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December 2010 Moms
Chick7806
member
Expensive Strollers.... Just wondering
Chick7806
member
From my post below it looks as if a lot of Dec. mommies have some hot wheels for their babies!
Just wondering about these strollers- the ones in the 600-900 dollar range- what makes them so special (i.e. expensive)?
Am I missing out on something major- ours cost $150... Again, honestly just wondering. : )) I've googled them to get a look at some of the names you mentioned, and they look really nice. I just want to know what sets them apart!
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Re: Expensive Strollers.... Just wondering
I kind of feel the same, but I just want to know what the allure is. I would personally never spend $200 on a high chair, but I have one sitting in my house. People get generous around babies.
I think a lot of them are higher quality (metal frame instead of plastic, real rubber wheels instead of plastic, etc) and I can definitely see the appeal for people who will use them often (like someone in a city who walks most places).
The one we registered for came in a travel system, because honestly, we live in a rural area and we have to drive everywhere we go. We'll use a small umbrella stroller more than anything and we only got the larger one for those cases where we'll go somewhere that he'll need something more comfortable for. For us, a more expensive higher quality stroller just isn't necessary.
I honestly haven't checked them out but I could see the reason maybe being that they'd be light weight or just really well designed.
One thing we hated about my friends stroller (and all the 4 wheeled ones at BRU) is that they tend to veer off to one side...when I would walk my friends baby, the stroller kept wanting to roll to the right and I had to really dig in to keep it going in a straight line. That's why we picked a jogger, you can turn it so smoothly. Also the wheels are bigger and are like bike wheels, which for us is great in Canadian winters. The smaller, plastic wheels can crack and are apparently hard to replace. Our stroller was a gift, but it was only $200 or so. I wouldn't personally spend that much just because you only use them for a few years, but I also wouldn't want to skimp and get stuck with something we hate.
Personally I think It is personal preference. I agree with the above poster they are generally higher quality strollers hence the price increase. But when you get in to the price difference in these more expensive strollers ie: the Uppababy vs the Orbit or the Bugaboo, I generally don't see the difference and wouldn?t pay 300 - 400 dollars more to get a bugaboo over an uppababy when they do the same thing and the quality is the same. What sold me on the uppababy compared to a travel system besides all the really cool features was when I went to Hawaii with 2 of my cousins who both have 9 month olds. One had the uppababy the other had a travel system and asked to barrow the uppababy whenever the other wasn't using it. She ended up buying the uppababy when we got home. I completely understand why people would not want to spend that much on a stroller but there was only a few things I wouldn't compromise on when it came to splurging and one was the stroller.
I'm getting the Uppa Baby Vista. It seems that everyone in the city either has that or the Bugaboo. It's just more functional then the cheaper strollers. They are sturdier, have nice big wheels and they are easy to manuver. If I lived in the suburbs and used the stroller primarily for trips to the grocery store or mall, then I wouldn't even consider it. However, since I walk EVERYWHERE, I need a heavy duty stroller. I can't throw extra baby gear in the car either. I need to be able to carry everything that I need for the baby in the stroller, whether I'm going to the park, the grocery store, a restaurant, etc.
I just got the BOB. It is the most expensive baby-related item we have (400+60 for the infant adapter). It is really important to me to get a great jogging stroller because exercise helps to keep me from getting depressed. The BOB revolution is great because you can use it with the fixed wheel when jogging and then release it to use in stores, etc. It holds kids up to 70lbs and it has a lifetime warranty through REI.
I've heard of too many people that go for the cheap stroller, end up with 4 or 5 different ones along the way but then just buy the BOB anyway because none of the other strollers are what they wanted to begin with.
I'm a very cheap person, but it's important to me to spend money wisely. So, I'll pay a little more for better quality, if it makes sense.
I'm getting the BOB because I run. You can't possibly run 10km+ with a travel system.
I also plan on selling ours afterwards. I have been watching Craigslist like crazy hoping to find one for myself, and it seems that they rarely appear, and when they do, people are asking $350 for them, and they get snatched up right away.
