Strollers
From Mommyplace.com WiKI Page
When I was pregnant with my first child and shopping for strollers I was told that most families end up buying multiple strollers because they are never happy with just one. I thought there could not be truth to this statement and was determined to buy just one stroller. I now have four and would have five (a jogger) if I was not so selfish about my runs being my private time.
There are so many strollers out there, it's overwhelming for new moms to be and moms with kids. My advice is to start with a Travel System option which packages an infant car seat, the base, and a stroller (which the car seat snaps into). It's super convenient and most travel systems are affordable (unless you go for the high end brands). I purchased a Graco travel system and have been very happy with its durability. It was even durable enough to take on dirt paths (think paved dirt, not rocky mountain terrain) for 3-5 mile walks. It collapsed fairly easy (although I have never been able to do it with one hand but I would never do it holding my baby to begin with) and was light enough for me to toss into the back of my SUV. It also has a good size basket underneath. The travel systems are something that grow with your children...you use the infant seat when they are infants and then you use it just like a typical stroller when your children are toddlers.
The second stroller we bought was the Baby Trend Snap and Go. I found this to be a good value but have only ever used it for travel. Airlines are NOT careful with strollers so I've never brought our Graco Travel System on a plane. I don't want it to be broken. Instead, when our son was still in his Infant Seat, we used the Snap and Go for Plane travel. It was great and was never broken (and if it was it would not have been a big deal because they are pretty cheap). The Snap and Go has a small basket underneath and folds up very easily. It also rides nicely on pavement. We used it for 3-5 mile walks on our trips.
The third stroller we brought was a cheap umbrella stroller from Target and I'm not a big fan of it, mostly because it does not have a basket underneath. It's also not something I would ever try to use to walk on paved dirt.
The fourth stoller we bought is the Baby Trend Trendsport Lite. It was less than $40 and I think it's a great value. We now use this one for plane trips and also for places like the zoo and the mall. The only place we prefer to use the Graco Travel system instead of the Baby Trend is long walks starting from our house. But if we were going to drive to a hike/walk, we'd probably throw the Baby Trend in the SUV because it's more compact than the Travel System. When I purchased the Baby Trend I went to Babies R Us intending to buy a MacLaren. BUT the MacLarens either did not have a cup/food tray OR they were really expensive. So, I bought the Baby Trend which had the cup/food tray, a basket underneath, and a canopy. It's been very durable and convenient. Just remember to take off the tray when you leave it at the end of the ramp before getting on a plane.
I did a ton of research on baby joggers before I decided that I really did not want to run with my son. If I had bought one it would have been the Chariot. Chariots can acutally convert from joggers to bike trailers. That's a great value if you want to bike and run with your kids. There are a few models and people who have Chariots rave about them.
If you think the above is exhausting, think about the possibilities for two kids. We have an infant and a toddler and the amount of research and thought we put into a stroller is mind numbing. Here is the culmination of more than a year of hemming, hawing, and trying things that did not work: Invest in a Phil and Ted's Sport Buggy. Yes it is expensive, but if we had bought one at the outset, we would have saved a lot of money and time. The biggest plus is that it converts from holding one to two kids and back in seconds. It folds up relatively small for an all terrain stroller. It handles like a dream - even with two heavy kids in it. If your toddler wants to pop out and walk, your infant can come up front and you can use the underseat as a basket. It will work with one kid, one kid plus newborn, one kid plus infant, two toddlers, and then back to one kid when your oldest doesn't want to ride anymore. The cons are that it is heavy (well, heavier than an umbrella stroller). Also, you have to get used to the idea that one kid rides under the other. I can say a few things about this: My 11 month old loves the low seat, he doesn't annoy his sister as he did in the double Maclaren, the stroller fits in every doorway and handles like a single. Spend the money and let this stroller get you through years and more than one kid.
