Stroller advice!

leah.kelly · February 2016

I have literally been searching for months for the "perfect stroller" and I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist! I am leaning towards the Bugaboo Cameloen, but its setback is the storage basket. Other strollers have much more storage.

Does anyone out there have a Cameleon? If so, how is the storage? Do you find it frustrating that it is hard to access in bassinet mode or are all of the other features worth it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

KidShrink · February 2016

I don't have that one, but I got the Uppababy Vista, which is in about the same price range. The Vista is awesome in my opinion: comes with a great bassinet (which we're going to be using in our room as well for the first little while), seat/bassinet/carseat all super easy to clip in (and the Uppababy Mesa carseat has great reviews), folds and opens easily, maneuvers like a charm, nice quality fabric, has a huge and easily accessible basket, adjustable height, and can easily be transformed in a double stroller, which is a great plus if you're thinking of having another baby within the next 2-3 years. Here's a pic of our Vista with carseat, bassinet and regular seat (with a teddy bear model, cuz that's all we had to try the belts and stuff).

proudparent2b · February 2016

Graco Admiral Modes Jogging Stroller is what I'm looking at. It comes with an infant car seat and base, has tons of storage, cup holders, and decent suspension for jogging. I really liked the Bob, but with all the extra associated costs (al a carte parts), decided it wasn't worth it.

leah.kelly · February 2016

Thanks for the reply! I have looked at the Vista...trust me, many of my close friends swear by it

I love the storage basket on it, but there are a couple of things that put me off of it. Most of my friends who have it live in the burbs and we are urban dwellers. We have a cobblestone road behind our house, and the Bugaboo's are known to be more "all-terrain" and offer a smoother ride than the Vista. The sidewalks in the city are also like an obstacle course. Also, the Vista is a good bit larger. It's almost 27 lbs, where the Bugaboo is only 17 (21 with seat). I'll be driving in addition to a lot of walking, so getting it in and out of my SUV is a consideration and without the seat that is a 10 lb difference. Finally, the Bugaboo is a little narrower, which will make navigating small boutiques and restaurants in our neighborhood a little easier.

This whole stroller business has really left me scratching my head. We had it narrowed down to 3-4 (Vista being one of them) and they all have huge pluses and 1-2 negatives that don't work for our lifestyle. This is why I'm trying to determine how important the storage basket really is. Thanks for your help!

leah.kelly · February 2016

Proudparent2b: Thanks for your input too! I'm not really considering a jogging stroller due to some of the things I just mentioned in my reply about the Vista. They are usually a good bit larger than others and aren't as conducive to intown living, in my opinion. Especially, considering I'm not a runner

Being a dancer, I usually am more in the dance, yoga, barre, pilates camp, as running works different muscle groups. So a jogging stroller isn't for me, but I'll definitely keep it in mind in case we decide to get a second stroller, as my husband might decide to run with baby.

Thanks for your input! I appreciate it.

KidShrink · February 2016

Have you personally tried any of them in store? If you're unsure, that's probably the best to figure out what's best for you. We're planning on baby #2 sooner than later, so something that could become a double was a must. We tried the City Select and Vista side by side to help us figure it all out. That made it clear for us, and you can see for yourself how they maneuver/fold/attach to different pieces (carseat, bassinet, regular seat, etc). We've tried our Vista around the island in our kitchen (it was middle of december) and it handled tight corners amazingly well, with just one hand. Maybe out of the advantages/disadvantages of each, you can prioritize what's most important to you (i.e. If the Bugaboo and another one are equal in your rankings now, what's their negatives, and which one can you live with the most). Unfortunately, I don't think you can have a super light stroller with a huge basket; you'd just end up with one really flimsy basket, which wouldn't be any more useful than a small one ultimately. Also, what I've seen a lot is people hanging the diaper bag to the handle of the stroller- but you'd need either a hook and a bag with the special stroller strap.

Bltbear82 · February 2016

@leah.kelly does the bugaboo fold with the toddler seat now? The original models required the seat be removed, which doesn't sound horrible but I live in a city with a toddler and there's no way I would be able to fold a stroller and remove the seat while wrangling him.

For what it's worth my neighborhood has a ton of cobblestone streets, really tiny doorways and stores and the Vista has never had a single issue even with a newborn. You can fold the toddler seat, and also had a higher weight limit and easily becomes a double inline. A lot of my friends that bought the Cameleon were forced to buy a new stroller for their second child and the Donkey is a beast so they ended up with either a Vista or City Select. That said, the bugaboos are very pretty!

mmemartinez · February 2016

I love, love, love my city mini baby jogger. It is not actually a jogging stroller so don't let the name deceive you. We have used it everywhere - NYC, Quebec (cobble stone roads....),DC (lots of gravel), hiking, etc. It handles amazingly and is quite compact. It folds up easily and flat. The storage basket is roomy enough IMO; it can be hard to get very large bags in there because of the height differential between the seat and the opening, but it also has a pocket on the back of the stroller. It has a huge canopy that kept DS1 dry in the rain. We used a snap n go until DS1 was out of the infant seat, but you can also buy an attachment to make that possible with this stroller. DS1 is going to be four and it is still in good shape. I can't say enough good things about it.

