Overwhelmed by stroller options!

beckorama · January 2012

I know that there have been stroller posts before, but I can't find them now (please feel free to redirect me!).

I'm starting to look at stroller options. I hesitate on a travel system, because it seems like it's of use for such a limited amount of time, but I'm open to hearing what people recommend. This is our first, so I'm pretty clueless (not to mention overwhelmed).

Main priorities: ease (lightness and easy operation) and longevity (I'd love something that I can use from newborn up to toddler). Later on, I'd love something I could jog with, but I realize that that will likely be a whole different thing.

Any help much appreciated!

DomesticDiva0429 · January 2012

This may be no help but we went with a travel system ( Circo, I think) for DS and I didn't need another stroller until he was over a year, maybe closer to 1 1/2. It was a good investment and It was easy to throw the car seat into it and walk around the neighborhood.

amberleeb · January 2012

I loved having a snap and go frame for the car seat! I did that and invested in a good stroller when she was about 5-6 month old. You can usually pick the snap and go for a good deal on craigslist and then re sell it.

DomesticDiva0429 · January 2012

amberleeb:
I loved having a snap and go frame for the car seat! I did that and invested in a good stroller when she was about 5-6 month old. You can usually pick the snap and go for a good deal on craigslist and then re sell it.

Snap and Go? as a second time mommy I feel like I should know what this is...enlighten me please!

amberleeb · January 2012

DomesticDiva0429:
amberleeb:
I loved having a snap and go frame for the car seat! I did that and invested in a good stroller when she was about 5-6 month old. You can usually pick the snap and go for a good deal on craigslist and then re sell it.
Snap and Go? as a second time mommy I feel like I should know what this is...enlighten me please!

Your missing out if you didn't have this! We loved it so so easy!

https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Trend-Single-Snap-Stroller/dp/B000BMKEVC

They make different brands, mine is the Graco brand. So super light and the basket is huge! They make double one for twins too.

sarajj · January 2012

I think it really depends upon where you live.

In the city, I wanted something light and a great suspension for terrible sidewalks. We walk a lot and didn't need something that folded up well. We bought a Bugaboo Cameleon before DS was born and loved the versatility of using it as a "Snap N Go," bassinet, and stroller that can face you or out. I later bought a Bugaboo Bee off of eBay and I love that one too as I take it on car and plane trips (it handles really well and folds up easily in one piece).

In the 'burbs, my SIL didn't need all the features that I wanted. She has a Snap N Go and then a less expensive jogger she got when my niece was about 7 months old. Those have worked very well for her.

I highly recommend getting a Snap N Go or a stroller that can work as one for the few months.

abbyhannah8 · January 2012

I hear you on this one! There are so many out there! I think we are also going to go with a snap and go and then buy a nice stroller when she gets a little older. I have heard people complain that the travel systems are very heavy and bulky. They also take up a lot of room in the trunk! The snap and go is very light weight and is really all that I think I will need with an infant.

bikernun · January 2012

Yes, and we are looking for a double because our youngest will only be 15months older than the baby. There are so many HUGE honking double strollers and all I want is to have a narrower selection so that my brain does not pop out of my ears from all the investigating that I will have to do.

perfectpair1275 · January 2012

When I had my DS in 2008, I did go with the travel system and I just used the stroller again today!! We got the Chicco Keyfit Travel system and I loved it... the stroller is great. Folds easily, pushes easily, has a big basket... I can't say enough about it!! I did have smaller/lightweight strollers for travel etc, but I love my Chicco Cortina stroller.

