(by Aubree)
The majority of our readers are parents, and I need your help. Even if you're not a parent, if you have any advice please give it.
I am trying to find a stroller for our forthcoming baby. Wow, is it a marketing scheme or are there really that many different kind of strollers? I was looking at a jogging stroller. I don't really jog all that much, but I plan on taking a lot of walks come spring, and I thought maybe a jogging stroller would maneuver better than a one with four wheels. But then I thought maybe for regular use it might not be as stable.
I don't want to spend too much, but I want it to be safe and a good ride for baby. I'm sure some of you have been in my situation and have a preference. I need to hear from all of you experts out there what stroller you like and why. Thanks in advance.
11 comments:
Graco, Graco, Graco. Evenflo is like the Walmart of strollers/carseats and I've heard so many bad things about them, from Mom's and sales people. They are akward to fold up too. We shopped around for a really long time. You can drop some serious money on one of those suckers. I love my travel system. I've put so many miles on my stroller. I go walking every morning and it's been great. I got mine at Babies R Us but there are similar ones everywhere. I just had giftcard to Babies R Us and a coupon so I went there. There are nicer brands than Graco but really it's the best bang for your buck. Go to Babies R Us and push every single stoller around the store. I even jogged around the aisle with a jogging stoller. I didn't get a jogging stoller because I really liked the little storage basket under the regular one and it folded up so nicely. Plus, with a travel system, you get the carseat and base and the carseat snaps onto the stroller which is awesome for a newborn cause they sleep so much. If you end up really wishing that you had a jogging stoller I see them on Craig's List all the time for pretty good deals. I'll see if I can find mine on the Graco website. Seriously Aubs, we shopped around for a few months. Maybe you should pray about it. Just kiddin, but my comment is forever long. Good Luck!
I'm always looking at doubles, so I'm not sure about singles. If I could buy anything, I'd get the Bob Revolution. Definitely get a swivel front wheel! Definitely!! Whatever you get, get a swivel front wheel. Remember that. :) We love our Bugaboos, they are the most fantastic strollers ever! But they are not cheap...at all. Dan's brother gifted us our first one and the second is on loan from his sister. I don't think we'd have any if not for the generosity of others. Good luck, though. The stroller market is most definitely saturated!
I don't have any tips, but I'm curious about your research results. I have wondered the same thing as I see mothers with a hundred different types of strollers. I am interested in jogging stollers too. So post what you end up finding!
K, here is my 2cents! I have to agree w/ Lyndzi! We too bought a Graco stroller system thing-a-ma-bob. It is wonderfull because the carseat snaps right into it. It also comes with the base that you place the carseat into in the car. I think it's the best vallue overall. Your baby will obviously be too tiny at first that just putting her in the stroller will be awkward. But as she gets bigger and out of the carseat she will fit nicely in the stroller. Also, the storage underneath is great to have for your diaperbag and everything else that babies require. Also, the one we got had cupholders by the handles so you can fit bottled water up there. It folds up quite nicely, very easy to open and close. However, we do keep the umbrella stroller in the van because it's so small and easily accessible when we need more space. I'd suggest you go w/ both of those. Good Luck! (Also, because this is kind of an expensive purchase, we made sure we bought a pattern that could suit a boy or a girl. Glad we did, because ours has gone through 2 girlies and now a boy, money well spent I'd say.)
