Stroller

[lll111]

What are some features that are a must have. Is there a particular brand that you like?
Where is a good place to buy a stroller from?
I like those 3 wheel strollers but can not justify spending that much, the graco strollers look ok, but I am not sure if they will be comfortable for my baby or if they are better for older kids.
I am looking for a new stroller and my baby is 3 months old.
Thanks

[mama_to_one_in_a_half]

I bought a very nice stroller at walmart for $15 on clearance its just like,my graco one but safety first. My sons is almost twobut he was always comfortable in the graco one.

[corbinx]

We bought a Peg Perego Pliko new with baby #1 which was expensive but great because it's very lightweight so I can actually lift it and it folds way smaller that the average stroller, plus the car seat clipped in/out very easily. The car seat, however, that came with it was very heavy and the weight limit was lower, plus the expiry date shorter than other brands. We also got a bike trailer/stroller as a gift that is great for walks and the park (and can hold two kids and/or lots of stuff) but way too big for malls. Our double stroller which we bought second hand is pretty good in that it has a seat for the older child (for the odd time she agrees to actually sit in it) and you could use any car seat with it. It's a bit bigger and heavier though but maneuvers well. We had gotten a free jogging stroller but never used it. I found that it was too bulky and the wheels didn't turn very easy. Plus I don't jog, lol. It depends what you are using it for. If it's for outdoors you definitely want one with large tires for off-roading because small tires are very tough to steer over grass/gravel.

[Minou]

The Graco ones are inexpensive enough, and they do the trick. My 3-month old can use his car seat with it, he can sit up in it, he can lie down in it. At two, my older one was still fine in it as well.

[werner55]

I found that it was too bulky and the wheels didn't turn very easy. Plus I don't jog, lol. It depends what you are using it for. If it's for outdoors you definitely want one with large tires for off-roading because small tires are very tough to steer over grass/gravel.

[Zonny]

If you're going to keep it in the trunk of your car and use it in the mall, Graco travel will probably do fine, although it's heavy.

If you plan to use it outside, don't buy it, get one designed for that. I had the Graco travel system and had a wheel fall off twice as I recall, and of course never when you're close to home. I'd never buy one again.

[vibrantflame]

First one I had was a Schwinn three wheeled stroller. My mother-in-law bought it used for me. I tell you, that thing is the best stroller I have ever used. It's portable (wheels come off and folds down), it works on *any* terrain, it's not too big but provides storage options and both my kids found it super comfortable. Also, it's made of water proof material. I've had it sit outside all year round, exposed to rain and snow, and it still is in fantastic condition.

For just short trips around the mall and what not, I just used a Safety First umbrella stroller.

When my youngest was born, my oldest still wasn't very good at walking with me (he'd pull a lot and if he didn't go where he wanted, he'd scream or fall to the ground and refuse to move). So I ended up buying a Baby Trend double stroller with a stand on the back for a third child or when one child wants to stand. I got a great deal on it, paid only $100. And it was nice, I could put my youngest in his car seat and into the stroller, which I liked. Fairly comfortable for the kids. I think the down sides were that it didn't work very well except on smooth pavement, it was too big to take into the stores, and who ever sat in the back seat usually ended up a bit squished.

[l1o1l1l1y1]

The Bob stroller is amazing if you like to take your stroller camping, hiking, and on the beach. It is super expensive (for cheapskates like my husband and I) $415 or so but we got talked into it and it is amazing!!! Turns on a dime, has bike wheels, super shock system - goes anywhere and you can push it with your baby finger it is so well balanced and light. They also hold their value - you can see online on used sites that they sell for almost as much as brand new minus the tax so it'll really cost you about $50 to $100 over your usage. We love it and where we come from (Vancouver Island) almost everyone has them from yuppies to poor people. If I were you, I'd look for these sometimes in bike stores or find out where they are sold online or buy second hand.

[GeorgiaK]

I was given the Eddie Bauer travel system (car bucket and stroller) for my shower. I love them! The car seat was heavy but extremely sturdy (I no longer use it). The stroller has been amazing! The bucket seat used to clip in and now, DS can either lie down or sit up or recline. It has cup holders for his juice and cup holders for my coffee. I take it outside on all terrain and it has thick wheels and a great deep and big basket underneath for groceries.

Only down side would be that it is on the heavy side; so if you have to lug it up and down a lot of stairs, I would say steer clear of this one.

[bartholomew1]

We bought a Peg Perego Pliko new with baby #1 which was expensive but great because it's very lightweight so I can actually lift it and it folds way smaller that the average stroller, plus the car seat clipped in/out very easily. The car seat, however, that came with it was very heavy and the weight limit was lower, plus the expiry date shorter than other brands. We also got a bike trailer/stroller as a gift that is great for walks and the park (and can hold two kids and/or lots of stuff) but way too big for malls. Our double stroller which we bought second hand is pretty good in that it has a seat for the older child (for the odd time she agrees to actually sit in it) and you could use any car seat with it. It's a bit bigger and heavier though but maneuvers well. We had gotten a free jogging stroller but never used it. I found that it was too bulky and the wheels didn't turn very easy. Plus I don't jog, lol. It depends what you are using it for. If it's for outdoors you definitely want one with large tires for off-roading because small tires are very tough to steer over grass/gravel.

thank you

[mdutka]

i think it also depends on how many kids you plan on having. if you only plan on just the one then probably any of the regular travel systems are good, but if you are going to have several kids, id invest in a really nice stroller. paying $500 plus for a stroller isnt unreasonable if you have more than 1 child to use it with because as a previous poster said they really do hold their value and you use your stroller so much its nice to have one that you really enjoy. i had several cheap strollers for both my kids and if i had to do it again id just buy one really nice one.

[hello_kitty]

I have the Bugaboo. Great stroller, easy to clean. ( machine washable )
Fabric can be changed to different colour but expensive to do so. However hard to fold up and place in my SUV.

[sunny3]

Something that may or may not need to factor into your decision:

Consider if you are planning on taking city buses with it. The new law in Ontario effective January 1st 2012 is that passengers without disabilities are required to vacate the wheelchair tie down sections of the buses for passengers with disabilities (wheelchairs, walkers, canes or any disability). this means if you are living in a city where strollers are allowed in this area of the bus, you will need to be able to move your stroller. Therefore, the smallest stroller possible is ideal for use on public transportation. Even if you do not live in Ontario, there are many provinces that are closely monitoring what the Ontarians with Disabilities Act is doing and plan to do something similar or the same so this may in fact become the reality in your province.

I believe everyone belongs on public transportation but if you do plan on using it on the bus, your size of stroller choice and style could lead you to being left at the curb more often because of the new law. If buses are crowded, drivers are least likely to accommodate a large stroller and most likely to accommodate one that is 1/3 to half the size of a large one.

If you don't take public transportation, this isn't an issue. Then for style and size comes more issues on lifting in and out of a car, folded size, or if you just walk around your neighborhood with it, there may be other important issues.

[Angela273]

I am due in September and we are researching strollers. We want to get one that comes with a snap in carseat, that way you don't have to disturb baby when he/she is little.