what stroller to get?!?

shelbyreneea · November 2014

This will be my first so naturally I've looked through every list possible on what stroller, what play pen, what car seat, etc. to get... I'm completely overwhelmed by all of these lists!!
Obviously quality and safety are my main concerns though I don't necessarily want to spend $800 on a stroller.
Also, I don't know if this is a dumb question but like I said new mom so bear with me... will I need different strollers for when he's newborn vs. let's say 6 months old?

Suggestions?

tabitha722 · November 2014

It depends... how will you use it? A city dwelling momma will need a stroller to do different things than a suburban momma.

Some sites even advocate waiting on the stroller until after baby arrives to get a jogger or something other than a travel system.

I'm going with a Chicco Bravo Trio this go around... but it's a def preference thing.

tabitha722 · November 2014

PS... if this is your first posts... maybe try the Gear board other than this one... this board won't take kindly to a post and run from a newbie.

shelbyreneea · November 2014

Okay I will change where this is posted since I can't delete it. Obviously my first post on here so thank you for your advice, Tabitha!

DM718 · November 2014

I'm also a first timer, so feel free to take my advice with a grain of salt. But I'm happy to discuss our methodology for choosing a stroller.

We thought about what our regular activities are, and tried to work from there. We also paid close attention to strollers we saw out and about.

Finally, we felt strongly that we did not want multiple strollers. We wanted one that fit in either of our cars (an SUV and a sedan) and one that we could find a way to use from birth until it's no longer needed.

We figured that we could push most strollers along well maintained sidewalks, but we have a few activities that need a little extra accommodation. One is that we go pick up veggies at a farm every weekend, and our share includes pick your own peas, beans, cherry tomatoes, and flowers. Needless to say, there are no sidewalks. We've noticed that the families with 3 wheeled strollers navigate the farm a bit more easily than those with four wheels (or more, when they double them up). The other activity that was important to us was that it would be good for longer walks and the occasional jog, while also walking a dog. I think anything that could handle the farm could handle our local roads & sidewalks, though.

Next - we had to check them out! We did online research and went to Babies R Us as well as a baby gear expo (Big City Mom's Boston's Biggest Baby Shower). The expo was way more helpful for us - easier to play with the strollers, reps were able to show off their functionality and explain differences between their own models.

Seeing things in person was essential - we quickly realized that we didn't want a model we had almost ordered a few days before.

The internet is great for getting an idea of what's available in your price range, and there seem to be options at a variety of price-points. I don't think we are too price sensitive for a stroller, but we definitely saw some that we thought were way more than we should spend.

Our criteria are likely different than yours, but I think our methodology has helped us pick out a stroller we'll be happy with (and one where we won't get frustrated and start buying multiple strollers for various purposes). And if you're particularly interested in what we decided will work well for us, we chose the Phil&Ted's Navigator.

shelbyreneea · November 2014

Thank you so much for your advice! I was hoping to not have to buy multiple strollers as well. I live in the suburbs so I won't be needing one that necessarily can navigate other surfaces besides sidewalks but that's great to know. Not a jogger by any means but definitely need one for walks around the neighborhood and for general errands.
I went to Buy Buy Baby to look at strollers a few weeks ago but again felt completely overwhelmed. Was hoping to do a little online research and reach out on this site for advice from new and experienced moms to prepare me a little more for my next trip to the store.

Unknown · November 2014

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shelbyreneea · November 2014

Oh great thanks! I've never heard of that site so I will definitely be checking that out!

Ababy19 · November 2014

I have the Uppa baby Vista and love it. My boys are only a year apart so having the option to make it a double stroller was great. Now that I have my third on the way, there is an option for a "skate board" attachment that my oldest can stand on while my youngest sit. This stroller also had the option to buy an attachment for our carseat so I can use it from birth to whatever age. Note it is on the pricier side but tottaly worth it!!!!

peeppeeppeep · November 2014

Baby Bargains book, and there are videos and sites dedicated to reviewing strollers in-depth - it gives you an idea of different features you may or may not want.

