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South Florida Babies
stoller dilemma
Well, we finally made it up to Buy Buy Baby and Baby Love, and we're now much better informed, but 10 times more confused than when we went in.
The guy at Buy Buy Baby didn't seem to be a big fan of the Quinny Buzz, which is what I was pretty sure I wanted going in. It's my favorite stroller, looks-wise, but folding it was a lot more difficult than I expected. It's also pretty heavy. You are limited to the Maxi Cosi carseat, which I like, but DH saw the Peg Perego and fell in love with that so now he really wants one for Emma.
The guy showed us the Baby Jogger City Mini which is not a stroller I had researched or even heard of, and he practically had us sold on it (well, DH loved it, and I liked it). It's not my favorite looking stroller (it's very, very sporty), but you cannot beat the fold. It was so incredibly easy to get it open and closed. I could easily see myself being able to get it in and out of the car while carrying the baby in my other arm. You can buy a car seat adapter for it that takes Peg Perego, Graco, and Evenflo car seats. It's also the least expensive (by about $300) than any of the other strollers we looked at. The people at BBB told us that you can put an infant in it with the seat fully reclined if you were going to be out for a while and didn't want the infant in the car seat for several hours. With the recline position, the baby would have more of a "hammock" feel (if that makes sense...more loose, less sturdy). When we left there, we were pretty sure that's the way we were leaning.
Then we went to Baby Love. The guy at Baby Love didn't like the City Mini and he was surprised we were even considering it as an everyday, full-sized stroller. He says that the fact that it's so light doesn't really make it practical, and that it should be considered more of an umbrella stroller than a full functioning stroller. He also says it's not good for infants at all and he only recommends it for older children. He suggested either the Quinny, the Uppa Baby Vista, or the Bugaboo Frog (which of course made DH think he just wanted to sell us the most expensive stroller we would be willing to buy).
The floor model of the Quinny that they had at Baby Love was much easier to fold than the floor model at BBB...I think the one at BBB was probably brand new and very stiff. The one they had at Baby Love wasn't as easy to get closed as the UppaBaby or the Bugaboo, but it was manageable. And because it doesn't come with the bassinet, it's cheaper than those other two. We also think that the seat on the Quinny is the most comfortable for the baby of all the other models we looked at (it's like a memory foam type of material...very cushy).
We liked the UppaBaby and the Bugaboo a lot, it's just a matter of justifying the price. The guy at Baby Love was really big on the importance of the bassinet feature (which I have always thought was unnecessary for us) and kept saying that leaving the baby in the carseat for too long was really bad (which is what we would do with the other models because we would basically use them with the stroller frame as a snap and go). The Uppa is easier to fold, but heavier, and the Bugaboo is harder to fold, but lighter. The Uppa is also about $90 cheaper and it brings extra excessories (like the rain shield, etc.) which you have to pay extra for the Bugaboo. It also has an extra piece that you can buy later on and attach as a toddler seat so that you can then use it as a double stroller (something to think about since we want another baby in the next 2 years or so).
So overall, I think we're left between the City Mini, the Uppa Baby, and the Quinny. The biggest deterrent of the Quinny is that it's not easy to fold, but I still love it. My biggest fear with the City Mini is that the seat it comes with it won't be comfortable for an infant, and I worry about being out all day and only having the option of keeping the baby in the carseat. I really liked the Uppa but I wish it was cheaper. All these strollers seem to have really good reviews both in Baby Bargains and on different websites.
Sorry this was so long...we are not in a rush to buy anything right now but I'm glad we went today and tested them out and got input on the different models. Now I just need to research everything and figure out what the best option for us is going to be. I don't think anyone here has the Quinny, but if any of you have feedback on the City Mini, the UppaBaby Vista, or the Frog, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks ladies! Hope everyone is having a great weekend 
This discussion has been closed.
Re: stoller dilemma
i don't have any feedback on those strollers, I'm sorry! I just wanted to say that we kept Abby in the carseat in the travel system for the majority of the time we were out and about. when the carseat is in the travel system, it's more at an incline and it also keeps them cozy. When Abby would nap if we were at a restaurant or something, we would put the stroller seat ocmpletely flat (we have a Graco, not by any means as expensive as the others you're looking at, but it's very comfortable albeit bulky) and it converted into a bassinet-much like the baby jogger does.
Also, if God forbid your Emma has reflux, the bassinet feature will be irrelevant to you. It is not good for babies with that!! But hopefully you won't have to deal wtih that. I know that I would've been pissed had we spent the money on a pricey bassinet and we never would've been able to use it!!