beckorama · January 2012

j.d.gal:
There are tons of strollers, so it may help to think about what suits your needs. I had some specific desires that led me to a handful of strollers and then I tried them out and picked my favorite.
Things I looked for:
- ability to turn the seat to face me or face out: LO faced me for many many months and then when he was ready, we turned the seat around. i loved that option.
- ability to lay the seat completely flat: we went through a period of time when the only decent nap LO would take was in the stroller, so this was key
- a stroller we could use from day 1 without a carseat: we take at least 1 walk a day and don't use our car daily, so we wanted a stroller that would work well when LO was really small until he was a big toddler (taking into consideration the length and weight restrictions, recline settings, sun shade, comfort, etc.)
- light: i live in the city and we travel a bit, so i wanted a portable stroller
- smooth ride: we don't go into the woods with our stroller, but sometimes on rocky paths and uneven pavement, so i wanted LO to be comfortable especially when little and sleeping!
- folds small: i have a small car with a small trunk, so having something that fit in my trunk but didn't take up all the space was key. with a baby, you'll have a diaper bag and lots of other things (groceries, dogs, whatever), so think about your trunk space.
Hope this helps! My list is probably different than yours, but figuring out how you will use your stroller and what is important to you will help you narrow down your options.

What kind did you end up going with, j.d.gal?

MissButters · January 2012

I remember being totally overwhelmed at first, too, so it's definitely daunting. We wanted a stroller that was compact, lightweight, easy to fold, and easy to use with the infant seat we were getting. After doing some research and looking around, we settled on the Brtiax B-Agile stroller and the Britax B-Safe infant car seat. The B-Agile stroller can be used with a newborn without the infant car seat; however, they will not be facing you. But, there is a mesh window that you can open in the canopy to check in on them. The B-Agile is very similar to the City Mini, but there were a couple features we liked about it better (plus it works seamlessly with the infant seat).

Good luck with your hunt!!

MrsL1022 · January 2012

We did not go with a travel system. I used the snap N' go stroller frame with the infant car seat and got a BOB jogging stroller, which I still use. I also got a light weight stroller when DS got older. A travel system is big and bulky and you are going to want a light weight option for when the baby gets older. The strollers that I have invested in will now be used for this baby.

Daisy22 · January 2012

If you think you're going to jog or be outside, get the single BOB. It was the stroller we used for everything when we just had DS1. They have a car seat adapter that fits Gracos and a few others (not the chicco but you get rig it to take the chicco). It's a great stroller and I used inside and outside. Very easy to move around and kids are comfortable. My son is 2.5 but is tall for his age. Our double bob is the only stroller he's comfortable in now. They also hold up well nad have good resale value if you take care of it.

Blue990 · January 2012

I use the baby jogger city mini with DS and love it. My only complaint is the basket below is pretty small.. but the stroller is lightweight and very easy to fold. Plus the seat lays pretty flat and you can change a diaper in there. You do have to buy a car seat adapter if you wish to connect your car seat in the beginning.

I also have a baby trend jogger and love that as well. I usually use this for the zoo as well as walks/runs.

SweetHurricane · January 2012

It all depends on your needs. Do you jog? Is it just for the mall? Do you have cobblestone where you live? etc.

We have a lightweight travel system - the Graco Metrolite (which I think now is the Urbanlite?). I'm not sure what you mean by "use for such a limited amount of time"... you use the car seat until they grow out of it and use the stroller until you don't stroll your child anymore, which is probably 2-3 years.

Your best bet is to go to the store and take them all for a "test drive".

TnG05 · January 2012

j.d.gal:

There are tons of strollers, so it may help to think about what suits your needs. I had some specific desires that led me to a handful of strollers and then I tried them out and picked my favorite.

Things I looked for:

- ability to turn the seat to face me or face out: LO faced me for many many months and then when he was ready, we turned the seat around. i loved that option.

- ability to lay the seat completely flat: we went through a period of time when the only decent nap LO would take was in the stroller, so this was key

- a stroller we could use from day 1 without a carseat: we take at least 1 walk a day and don't use our car daily, so we wanted a stroller that would work well when LO was really small until he was a big toddler (taking into consideration the length and weight restrictions, recline settings, sun shade, comfort, etc.)

- light: i live in the city and we travel a bit, so i wanted a portable stroller

- smooth ride: we don't go into the woods with our stroller, but sometimes on rocky paths and uneven pavement, so i wanted LO to be comfortable especially when little and sleeping!

