Me & MH: 32
DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU)
TTC #2: 12/2019
Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube
Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN
Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
September 2021 Moms
krash_
member
Product Spotlight: Strollers w/o 1.25
krash_
member
Sorry forgot to post this on Monday!
This is a place for FTMs to ask questions and S+TMs to share the wealth of knowledge they've accumulated on baby products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back. This week it's.... strollers! This can be a tough decision for FTM's with so many to weed through!
Please use the prompts below to try to share as much relevant info as you can in a format that is easy for those reading to absorb/respond to. If you'd like to recommend/ask questions about more than one product, please copy/paste the prompts as needed.
For S+TMs:
For FTMs:
Here is the schedule for the product spotlights to keep track of the topics and threads: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BFKfcrp0DX8dvYklwMEyqaex6ixXUoJ2zRbYirApXd4/edit?usp=sharing
This is a place for FTMs to ask questions and S+TMs to share the wealth of knowledge they've accumulated on baby products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back. This week it's.... strollers! This can be a tough decision for FTM's with so many to weed through!
Please use the prompts below to try to share as much relevant info as you can in a format that is easy for those reading to absorb/respond to. If you'd like to recommend/ask questions about more than one product, please copy/paste the prompts as needed.
For S+TMs:
- Favorite [stroller]:
- Link/picture:
- Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
- What you like about it:
- What you don't like about it, if anything:
- Is there a [stroller] you don't have but are considering? Why?:
- Additional thoughts on [strollers]:
For FTMs:
- [Stroller(s)] you're interested in:
- Link/picture:
- Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
- Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?:
Here is the schedule for the product spotlights to keep track of the topics and threads: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BFKfcrp0DX8dvYklwMEyqaex6ixXUoJ2zRbYirApXd4/edit?usp=sharing
*TW LC*
Re: Product Spotlight: Strollers w/o 1.25
Link/picture: https://uppababy.com/vista/
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $$$ definitely one of the pricier strollers on the market but we bought ours from Amazon when the previous year's model went on sale and then used the Amazon registry discount to get an additional 15% off. So we got a new 2017 Vista in Feb 2018 for about $675 (after discounts and taxes). Notes about the Amazon registry, you aren't eligible for the completion discount until 14 after the registry was started. You can use the discount twice but not until after your event date. So I had the registry started early, make one now if you feel comfortable and start adding stuff to keep track, then I changed my event date to end so I could use the first 15% discount code, bought the Vista, then changed the event back so friends and family could still buy stuff off of it. Then after our actual baby shower we could still use one more 15% off code on a bunch of other stuff we didn't get, you just have to purchase all the items in the same order to get the discount. That's probably more info than you wanted.
What you like about it: we loved that the car seat just clips right in, we also got the Uppababy Mesa but you can get adapters for other brands. The bassinet it came with was life for the first 8 weeks or so, we carried DS everywhere around the house in that thing. Put him on the table while we ate and sat him on the floor while I pumped. The basket holds SO MUCH stuff. When we went shopping at the mall (pre-rona) we could fit our winter coats and all our bags in there. I also loved being able to flip the toddler seat both directions because sometimes he would want to look around but other times he got too over stimulated so we would face him towards us. MH and I are also pretty tall, I'm 5'9" and he is 6'5", and with most strollers we tried we would kick the basket but the Vista's handle bar extends far enough out that we don't. It also stands up on it's own while folded which was a big thing for me and it's easy to expand and collapse.
What you don't like about it, if anything: The tires and suspension could be better especially for itty bitty babies. We live near a trail, paved but bumpy, and when DS was a baby baby he would cry in the bassinet in the stroller because it was too bumpy. If we stayed on the road it was fine but the trail was just a hair too bumpy (although they did redo it last summer so maybe that wont be a problem anymore). He grew out of that after a month and after we weren't using the bassinet anymore. People also say it's heavy but it hasn't ever been a problem for us. We even traveled with it and checked it at the gate, in the Uppababy travel bag, with no problems.
