2nd Trimester

Baby Bargains is stressing me out! (stroller help needed)

So I am registering this weekend with my sister (her kid is almost a year old, so I figure she will know more than me and DH).  So I have been reading through the Baby Bargains book and researching as much as I can.  The only thing that i'm completely lost on and don't even know what direction to go in is strollers!  Should I get the "travel system" and then get an Umbrella stroller?  Should I get the Frame stroller so the infant seat can go in it and then get a second stroller later?  Should I get the inbetween stroller (not as cheap as the Umbrella but less then the Travel System?  What do I need for the winter months?  (I live in MI.  I know BB had a section on this but I still feel lost).  Do I need to even worry about the winter months?  Did I read right that the Travel systems (without the car seat) will only hold kids up to about 30lbs?  AHH.  This is just stressing me out.  (Rediculous thing to stress about I know!)

What are you guys doing for Strollers?  Any suggestions/tips that could point me in a right direction?

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Re: Baby Bargains is stressing me out! (stroller help needed)

  • I live in Michigan and registered for a travel system and an umbrella stroller.  My sister helped me register too - she has an 18 month old.  The travel system I registered for holds up to 40 lbs I believe.

    ETA:  Nope, mine holds up to 50 lbs.

    https://www.target.com/Graco-Quattro-Deluxe-Travel-Townsend/dp/B001GQ2PN2/qid=1248439525/ref=br_1_6/181-2738485-3211159?ie=UTF8&node=3579971&search-alias=&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=3579971&rank=pmrank&rh=&page=2 

  • jmac22jmac22 member
    Honestly, I wouldn't bother with a travel system.  They are so big and bulky and by the time spring/summer comes around, you should be about able to put your baby in an umbrella stroller.  I'm actually looking to get rid of the travel system I used with DD because I don't want to deal with it again. JMO.
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  • dbos99dbos99 member
    I live in a city, so my situation might be a little different than yours. ?I am going to most likely get the UppaBaby or Bugaboo as my primary stroller. ?I am also registering for the Snap n Go to use with the infant seat. ?I plan to keep that stroller in the car and use it for the mall, etc. ?I do plan on getting an umbrella stroller eventually but will deal with that once the baby is big enough to sit up. ?I think most people end up accumulating a few strollers over time. ?Right now I would focus on what you plan to use the stroller for primarily- long walks, quick trips, etc. ?Good luck! ?It is a bit overwhelming I know!
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  • I had three parents in a row tell me they HATED their travel systems because they were so bulky and heavy.

    We registered for the infant car seat & stroller frame as well as a nice umbrella stroller.

    Good luck. Oh, and make sure you eat before you go to register. Nothing like making hard decisions on an empty stomach.

  • imagejmac22:
    Honestly, I wouldn't bother with a travel system.  They are so big and bulky and by the time spring/summer comes around, you should be about able to put your baby in an umbrella stroller.  I'm actually looking to get rid of the travel system I used with DD because I don't want to deal with it again. JMO.

    Yeah, I am petite and I just couldn't imagine getting those bulky travel system strollers out of the car by myself. I am doing the infant seat and car seat frame because it's smaller and also because it's going to be winter when I use it. I don't feel like I will actually use the stroller all the much until the spring and by then baby will be big enough for a nice lightweight stroller. 

  • ibisibis member

    We're skipping the travel system. I guess the plus side of getting one is that you can move the infant carrier from the carseat to the stroller, or just carry baby around in it, without taking baby out. But they are large and heavy. 

    I'm in Nebraska and the convenience of having a baby in January is that I won't need or use a stroller for the first few months anyway. We're going to get a few baby-carriers (sling, Bjorn, that sort of thing) and just get an umbrella stroller for when it's warmer and baby will be big enough for one. That way we can also just buy ONE convertible carseat and not have to buy the infant seat and the convertible later. 

