- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Northern California Babies
My Boys!
Recommend your stroller
So I was doing a bit of research today on strollers and, well, I am totally overwhelmed! What's important? What isn't important? Do you just do a stroller or go for an entire transportation system? And why oh why isn't DH a consumer reports subscriber so I can look at their info????
Here's what I *think* I want: easy to fold/unfold, Not too heavy, folds into a bassinet (I think that sounds pretty cool), good sized canopy, good sized basket underneath, durable wheels to go on paths in the park (not hiking or anything, just regular gravel paths)
So, please help a new mom-to-be out here:
1. What stroller do you use?
2. Do you love it, hate it, just ok?
3. What is most important to you when it comes to a stroller?
4. Did you opt for the whole transportation system? Why or why not?
My Boys!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Recommend your stroller
1. What stroller do you use?
We have 3 strollers. One is the Graco Snap n Go that we used all the time when he was still in the infant seat. I loved how easy it was to snap the car seat into it, especially if baby was still sleeping, I didn't have to wake him. The basket underneath was large and easily accessible. We also have the Bob Revolution. When he was still in the infant seat we had the infant seat adaptor and we would go on walks with him. I love this stroller. It pushes easily over any terrain and is just a breeze to use. It is bulky though and I wouldn't want to use it for shopping or things like that. Because of that we also have a Maclaren Quest stroller that we started using once he got out of his infant car seat. I love how lightweight it is, easy to fold up, doesn't take up much room in the trunk.
2. Do you love it, hate it, just ok?
I'm pretty happy with all 3 of our strollers that we've used.
3. What is most important to you when it comes to a stroller?
For us we knew we wanted a Bob to either run with him in it or to go on walks. It's so easy to push and really fit our needs. We use it daily even now. I also wanted a lightweight one for errands, shopping, etc. that took up less space than the Bob and wasn't as bulky to use in stores.
4. Did you opt for the whole transportation system? Why or why not?
I'm not a big fan of the transportation systems. They seemed to bulky and big to me.
1. What stroller do you use? City Mini Double
2. Do you love it, hate it, just ok? Love it
3. What is most important to you when it comes to a stroller? that it pushes easily for going on walks(not runs) on uneven pavement/grass/etc, folds small as possible, easy to open/fold, big canopy.
4. Did you opt for the whole transportation system? Why or why not? no - Ive always done the snap & go and the city mini. First the single city mini and now the double.
1. What stroller do you use? We have 2, a jogger and a regular. For the regular, we got a Combi. It's super lightweight, and pretty small (great for the mall, etc). The jogger we bought used off CL (I wasn't sure how much it would be used, and I'm a power walker not a runner). It's an In-Step, it was the best $40 we've spent, since it only gets used for walks through the neighborhood.
2. Do you love it, hate it, just ok? I like the Combi, basket room is almost nothing and it's not very easy to manuever, but at the same time it doesn't get used much, folds up easily and does not take up a lot of trunk space. The jogger is good too, for what we paid, I have no complaints.
3. What is most important to you when it comes to a stroller? Then: weight and size were most important along with price. Now: Basket size and manueverability (if that's a word). For the jogger, I just wanted something that rode smoothely on our sidewalks.
4. Did you opt for the whole transportation system? Why or why not? For the Combi we did, since that was the stroller I wanted and the carseat had good reviews. It was cheaper to buy the system than each seperately, and I wasn't sure if another brand seat would fit the stroller.
Sidenotes: Looking back, we have not used the Combi a whole lot. Even when he was still in the carrier, I think I wore him in public for the most part and I don't hit the mall too often. When we went to buy our convertable seat for him, we realized that you don't actually NEED an infant seat. So if you do decide on a bassinet style stroller, I would definitely think about skipping the infant seat all together. Something else to consider: if you guys are thinking about having another child within the next few years you might not want to go all out with this stroller b/c you'll need a double before you know it.
I totally recommend a snap n go for the beginning. It was nice and light, easy to fold, had a huge basket, the carseat fit great, and I got it super cheap off CL.
