Product Spotlight 11/23: Strollers

wanderlustsoul · November 2020

Today's Product Spotlight discussion topic is STROLLERS. This is another item that may feel a bit far out to plan for, but since they're big-ticket items we may be able to jump on upcoming sales and deals!

Any stroller recs and tips and questions would be appreciated in this thread! Do you have a fancy splurgy stroller you love? Eyeing a double stroller and need help picking one? Are you one of those magical people who actually uses their exercise stroller and doesn't just have it collecting dust in a closet? Please share!

Prior and Upcoming Product Spotlights

wanderlustsoul · November 2020

I have a Bugaboo stroller and love it. I live in the city so again things important to me were lightweight and compact. It is super easy to fold and carry up and down the stairs.

I am still contemplating a double stroller and looking at the Uppababy Vista but it is so big.

MelissaMay82 · November 2020

I have the Uppababy Vista and love it. It comes with a bassinet which was great in the early months. We just had to buy a stand for the bassinet, which now is dd’s laundry basket. The car seat is very easy to pop in and out of the stroller. The stroller can become a double stroller with several different configurations. The basket underneath is large. The only down side is that it is on the larger side and kind of heavy.

laurad75 · November 2020

I also have the Vista and love it. @MelissaMay82 did a great job of listing the features and while I agree its super heavy, it's also very durable and Uppababy hosts tune up events and have great customer service online. We have the rumble seat from when we shared a nanny with a neighbor but I think we will get DS the piggy back board since he is just about done sitting in the stroller. I have been looking for the bassinet stand on FB marketplace.

I was given a Schwinn jogging stroller as a hand-me-down and I hated it. We used it exactly once and eventually I gave it to a neighbor. For anyone who plans to run/ jog/ power walk with a stroller I would recommend the Bob. It's a beast but it's so smooth. I would have asked for one but since we had the free one I couldn't justify it.

mc0303 · November 2020

I have the Uppababy Cruz and used it more when DS was an infant in the car seat. Super easy.

I got a Baby Expedition when DS was 6 months old and it’s all I use now. I go on long walks on a bike path and neighborhood and it’s a much smoother ride over bumps and different textures.

I’m going to be buying a double jogging stroller because it’s more of what I need. Although I don’t jog 🙈

I am looking at the Thule Urban Glide 2 Double stroller bc you can have one infant car seat at the same time. DS will be 20 months when new baby is here.

kristah2 · November 2020

I have a summer infant 3D one which I loved for one kid for travel or quick trip to the mall etc. I left in the car all the time.

Last year I got a joovy qool and it’s AMAZING! I kept my youngest in the main seat and bought a bench seat for my oldest. Now with another coming I’ll also get the add on for the bucket seat so if 3 of them get lazy I have somewhere for all of them! The options are so good and the price point is super affordable. Great for more then one kids. Especially those older ones who don’t want to be in a stroller but at the same time you want to keep them contained.. bench seat! They think it’s so cool and you get to strap them in.

angelz429 · November 2020

I’m being targeted by the Mockingbird and I’m buying into it. Seeing what comes of any Black Friday deals for them.

I need to go back to the car seat spotlight because I need a new car seat and should probably look at that for Black Friday and find a travel system.

ramzlau · November 2020

I have the Peg Perego Book Cross from when DD was an infant. We still use it a few times a week for long walks. I used it to train for half marathon too, but recommend getting a real jogger if you are planning on running.

We also have the mountain buggy Nano for flying and just around stores. It folds up small enough to go in overhead and works with the car seat we travel with. Love it!

And last week I found a deal on Amazon for $320 for the Thule Urban Glide 2 Double and pulled the trigger. It arrived! It is a beast, but amazing price. Can’t wait to use it! @mc0303 Wish I knew you were looking, I would have let you know! There is a fb Thule group that has some good deals sometimes in CA if you are interested.

Stroller market is flooded with used strollers right now, so check your marketplace and other buy/sell/trade markets. It’s a good time to grab one that has been sitting around for a year not being used.

_orchid_ · November 2020

Second @ramzlau. I wasn't sure if I would need a jogging stroller, and ended up buying a used one for $40 on fb marketplace when DS1 was 1, 6 years ago. Best $40 spent, we have run that thing into the ground. Until about a month ago I was still using it to run the mile to daycare to pick up my 50 lb 3.5yo DS2. I think I'm going to invest in a used bob once my edd is closer - this one has earned it's retirement!

