are NOT all jogging strollers...although the company does make joggers).

I did a lot of stroller review reading and there a brands that always rise to the top of the lists of recommendations. Brands that I remember from my search days: BoB, Baby Jogger, Britax, and Uppababy. They are almost universally on every list. Regardless of what features you want your stroller to have... these companies make something to fit your needs.

For DS we bought a City Versa. Its a great stroller and I love it... but I wish we had just purchased a City Select and saved ourselves the money. We always knew we were going to have kids close in age and we could have saved about $200 skipping the versa and just buying the City Select (which we now own). The City Select is great because you can buy it as a single, but its convertible to a double (tandem), and has an attachment for a roller-board.

ladythrice

The list of things I considered when buying our stroller:

• Front/rear facing - can the stroller do both?
• Bucket seat adaptability - Most brands can fit any bucket seat, unless you buy a system, you are probably limited to that brand then... I'm not sure.
• Adjustable handle bar - DH and I are tall, we wanted to be able to adjust the height of the handle. This is especially nice for couples that are made up of one shorty and one tall person.
• Reviews - I can't buy anything without reading reviews and I obsessively read all the reviews about strollers.
• Weight of stroller
• Ease-ability of collapsing/storing
• Storage basket (I don't even know why I was concerned about this, but I've always been grateful our strollers could fit a ton in the basket.)
• Recline-ability of the seats
• Shade coverage of the umbrella
  

I wish I had considered:

• My planned age-gap between the kids. We would have bought a stroller that could convert to a double at the start.
  

mountainsmama

I second the Baby Jogger brand. We got the Citi Mini and love it. We used the infant seat converter with our Chicco Keyfit.

We also bought a used BOB Ironman off Craiglist, and it's pretty awesome. Definitely not as easy to manipulate in small spaces with its fixed front wheel, so I still think we'd need two strollers, but it's great for jogging and on bumpy roads. (Side note on running, I used to be an avid runner and find running with the stroller to be difficult and negatively affects my stride. Plus running is my "me" time. But it's nice for short jogs and my kid loves it.)

We bought a cheap umbrella stroller for travel and used it ... once. I find the Baby Jogger just as easy to fold up and it has way better storage so we usually take that and gate check it on the plane.

Now I guess we will invest in a double stroller, sigh. I should open a stroller shop after I'm done having kids 

sjn00

I'm obsessed with my CityMini GT. Sooo light even with a bunch of stuff piled on it, I can still push it through the grass and rocks. Obsessed. Love it!!

ngolimento

I am a huge fan of our Britax B-Agile stroller system.  It has been very sturdy despite many MANY miles of use, and I am deeply in love with the click-in car seat feature.  Most importantly, it is sturdy enough to stick with your kiddo as they grow in size.  My girl is about he size of a 4 year old, and still fits easily into it.

sapphires-and-diamonds

We have a JEEP Adventure jogging stroller, which is now discontinued. I like that it's sturdy and handles rough terrain and that it is infant car seat adaptable for most brands. But, I hate how the straps adjust, total PITA. How you have to raise and recline the back is also dumb. Plus it is super bulky, I can't fit it into my Focus when folded. Talk to my H and he will say he loves it. So those are a few negatives to look for in your research. 
We also have the Chicco Liteway. I like that one. Light, easy to open and collapse, decent storage under the seat. Maneuvers well, it's always what I use at the zoo. 

I second the snap n' go. 

sapphires-and-diamonds

Oh, I do have a question  - DS will be ~3.5 when LO arrives. Is a double stroller a good idea or a waste? Any recommendations?

rbbabe2b

I've always lusted after a Phil and Ted. Has anyone else had one? Is it really worth all the money or is there something comparable for less? This will be my last kid and my other two are way past stroller stage do I don't want to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a stroller but I also regret not getting a good one last time. 

jenotontx

I was really hoping this thread would help me narrow things down but I'm over here like...

rbbabe2b

sapphires-and-diamonds said:

Oh, I do have a question  - DS will be ~3.5 when LO arrives. Is a double stroller a good idea or a waste? Any recommendations?

