I'm going to get a Snugride for LO and I already have a Snap N Go that I will use for the first couple months BUT I still want a kick-around stroller that reclines. I am planning on getting a BOB as well, but really just for walking/running.
In my head, the Graco stroller seems to fit the bill for the mall or amusement park (since the BOB doesn't recline and it will be too hot for the infant carseat and a lot of babywearing). I know I've BTDT but I've always thought I should have gotten one. After DD, I had the dreaded stroller where you can turn the seat around (cheapish, red and black) and it blew. With DS, we had a double that we can't use anymore (exceed weight limit).
Thoughts?
ETA - I remember the stroller I hated, the Kolcraft Contours single. Never folded up properly, pinched fingers, the whole nine yards.
Re: Why don't I want a travel system?
I think it simply sounds like a lot of strollers! I would say for you to get a travel system if you didn't have the snap n go because it is nice to have a stroller that holds the infant seat.
Lots of people don't like the bulkiness of the strollers that come in travel systems--we always had a mini van so we had room to store it and I liked the big basket below. And I would think after the luxury of pushing a BOB around the travel system stroller would drive me nuts.
We are getting the Aprica Presto Flat this time (only $99 on albeebaby.com) because it does recline, has a high weight limit and takes up little space. It also holds a Graco infant seat: https://aprica.com/enUS/products/strollers/Pages/presto_flat.aspx
That's a good looking stroller, I have never seen that one. But 70lbs? Oy. I complain about pushing my 48lb 5 year old
I also have a minivan, so space isn't an issue. I will sell the double because the 3 year old refuses to sit anyways. Decisions, decisions!
So..when I was pregnant we got a Chicco travel system. I am a runner, and knew that I wanted a BOB. Well, we ended up buying one when DS was 3 months, and our travel system Chicco stroller is sitting in the garage and has never been used again. When DS was little we used the infant seat adaptor for the BOB and used that at the mall, etc... Around 5 months or so I think he had good neck control and we started just putting him in the BOB. We take it everywhere.
But, as you noted above, of course it doesn't recline, so if you want that and don't want to have the infant carrier in it - then the BOB is a no-go. I would just say that we hated our travel system stroller - once you "drive" a BOB, I just don't know why you'd go back! I wish we had just gotten the BOB to begin with - it is spendy, but worth it if you will use it for running anyway.
Honestly, if you have a BOB- get the infant adapter and use it for the car seat while baby is little, once they outgrow it, they're probably big enough to sleep in the BOB without it reclining all the way. On the revolution, you can adjust it in the back so they're leaning back pretty far.
I personally think the strollers that come with travel systems are big and clunky and don't accomplish much that you can't already do with the BOB and snap n go.