Now we have the citi-mini and it's been fine. It's got a huge sunshade, it's easy to fold, and is super lightweight and it's got good wheels. It's got a good sized basket underneath but it's really hard to get to.
A stroller in my opinion is like buying a car. Ask your friends for referrals, but go test-drive and buy based on YOUR needs, not what anyone else (including consumer reports) tells you.
With that said...
We have 3 strollers: a snap n' go, City Jogger Elite and a BRU umbrella stroller.
We used the Snap n' Go only with G, before we had any of the other strollers. It was a pass-me-down item (so free), but completely worth it for the first few months of baby #1 until we figured out how we use a stroller and what features were important to us (pretty much exactly what you're asking above).
I found out that based on MY use, I wanted:
- good turning radius
- big wheels
- RUBBER wheels
- storage
- easy to collapse
So with those above we bough the City Jogger Elite. I don't jog, but I liked all the conveniences that came with a jogging type stroller. It meets all of my requirements above.
When we took our trip to Europe I wanted a stroller we can take around the airport, around EU. Being light and small-weight was a must, so my CJ Elite was not an option. We went to BRU and spent $39 on one of their generic umbrella strollers. AWESOME purchase. That stroller is still going strong and has proven to be an incredible value.
I think you should try and find a Snap N Go, used. Use it for the first few months. It has a big basket for shopping, it's super light, and easy to collapse. Figure out from here how you use it: what is the terrain like around you (and by terrain, I don't only mean out-doors: the stores you go to too). Use that to map out what's important to YOU.
Photo by Zemya Photography
1. What stroller do you use? We have 2, Uppa Baby Vista and a City Mini.
2. Do you love it, hate it, just ok? I love both of them, the Uppa Baby was awesome when she was an infant because it came with a bassinet. We also got the car seat attachment for it so we were able to use it like a snap and go. The major draw for us was the adjustable handle bar, since DH and I are both tall, it "fit" us better. The only bad thing about the Vista is it is a BIG stroller. The City Mini is awesome, it is so easy to fold, and very light weight. The only negative for me is the basket is hard to get to.
3. What is most important to you when it comes to a stroller? The height of the handle bar.
4. Did you opt for the whole transportation system? Why or why not? Nope1. We have the BOB revolution and the MacClaren Triumph and we had a Snap n Go
2. I love the BOB and I am "eh" about the MacClaren and LOVED the Snap n Go
3. Just FYI I think the bassinet feature would be completely useless because you would never wake your sleeping baby to put it in it when you could just snap them into a snap n go or an infant seat adapted stroller.
We run with our BOB so it was a must. The MacClaren is virtually worthless to us now since we have such a TALL and Broad child and so he sits at an angle and squishes into it when he has to use it. I have used it all of a handful of times in the last 3 months since he is so big. The BOB is cumbersome for in and out of the car and mall trips, but at this stage I am not getting another stroller. Besides, it would be hard to find one he would fit in.
4. No f-ing way was I gonna get one of those clunky 4 wheel stroller systems after everyone I knew who had one told me how much they regretted getting it. If I had it to do all over again....hmmm...hard since EJ is so big it is so hard to know what he would fit in...perhaps a city select or mini...though those are quite narrow for him. I probably would just do the BOB and the snap n go and that is it at this point.
Money Matters The other half's blog.
EJ is growing up too fast!
We had a BOB revolution. I just sold it on craigslist.
Pros:
Unbelievably easy to stroll and maneuver on any terrain
Decent size basket underneath
Cons:
Big...It takes up a lot of room in the car
The seat doesn't sit up very well...all kids I have ever seen in it always look like they are laying back/slouching. Lilly would use the snack tray to pull herself up and she would have to hold herself up to eat snacks from her tray.
Pretty heavy
After we sold the BOB, we picked up the Baby Jogger Citi Select. I am absolutely IN LOVE with this stroller. It is amazing. Seriously.
