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Recommend a stroller

S

slackerinabox

Lifer
We're expecting our first in August and I'm slowly buying and budgeting for baby gear. Strollers seem a bit confusing, so any suggestions?

* Budget - Ideally as little as possible, but I don't mind spending more if it'll last for 2 kids plus the resale value's decent. I.e. the bugaboo frog costs $600 but routinely sells for $400+ used on ebay, so $200 for 3+ years use is fine (especially since we plan to have one more kid)

* Weight - Sturdy but we live in NYC, so subway stairs are always a challenge.

* Infant worthy - it's confusing to me that some strollers recommend 6 months up while others are infant and up. I'm seeing a lot with snap in car seat options- can the 6 month+ units work with an infant if using a car seat insert?

* Adjustable handles - Not necessarily a must have, but I'm about a foot taller than my wife

* Prefer parent facing seat (or adjustable)

* I like the design of jogger strollers - can they be used as full time strollers, or are they just meant for occasional use?

* Brands: I don't know a thing about brands, but hear good things about the following:

http://www.amazon.com/Bugaboo-Frog-S...0369565&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Jogger-Si...0369621&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/UPPAbaby-Vista...0369884&sr=1-1

Thanks for any advice!
 
Do yourself a favor, and get a stroller/car seat combo option - the type that you can put baby in and transfer him/her from car to home/restaurant by just picking up the seat.

We have the red version of this Chicco stroller, and it has survived two years and will now be used for the next baby.

It was probably the only thing that allowed us to eat out at a restaurant in the first 5 months or so.
 
go to babies R us and try them all. find one you like.

i wouldn't buy one and planning to have 2 kids use it. they get better/cheaper every year.

the first one we got (my daughter) cost us $400. we got something better then that for $200 for my son.


edit: jeebus was 100% dead on. get a combo!
 
Jeeebus said:
Do yourself a favor, and get a stroller/car seat combo option - the type that you can put baby in and transfer him/her from car to home/restaurant by just picking up the seat.

We have the red version of this Chicco stroller, and it has survived two years and will now be used for the next baby.

It was probably the only thing that allowed us to eat out at a restaurant in the first 5 months or so.
Click to expand...

Cool! Question - is a standard stroller with a car seat adapter option as convenient, or should I opt for a "travel system?" My wife will be using the subway more than a car (NYC) and something easy to collapse is pretty vital.
 
SpiderWiz said:
Don't buy a new one. Go to Once Upon a Child. We had one similar to the baby jogger.
Click to expand...

Cool link, thanks! Question, can you use your jogger as your 24/7 stroller or are they generally built only for occasional (i.e. jogging) use? We're getting an umbrella stroller anyways, but we want something that can withstand repeated trips up and down NYC subways stairs (and there's a flight of stairs leading to our apartment).
 
waggy said:
go to babies R us and try them all. find one you like.

i wouldn't buy one and planning to have 2 kids use it. they get better/cheaper every year.

the first one we got (my daughter) cost us $400. we got something better then that for $200 for my son.


edit: jeebus was 100% dead on. get a combo!
Click to expand...

Remember any of the brands?
 
You will find that there's no "perfect" stroller for every situation. You'll want two. I'd suggest having the family truckster with the infant carrier snap in option first. The full cargo net under the bottom for long days at the park/zoo/ect is ideal for carrying diapers/formula/food/change of clothes/smuggling beer in/ect. And taking the carrier out of the car and dropping it right in the stroller is great.

Once your child is out of the infant stage and into more of "upright" age...6-9 months depending on kid you'll want to get a 2nd stroller. That family truckster stroller is likely a monstrosity to lug around and they are like pushing a shopping cart around a mall/cramped store. They are great packmules for long days, but you'll want a much more compact and nimble one for quick trips to the store/airport travel/short walks/ect.

I highly suggest getting the baby bargain guide and look at the ratings there for value and saftey.

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Bargains-.../dp/1889392146
 
freedomsbeat212 said:
Cool! Question - is a standard stroller with a car seat adapter option as convenient, or should I opt for a "travel system?" My wife will be using the subway more than a car (NYC) and something easy to collapse is pretty vital.
Click to expand...

Only stroller we've ever bought, so can't answer. We do have a jogging stroller which was given to us and comes in handy for going off-street (hiking trails and such). Takes up a lot more space than the regular stroller though.

Beware the subway (metro in our case, as we were in DC). People tend to be fairly nice to a mother with a stroller - as long as it's not rush hour. When the train gets overcrowded, nobody seems to give a fuck that they are squishing/tipping a stroller with an infant in it.

My wife would always take the baby out and hold it because assholes would swing their briefcases around, kick it, push it out of their way, etc.
 
If you get a jogger and use it full time you will get pissed off when you are in stores and you cant fit between racks of clothes and stuff and moms will laugh at you.

I originally had a stroller that the infant carrier snapped into and it was useful for upto 6mo. when he outgrew the infant seat. Then the stroller became a pain in the ass because of the size.

