Strollers: The Ultimate Buyer's GuideNote to other soon-to-be dads: of all of the purchases you and your partner will be making in preparation for baby’s arrival, a stroller is one you have reason to be excited about.
Until now, your eyes may have glazed over as you toured baby stores preparing a registry, or spent a few hours (or days, sigh) selecting crib bedding. When it comes to buying a stroller this is your time to get excited. Essentially, the stroller is your baby’s first car, and this is a shopping trip you can treat like going to the lot to test drive the latest model sports car.
Today’s strollers come in many shapes and sizes, and all of them have their place and purpose. Finding one that is right for your needs can be the tricky part—especially if this is your first child and owning a stroller had never entered your radar until now.
If you’re like me, you will be attracted to the stroller with the most gadgets, the sleekest appearance, and one you can see yourself proudly pushing around the neighbourhood. However, it’s important to do your homework before impulsively buying the first one to strike your fancy.
Here are a few key things to consider:
1. Will you be traveling alone with the stroller and require one that folds easily with one hand?
2. Can the stroller fit conveniently in your current vehicle?
3. Do you plan to buy another stroller once your baby reaches one or two years of age? Or would a multi-purpose stroller that includes the full-recline position (for newborns) and the upright position (for toddlers) best suit your needs?
4. If you expect to be climbing stairs or frequently packing the stroller in and out of the trunk, is the stroller light enough?
5. Test-drive the stroller in the store and practice folding it. Some strollers may be too tall or too low to adequately suit your stride and/or height.
6. Look at the price tag! Strollers range from $200 to over $1000 so set a budget before you start shopping.
7. Are you having twins? Will you need to accommodate an older child? You’ll definitely want to consider a double or triple stroller depending on the size of your family.
8. Where will you be using your stroller? For urban living, a light-weight and compact stroller may be more suitable for crowded streets, boutique shopping, and riding public transit.
Travel Systems
My wife and I were interested in purchasing a “travel system” (the name alone made me think we had to have one). This is a stroller and car seat combination whereby the car seat can “click” into both a fixed base in the backseat of the car and in the stroller. The idea being that baby stays safely strapped into the car seat whether in transit by car or by stroller—saving you the buckling and unbuckling.
We settled on the “Skate” by Peg-Perego. This travel system had a cool look, and all the functionality we wanted in terms of portability, multi-position seat, with adjustable everything. BUT, it is BIG.
What we didn’t consider is where it was going to live. For the past 2 months it has occupied the baby’s room only because we don’t have our crib yet. Once the crib comes I’m literally going to need to clear space in the garage and am already wishing we had a two car garage. This thing could come close to occupying one whole side. If you’d believe it, the Skate stroller actually comes with an air pump for the tires, which begs the question: “what on earth will I be doing with my poor child that would cause me to have to stop, evaluate my strollers’ tire inflation and possibly need to add air!” Whatever it is, I should probably re-think the activity.
Popular travel systems include:
Jogging Strollers
If you’re an active-type, you may want to look for a stroller specifically for jogging. These are the unique, three-wheeled models with tires that resemble those seen on a full size bicycle. Popular jogging strollers include:
Umbrella Strollers
These are referred to as umbrella strollers because of the way they fold up, and the look of the curved handles. These models are typically lightweight and compact. An umbrella stroller is intended for use with an infant or toddler (6 months of age and up). Until now, this was the typical image of a stroller I had from when I was a child. Little did I imagine the wealth of options out there…
Popular Umbrella Strollers include:
Bicycle Trailer Strollers
Some jogging strollers are designed to convert easily into bicycle trailers. For avid cyclists, this is a great option. Popular models include:
The strollers listed above represent only a few of hundreds available today. Manufacturers have recognized parents desire to express individuality and style through the stroller they use and offer designs ranging from simple and traditional to sleek and futuristic. Finding a stroller that is right for you will surely take a trip to a local retailer where you can walk with each model and try them out. Ordering a stroller online simply because of a brand name is a mistake. You have to push it around, make sure it works for you first!
-- Kyle Hosick
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