Is there a [stroller] you don't have but are considering? Why?: Nope. I am going to order a new basket fabric from UB because ours has a hole in it, but we have used and abused that thing for the last 2.5 years. I am also debating the rumble seat but it does max out at 35lbs or 36" and DS is already over 36". He could always ride in the upper seat after this baby is big enough to sit in the rumble seat or we could just get the glider board but DS really likes his stroller so I don't see him giving up his cushy ride for the new baby.
Additional thoughts on [strollers]: none
Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU)
TTC #2: 12/2019
Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube
Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN
Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
Favorite [stroller]: Kolcraft Cloud Sport Lightweight Stroller
Link/picture: https://www.kolcraft.com/product/kolcraft-cloud-sport-lightweight-stroller/
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $50 @ WalMart
What you like about it: We used this with my son once he was around 2 for quick trips anywhere. We initially got it when I was looking for an umbrella stroller that had storage and a canopy so that I had something that would open/close quickly, and this seemed like a good alternative. The storage is great, it opens and closes so quickly/easily (I have never had an issue with opening/closing with one hand). It has a small footprint once folded too! We took it to Disney multiple times and it was perfect, light and easy to navigate through the crowd.
What you don't like about it, if anything: I just checked with my husband and he was adamant that there is NOTHING we don’t like about this stroller. I don't know that it would be great with an infant (we got it once he was a toddler), but an umbrella stroller wouldn't be great with an infant either. For me this was a purchase instead of an umbrella stroller, and it is absolutely our fave.
Is there a [stroller] you don't have but are considering? Why?: Technically I have it already bc I found a great deal, but its still in the box. We got the Baby Jogger City Select Lux because of its versatility. I can add the bench seat or glider board for the bigger kiddo right now, and when we have another (we plan to keep this one close with the next one) then I can tool around with both of them together. We had eyeballed the different configurations every time we'd been to Disney, and decided that once we had more we would get one for the versatility.
Additional thoughts on [strollers]: For me, I enjoy having a jogging stroller. I had a Jeep jogger with my son and it was the only stroller that I used with him for the first few years (I didn’t see the point in having more than one stroller and knew I wanted a jogger). Now that I’ve been through this once I would say if you are planning on a jogger, make sure you also have a second stroller as well. The jogger took up so much space when I took it places. It was easy to navigate sure, because it was designed to be maneuverable for people jogging, but it was also a boat. I’ve since given away my old Jeep jogger, but will be getting another one once the little creature is big enough to jog with … it definitely won’t be the infant stroller this time though.
- What you like about it: Easy to use, easy to fold and unfold, plus the fact that it can accommodate up to 3 kids (second seat and ride along board). I loved that it came with the bassinet, we used that for my son's sleep space until he was outgrew it around 3 months old. We didn't use the bassinet on the stroller very much for walks or anything, but you can use the stroller seat from birth if you add their baby seat padding which I think it was an extra $50(??); for me it was worth it to not have to carry the bassinet in and out of the house and up and down the stairs every time I wanted to go out for a walk (which was most days), and I just felt like he was a lot more secure in the extra padding and strapped into the stroller seat vs. "loose" in the bassinet. The stroller seat also reclines flat which is exactly what you want for a newborn and awesome for encouraging a nap if you're out for a while. AND the fact that the Uppababy Mesa car seat clips in and out of the stroller frame so easily is incredibly helpful.
- What you don't like about it, if anything: I have the 2019 version (which I think is actually 2018, they just didn't change anything) and the only thing I don't like is the sunshade extension. In my opinion it's flimsy and doesn't really stay down very well. BUT I've looked at the newer model (the Vista V2) and they've made some changes to the shade that look way better. Honestly it makes me want to sell mine and get the V2
so just keep that in mind if you're thinking about buying second hand. - Is there a [stroller] you don't have but are considering? Why?: I am considering getting a double umbrella stroller for travel, but am not sure how much we would use it and if I would miss the features of the Vista. Hoping I can borrow one to try before I commit to another purchase. I'm just unsure about how bulky the Vista will be with the second seat, if it'll be a pain to gate check. If anyone has experience with that please let me know!