I went out and purchased a chicco liteweigt or something.. its an umbrella stroller and is alot easier for me due to the size.

infant carrier that snap into bases in the car is great. you can purchase a base for each car you have..
 
Jeeebus said:
Do yourself a favor, and get a stroller/car seat combo option - the type that you can put baby in and transfer him/her from car to home/restaurant by just picking up the seat.

We have the red version of this Chicco stroller, and it has survived two years and will now be used for the next baby.

It was probably the only thing that allowed us to eat out at a restaurant in the first 5 months or so.
Click to expand...

+1 for the Chicco, I have that exact one and love it, the stroller part isn't exactly the most portable thing but it's sturdy and the adjustable handle helps when I push it (I'm 6'4")...and if you have more than one car you can get an extra base like we did for the car seat.
 
I liked the Peg Perego we got. The baby basket fits the stroller. Once you out grow the basket, the kid sits in a car seat. My car seat is not a Perego car seat though. My stroller allows changing direction so the kid can be facing forward or towards you, that also means all 4 wheels can turn. I like doing lateral moves of the stroller 😛

http://www.consumersearch.com/strollers/peg-perego-venezia

Please note there is an expiry date for car seats.
 
Last edited:
here's what we had:

1. infant car seat (graco i think). this has a base which you anchor to the car and then the infant carrier locks into the base. you are required to have an infant carrier in order to be discharged from the hospital.

2. universal carrier (kolcraft i think). this is just a simple frame to which you anchor the infant carrier. ours was extremely lightweight so that meant it was easy for my wife to fold it up and put it in the back of the car. it had a huge basket underneath so we could store diaper bags/food/shopping bags underneath it; this was invaluable. it also had big wheels which meant it was easier to get over bumps which was key on the sidewalks of hoboken, nj.

one drawback with the universal is that once the child is too big for the infant carrier, it can no longer be used. however, it is a lot cheaper than stroller systems and you have the flexibility to choose a separate stroller once the need arises later and you know more about what you need/want in a stroller. you aren't stuck with the stroller from the system.

EDIT: our next workhorse stroller was the maclaren volo i think. it's really small and light and is perfect for use in the city except for the small wheels. it's easy to fold up with one hand and a foot and it has a shoulder strap. one drawback is that it doesn't recline.

EDIT2: we also used our baby bjorn for significant amounts of baby carrying in the city.
 
Last edited:
freedomsbeat212 said:
We're expecting our first in August and I'm slowly buying and budgeting for baby gear. Strollers seem a bit confusing, so any suggestions?

* Budget - Ideally as little as possible, but I don't mind spending more if it'll last for 2 kids plus the resale value's decent. I.e. the bugaboo frog costs $600 but routinely sells for $400+ used on ebay, so $200 for 3+ years use is fine (especially since we plan to have one more kid)

* Weight - Sturdy but we live in NYC, so subway stairs are always a challenge.

* Infant worthy - it's confusing to me that some strollers recommend 6 months up while others are infant and up. I'm seeing a lot with snap in car seat options- can the 6 month+ units work with an infant if using a car seat insert?

* Adjustable handles - Not necessarily a must have, but I'm about a foot taller than my wife

* Prefer parent facing seat (or adjustable)

* I like the design of jogger strollers - can they be used as full time strollers, or are they just meant for occasional use?

* Brands: I don't know a thing about brands, but hear good things about the following:

http://www.amazon.com/Bugaboo-Frog-S...0369565&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Jogger-Si...0369621&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/UPPAbaby-Vista...0369884&sr=1-1

Thanks for any advice!
Click to expand...



I'm being funny here (I'm no parent so I find the use of strollers amusing).

How bout you stop fostering laziness and sloth and make your damn kid walk?!
 
bobdole369 said:
I'm being funny here (I'm no parent so I find the use of strollers amusing).

How bout you stop fostering laziness and sloth and make your damn kid walk?!
Click to expand...

yeah t hose damn lazy newborns! fuck them lazy kids they should be walking. And whats this shit of 3-5 yr old in them at the zoo? they should be walking the 2-3 miles or so!

really i know you trying to be funny but err..that's just stupid.
 
As a former NYC mom, here's my advice.

LIGHTWEIGHT and strong. You're going to be attached to that damned thing.

did I say STRONG and STURDY? NYC is a super-challenging place to push a stroller, it's not smooth and flat like suburban moms going to the mall. Go for ultra mega tech strength and be sure you know where to get it fixed. Those wheels get knocked out of alignment really easily.

MANEUVERABLE - of course. You'll quickly get good at advanced zipping through streets crowded with pedestrians, you need to be able to zig and zag

BALANCED. once you get the kid in there and the diaper bag and a few shopping bags hanging from the handles, will it tip over? This is not trivial.

EASY TO TAKE THE KID OUT AND FOLD - there are a lot of places that you can't get the stroller in and out of easily. Our pediatrician's office was in a building with revolving doors - there were handicap doors but you had to find someone to open them. Easier to carry kid and folded stroller.

