Nurseries and Baby Gear
Help - stroller ?
Ok, I'm a first time mom due in August. I am completely overwhelmed by all the options (and opinions) on all the gear. I also feel a little stupid. Please tell me...
What type of stroller/s do I need? Do I need one for infant AND one for older? Will one last until the child is 3 or 4? The "How many strollers do you have post" really freaked me out!!! Thanks for any help. I am sure I will have a million more questions. You all seem so knowledgeable. I try to research, but it's just too much!
BTW, I get that a real jogger is for people actually running. But are they the best for walking outdoors? Trails and walking paths are what we normally use.
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Re: Help - stroller ?
There are SO many different opinions on this.
You have to decide if you want to use an infant carseat and click in into a stroller or not. DH & I will NOT be doing that, so we looked for a stroller that could recline for a newborn, and sit up for older babies. There aren't many of those out there (you can always PM me because there are a few we found).
I know many people are getting a few strollers or some nice, expensive all-purpose ones. DH wants to use a baby carrier (not a sling) a lot, and I want a simple stroller.
I started with the question "What do I want to use this stroller for?" In my case.... Shopping (LOL, go figure :-P) We went with the Chicco Cortina travel system. I love how the stroller handles with one hand and isn't gigantic and bulky.
DH's answer to the question was "Parks, jogging, and outdoors activities", so we purchased a BOB jogging stroller.
I am thinking of getting the Chicco Capri stroller to use as a lightweight stroller once LO get's bigger.
Good Luck :-)
Truth be told: with one child all that's needed is one... maybe two. Pre jogging days we had the Graco Metrolite (given to us as a gift) and a small Costco umbrella like stroller. I personally liked the Graco best and used it the most b/c it was easy to handle. DH liked the costco one because it was small and light although I found it difficult to handle. I never snapped my carseat into the stroller, I always reclined it all the way back (there are a few strollers that do that!). However, neither stroller we really used much when DS was an infant. I like to babywear and found that to be the easiest thing to do ever.
Post jogging days DH and I LOVE LOVE LOVE our Jeep Jogger. It made the other two obsolete. It's all terrain, handles like a dream, perfect for any outdoor activity, holds a child up to 45lbs (DS is 3 and weighs 32lbs), reclines all the way back, and is light (although a bit bulky when folded). I haven't used any other stroller since. When we found out we were pregnant again we decided to get a double jogger and got rid of the other two.
Think about what you NEED it for and what features you want. Personally the more fancy and more options, the more likely you're going to overspend on something you don't need. I prefer joggers simply because I jog and they are useful in other areas. Find one that reclines all the way, and you don't need the option to snap a carseat into it. Many strollers are pretty light with easy folds. Test some out when you're shopping for one. If you know what features you need and want, and will probably use I can gaurantee you there will be several strollers to fill your options. Good luck!
Honestly, get a stroller frame (they are cheap) that just holds the infant seat, once your baby is here you will have a better grasp on outings you will be doing with your child that involve a stroller and then make a decision. Strollers can get expensive and you don't want to get stuck.
I truly thought I needed a true jogger pre-baby and am soooooooo glad I waited until he was here. I realized that I never jog or run, I'm a very dedicated walker (2-3 x per day for long distances) I ended up choosing a Bugaboo Frog when my son was 2 months old.
I too was so overwhelmed with picking out a stroller. I started off with just the baby trend snap and go. It was so light and easy to use which was perfect when I was still recovering. Once I learned what I mostly used the stroller for I starting looking for a stroller that met all my needs. I ended up with the baby jogger city mini.
Baby jogger city mini
- lightweight 16.8 lbs
- can push with one hand
- can fold with one hand
- extra large canopy
- can recline
If I wasn't pg again this would be the only stroller I would ever need. Now I need to start looking into a double.
https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3502257
Honestly this is the only one we got. It had really good reviews and you can also put the infant seat into it until LO is a little bigger. It reclines as well. I think it's a waste to have so many strollers. I don't get it but that's JMO. Eventually I may get an umbrealla type but we'll see. Good luck...
We are getting the Baby Jogger City Elite. It is like a jogger in that it has the three big tires, so it is great for trails, paths, broken sidewalks, etc, but it is not meant for heavy-duty running. It also has a car seat adapter and reclines all the way, so you can use it from day 1. It holds a child up to 75lbs, so that will last until they are 3 or 4 for sure.
I like it because we do not have room for more than one stroller, and this one seems to do everything we need and will last quite a while (which, IMO, justifies the price). I really hate the travel systems, they are so heavy & bulky, not to mention they would not be as good on the types of walks that we do (which sounds like are similar to what you do).
A site that I found really helpful for comparing was https://www.joggingstroller.com/home.jsp
It reviews plenty of strollers that are not true joggers and has a lot of really good, editorial information about each one.