We have 5 strollers. DH hates it bc they use up so much room in our garage but we use them all the time, daily on days I'm not working (we have a walkable town and are always out). We have the small graco stroller frame that our car seat clicks into- I love that when they're little bc Ive had c-sections and the frame strollers are light and easy to get out of the car. Our jogging stroller gets a lot of use bc it's easy to maneuver, but the basket is small and it's less comfortable for a long time. When we're going to the zoo, amusement parks, fairs, etc. I have a graco click connect that we can change the seat for easily and has a big basket. Also an umbrella stroller for short trips or when we go into the city bc we're up and down subway stairs, and a joovy double jogger that I liked bc it had lots of legroom for DS1's long legs.

kaw726 · November 2020

@laurad75 also have the Vista and will need to think about getting the extra seat + whatever adapters I need to make it into a double. Was it pretty easy to figure out? Am I able to use the existing seat it came with and then just purchase a second?

mc0303 · November 2020

@ramzlau whattttt?!? $320?! Omg 😭😭😭 I need to be part of this Facebook group!!

laurad75 · November 2020

@kaw726 yes, super easy. I think the 2nd seat is the rumble seat. It comes with adapters that lift up the top seat and then the 2nd seat goes on the bottom. You can still use the bassinet on the top too.

angelz429 · November 2020

Just impulsively bought a Doona car seat/stroller combo 😂 hubs was on board so 🤷🏻‍♀️ And 20% off for Black Friday (though was still a pretty penny)

Omie_Wise · November 2020

@angelz429 You won’t regret that purchase. I love my Doona.

We have a Yoyo and a Valco Snap duo, which is our double stroller. I love both of them.

With strollers there are so many choices. It’s important to think about what you really need and want. If you can put off your decision until you’ve got some needs that a stroller can fit, do that. In a world of two day shipping, unless you’re really sale shipping, you can wait. We had a Doona so both my stroller purchases where made when the need was there and they were perfect for our needs so I love them.

Things to think about is where you’ll use your stroller, if you’re going to have it in your car, will it fit easily? How heavy is it if your lifting it in and out of cars. Where will you store it at home? Going back to where and how you’ll use it will impact tires and wheel configuration. I really discourage anyone buying a stroller now for some future unknown need, like a second baby. It’s likely you don’t know what you’ll need for a double if your a FTM, so just get a single and don’t worry about expanding options. I’m sure that might be flammable advice but I’m going to stick with it. Buy the right tool for your job now.

klj0228 · November 2020

@Omie_Wise I agree with buy what you need now. We have a chicco stroller that I have used less than 20 times and DD is 2. We live in the country and our neighborhood is too hilly to comfortably go for many walks. I found when we went places that I prefer baby wearing over the bulky stroller. The only time I’ve really taken it was when I knew we needed extra storage space and didn’t want to have to carry everything. Even in the airport I prefer to babywear.

Omie_Wise · November 2020

@klj0228 Yep! I love babywearing. I think it’s also easier to babywear an infant and run after a toddler than have the baby in a stroller.

Another thing to add to this is before I had kids I had this idea of the kind of mom I would be. For example, I thought we would be at the zoo constantly. Nope. Turns out we never go to the zoo. I’m so glad I didn’t buy a stroller for my zoo mom fantasies and instead got one for my reality.

MelissaMay82 · November 2020

@Omie_Wise and @klj0228 I am the opposite. I was really unsure how often we would even use a stroller but we used it so much. Pretty much anytime we went anywhere we used it. Even for smaller target or grocery store trips (before covid) I would use the bottom of the stroller as a shopping cart. DD really did not like baby wearing and was much more comfortable in her infant seat popped into her stroller.

toesinthesand-2 · December 2020

I have too many...and having a second kid means I'm gonna have to add another...haha.

Uppababy Vista - our main stroller, loved using the bassinet in the early months for walks. We also used the corresponding Mesa car seat for easy attaching. Started using the "toddler seat" around 4 months with the infant insert and it was great because it was summer and hot. We already have the upper & lower adapters to make it a double, and will just use the mesa/bassinet along with toddler seat at first as needed. By the time this baby will be ready for the toddler seat I think my oldest might not even be using a stroller.

Uppababy Gluxe - Our first travel umbrella stroller. Honestly not a huge fan but I quickly found that I *loath* a traditional "umbrella stroller" because they're still bulky and a bitch to push! Used it only a handful of times and I really should just sell it.

BOB - Bought it with the intention of exercising and have run with it some but let's be honest - I hate running..haha. It is great for walks and uneven surfaces and we have taken it when we travel (by car) if we know we will have a lot of uneven surfaces.

Mountain Buggy Nano - Our second travel stroller and I love it. It ticked all my boxes for a travel stroller : compact and fits in the overhead bin when flying, one-handed push, and has a built in strap to attach a convertible car seat to it (we always fly with our DS in a car seat).

