stroller thoughts....

Shirley&John

I am trying to research for the best stroller available. I know it is going to be a couple of hundred dollars, but seems like a good investment.  My freinds all told me that the whole travel systems (that seem popular at Babies R Us) are too bulky and not pratical.  Anyone used the frame system that you pop the infant seat onto?  I want something light and manueverable (sp?). Any suggestions? and where to buy?  Thanks for your help ladies....

MissLinz

Get the book Baby Bargains. They rate the best light (umbrella) strollers. Mine is on the bulkier side.

simplicty

I didn't buy a travel system.- we went with the infant carrier and snap and go. I got the maclaren version (its called the easy traveler) but there are a couple other brands as well. (I got it on craigslist since dd sits in her car seat anyway i didnt see anything wrong with buying a second hand frame) For our regular stroller when dd is old enough to sit in it, i have the peg perego pliko p3. Anyway.. just go to BRU or bregstroms and test the strollers out.. and see what you like and then go look for the best prices. hth! and gl!

megontoast

I have a travel system and totally regret it. Don't get me wrong, it's a good product, but just so not practical for us. We have 2 mid-size sedans and once we put the stroller in the trunk there is basically no room for anything else. We've gone on 2 road trips since DD was born and both times we ended up renting an SUV so we could comfortably fit everything in the car.

I really wish I would have done more research and not just gone off of the "recommendations" from BRU. I would have done the infant carrier/snap n go combo instead.

jaejaevee

I don't feel like I did enough research, either.  We are already on our second full-sized stroller.  Now, we have the Graco Quattro Tour Sport and LOVE it.  It is a little on the bulky side, but I prefer the extra storage and comfort for DS.  One of the criticisms that we read about it before we bought it was that it's heavy, but it's nothing compared to the stroller that was part of our Eddie Bauer travel system.  The bonus of the stroller is that you can lock a Graco infant carrier into it without any extra pieces. 

My parents have a Combi umbrella stroller which I also love.

LoveHimSoMuch

I 2nd recommend the Baby Bargains book - that was my bible for helping me pick everything I wanted and needed.

 

I went with a Graco Travel System and love it. We still use the stroller today. For me, its not bulky at all and I have a Pacifica and fits perfect in the back with the 3rd row down. It's not too heavy and Jack is really comfy in it. I use the umbrella stroller every now and than, but he prefers the Graco over the umbrella stroller. And the umbrella stroller is nice one. 

lujain

We have the Graco SnugRider to go with our SnugRide 32.  After we don't feel like lugging the carseat around with Kiddo in it anymore, we will start using our MacLaren Quest.

Morla

I don't mind the travel system, it's sturdy and doesn't tip over when you hang your purse and diaper bags...

but yeah it is big... well i think there are planty of smaller strollers that are compact and you can still put your carseat on it.... I think it's mostly personal choice... you have to test it out... 

there are many places where you can test out the strollers you like, i think that's the best way... take it for a spin around the store, fold it up and see how big or small it is... try picking it up and down, since you will be doing that a lot in and out of your car....put the carseat on the stroller and see how sturdy it is, put heavy bags on the handle of the stroller with out the baby or the carseat in it and see if tips over... 

I got practically got one of everything right now... they all come in handy, yeah I got a lot of strollers but I didn't pay too much for them and they all have their pluses and minuses...

GL!

mland75

We had both...the Chicco travel system and a Snap and Go.  I didn't mind the Chicco stroller; it wasn't that bulky and was nice to have as a more comfy ride.  The Snap and Go was great, though, for quick trips and small spaces.  If you start out with something like a Snap and Go, it might give you a better idea of what you want in a stroller.  Personally, I think it's hard to go shopping for a stroller if you're not familiar with what conditions you'll be using it in.  With a Snap and Go, because it is so bare bones, you can easily see what you like and don't like about it and use that to shop for a stroller down the road.  For instance, if you do a lot of walking outdoors over bumpy roads vs trips to the mall vs trips to the beach.  Storage a big deal, yes or no.  How much trunk space you really need.  The list goes on.  And the answers are different for everyone.  My Snap and Go held up well, but we also already had another stroller from the start, so it wasn't used exclusively.  That being said, if I had only started out with a Snap and Go, we never would have got the Chicco stroller (which was a gift) and gone straight to the BOB Revolution, which I now use all the time...except for short trips in the Triumph.

oatmella

I don't think you need a travel system.  They are huge and bulky, and only really useful for a short period of time.  I'd recommend just buying a snap n go (the frame that you can attach the infant seat onto) when your baby is still in the infant seat.

Olivia outgrew the max height for her infant seat at 9 months, and we've been using a Maclaren Quest (umbrella stroller) ever since.  We love it, it is fairly light but has a recline feature, easy to fold and we've traveled with it on planes many times (we gate check it) and it has held up well.  There isn't much storage space, but I don't like to haul around a lot of stuff anyways.  

I'd recommend just buying a snap n go and then just waiting until your baby is older to try out different strollers.  You'll have a better sense of what your needs are then, so you won't end up wasting money.  Babies R Us and Bergstrom's have a lot of different strollers to try. 

lorimcox

My thoughts ...

We registered for the Maclaren Techno XLR, not really expecting to get it. We did, and now we're jazzed. It comes with an infant car seat adapter for the stroller, so we'll use it for that at first. Then we'll transition it as our "lightweight" stroller (NOTE: it's still pretty heavy for lightweight). I like that it has a HUGE suncover, can recline fully and has a feet/leg rest.

Of note, we also registered for the SnugRider, which we got. We ended up returning it after we discovered the car seat attachment on our Techno. As far as cost goes, we figured instead of getting a system stroller (heard it was bulky and a waste of money), a frame stroller and a lightweight/umbrella stroller, we'd keep the one that serves the most functions.

Also, the Quest, which I see a lot of people on this board have, runs about $200. The Graco SnugRider is $60. If you're already spending almost $300 on the  two strollers, see if you can find a 2008 Techno XLR -- they run about the same.