Picking out a stroller can be a daunting task. Travel system or Jogger? Single or double? Is an umbrella stroller necessary as well? Do I really need a cup holder? Will my feet kick the wheels when I walk? There are tons of reviews and ratings floating around out there on the internet, but sometimes it’s just nice to hear other mom’s opinions and suggestions. Here, we will give you the scoop on what strollers we have, and then we want to hear your opinions and suggestions!
{Lauren}
For our main stroller, we went with the Baby Trend Jogger stroller. No, I’m not a jogger. We had not even done any research (tisk tisk) and I allowed my husband to sway my decision because he thought “it looked cool”. Lucky for me, I have ended it up liking it. We love going on walks near the lake, and it is perfect for rugged terrain. We got the matching car seat so it snaps right in. Overall, I’ve been happy, but not in love with it.
After several months of lugging the big jogging stroller in and out of my tiny trunk, I needed something light weight that I could open and close with one hand and a baby in the other. We found an AMAZING deal on a Maclaren Quest on clearance at Babies R Us. I love this stroller! The handles are high, the seat reclines- and it is actually soft, it is so lightweight and easy to carry, and it has survived many a rough airplane trip.
{Casey}
For our splurge, we asked for this Uppababy Vista from grandparents. Here’s why I chose it: you can add a seat when baby #2 comes around, the seat can face forward or face you, seat lays far back for good naps, and the company has an outstanding reputation for their customer service. I really didn’t think I’d use the bassinet that came with it but we ended up using it alot. When she was an infant we just let her sleep in it and pushed it from room to room in the house. My carseat snapped on it too. Here’s what I don’t love about it: the price and the folding mechanism.
I wasn’t sure that I would ever get an umbrella stroller, but now that Halle is bigger and we’re about to go on our first plane ride together, I definitely see the benefits. I did lots of research and decided on the new 2011 Uppababy G-Luxe. Again, it’s a splurge, but I’m of the mindset that we buy well, buy once. I just got it but here is what sold me on it: deep recline, stands while folded, large UV sun shade, can use seat with or without padding (good for those hot summer days!), tall handles and “elevated rear-frame to reduce toe-stubs.” So while I’ve barely strapped Halle in, I know since it’s from the Uppa family, I’ll love it.
Now we want to hear from you!
What kind of stroller did you decide on?
Are you in love?
MAN! I am looking for a good quality, lightweight umbrella-type stroller. Its so hard since some are super expensive and some are not…frustrating! Thanks for the ideas, ladies!
Oh I definitely need this post!! I think stroller is the toughest decision. 1st time parent question: How old does the baby need to be in order to put it directly in a stroller? In other words, not just snapping the infant car seat into the stroller, but when can you put the baby in the Maclaren umbrella stroller?
I’m not sure about Lauren’s Maclaren but it’s 3 months for the Uppa umbrella.
This depends on the stroller. For example, I couldn’t put Kyler in the big stroller or the umbrella stroller for several months until he could support his head and sit with support. So he was in the car seat for months. This probably applies for most strollers. Although with Casey’s, you could put the baby in the bassinett attachment immediately. It just depends on the seat of the stroller. But most infants need the support of a carseat.
I found that Halle supported her head around 3 months, which is about average. So I guess that’s why Uppa Vista and Uppa G-Luxe have a minimun age requirement of 3 months (the G-Luxe has a maximum weight of 50 lbs. so that should last awhile!) But babies should be able to support their head before being put in a stroller. Happy hunting, Jana!!!
I have the Baby Jogger City Select and I’m IN. LOVE. with that thing! It has made my life so much easier. It’s pricey and I wish I had decided on it while I was pregnant with my first son, but oh well. I wanted it because I intended to use it as a double right away. I love that there was a car seat attachment that’s chicco compatible. I’m still using that, but plan to buy the second seat very soon. I also love how easy it is to maneuver and push. Other double strollers I have seen/used in the past made me very nervous. I didn’t want to push something that was similar to a limo and I didn’t want it to weigh a ton when I pushed it. This stroller never had either of those issues. I love that it can be used as a single or a double. The only negative I have, other than the hefty pricetag, is that it doesn’t come with a cup holder but can be bought as an attachment.
I actually have three strollers (for a limited time) but love each for different reasons!
1. Baby Trend Snap & Go — It has been so awesome to be able to drop my baby’s Chicco Key Fit car seat right into this. It is basic, but easy, inexpensive and super convenient, and I can even turn his car seat around to face forward so he has more to look at now that he is older. However, this will be gone soon, as he is about to be too tall for his car seat.
2. Chicco Liteway — Terrific umbrella stroller! Lightweight, but sturdy, this has been our go-to stroller for the past 10 months. I even took him on walks in it as a newborn and never had trouble with him holding his head up. It seemed to have enough of an incline that it didn’t matter; plus, I always buckle him in. Speaking of incline, this stroller reclines to being totally flat, so he could sleep in it as well if he napped during an outing. It really is lightweight, too, and easy to open and shut. The only con with this stroller is the suspension. In malls or on smooth pavement, I never noticed — but for uneven sidewalks or grassy parks, an umbrella stroller has a bumpy ride.
3. Britax B-Agile — This stroller is almost identical to the popular Baby Jogger City Mini. It’s got the super smooth ride that the umbrella stroller didn’t and it is SO easy to pop open, maneuver around, turn on a dime and shut again with just one hand. The seat is comfortable for him and the sun canopy is HUGE — a plus in Texas. This will be our main stroller for walks, park outings and probably even stores for as long as we need a stroller for our little guy. Cons: small storage area underneath and no cup holder (though you can buy one or use a console-type storage unit for keys, drinks, etc.) I will probably also buy a child tray for it. It also bounces around in the back of my Jetta wagon because of the bigger tires, I think, which doesn’t bother me — but it does bother my dog when she is back there next to it.
I also have the Uppababy Vista and the Uppababy G-Luxe, and I have been incredibly happy with both strollers. My daughter is 14 months old, and we have taken the Vista on 5 round trip flights. It did get damaged on one flight, but I called customer service and was extremely impressed by the service. They asked me to send them a picture of the damage and a copy of our itinerary from the flight via email. Within a week or so, I had the new frame for my Vista stroller. It was definitely worth it to invest in the SafeTravel Bag if you are going to fly with your stroller, because UppaBaby will replace anything that is damaged on the flight. I’m very happy that we will also be able to add a seat and use this same stroller for Baby #2. We just purchased the G-Luxe since we will be taking our 6th round trip flight this Christmas season and needed something lighter since we are no longer using the infant car seat. We also have the BOB Revolution jogging stroller, which my husband uses almost every day. I personally prefer the Uppababy strollers, but we’ve been happy with all 3 for different purposes. The only downside in the strollers is the high price, but I love my strollers and use them whereas my friends who got the travel systems have long since tossed the bulky systems into their garages to collect dust.