SMALL especially in width. See above. Also, store aisles in NYC are often narrow.

SMALL when folded. Where are you going to keep it?

Adjustable handles - you're kidding, right? You'd like to spend the next few years hunched over some too-short handles? Of course find something comfortable for both of you.

Travel systems - here in suburbia where we live in the car, of course that's what you get. In NYC, it's a different thing - how often do you use your car, how far do you need to go to get to your car, is it your only stroller, how often do you need to schlep the thing down three flights of subway stairs? How many stairs is it to your apartment/whatever and how many stairs to your friends/relatives places and all the places you go? The cool thing about a travel system is that you can easily take the baby in carrier out of the stroller and carry it around, but if you don't have any place to put the empty stroller, it's a pain.

Jogging stroller - great for jogging, if you do that, but more prone to tip over when going over NYC curbs and obstacles.

Color - don't put a boy in a pink stroller. Political correctness be damned, you'll get sick of explaining. On the other hand, if the kid is a girl, it saves a lot of bother.

Style - everybody knows what make and model your stroller is, how new it is, where it was manufactured, what recalls it's had, and so on. Get used to other people having strong opinions and telling you that your choice is an idiot one. You'll soon find that you have strong opinions yourself, and will enjoy sharing those opinions.

I suggest talking to as many people as you can - it's perfectly okay to go up to a stranger with a stroller and start asking stroller questions. You might get some considerations that you hadn't thought of. Of course the internet baby boards are awesome resources.

You might end up with a bunch of strollers, in sequence. What's perfect for a baby stops being perfect when the kid can sit up and needs to be heavy-duty strapped in, and starts weighing a ton. They grow. Quickly. Only you will know what's going to work out for you.

Once you get two kids, everything changes. Don't give too much consideration to re-using the stroller for the next kid.

PS - CONGRATS!
 
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We got a Graco carseat stroller combo then ordered 2 extra bases for mine and grandma's cars. We haven't used the stroller much because it's kinda unweildy with the carseat in it, but once he gets bigger I'm sure it'll get more use.

The build quality is just fine and I could see it lasting a kid or two before going to the used store.
 
Check out Quinny.
http://www.quinny.com/us-en

We have the Quinny Buzz and the Quinny Zapp.
Excellent strollers.

if you use a Maxi Cosi infant seat, you can snap that right on to the stroller frame, which is convenient as well.
I know way too much about this.
 
Last edited:
Avoid the Frog. It looks nice, but it's a fucking nightmare to put together and take apart. It really is style over function. I have seen too many parents struggle with that thing.

When you want to collapse the sucker, you have to pick up the basket, but you cannot put the basket on the floor with the kid in it. Fail!

Collapsing the lower portion is a two hand job. Fail.
 
TwiceOver said:
We got a Graco carseat stroller combo then ordered 2 extra bases for mine and grandma's cars. We haven't used the stroller much because it's kinda unweildy with the carseat in it, but once he gets bigger I'm sure it'll get more use.

The build quality is just fine and I could see it lasting a kid or two before going to the used store.
Click to expand...

we got extra bases too. i think we had a total of 4 bases. one in my car, my wife's, my parents adn her parents.

saved a lot of pain latching and unlatching the damn thing.
 
try to look for a baby carrier too. i was always about to punch someone's face when i see they have an open stroller in the subway at rush hour.
 
vi edit said:
You will find that there's no "perfect" stroller for every situation. You'll want two. I'd suggest having the family truckster with the infant carrier snap in option first. The full cargo net under the bottom for long days at the park/zoo/ect is ideal for carrying diapers/formula/food/change of clothes/smuggling beer in/ect. And taking the carrier out of the car and dropping it right in the stroller is great.

Once your child is out of the infant stage and into more of "upright" age...6-9 months depending on kid you'll want to get a 2nd stroller. That family truckster stroller is likely a monstrosity to lug around and they are like pushing a shopping cart around a mall/cramped store. They are great packmules for long days, but you'll want a much more compact and nimble one for quick trips to the store/airport travel/short walks/ect.

I highly suggest getting the baby bargain guide and look at the ratings there for value and saftey.

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Bargains-.../dp/1889392146
Click to expand...

I'm definitely getting two strollers - one standard and one umbrella. My original plan was to get a high end standard stroller (or mid-range, I can't afford that really nifty $1,200 one that's highly recommended) and your average $50-$100 umbrella stroller, but I'm reading that most people rely on their umbrella strollers for a majority of the time (especially in cities). Should I reverse my plan and get a humble full-sized unit and a high end umbrella?

Anyone recommend any rugged umbrella strollers?
 
ivan2 said:
try to look for a baby carrier too. i was always about to punch someone's face when i see they have an open stroller in the subway at rush hour.
Click to expand...

Ha - I thought about getting a strap on (err, you know what I mean!) but I'm a clutz and am terrified of tripping/falling while kangarooing my baby! But they're affordable so I'll pick one up, and make my wife promise not to ride the subway during rush hour 🙂
 
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