  • I live in boston so do not plan on doing much walking with the baby until he/she is about 4-5 months old, when the weather gets warmer. I decided the best thing to do is to get a snap and go for doctors appointments/shopping in malls etc. Then also to get a combi stroller (sort of a higher end umbrella stroller with a reclining feature) for when the weather warms. I was thinking about getting the Combi car seat and skipping the snap and go, but am not crazy about the reviews for their car seat.

    I just do not want something big and clunky, which a lot of travel systems are. It does not fit my lifestyle at all. 

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  • I purchased the Chicco Cortina Travel System and I registered for the infant seat frame.  I do not plan to use the stroller in the travel system with the infant seat because I'm due in November and will have a late fall/winter baby and other than maybe trips to the mall we won't be out doing walks.  By the time I need the stroller, the baby will be big enough to go into it.

    Of all the travel systems, Chicco Cortina is the only one that is well rated.  It's much better and less bulky than the other travel systems out there and people that I know that have it have loved it (so far).

  • I live in Michigan, too.  With DD, I registered for a travel system (Chicco) and an umbrella stroller (also Chicco.)  When DD was old enough for the umbrella stroller, I put that in my car and use the travel system stroller (without the car seat) for walks in the neighborhood, trips to the zoo, etc. 

    If I were doing it over again, I would get a Snap & Go type frame for the car seat and evaluate my needs when it was time to get another stroller.  I personally would have liked a more all terrain stroller to use as my big stroller.  I am fine with the little umbrella I have for mall trips, quick trips around town, etc.

    I guess it just depends on what your needs are.  I am a teacher and have a lot of breaks/home for the summer, so we take a ton of walks, belong to the zoo, and things that require a decent outside stroller.  If you will be using it mostly inside, I would probably get a snap & go and then a nice umbrella with a good recline & basket, like a MacLaren.

    I just realized that I wrote a book that might have just created more questions, but it took a couple of minutes, so I am posting it anyway.  Good luck reading through it all, and I hope I maybe said one or two things that might help!

  • I think we are going to skip the travel system.  We live in northern Indiana, so I don't imagine we will use the stroller part for several months because of the weather and by the time springs arrives, LO will be big enough for an umbrella stroller or something less bulky.  I think we are going to get an infant carrier and then wait to see, based on our habits, if we need the frame.  I feel we can just carry LO in the carrier for the short trips we would be taking.  Good luck with figuring out what will be best for you guys!

  • There is no one perfect stroller. I have 3, a snap and go, which I love. The only drawback is that it isn't great for exercise walking. You feel every bump in the sidewalk. I also have a Silver Cross umbrella stroller that I keep in my car (DD is 2.5) but rarely use it. She's a big girl and would rather walk. It has been good for traveling and running around etc. The 3rd stroller is a Bob running one and I love it. DD will still ride in it when I want to exercise outside. Even at 2.5 it is a still a comfy ride for her, but too big for errands etc.?

    ?Finally, we are onto the 4th ride for DD, a wagon. Great for going to the park etc.?

    Your needs will change as the baby gets older. Go with what you will need for the 1st 6 months and then reevaluate. I don't have any friends with travel systems, but I do have a friend with a bugaboo and she quit using it when her son was around 6 months. The umbrella stroller was easier to use. ?

  • I am getting the Inglesina Zippy as my stroller. Its not a stroller system but it DOES hold the infant seat, so I dont need a snap-n-go. It is NOT big and clunky- its only 17 lbs without the seat, which is great. It also fully reclines so she can go into it as a newborn without the carseat at all.

     I also registered for a Maclaren Volo for when she's older for travel, etc, and if anyone wants to splurge on me, I also put a Baby Jogger Performance Jogging Stroller on there.

    all got As in Baby Bargains.  I live in the Northeast suburbs, but I dont plan on walking outside when its snowing out... 

  • Thank you so much guys.  You gave me even more to think about.  :) Now, i have to think about what car seat we choose to get and if it will fit into the snap frame.  (I thought BB said the Chicco doesn't fit into those.)  It sounds like the snap frame and then a nice and light stroller would be the best bet.  I just can't believe this is so difficult.  Thanks again!
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  • As I watched some poor girl struggle to pull her enormous travel system stroller out of her trunk yesterday in the Target parking lot, I was even more confident in my choice not to get a TS.