If you're planning on using it sporadically, then Graco may be fine. If you're going to use it a lot, however, nothing comes close to a Maclaren. In New York City, where parents are much more likely to have a stroller than a car, and they get used every day, it's sometimes difficult to find a non-Maclaren stroller, and you'll NEVER see a Graco. Not that they aren't decent, but if you want the best, Maclaren is it. :)
I love my Graco stroller. It has literally been with us around the world and has held up remarkably well. It's really, really, really easy to fold up and it's actually pretty compact, considering. The infant carseat that fits in it is also wonderful. It was nice to be able to move Jay from the car to the stroller or vise-a-versa without problems. We actually bought ours used and it still works like a champ! They are super cheap compared to other strollers too. As far as a jogging stroller goes, I have one of those too. I really like it for jogging and going off road. It is not compact and does not fold up well, so we don't usually take it anywhere. However, it's nice to have around home. It pushes so easily and smoothly. We bought the cheapest brand and it works fine. I know there are a TON of really expensive ones out there but I don't see a need. I'm not a huge runner either and mine works great. I would suggest getting a jogging stroller used on craigslist or ksl.com because you can usually find one for a good price that's hardly been used at all. We also have an umbrella stroller. We didn't use it much though until Jay was about 1. Now it's great because it's super compact. I would suggest though if you're going to get an umbrella stroller, opt for the one that has a back that folds down because then you might be able to use it sooner. We have a Maclairn. They're a little more pricey but we really like it. I know... 3 strollers is a lot, but if you look for used and go for Graco you actually won't be spending a lot. Hope that helps!
We miss you guys and are sad we couldn't see you while we were in Utah. Our trip went WAY to quick and we had a lot of family stuff going on. We'll be back in the beginning of December though and we would really like to see you then. Mike will be with Jay and I the whole time so we are determined to make a trip up and see you guys and your new home. We only wish we were going to be around long enough to see baby girl! Next time I guess. Love you guys!
Here's my dish! I would definately get a stoller/carseat combo. They come with the base for the car (which is awesome) and then your car seat just snaps right in the car or stoller! However.....I also have a jogger that I LOVE! Especially when you are not on smooth surface...the jogger is like a fourwheeler on grass instead of a bike..(did that make sense) The jogger is great for "offroad". The stoller definately maneuvers better in smaller areas...(like in stores and stuff.) then the jogger.
As far as brands...our jogger is the "In-step" brand, and the stoller is an Eddie Bauer and we have loved both of them.
Also, our jogger does have a little basket underneath the seat, and it also has a drink holder up top (like strollers do) that is removable.
Good Luck!
Jogging strollers are hard to use in stores... I like the ones that allow the car seat to sit on it/ car seat stroller combo thing.. because I don't have to take my baby out of the car seat... and they are nice with infants. I also like them because they have the compartment underneath to put your diaper bag and most have a tray up front for older kids to have treats or a drink plus they lay down when the kid is tired or sleeping.... good luck!
I would buy a peg perego, pliko P3. It costs a little more (not too much more), but it is well worth it. Check out albeebaby.com for the best deal. Albeebaby also has Maclaren strollers which I hear good things about. I have had over six strollers, including a nice jogging stroller, but the only one I would really reccomend is the Peg Perego. It is really easy to put up and collapse. You can use any kind of car seat with it. You can also chose a five point or three point harness. It reclines almost completely. There is also a standing board on the back for when you have two. There is also plenty of basket room. I love it and everyone I have reccomended it to has also loved it. Also, I have gone walking quite a bit and it is still champ. I may be buying another one soon.
Sorry if someone has suggested this already but you definitly want a stroller you can put the carseat in. There will be times when you don't want to wake the baby to take her out of a carseat and put her in the stroller. Or if she falls asleep in the stroller it's great to just take the carseat out and take her inside without disturbing her sleep. We've liked our Graco travel system. Once she's able to sit up and is staying awake more you probably will just want to get an umbrella stroller. Those are so small and handy.
P.S. Your belly pic looks so cute!
Aubrey - It's fun to see what you've been up to. Congratulations on your new baby - how exciting! As far as strollers/carseats go, I would have to recommend Chicco. Their carseats are considered the safest (by Consumer Reports) and they now even have a jogger stroller that the carseat can clip into. We just have their regular stroller but have loved it as well. Here is their website http://www.chiccousa.com/. Good luck - it took us forever to pick out a carseat/stroller.
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