However, if I wasn't a runner, I don't think I'd be spending the $$ on a stroller. And this comes from an expensive purse girl.
Maneuverabily and easy functions seem to be one of the biggest differences. I have a Baby Jogger City Elite and bought the mini double. There is no comparison with turning on these strollers vs a Graco (or even the Peg Perego I had) Plus it's a one handed fold and the mini double is only 26lbs.
I got the Bugaboo because of the quality and how long it's been around.
The same model (name has changed) has been around since the early 90's and it hasn't changed much, which says a lot I think.
It has a metal frame but is still super light, it has rubber wheels, and two different kinds of wheels, small and manuverable ( you can turn it 360 degrees on dime) and big wheels for rough terrain. I can use it as my snap'n'go stroller, and infant stroller, a toddler stroller, and a running stroller (i didn't want to have to have a snap'n'go, a light weight, and a jogging stoller), It has an adjustable suspension.
I have loved this stroller for 3 years since I first saw it, I have done countless research on it for 2 years since we started trying and have not read a single bad review on it.
My husband thinks I am crazy to spend that much money on it, but we have personal spending money built into our budget that we can use on anything we personally want as long as it doesn't affect each other(i.e. no bringing home a pet) and I have been saving mine for 2 years. That's how I was able to purchase it.
The Bob - a must for running. But luckily I was able to find one used for $100 so I scored there.
The UPPA Baby Vista - overall quality, features, style. We paid for it ourselves $700 but we have gotten TONS of free hand-me-downs and gifts for most other items so we have been very lucky. I would never register or ask someone to buy and item this expensive cause it is a luxury and not a need.
The UPPA turns and pushes so easily, the quality is built to last, it can easily be adapted with the rumble seat for a second child, has the bassinet, the toddler seat sits high, can sit facing me or out, lays flat to sitting straight up, adjustable handle bar, arched axle on the wheels so no kicking it with a taller walker with a fast long stride, I plan to be very active and lots of walks / hikes, can go off on dirt trails easily, the company has great customer service, most of all I have been obsessing over strollers for the past 5 years while trying for a baby and now I finally get to buy one!!!
I did not want to spend $700+ on a stroller, but I live in a city and walk places a lot of the time, so I needed something that would be able to handle uneven sidewalks and curbs. I have friends with cheaper strollers (and I don't mean super cheap strollers, I mean $300 or so strollers) that do not handle curbs as well as the pricier ones. I also wanted something that would last a long time (through toddlerhood and beyond). DH and I decided that the best solution was to get a used Bugaboo. We paid $400 for it with a bunch of accessories, like the parasol, bag clips, graco car seat adapter, and bunting/footmuff thing.
We decided on the Bugaboo over other similar strollers because the wheelbase is much narrower than the UppaBaby Vista so it fits through smaller doors and aisles. I liked the BOB a lot, too, but the baby can't face you in the BOB.
Also, the Bugaboo will be living in our living room since we live in a city rowhouse and do not have a garage, so it will be our baby's sleeping place on the first floor of our house since it has the bassinet. So that was a big bonus of getting one with a bassinet, too.
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This. I also love that it comes with a base color and you can get different covers for it. If we have a girl, she'll be rocking the hot pink and it's nice that you can just change it out for another color with baby #2. Also, the resale value is ridiculous...It's great to me that we'll be able to sell it to someone who can love it just as much as we will. And finally, baby will be spending the first six weeks of his/her life sleeping in the bassinet feature next to our bed.
This is our one 'expensive' item. We live in the city, walk all day, everyday and will use our stroller like some people use their cars. It was important that it be able to accomodate more than one child at some point, have long/very good warranties, fantastic steering, wheels and maneuverability and it has to be lightweight and fold up easily. I test drove many, many, many strollers at baby stores and stroller stores and am very confident that we are spending the money wisely. I am tall as is my husband the only strollers that have a height adjustment option are the more expensive ones so that just added an additional check mark to the many reasons why we chose the stroller we did.