leah.kelly · February 2016

Thanks, @KidShrink! I have tried them both. The problem is no store around here carries both...so I tried them weeks apart and it's much harder to compare/remember that way. I agree it's the best way. My husband and I both thought that the bugaboo was smoother/handled tight corners better, but the Vista was very close behind compared to others. Both of my BF's who have the Vista chose so because they plan on having a second rather quickly. We're not sure about that yet, so it isn't a make/break for us. We're just going to cross that bridge when we get there. I guess I'm not as worried about how much storage...more just if it's easy to get a large diaper bag in and out of the basket on the bugaboo. I did already buy some stroller hooks for bags because they were on sale and I thought, why not? @Bltbear82 You can't fold it with the seat. The Buffalo has that capability, but it is a good bit larger. Much like the Vista and has a bigger basket underneath. However, it doesn't convert to 2. You're right-the Donkey is a beast! Good to know about the terrain! The tires didn't look as durable when I looked at them, so I was a little hesitant.
@mmemartinez thanks for the suggestion! I had looked at the City Mini, but did not test drive it, per se. The whole jogging stroller thing really put me off

Ladies, I think my husband is going to kill me soon if I don't just make up my mind about the stroller. LOL! I've had my nursery set up for 2 months and am so on top of everything...except the stroller. I think I'm putting more thought into this than I did my college applications. Ha!

buffythevampireslayer · February 2016

Everyone I know with the bugaboo is pretty obsessed with it. I don't think you would regret getting it at all.

tt8mpowell · February 2016

proudparent2b said:

Graco Admiral Modes Jogging Stroller is what I'm looking at. It comes with an infant car seat and base, has tons of storage, cup holders, and decent suspension for jogging. I really liked the Bob, but with all the extra associated costs (al a carte parts), decided it wasn't worth it.

This is the one I'm getting....my mom picked it up today to get the 25% off at BRU

Sharra13 · March 2016

I'm obsessed with the idea of the Doona. I'm buying that baby the second we get a bonus check in the mail!

leah.kelly · March 2016

Thanks-good to hear @zasinger !

Dasha420 · March 2016

I initially was looking at the Bugaboo Chameleon also. However, I've noticed that strollers these days don't provide a full recline for when the baby/toddler falls asleep. Yes they can be pulled back and down all the way but what worries me is the fact that the knees and hips constantly stay bent. Meaning if a child wants to turn and sleep on his or her side- they won't be able to because of the angle.
We found one stroller that reclines completely flat with an adjustable seat at the hip angle. It's called the Cybex stroller with the Lux seat. It's a bit on the expensive side but I'm planning on using it a lot and keeping it for future babies. Plus the basket is pretty deep. We are also purchasing the bassinet that goes with it and the car seat that attaches to the frame. The car seat is amazing in terms of safety features- its the Cybex Aton with the leg that absorbs the shock of any possible impact along with side bars that help keep baby safe in the event of an impact.

parentingishard · March 2016

We also purchased the Cybex with the Lux seat and love it!

Dasha420 · March 2016

@mommaluey that's so great to hear!! I feel like it's very rare to see them. I see a lot of the bugaboo and stokke in our neighborhood.

ayeshaohara · March 2016

That's a sexy looking stroller. I like it!

Bltbear82 · March 2016

@Dasha420 re: sleeping on their side, keep in mind you'll have the 5 point harness secured so they won't be able to fully flip to the side anyway.

Dasha420 · March 2016

@Bltbear82 very true. But I can't imagine her little butt constantly at an angle. I know I would hate not being able to stretch out.

sjecc09 · March 2016

@leah.kelly - I know some people have used a Buffalo basket on a Cam frame, especially if basket space is important to you. There is a great FB group of super knowledgeable parents called "StrollerQueen StrollerSwap," which is a great place to ask questions and search for info! Just request to be added to the group and you can find all kinds of great information for high end strollers (no big box brands).

jageller · March 2016

We live in the city and chose the Cruz after consultations with other mommy friends and the baby bargains book. The cruz is narrower than the Vista and the basket a little smaller but still much larger than most strollers in the category. All my sources said both the Vista and Cruz were fine for sidewalks and snow in the big blizzard we had in January. We walk more often than ride the subway, so aren't as concerned with the one-hand fold (yet, I'm sure it'll come up! Have no baby to cart around) and think this will be an only child, so don't need to think about attaching a second seat. I purchased a 1-month-used uppababy bassinet and stand off of craigslist (they come up often since they grow out of them so quickly!) and will add the mesa to the mix for the trip home from the hospital/occasional taxi rides and trips to grandmas.

swflJD · March 2016

We're getting the Graco FastAction 2.0 Travel System. At just over $200, it's a good deal with good reviews. It has a decent suspension system for a non-jogging stroller, and the infant car seat works with most Graco Click Connect bases. I bought my sister a very similar Graco travel system a few months ago, and she told me this afternoon that she bought this off my registry for my shower next weekend. She loves hers, so that's why I chose it. We don't live in an urban area, so we drive everywhere. That's why I wanted a travel system where we could easily snap the infant car seat into the stroller and not wake a sleeping baby. If we lived in the city where we walked everywhere, I would have gone with a higher end and more lightweight option for use on public transit, but for the price and what we'll likely use it for, I think this is a good option for us.

Graco FastAction Fold 20 Click Connect Travel System Stroller Sunshine

Graco FastAction Fold 20 Click Connect Travel System Stroller Sunshine

Stroller advice!

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