Whoah! I see your confusion! ;-)
I don't have any real feedback on any of those strollers since they aren't what I have, but you might want to check on the 0-6 and 6-12 boards. I have heard some of those strollers mentioned quite a bit over there. Maybe those girls could help out.
As far as the carseat goes- those things really have such a short lifespan. We used Nadia's infant seat until she was like 6 months old and then I switched her to her convertible seat. By this point she was so heavy, I wasn't taking the carseat out of the car anyways. I had debated registering for the Peg Perego, but we went with the Chicco instead (because it had good ratings and was cheaper). I'm glad I didn't go with the Peg Perego because it would have been a lot of money to just use for a few short months.
Honestly- you probably won't be out and about all day with the infant seat. Atleast I wasn't. We went to dinner and stuff while she was tiny, and she stayed in her carseat, but I really wasn't out and about with her all day until she was a few months old and by that point she was riding directly in the stroller. (when I mean all day I'm talking about leaving my house in the morning and coming home in time for her bedtime. I definetly wasn't doing that when she was a tiny baby).
I used the Mac snap and go for the first two months exclusively. Babies grow sooo fast that I wouldn't really see the need to spend the extra money on a bassinet. I started putting Nadia in a stroller at two months.
Check out this forum. It's by the Baby Bargains people. I used it A LOT when I was doing my research on Baby Gear. Maybe you can find more info on there. https://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=3
By the way, I really think the people in those stores are just trying to make sure they sell an assortment of strollers and not just the same stroller all day to everyone. When I went to Baby Love, they tried to get me to buy the Peg Perego Switch. Infact, my dh really loved it and we almost bought it right there on the spot but then decided to go home and think about it first. I'm glad we did- I wouldn't have been happy with that stroller long term.
GOOD LUCK and happy shopping!!! I really loved this part of being pregnant!
Mari
And I was just thinking... You mentioned being able to get the stroller in and out of the car while holding your baby in one arm. Just wanted to mention that in 8 months I've never had to hold the baby and deal with the stroller at the same time. Not sure if knowing that helps you any. ;-)
Mari
People will ALWAYS try to sell you the most expensive one, that's their job! I've noticed that Baby Love pushes the Peg Perego alot and says it's the safest one out there, which I am pretty sure it's not since the Graco Snugride was rated #1.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know you have PLENTY of time to chose a stroller. All you need to get aroudn for the first few months is a good carseat and a snap n go. Unless you plan on being out all day everyday with your baby in his carseat, I wouldn't worry about him having problems or being in pain because you left him in it.
I wish I had waited after my first was born before buying a stroller, I know much more after he was born then before, especially when it came to what I wanted in a stroller!
I don't have any feed back on those, sorry:(
I was SUPER stressed out about the stroller before I had Abraham because I like having things done. But in the end I bought the Maclaren snap n go until I figured out what I was going to do about the stroller. The first month they sleep so much that if you go out with them they can be in their car seat and probably won't even notice that they're out.
My only advice to you is to picture yourself going to the places you normally go with each of those strollers. How they would fit in aisles at stores, etc.
GL:)
We used the Safe Seat with the snap-n-go (exclusively) until Spencer was 6 months. We now use the Pliko P3, and we really like it. However, if I knew then what I knew now, I would have waited until we needed it and take Spencer with us to try them out. My aunt & uncle really wanted to get us the stroller, and I should have just asked them to wait until we needed it. Either way, I couldn't justify the cost of a Quinny or Bugaboo, when they didn't even have the highest ratings. We also knew that we needed a stroller with extended arms, as Josh is so tall; I probably would have went straight to a jogging stroller.
Good luck...the decisions are hard to make....your first priority should be the infant carrier (and I truly believe that the snap-n-go is the greatest invention). Hang in there!
Photo courtesy of www.yaporiginals.com
It's Beshert
I have the Uno too and love it for all those reasons! It's nice to find somebody else out there that has it.. you're right it seems so rare!
My blog
I have the Quinny Buzz and LOVE it. The folding is a little difficult at first (because it is so stiff), but it loosens up. We bought it at Baby Love. When we went, just to do the research, they had a great sale where they threw in the bassinet and the infant seat for one price...so we grabbed. The only downside to it is the limited basket space in the bottom...but I hate carrying to much stuff with me and it hasn't really bothered me. You can buy the "buzz bag" that attached to the back axel for a little extra storage. OH YEAH...and the comments from people are really fun--our friends call it "the mother ship" because it we have the Buzz-3 and it sort of looks like something spaceaged :-)
Page me if you want to chat more about it. I don't come here too often but will likely see a post directly only to me :-)
Best of luck shopping!