Have you thought about getting one with a little toddler seat instead of a full out double infant stroller? I can't think of any brands at the moment but they look a lot smaller and easier especially if your daughter likes to walk on her own or for a year or two from now when she wont necessarily need a stroller anymore. 

sapphires-and-diamonds

@rbbabe2b Yes, I actually saw one of those recently and thought it may be better than a regular double. 

jenotontx

@ladythrice That City Select looks pretty bad ass. I love that it can be converted into a double and the rolling board feature is really cool. I saw a kid on one of those for the first time the other day and my mind was blown. Question though- you can attach carseats directly onto this stroller right? Is it only compatible with select carseats? 

lindsye

If you're pretty sure you're going to have more than one kid fairly close in age, do buy something that has double stroller functionality/potential.

In my opinion, it's also a good idea to invest in a nice umbrella stroller. We bought a single Maclaren Triumph when we had our first kid five years ago and bought a double Triumph later. We have taken both literally all over the world since then and they've held up beautifully. It is lightweight, can recline, has a big sunshade and folds up quickly and easily. We also have a city select but honestly hardly ever use it because it is so bulky and heavy - the double Maclaren umbrella stroller is my preference the vast majority of the time. Because when you're getting on a plane or in a cab or whatever, folding up and lugging around a monster stroller isn't worth it to me when a nice double umbrella stroller works nearly as well (again, in my opinion).

jenotontx

@ekendall09 Can the UPPAbaby attach carseats? Also, doesn't that stroller convert into a double? Why wouldn't you just buy the converter instead of buying the Bob?

ladythrice

@jjmno1616 you can attach car seats directly to the stroller. You need to buy the compatible attachment but there's one for every brand of bucket seat on the market. Like other doubles, you can attach your bucket seat and have your second seat attached (and your roller-board) but unlike others you have a variety of configurations to play with (there are three different seat attachment positions along the frame and all seats can face in or out, to include the carseat attachment). It's hard to describe but the versatility is awesome.

saralee797-2

Omg @JJMNO1616 same!! HALP!!!

mintyblue02

So, I have gone through my share of strollers. I think we've owned six or seven in the past six years! The city select is great for it's versatility if you have more than one. I also loved our mountain buggy single stroller. It is a great all-around stroller for all terrain and jogging. The bumbleride indie twin we have is nice, but ours is older and it's got a lot of miles on it, but you can jog with it even though it's not a 'jogging' stroller and great for all-around purposes. We also have the chicco liteway umbrella type stroller which is a fabulous little thing. And the joovy twin umbrella stroller which is also great. I am not a fan of baby trend strollers. We've had two and I just don't think they hold a candle to the more expensive ones. Very awkward to push around. But making the decision to purchase an expensive one should depend on how much you will use it and for what purposes.

mcb2016

We have a city mini with the bassinet. I used it a lot when my baby was a newborn.  We also have the britax stroller combo. He didn't like riding in the car seat. We use them both about equally now that my son is 16 months.  I think I may get the city mini double for the new baby. 

Dumbgurl04

We have a Graco stroller and I love It cause you can easily fold it up with one hand and unfolding is easy as well.  

pghren

@Dumbgurl04 which graco do you have? I've been looking at the modes ones because of the different riding options

Dumbgurl04

@allowachick I believe it's the fast action click connect one.  The folding strap you pull is in the fold where the child sits 

kmalls

@JJMNO1616 @saralee797-2 don't panic, all of this is sooooo overwhelming at first but eventually it'll all make sense. Recommendations can be really hard to sift through because everyone swears that what they have is the best ever -- when really, what's best for you may be something totally different!  