If I lived in the 'burbs or a rural area I would buy an inexpensive stroller also but to me it's like a bicycle, if you use it all of the time you will buy one that lasts longer and has the features you need, if you use it irregularly than any old bike will do.
This is the exact same thing my SIL said.
The one we want is a Baby Jogger City Elite and it retails for $399.99. With the attachments to accomodate the carseat/infant seat and the toddler bar it's going to be around $600.00.
What makes this worth it- when I wouldn't spend major $ on pretty much anything else- is utility and features. We spent more time researching our stroller choice/purchase than we did anything else. I had a very specific set of requirements and it was important to me that the stroller last and be worth the investment. This particular brand and model has another jump seat attachment so you can turn your single stroller into a double without having to buy another stroller. We're looking at 5 years (at least) of use out of this one purchase, that's freaking awesome.
Some features that were important to us:
Seriously light weight, single handlebar, air filled rubber tires, easy to collapse and store AND easy to open, accomodations for infant to toddler, adjustable handlebars for my shortness and Mr Techie's taller frame, all fabric pieces must be machine washable and easy to remove, shocks to make a smoother ride, ability to take the stroller on all terrains but NOT be a jogging stroller, good shade for sun coverage and rain- with vents so the kid can breathe, manueverability, fully reclineable and brand reputation.
Oh my gosh when I have a girl I can not wait to get the hot pink. But for know the blue is pretty cute.
I tried to convince myself out of buying an expensive stroller, but I just couldn't do it. Every time I compared strollers, I could see the quality difference between the Bugaboo and less expensive strollers. It's also lightweight, extremely maneuverable (you can push it with one finger), durable, and has an excellent resale value. Nothing else I pushed was as smooth, and that was important to me because I will be walking everywhere with it.
It was a total splurge item, but for the amount of time I will spend pushing it (and LO will spend in it) it was worth it to me.
wow, I thought I was asking for a lot by wanting a $150 stroller (because it's sort of an umbrella kind, and we also want one that can snap the carseat into it for an infant.)
If you're talking about strollers such as the bugaboo, I think they're special because they are all-in-one. You can use them from infancy onward, and they can be joggers as well as everyday. They have separate parts for snow tires and stuff like that. They are still too bulky in my mind, though, and yes, too expensive.
ETA: people who live in cities also like to have really heavy duty strollers because the stroller IS the car. I sort of fall into that category, actually, but we hate all things bulky, so we're going to see how the lighter/smaller ones hold up before making the plunge and getting something such as a BOB.
My parents offered to buy us a stroller early on, and we said OK. When it got closer to time to buy one, I mentioned that I was thinking of waiting on the stroller, and just buying the car seat and a stroller-frame thingy now (that the car seat would attach to) and then picking out a full featured stroller later. They came back offering to buy us a Peg Perego travel system, which is a little different than some of the other travel systems, as each part comes off of the frame, and I will be able to just have the frame and the car seat (which is important because I have RA and can't always deal with heavy things). Apparently they bought Peg Perego when I was little and my child will probably see that same stroller when she visits Grandma and Grandpa, so they were excited to be able to give a gift like that to us.
Anyway, since my parents are buying it (no complaints here!) we are getting the Peg Perego Pliko Switch travel system. It comes with a stroller seat that is completely detachable and can face either out toward the world or toward whoever is pushing. It also converts to a buggy/carriage for an infant. It also comes with the super fancy Peg Perego Viaggio infant seat, which costs way more than I would have ever spent on an infant seat, but it's also really amazing! I guess this system goes for about 600-700, but I know my parents are buying it through direct buy, so they are paying less.
Would we have spent this much on a stroller/travel system? No. After playing with the stroller in a store, and realizing how great it is going to be for us (I can't really carry things like car seats too far because of the RA, and we live in the city and walk EVERYWHERE) am I super excited to get it? YES!