- Additional thoughts on [strollers]: #1 - If you're a FTM I very strongly recommend getting a stroller and car seat that work together (or a stroller that has an adapter for a different brand's car seat). It's a huge help to just be able to take the seat out of the car and clip it into the stroller frame, instead of unbuckling them from the car seat and buckling them into the stroller and then doing it all again when you get back to the car. This is extra true if you live in a cold climate! I got a fleece cover for the carseat and being able to just drop the whole thing onto the stroller frame meant I wasn't dealing with extra layers and blankets and all that every time I had to run into a store for 5 minutes. ALSO excellent if you're out for a while, baby falls asleep in the car, you don't have to take them out of the car seat and wake them up, just move the whole seat to the stroller and go - I know a few people who didn't have an infant seat that worked with their stroller and they complained about this. A LOT.
And if you made it to the end of that, congratulations! I think you deserve a cookieAnd #2 - Consider your lifestyle when you're shopping for a stroller. Are you in a city where you walk everywhere, or do you prefer to/have to drive most places and therefore need something that fits into a particular car and is easy to fold/unfold? Will you have to take the stroller on public transit regularly? Will you need to carry your stroller up front stairs or store it in an apartment? If you tend to walk for errands do you need a bigger basket under the seat? Are you hoping to have more than one kid, and want something that will expand to fit more than one kid? It's easy to see "oh, a lot of moms have THIS stroller, so it must be the best"; not necessarily! Don't just decide on a model because it's popular, make sure it will actually work for you.
LAST ONE - A stroller is something you will likely use very regularly for quite a while, so it's worth investing in something that you really like and that's the best you can get for your budget. Definitely try out a few models in the store or ask around with your friends who have kids and try out their strollers if in-store shopping isn't an option right now.
Link : https://www.clement.ca/en/city-mini-stroller-gt-10th-ani-1066105.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgIfskdy97gIV4w59Ch1kqwd2EAQYBSABEgJk4fD_BwE
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): About $550 CAD plus tax. Difficult to find on sale but if you keep looking, might be able to find a discount (I got 50 bucks off mine)
What you like about it: I took it for a test drive amongst other strollers at Buybuybaby and instantly fell in love. It pushes really smoothly & lightly. I push it with 1 hand all the time, no problem. It works great on gravel trails. It folds easily: just grab the handle on the seat and pull up! We got a car seat attachment so we could transfer DD easily from car to stroller when she was about 0-9 months. I've used mine a ton with DD and DS as it's a great long distance stroller.
What you don't like about it, if anything: it doesn't come with accessories, you have to purchase them separately. Without the car seat attachment, it's not ideal for babies until they're about 6 months. And the storage underneath isn't huge, I would get about 1 big grocery bag in it. The glider attachment is better suited for the city select rather than this one.
Is there a [stroller] you don't have but are considering? Why?: My two mom friends both have city select and seem to love them! They just seem like a hassle to take apart. I probably will have DS on a bike by the time this one is in a stroller or I would consider getting it.
Additional thoughts on [strollers]: No matter what brand you get, I highly recommend air filled tires and a 3 wheeled stroller as they push and steer nicely!
I currently have 3 strollers. I still have my Britax B-Agile which I tend to grab more often because I can hold my coffee or tea while I push it. I've also got a Summer Infant 3D Tote that I bought specifically for travelling (I bought it for our trip to Japan in 2019), and I bought used Summer Infant double stroller (the seats are in front of each other). We use this one alot when I used to walk to get my kids from school with my SIL. We would put our youngests who are 6m apart in there (my Nov18 babe). I love them all, though the Britax is the only one I would use until they're old enough to sit on unassisted in the other 2.
As for the winter, when I lived in Ottawa none of my strollers would've worked very well in the amount of snow we got there. I always baby wore. Where I live now, the winters are alot more mild so I can use the B-Agile most of the time. I prefer babywearing when it's super cold out though as I feel like I'm able to keep them warmer as well as keep an eye on their temps better.