Have you had a chance to look through Lucie's List yet? That website does a really good job of breaking down the different categories of strollers and explaining why you may or may not want a certain type. From there, they review what they consider the top models in each category at various price points. It's a really great way to organize things in your mind and figure out what's best for you and your lifestyle. 

jenotontx

@kmalls Yes! I started looking at Lucies list yesterday. I always wonder with sites like that though if they are receiving kick backs to highlight certain brands? It's definitely still a great resource either way though. 

Radishes

Love me some uppababy vista.  It handles well, has a great sunshade, and is really just a pleasure to use -- the functionality feels well thought out.  I got a new but old model for half off at Buy Buy Baby (it was an in the box 2014 model) -- which means it's a little harder to find accessories, but half off!  We did the same with the uppababy umbrella stroller -- old model, half off.  Love them both!

Dumbgurl04

Also I good thing to do, go to whatever baby super store you plan at registering at and just walk around and look.  You might spot things you never would of thought of and it will be (hopefully) I little less overwhelming when you do your registry 

ekendall09

@JJMNO1616 yes it has an attachment for infant seats. I love that the seat it comes with can face forward or backwards, when she was little I liked being able to see her when using it. And they have a foot stand to hook up for toddlers which I've considered. I wouldn't use it as a double now (DD will be 5 when lo is born and won't use it enough) 

the only reason I'm considering a double jogger is because I love to run. I only use my bob for exercise. 

riversdoctor

For a no frills jogger I love the babytrend expedition.  I trained for a half marathon with that beast. Dd would zonk  out it became our bedtime routine!  It handles great in narrow areas and smooth ride.  

Mattel

We bought the Britax B Ready for my daughter. It's immaculate. We have the bassinet attachment to use it as a pram. I'm not a fan of using the car seat with the stroller. The seat can be removed and turned around in a second. The seat is nice and high which I love. For quick trips and as DD for older, we also have the B Agile. It has taken a beating and looks and functions perfectly. 

lolablue3

I have the baby jogger city select and love it. 

orangecup

I have the Britax B Agile which we used with the bucket seat when DS was in that. I keep that stroller in my car to have whenever I might need it. It's pretty light and very easy to fold. It's smooth and has decent storage.

We also have the Bob Sport Utility. Great for running or more rugged terrain. I recommend both of these. All the car seats and strollers we have are Britax.

julzy

We have the City Mini stroller for DS and it's really been an amazing stroller. We've gotten an absurd amount of use out of it. 

It is a little bulky for travel so we just got the gb pockit stroller and it's pretty much the coolest thing ever. Wish we got it a long time ago since we travel so much. It easily fits in an overhead compartment. It's definitely not an everyday stroller as it's not the sturdiest thing in the world but if you're a frequent flyer I'd totally recommend it.

Now I have to figure out a double stroller... or at least one that DS can stand on or something. He'll be a few months shy of 3 years old when this new baby is born so I don't know if he'll be spending a ton of time in the stroller but I'm sure he will for at least 6 months or so... 

saralee797-2

@kmalls yes I did look at Lucie's list and it was somewhat helpful. I want something lightweight that will be good for walking around the city. I also need something that I can use on the beach in the summer. We would love to have more than one child, if we can, so I am thinking about getting something convertible. So, if I go with the uppababy it would have to be the vista but that price tag is hefty. I always thought the city mini would be great but I need to see if it can convert into a double. 

ekendall09

saralee797-2 said:

@kmalls yes I did look at Lucie's list and it was somewhat helpful. I want something lightweight that will be good for walking around the city. I also need something that I can use on the beach in the summer. We would love to have more than one child, if we can, so I am thinking about getting something convertible. So, if I go with the uppababy it would have to be the vista but that price tag is hefty. I always thought the city mini would be great but I need to see if it can convert into a double. 

I used my complete my registry coupon to buy the vista.  It was excluded from all other coupon except that one which saved us some!  Initially I wanted it because I thought we've have 2 semi close together.  I love it for one though and did feel we got our moneys worth and I plan to use the same one (even 5 years later) for this babe!