.....
I'm definitely an advocate of investing in a quality stroller. Sure there were times when it was easier to baby-wear, but a shitty stroller is just no fun to push IMO.

akoros · February 2021

Time for me to bump this one up now that I (sort of) have a handle on car seats!

TL;DR:
Right now I'm circling around the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 or Mockingbird. They seem to be around the same price (unless I catch BG on sale). Does anyone have experience with these two? EDIT: Also took a closer look at the Chicco Bravo Trio and Graco Modes or Modes Lite, which look interesting given the price and that I was already looking at a Chicco or Graco car seat. Any thoughts?

Details:
My main impressions right now is that the GT2 is a bit lighter and folds up smaller, whereas the Mockingbird is prettier (for some reason I'm obsessed with the idea of blue/teal fabric and brown leather) and has larger storage. I also do like that the Mockingbird peepholes are mesh, allowing for more ventilation (it gets HOT here in the summer). I'm open to other Baby Joggers, mostly my impression was that the City Tour might be too small for everyday use, the City Select seemed big enough that there's less of a size advantage over Mockingbird, and reviews I read of the City Mini said that it's worth the extra money to go for the GT2. I'm also looking at some Graco (Modes, NimbleLite) and Chicco (Bravo Trio) options, which are interesting. My impression is that the NimbleLite may not be ideal if this is our primary/only stroller, but best as an additional travel stroller?

We live in the city, so a stroller will be pretty important as we walk most places (particularly in a post-pandemic world when we can go out again), and I plan to continue to walk to work/daycare (again, post-pandemic; will be hauling my own bag/lunch plus a diaper bag and I'm guessing a small milk cooler, but am open to having to carry some of that on my back vs. under the stroller). We also have a half-flight of stairs to get in/out of the house, so something on the lighter side would be great as I'll be hauling it up them. Storage space is also tight, so I like the idea of something that collapses compactly and really want something that I can fold one-handed. Our car isn't super small (Ford Escape), but not huge so something that is easily packable would be nice, particularly if it's for a trip where we'll need to fit some suitcases and other things in there. In the future we'll probably get an umbrella stroller for traveling, but I know that's not appropriate for a newborn.

mindyb2019 · February 2021

@akoros DH and I picked the Graco Modes Nest travel system- Nico. Light gray and black color and it just arrived yesterday and we put it all together. Yay! 😊 So excited. Its super duper light and I can fold it up or unfold it and lift it with one hand which is great. It was super simple to put together and the car seat just clicks right onto the stroller or the base for the car and the toddler part clicks in and out too. It comes with many different options for as they grow and has adjustable height. I LOVE IT!! So glad we got this one. This is it here:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/gs/844se75lda9t.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/et/x614yl7kzpqj.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/1w/x2orwentmcqc.jpg

akoros · February 2021

@mindyb2019 Thank you! That one looks awesome! I kind of prefer the Graco carseats because they're a bit lighter than Chicco, so that one would be great

mindyb2019 · February 2021

@akoros your welcome. Ya the Graco car seats are super light. The whole stroller frame is and collapses so it’s really compact and easy for storage. It is awesome. I highly recommend! GL on your search and shopping lol

akoros · February 2021

@mindyb2019 Right now I think the hardest part is getting all the models straight (regular, DLX, LX, 3 Lite, Nest,....), though realistically I'm sure any of them would be fine

mindyb2019 · February 2021

@akoros ya I found that part hard and confusing too lol I'm sure any of those ones would be fine and there all nice. Just have to pick which one is best for your baby and which one you like the most. Let me know what you pick.

akoros · February 2021

Just bought a Graco Modes Element travel system on a whim. Not what I had planned on, but the box is ripped so it was 50% off and I couldn't resist. I asked three different people if it's returnable (it is) just in case, but from what i can tell the main differences aren't dealbreakers (particularly if it means saving $200 or more). Worst case, considering that the car seat alone is $100, the stroller part only cost us an extra $30 so we could always look for a nicer model that still fits the Graco carseat.

mindyb2019 · February 2021

@akoros yay to buying a stroller/carseat combo. Congrats! That one is nice 👌 50 percent off is a score of a deal. Nice job lol I don't blame you for buying it. That is too good of a deal to pass up. I hope you like it.

sgrn18 · February 2021

Does anyone have a sit and stand double stroller? How bulky/heavy are they? I know DS1 will not want to be strapped in a seat and he is also super independent. It scares me to walk to a park or something with 2 kids and not have him
contained. How do y’all STM+ moms go anywhere?! Lol

Or Would baby wearing while putting DS1 in our current stroller be a better option?