    We opted for the Baby Jogger City Mini with the carseat adaptor and Graco Snugride carseat. *Much* lighter than a TS, far less bulky (will fit nicely into my Corolla's trunk), and is crazy easy to maneuver. After playing in the stroller aisle of BRU for at least 2 hours, we were sold.

    It's really all about personal preference, though, and how you're planning on using the stroller. I wanted something for shopping trips and walks around my neighborhood, and the BJCM fits the bill nicely.

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  • I've had too many friends hate their travel systems due to the weight and size of them.  And lots of umbrella strollers don't offer a full recline for infants.  So we were going to get a snap in frame for the infant seat and then an umbrella stroller for later - until we found the Baby Jogger City Mini.

    It's very light (although not as light as a true umbrella stroller), and has the easiest fold mechanism of any stroller we looked at.  It also has a full recline, so we can use it from the very beginning.  For the convenience of keeping the baby in the infant seat, we will be getting the car seat adapter for it also for the times when we want to "Snap and Go."

     

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  • I just got the Uppa Baby Vista which comes with a bassinet and a toddler seat, they snap in and out very easily and so the stroller works for newborns to 55 pounds! ?The Chicco and Graco carseats can snap in as well with an a snap and go adaptor. ?The stroller itself is Awesome!!!!! Lightweight, (for what it is), sturdy, and the wheels are large and easy to maneuver. ?This can truly be your only stroller. ?My other friend who has the Chicco travel system tried it out and is convinced she should get one instead of the heavy travel system. ?Good Luck!
  • IMO it really depends on your lifestyle.  You have to pick a stroller that fits YOUR lifestyle and budget, not your sisters, or your friends, or your neighbors. Im overwhelmed about this one too, but Im leaning towards getting the babyjogger city mini, and heres why. A three wheeled, jogging stroller type setup is attractive to me because they are typically more maneuverable and handle bumps and uneven sidewalks better than a typical four wheel set up--and where I live, uneven sidewalks are the norm, not the exception. But, I dont really plan to jog with it so I personally dont need the more expensive, heavier, wider, jogging strollers. The city mini is very lightweight, folds easily and pretty compactly, has multiple recline positions and creature comforts like a large sunshade and a "sunroof" so you can look in on baby while youre pushing, is compatable with several brands of infant car seats, and is very affordable (IMO). The drawback is that it has a lower weight limit than some strollers (50 lbs I think) and doesnt have as much storage as the travel systems, but for me that wasnt a big deal. 

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  • Baby Bargains may be frustrating sometimes, but they make no qualms that they strongly do not recommend a travel system, for all the reasons mentioned.
  • Travel systems seem really bulky to me also. I plan to get a Snap and Go and then in the summer get a BOB Revolution. I may or may not get an inexpensive umbrella stroller also.
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  • I would just really strongly suggest going to BRU and trying out all the different kids of strollers. I also was totally overwhelmed by BB, thought that travel systems sounded horrible, and thought the snap-n-go would be the best for me.  Until I went to BRU to play with them, and I hated the snap 'n go style. Hated it.  I also hated all of the Graco travel systems b/c they were huge and plasticy and bulky.  But I loved the Chicco cortina system and also the chicco umbrella stroller (c6/capri) so that is what we are registered for.  You really need to play with them and think about how they will fit into your own lifesyle.

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  • We are registering for the BOB revolution -an "all-terrain" (with the infant seat adapter) and  Maclaren Quest - umbrella-... No need for a travel system when so many high quality strollers have car seat adapters now.

     

    Baby Bargains says they dont' hold up very well and don't have any resale value. I know someone who had one daughter and had the Graco system and it looked AWFUL and didn't manuver well after only one child... Plus it's heavy and bulky.  Since our baby is due in December I won't be outside with a stroller too much. I figure I can use a baby carrier at first as well.

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