Pros
HUGE HUGE HUGE basket underneath and very easy to get to from the front back and sides...there are little zippers you can pull down to extend the basket even more. It's amazing. I LOVE the under basket. Obsessed really.
Hand brake. The brake isn't put on by pushing a pedal near the wheels. On the BOB I sometimes would have a harder time reaching the brake. On this one, it's on the stroller handle bar...just lift it and you've locked the stroller. Fantastic!
Versatility- I can have 3 kids in this stroller if I use the skateboard attachment thing. You can start out using it as a single stroller and when you have your second, you can buy the extra seat and you have a double! And the ways you can arrange the seats are almost limitless! It's amazing.
The stroller seat FULLY reclines...full on flat. Fantastic for Lilly for naps on the go.
Lilly sits far more comfortably in this stroller than the BOB. She can sit up more straight (or laid back...however we position it) and eat snacks easily.
Cons:
I do wish the stroller handle could extend to be just a bit longer. But it really doesn't bother me that much at all.
No parent snack/drink tray. We had to buy an attachment (we had to do the same for the BOB)
1. What stroller do you use?
We have 3 - the one that came with our carseat, a BOB Revolution, and a Baby Jogger City Select
2. Do you love it, hate it, just ok?
My favorite is definitely the City Select - ditto everything SportyMrs said :-), plus you can very easily take it apart and it fits well into the trunk of my civic. I definitely like the BOB in certain instances too - when we're on rough terrain it handles much better, but it's larger and heavier, and even though the basket is large it is hard to access. The one that came with the carseat (I think it was a Graco snugride 32 system) is just eh - I've only used it a handful of times.
3. What is most important to you when it comes to a stroller?
Basket size and accessibility of the basket, large canopy, manuverability (I hate wheels that are wider than the frame of the stroller i.e. stick out further on the sides - I always catch them on stuff), and handle height.
4. Did you opt for the whole transportation system? Why or why not?
We did, but only because the pattern I wanted for the carseat only came in the system. If we could have bought just the carseat, I would have in a heartbeat
On a side note, our strollers actually don't get much use.... When T was smaller, I would carry him most of the time (I hate lugging around strollers), and now he mostly walks but I'll still carry him sometimes. I really only use the stroller when I'm going to need to keep him contained (like at a dr's appt) and I know I can get around easily, or when I've got 2 little ones to look after... Good luck!
In the early days, I used a snap 'n go and a MacLaren Triumph. The combo of the two worked out really well for us, but I didn't used either much, since I wore her most of the time. I just got a double city mini and LOVE it, so I imagine the single is pretty great, too.
I'm actually selling the snap 'n go if you'd be interested in it. I'm in San Jose. I was thinking about $35.
We have had 3. Started with the Snap n go. Best thing ever. You can always find them used, I have loaned them to 2 people since I finished using mine. Huge basket, light weight, easy to fold and perfect at the infant stage. Only lasts about 4-5 months tops (as soon as they want to start looking around more we were done with it).
We then got the Baby Jogger city Elite. Same as Ava's. LOVE it, but definitely not for shopping or quick trips. Its on the larger/heavier side, so not really useful for quick trips to the store or crowded places.
We have a Chicco Liteway umbrella stroller and love it. decent sun shade, has a good recline, a little bigger than most McLaren's (or so it seemed for us with our tall kiddo). Folds pretty easily, its comfy for DS, and it survived our first Disney trip with flying colors (he napped in it every day for hours).
All that being said, I also wear him a lot (even at this point). We have the Ergo and had a Moby when he was younger. If I was doing a really quick trip once he got to stroller age, it was just easier to throw him in the Ergo and run into the store and it gave me both hands and I could push a cart.
You need to figure out exactly what you want out of a stroller and how you will use it. No two people will want the same things out of a stroller. Keep in mind, really early on, you don't HAVE to have a stroller, or even a snap n go. If you have a Moby or something you can always wear the baby (and prevents the random creepy people from trying to touch your newborn) and then start figuring out what exactly you are looking for.