Stroller help!

Parentberries
1

Hey moms!
I need help with buying a stroller. This is my first one and I need some help from experienced moms who know what works and what doesnt. So what kind and brand of stroller do you have and would you reccomend me buying it?
P.s. I go running but only on paved areas

Thanks momberries!!!

2

Our biggest splurge was our stroller, we have the [name_m]Chico[/name_m] [name_m]Bravo[/name_m] trio travel system. It’s impossible to find on sale so eventually I got it from target.com with a “spend $400 get $75 off” deal (it retails around $350 so I also added the pack n play to that order) Anyway, it is awesome and I recommend it.

3

Thanks! That stroller sounds pretty awesome and I have a target card so I can probably get it at least 5% off.

4

I don’t know if there’s any such thing as a single stroller that meets all of your needs, which change substantially over the years–and this is probably the case even if you only end up having one child. For this reason, I can’t recommend spending over $200.

Yes, the fancy ones are fun and status symbol-y but it’s pretty hard to anticipate what the future will bring. Save your money and start looking into hiring some extra help for you and baby in the first 6 months of life instead if you feel like making a good investment on something child-related. :slight_smile:

5

We have had several strollers through 3 kids. Not because our kids outgrew them but because we had twins first and then a singleton and then we travelled and ended up buying a stroller while there rather than lugging one with us. We live in a place with good public transit so we have really worked our strollers on buses and trains as well as on walks- both around town and in the woods, for naps (our kids nap outside year round in them). I have run with most of our strollers and used them in stores.

I have to disagree that you have to have more than one stroller as the child grows. If you look for one that has multiple features it is possible to have the same one for a good long time. For example, one that has a carseat adapter will get you through the newborn phase and then if you have picked one that has a high enough weight limit you are set.

My favorites have been our BOB (a running stroller) and our mountain buggy Duo (now they have the Duet, also a double but the have a single version too) which was also a running stroller but really more of an all around stroller that we used all the time.

I LOVE the BOB for running. The only reason I don’t use it more is we bought an old used model that doesn’t have a swivel tire in the front so it is hard to steer when just out and about on a walk. It it light weight but bulky because of the big tires, although they are easy to remove so it can collapse down to a reasonable size. My sister-in-law has a BOB that has a smaller front swiveling tire that is lockable. I don’t know which model it is exactly but I seriously covet it. :slight_smile: I know they had a carseat adaptor for this one and it worked really well for them.

Our workhorse stroller was our mountain buggy. It was the first stroller we bought when we got our twins and it was amazing from day one. Easy to maneuver, was roomy, had a large basket underneath. Clear plastic rain covers (some of our other strollers had a dark fabric that was mostly water proof… to a point). I loved that I could recline the seats to any height (some have only set levels). It was high quality and lasted us about 4 years of intense daily use until we stopped using strollers at all for our twins.

The mountain buggy wasn’t super light so you get an extra workout on your runs, but if you are going for just one stroller that can work for all purposes, I would suggest looking at both it and at various BOBs.

The only thing I liked better about another of our strollers (the Kronan) was the fact that the seat could face either direction. Otherwise the mountain buggy was my favorite. But like I said, I didn’t have a BOB with a swivel wheel in the front so it would be a tough call between those two for me at this point.

Things to look at when buying a stoller: (and obviously some things may be way more important to you than others):

  • How does it fold up? Does it require two hands? How much space does it take folded up?
  • How do carseats integrate? Will you need a special base for them in the stroller?
  • Weight limit- how heavy can the kid be. This will be a major factor in how long you can use it.
  • How does the reclining work? Do you need two hands to do it? Are there set levels or can it be adjusted to any level? Does it recline totally flat?
  • Basket size? Basket weight limit? Accessibility? (One of our strollers has a cool feature where one side of the basket is on a spring so it can be pushed down to give better access to the basket while minimizing the risk that things fall out)
  • How many wheels? Do front wheels swivel (for Maneuverability in stores etc)? Size of wheels (too small can mean bumpy on some surfaces)? Material of wheels (Tires with air a better shock absorption but have a risk for flats- which can be an extra cost in the long run- but may be worth it depending on how you are using your stroller). Are all wheels the same size? (If they are not and you have air tires you will have to keep track of two kinds of spares.)
    *How well a diaper bag will attach (LOVE our SkipHop Bento diaper bag for attaching to strollers!! Still using it 5 years later and still love it more than any other diaper bag I’ve tried, including other SkipHops.)
  • Sunshade- how big? how easy to use?
  • The strap system. I HATE the strap system on our Kronan. It is a 5 point strap which is OK but it is rigged up so that if you strap the kid in they can always sit forward. So you can have it reclined all the way but the straps are designed so that the kid can still be sitting upright. Not so great for naps.
  • how comfortable is the seat? (as far as you can tell)
  • Does the handle adjust to different heights? (My husband and I are very different heights so it was important that we could both comfortable use the stroller)
  • The lock for the wheels- is it easy to push up and down with the shoes you typically wear?

I’m sure I could think of more things to mention, but that is probably a decent start of ideas of what to consider. I hope you find a stroller you love and best of luck with your pregnancy!

6

My second baby have came for 2 months and I saw this about stroller when I am looking for a name for her. We now have 2 babies with different ages and the single type couldnt satisfy. Ive searched lots of double stroller reviews and seems the in-inline type will be more suitable for us, the Uppababy seems good.