Lmsq1611 · November 2014

Definitely test them out in the store. That said I also found online reviews of them to be very helpful. That way you can see what other moms did or did not like. In case the online reviews made me completely change my stroller selection.

We love in the suburbs so things we considered were the ease of getting the car seat out of stroller, ease of folding the stroller, weight of stroller once folded, maneuverability (wheel that thing around the aisles for a minute), was it easy to adjust the recline of the seat, etc. We decided to go with a travel system so we also reviewed the safety ratings of the car seat. We ended up with the Chicco key fit 30. We haven't bought it yet but both my husband and I liked the way it handled/felt and we have friends who spoke highly of it.

We have a lot if friends who rave about BOB strollers and we are considering eventually buying one for hikes, jogs, etc.

Mic512 · November 2014

With DS we bought a travel system and only used it for the first 4 months. After that we moved to a McClaren, which although expensive was worth every penny. It is very easy to open & close, especially in bad weather! We also have a Baby Trend Explorer jogging stroller for runs on the boardwalk near our house. My advice is if you think you will move to an umbrella stroller quickly, skip the travel system & buy a stroller frame for the bucket carrier, then move on to a good quality umbrella stroller (we have been using ours for 3 years with no issues.)

DM718 · November 2014

shelbyreneea said:

... I went to Buy Buy Baby to look at strollers a few weeks ago but again felt completely overwhelmed. Was hoping to do a little online research and reach out on this site for advice from new and experienced moms to prepare me a little more for my next trip to the store.

We were also completely overwhelmed on our first (and second, more educated) trip to Babies R Us. We may have done better if we went on a weekday, when staff is not stretched as thin. I think the online research followed by the in person trial really helped us to narrow down the options and recognize what we did and didn't like about certain models.

estark03 · November 2014

I'm also a FTM and was totally overwhelmed until I made an appointment to talk to a BuyBuyBaby expert about strollers and car seats...that was WAY helpful! He gave us all the goods and the bads about them. We were looking for something easy to use since we've heard from a lot of people that you just won't use it if it's heavy and cumbersome. We live in the burbs but like to go to farmers markets or downtown or to a local nature center to walk around so mobility is important also. We also wanted a stroller we could maneuver with one hand. After trying them out in the store and messing around with them for a while, and doing a bunch of research, we decided on the Baby Jogger City Mini GT. It's super easy to maneuver, folds up with one hand, and is relatively lightweight. It also can accept most car seats. It's more expensive than most for sure, but we think we'll actually use it which is why we are getting one in the first place! We are trying to go more minimalist vs lugging around the entire nursery like some parents do, and this stroller seems perfect for that....no bells and whistles, but it's super functional!

I agree it's definitely an individual choice, but once you try them out, I think you'll find the perfect one that suits your lifestyle. Good luck!

mangomimosa · November 2014

1st timer here -- we got the Britax B Agile/B Safe combo because we wanted something super light but also good quality. The reviews on Amazon helped me decide, plus Lucie's List. We went to the store to check them out & really appreciated the simplicity/sleekness of the design + how light it was. Whatever you decide on, definitely check out the Amazon reviews! A great resource even if you don't buy from there. (Though they have excellent prices/no tax/free Prime shipping...)

BabySuleman · November 2014

We bought a city select. For a newborn, you need to put the car seat in it. When they are older, you just take the car seat out. We decided on this one because we want to have two kids close together in age, and it works as a double stroller.

Amoreenamarlin · November 2014

When I had my daughter (4.5 years ago) we opted for the traditional, bulky travel system since that was what seemed to domiante the market and I really didn't know any better. It worked well for what we needed it for, but my goodness strollers have come a long way since then. We are on the go A LOT but because of the area we live in, we could be anywhere from the city to the beach. I plan on babywearing the majority of the time, but it is nice to have the stroller when shopping or taking trips to hold bags and such. Anyway, we purchased a Quinny Buzz this time aroundas well as the compatible Maxi Cosi Mico carseat. The Quinny is extremely manueverable, folds itself down automatically, and doesn't take up a ton of room. The car seat is very lightweight compared to our daughters. It is an expensive set if you don't shop around, but we were lucky to find ours brand new on Craigslist for a great price. We also have a sit n stand for long trips where my daughter will want to sit as well.