- folds small: i have a small car with a small trunk, so having something that fit in my trunk but didn't take up all the space was key. with a baby, you'll have a diaper bag and lots of other things (groceries, dogs, whatever), so think about your trunk space.

Hope this helps! My list is probably different than yours, but figuring out how you will use your stroller and what is important to you will help you narrow down your options.

Just wondering which stroller/s you decided on.

ETA-Nevermind I saw the answer.

PlumCallaLily · January 2012

Are the ones y'all listed good for tall people? I'm 5'9" and DH is 6'2". We plan on "test driving" but would like some opinions as well.

CraftyBaker · January 2012

We're planning to use the Uppababy Vista stroller. It comes with a bassinet, which we can use for strolling early on, as well as sleeping in our room at night during the first few weeks. The wheels have rubber on top of foam (so they never go flat), and it rolls smoothly on the road/sidewalk.
They can be pretty $$, but amazon offers them much cheaper than the uppababy website.

Good luck!

CraftyBaker · January 2012

CraftyBaker:

We're planning to use the Uppababy Vista stroller. It comes with a bassinet, which we can use for strolling early on, as well as sleeping in our room at night during the first few weeks. The wheels have rubber on top of foam (so they never go flat), and it rolls smoothly on the road/sidewalk.
They can be pretty $$, but amazon offers them much cheaper than the uppababy website.

Good luck!

I forgot to mention that we're registering for the adaptor to fit our infant seat, too. This one is also good for tall people (up to 6'6, I think) due to the adjustable handle.

Pancake227 · January 2012

I highly recommend the"test drive" other people mentioned. I was completely overwhelmed. After a long trip to Buy Buy Baby and a very helpful salesperson we narrowed it down. There were so many I could lift there were canceled out easily. Go to store and pick a few. Then we went home and researched reviews on those few.

Olive44 · January 2012

We are also going with the Uppababy Vista. I have only heard great reviews about it. It comes with the bassinet, has a huge basket, adjustable handle for taller people, seat faces in or out, very easy to maneuver.

mulatta72 · January 2012

I did so much research on strollers for my first one and we ended up with the Uppa Baby. I absolutely LOVE it and have used it for almost 1 1/2 years. I used the Snap-n-Go for the first few months because it was just so easy and light...LOVED IT. The only drawback for the Uppa is if you plan on having another baby who will need to ride in the stroller with your toddler. I'm now kicking myself that I didn't get the City Select Double that allows for one or two kids. The Uppa has this LAME attachment seat that you can get for your toddler but it only faces inward. What toddler wants to stare at the bottom of his sister's car seat or feet when he's been facing outward for 2 years? So with that said, I'm trying to sell my Uppa and buy a used City Select. But if I had thought it out better, knowing I was going to have two close in age, I would have gone with the City Select. Good luck!

SummerMama12 · January 2012

We have 3 stroller types:

1) Travel System - Graco Quattro - no complains. Worked well for us with the infant seat and then separately. I used this mostly for walks around town with sidewalks, etc. and at the mall.

2) Jogger - Schwinn InStep - my only complaint is that the front wheel is not moveable. This makes it awkward at times. We used this at the beach, for "off-road" walks, etc. We have used this a ton. I highly rec a jogger.

3)Umbrella - super cheapo one from BRU. This lives in my truck. We used it for street festivals, quick trips, and anywhere we didn't want to push a bulky stroller. Now that my son is 3.5 years old, he is rarely in a stroller, but this is a great option for an amusement park or other places where kids get tired out. I would rec a very cheap umbrella stroller, simply because it's a "use as needed" type stroller.

KCandJASON · January 2012

Another thread today suggested the following website for gear recommendations in general. I definitely devoured her section on strollers et. al. and changed my registry around because of it.

https://www.lucieslist.com/

beckorama · January 2012

Yeah, agreed -- this website made me sane before I went to bed last night.

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