Stroller Newbie pls help

momofcatan

Hi everyone.

FTM here and, like so many, am looking for some guidelines on strollers. Obviously I want something I will be able to use with an infant car seat and then transition for use on its own. I have been looking a lot at the 'jogging' strollers, friends of  mine have the Babby Jogger City Elite, and it looks so easy to maneuver. I do not jog/run but once baby is born I am hoping to do a lot of walking (for errands or visiting friends), even in the snowy weather (do I need those big wheels?). Is a jogging stroller overkill? I will also want something that is easy to get in and out of the car. Will I be happier running errands with full size/'travel system' stroller?

I don't mind paying a little bit of a premium if the stroller will have everything I need, but I really don't want to spend a lot of money if I don't need the features I'm paying for.

 I appreciate any advise you can give.

kittenmitton

We have an Uppababy Vista and we LOVE it. Definitely not a cheap stroller, but we live in the city and walk a lot so it was worth the splurge for us. We bought the adapter and use it with our Graco Snugride, which is very convenient. It's fairly easy to fold and put in the trunk of our SUV although it might be pretty big if you have a smaller vehicle. The best part is that it is such a smooth ride and can be steered with one hand easily. We use it in snow and over dirt paths in the park with no issues. Our son loves it and falls asleep almost immediately when we put him in it! The only thing you couldn't use it for would be jogging, but if that's not a dealbreaker I'd definitely recommend the UBV!

genekelly

We bought a BOB revolution for our son before he was born and it has done really well and we LOVE it.  We've taken it running and on hiking trails, gravel trails and bumpy sidewalks in our city as well as shopping (grocery and the mall) and it's handled everything really well.  If you're an outdoorsy person who likes going off the paved path, then it's a great stroller.  The handle height is good, I've never kicked my feet on the back of it, the storage basket is roomy and it doesn't tip when you hang purses or diaper bags on the handlebar and DS is comfortable in it.  You can get a car seat adapter for most car seats on the BOB 2012,  If you buy used though, you'll be restricted to certain brands (Graco and Britax).   I never bought a snap-n-go.  We just used BOB and it was great.

Now that DS is older and not in an infant seat, I just purchased an Uppababy G-luxe umbrella stroller.  The things that have gotten frustrating with BOB is that it takes up the entire trunk of my car, is not so easy to carry onto public transportation (and we're planning on some plane trips this year) and we don't need the car seat adapter anymore.  It's also inconvenient to carry up any kind of stairs when folded b/c it weighs ~25 lbs.  The G-luxe is only 11 lbs and folds small.

I was hoping to get by with only one really good stroller but a true jogging stroller is not great in all situations.  If you're not jogging, I think that this stroller sounds like a great option.  Don't be surprised if after 1 yr or two, you find that a smaller stroller still might be desirable.  Hope this helped and GL!

eyenigh

I have the BJ City Elite and I love it, too. Last summer, I took him to the park, beach and on trails for long walks and it was great. I've also found it to be a nice stroller for outdoor outings like a trip to the cider mill or the zoo since its so comfortable to push and my son can easily recline for a nap.  It's a really nice smooth ride.

That being said, it sucks for trips to the mall or any place where you have small areas to maneuver. I recently picked up the BJ City Micro on clearance at Target and for under $95, it serves the smaller, lightweight purpose that I was looking for at the right price. I've gone through a few strollers for this purpose and I think this one will be the one I stick with.  

ebp913

I agree with everyone else... get a good walking/all terrain stroller and then something smaller for the car.  One stroller is really hard to do if you drive a lot and need something for all terrain.  

All terrain ones I would look at - BOB, Mountain Buggy, Valco Trimode, Bumbleride Indie, City Elite

Lightweight/umbrella - there's a lot of factors here.  I personally like the G-Luxe, Valco Snap, Cybex Onyx.  Maclarens can be good if you like the push.