JCWhitey · November 2014

Go to Babies R Us and "test drive" a few strollers. Stroll them around, fold them up, unfold them, etc. You'll find one or two that feel the best for you and then research reviews on them. That's how I found my stroller and it ended up being a $75 stroller. But I needed something that was easy to fold up and lift with just one hand which isn't easy to find. Although in the end we rarely used our stroller so it could have been any old stroller.

smits26 · November 2014

Clobert · November 2014

I think I'm going with the Britax B-Agile B-Ready Combo. I like the city mini and chico as well, but I don't like how the car seat attaches and the price isn't as good.

I found youtube videos to be really helpful for me. My brain started to hurt when scrolling through hundreds of reviews, but watching videos is kind of fun and addicting.

At some point you have to go test drive at the store, but having read/watched so much, I know which ones I wanted to check out.

I also have particular circumstances which was extremely confusing, but narrowed down what was possible for me a lot. I live in a walkup apartment in city with really bumpy narrow sidewalks and I have to carry it up and down stairs and through narrow doorways. I also don't have my own car so I need to be able to put the carseat on something when we used a car or taxi. The frames seem really ideal for most people, but as I said our sidewalks are so bumpy, I just wasn't confident it would work. If you live in the suburbs I would definitely look into those and then a stroller for an older baby/toddler.

2Swanns · November 2014

I'm going with the City Versa. It's $229 on Amazon.com. I've tested it at Buy Buy Baby and the quality is great and it feels like an expensive stroller. I don't want to spend $800 on a stroller but I tested some of the more inexpensive ones and they felt rickety and cheap, except the Versa. It was also important that it be able to be rear facing and have a good size basket underneath. It fits all my needs!

drudolph11 · November 2014

Im a FTM also and have also not bought our stroller or car seat yet but for us the biggest criteria is defiantly one that you can connect the infant car seat to as well as then convert to a regular stroller when she gets bigger plus for me it has to be a 3 wheeled jogging type stroller cuz I just personally like the look of them better. I found one at Walmart that I liked and was reasonably priced but have not been able to look many other places. BRU is just so expensive for our budget but the quality is prob the best there. We don't have many other options as far as stores go we don't have a BBB where I live so besides online that's what I have to pick from lol but I will def be checking out some of these suggestions.

thejucheidea · November 2014

We're going with the Britax B-Ready/B-Safe combination.

thursday · November 2014

I am getting the Contour Bliss stroller with a Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat. I had a bulky travel system with DD and ended up giving it away when she was one years old. Bought a cheap stroller after but I love the versatility of the Bliss. I will probably do more baby wearing in the beginning to keep up with DD who is five and busy.

sgraupner · November 2014

I personally love the City Mini. We have the GT but the regular city mini is great too. You can get a car seat adapter and it will take most common seats. I like that it's light weight, you can fold it with one hand and has an adaptable handle bar, since I am tall and most strollers are too short. You will spend a little bit more upfront but in my opinion it is worth it since otherwise you may end up buying another stroller in a year and then end up spending the same amount or more. Good luck.

lmc929 · December 2014

Both my sister and cousin in law have the bob-revolution so that's what we are going with. They both seem very happy with in. In addition they each have a small travel stroller.

cafecreme · December 2014

I'm a suburban mom and we went with a Graco travel system. It was super easy to put her in the carrier, into the car, and then directly into the stroller. Now that she's older I either stick her in a shopping cart, or just pop out her umbrella stroller. With #2 on the way, we got a graco sit and stand that was compatible with the carrier.

For a mom who is walking everywhere (city mom), I think a sling/ergo would be ideal, and then an umbrella stroller later.

If you're an active mom and plan to run and jog, then a jogging stroller would be good.

TwinsCitiesMomma · December 2014

At the advice of pp's here, I went to Buy Buy Baby and tested their car seats/strollers. They had a huge selection in every brand and style. It was hard to choose but we ended up with the Graco Fast Action Fold Sport Click Connect Travel System. Price was great and it will fit our needs.

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