_orchid_ · February 2021

@sgrn18 I did a lot of baby wearing/push ds1 in the stroller for the first few months, and then bought a side by side jogging stroller that we used often for about a year (mine are 3y3m apart and we walk often to parks/playgrounds in my town). Ds1 was very independent but once he saw ds2 was riding he always wanted to ride too, and I wanted to get something he could relax in for long distances/amount of time. He would bring books/toys with him but sometimes would fall asleep.

We had a week in the winter when they were 4/1 when they both had the flu and were super congested and cranky and the only time they were both content were when we were outside in the stroller- I think I walked 40 miles that week lol.

wanderlustsoul · February 2021

@sgrn18, the last few weeks, I’ve been letting my DS walk in the park and, pardon my language, but F no to him being able to do that while I’m trying to wrangle a baby too. 🤣🤣. His sole goal was to run into the bike path (I live in the Netherlands so enough said about bikes haha). That was the moment where my H and I looked at each other and were like yep double stroller. We were going to do our single with the attachment that has a mini seat but no strap. But nope. That kid has no fear and too much adventure in his soul.

sgrn18 · March 2021

@AKuzReve same with the no fear kid lol he gives no shits. I think I’ll baby wear while DS2 is little enough like @_orchid_ did but going to do some research into light weight double strollers! We will have be out and about since DS1 needs to burn the energy and it seems like the easiest solution for everyone.

kfc1983 · March 2021

My husband just bought an Uppababy Vista v2 (new in box) off of eBay - he loves “a deal”, so fingers crossed that it’s good! Now we just need to register/purchase a car seat to go with it. First baby purchase in the books. 😱😅

MelissaMay82 · March 2021

@kfc1983 I love the uppababy products!

marebear15 · March 2021

@sgrn18 - I know this question was awhile ago, but we went with the Graco Ready2Grow sit and stand double stroller. It is hefty but I like how you can use two seats or just one seat and the standing part. It worked perfect for my 2.5 yo. I did baby wear for the first 4-5 months first, and then when the baby was a little older, I felt comfortable putting her in the front seat.

legallykate · March 2021

Am I the only STM skipping the double stroller? 😬 DD almost never sits in a stroller anymore (she loves walking) and already weighs almost 38 lbs, so by the time baby comes she’ll likely be close to weighing too much for most of the doubles I have seen, and I’m hoping to just wear the baby for any walks we do for the first few months at least. I just don’t know if it’s worth spending the money and finding the room to store something we might rarely/never use.

marebear15 · March 2021

@legallykate - How old is your DD? It's funny, but once the baby comes along, you'll probably find her wanting to do things she hasn't done in months/years. My DD was 2.5 when I had my 2nd, and she wanted to nurse again, be swaddled and rocked, drink from sippies, want a paci, etc, just because she saw baby sister do it. So you may find that she'll want to ride in the stroller again, once baby comes.

legallykate · March 2021

@marebear15 she is 2 years and 7 months now so will be almost 3 when brother shows up, so very possible. Her size just makes everything so complicated!

Omie_Wise · March 2021

@legallykate I wait to buy strollers until I need them. I didn’t buy a double until DS2 was like 6 months or something like that. Before that I just wore him. We also had the Doona. I love my double because I like taking the kids on walks and it’s nice to have something to strap them in if we need to do a forced exit but I wouldn’t have needed that when the baby was small.

DoubleUp8 · March 2021

@legallykate DS will be 6.5 when this baby comes. No way he is going in a stroller!! I had some friends in that age difference get a sit and stand setup, so there was a seat for the older kid, but it was cumbersome or super heavy. The kid could ride on the extra seat, but usually they wanted to get off and explore before too long. Good luck!

wanderlustsoul · March 2021

@legallykate, if DS was older/we lived somewhere where walking wasn’t our primary mode of transportation, I wouldn’t get one either! But he will only be 21 months so it’s necessary.

sgrn18 · March 2021

@legallykate I didn’t even think about weight limits! DS is almost 40 lbs and will be 3 later this month. Guess I need to look into that. He loves walking everywhere but is so curious, has zero fear, and is crazy fast. Maybe I just need to bring the park to me and put a swing set thing in the back yard lol that way he is contained in a fence at least lol

ramzlau · March 2021

For those on the fence about double stroller, a friend just got a wagon for her two kids because the age difference is 4 years, and she loves that option vs a double stroller that her 4 yr old was going to hit the limits on soon. Just a suggestion to keep them contained to get to a park, or at least haul the stuff that always goes with kids.

Product Spotlight 11/23: Strollers

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