I know exactly how you feel.. Here is my suggestion.. If you like the Quinny buzz and the Uppa Baby.. Try the I'Coo Targo.. Its AMAZING!!! My cousin just bought it and its wonderful.. VERY light and it comes with a universal carseat adapter which fits any car seat.. Check it out..
https://www.gtbaby.com/home/icoo_Targo.html
"If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane" -- Jimmy Buffett
Also, since you are going to be making a lot of upcoming purchases, I'd highly recommend subscribing to Consumer Reports. I believe the subscription is $20/yr, and it gives you access to ALL their reviews... and they have a HUGE baby section (inc, strollers, car seats, etc). When we were constructing our home and buying appliances, etc we relied on them a lot.
www.consumerreports.org
"If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane" -- Jimmy Buffett
Thanks so much for all the input, guys. I'm still so confused as to what we should do. I really don't think this is as big of a deal as I am making it out to be, but for whatever reason my brain has fixated on this decision and I am having major anxiety about what to choose
Silly, I know. I'm thinking it's the hormones haha!
Thanks for bearing with my super long post and I'm sorry in advance if I end up asking a bunch more obsessive questions like this in the months to come.
Jackie, I'm going to email you or facebook message you later to ask you more about your SIL's Quinny. Thanks!!
Hi!
I'm new to post here. I have the Uppababy Vista and we really like it. The guy at Baby Love did the hard sell on it. Don't buy it for the bassinet feature though. We used the bassinet maybe 2 times and my daughter hated it. Absolutely hated it. It sits alone in my garage. Brand new. It is a great stroller and does fold easily. I used the car seat adapter for Graco which was great. The seat also is reversable so while she was really little, we had her facing towards us and now that she is 6 months old, she is facing out. It is a little on the heavy side but all in all, we love it. My husband is 6'4 and so it is nice that the handle raises and lowers easily. It also folds easy once in the "locked" position.
Hey there,
Have you checked out the message boards on the babybargains.com website? They have a stroller board which is super informational. From what I remember, the ladies on that board were big big city mini fans. The next time I need to purchase a stroller I will probably get that one. I saw them today at La Ideal and they were great and I'm surprised to hear that they fold easy because they look quite combursome. I don't think you need a bassinet feature. We currently have a Peg Perego P3 and when he was a baby and we wanted him out of the car seat but still in a stroller we just did the full recline and buckled him up and he was super happy. I think the guy at Baby Love just wanted to sell you an expensive big stroller knowing you would want to down size later on. They make more money when they sell you two strollers instead of one. Also, I wouldn't pay too much attention to ANY sales person because most of the time they are trained to hype up whichever model they need to move that day or week etc. Whatever you decide, don't compromise on the fold, it is such an important feature! Make sure you can really handle it easily. I was so close to getting the bugaboo and always backed out because of that crazy two part fold.
I do not have feedback on those strollers. I have the Bugaboo Camelon and I absolutely love it. I loved the bassinet and We used it until DS was 3 months old. After that we switched to the regular seat because we were going to Europe and the bassinet was too bulky to take with us,if not we would have used it for a longer period of time. I do not know about the frog but my cameleon did come with a rain cover. If you do research you will find that is not really safe to keep the baby in a carseat for a long period of time. In fact, they do not release preemies from the hospital until they pass the carseat test. During the test they put the babies in a carseat for a period of time, i do not know if it is an hour or 45 min. If they do not have any respiratory issues they pass, if not, they have to stay in the hospital for a longer period of time. I know that most babies are in carseats all the time and they are usually fine but it is not the best thing to do.
My friend has the quinny and she really likes it. Personally, i think it is too wide and bulky. The base, where the wheels are, is wider than the bugaboo and that becomes a pain in the rear end when you go to a restaurant or a store because it only goes passes through wide isles or spaces. GL with your decision, the most important thing is that you are haoppy with it.
We used the Safe Seat and snap and go stroller at first and it was perfect.
We bought the Baby Jogger City Elite from Baby Love. It has the adjustable seat the fully reclines like a bassinet. Baby Love sells those stroller pads if you are interested in it being more cushiony.
We bought the Boppy Noggin from PBK to put in ours because of Andew's torticollis. It's also a cushion.
I really like that stroller whether it has the extra cushion or not.