Strollin’ Strollin’ Strollin’
Back when I did the post on baby carriers, commenter bellegourmande asked if I could also do a post on strollers, since the world of baby-pushing devices is hard to navigate. Unfortunately, my knowledge of strollers is divided into two categories: “the one that came with my car seat” and “ones I can’t afford”. Pretty much every stroller worth buying falls into that second category. Or at least they did until last week when I found my AWESOME NEW STROLLER on Craigslist.
Before my AWESOME NEW STROLLER, I was using my Chicco Cortina Travel System
BEHOLD:
It's a Quinny Freestyle, bought in Canada as a gift for a nice mommy down in Niantic a couple years ago and hardly used. It has amazing shocks, great steering, and is easy to push even though it's ginormous. My favorite part is the baby can face in towards me...OR...
...out towards the world! Baby Evan loves both directions, but having him face in is especially nice when I know he's going to take a nap.
As you can clearly see, Baby Evan likes it. The padding is very comfy - especially the pillow. It's basically a giant, squishy recliner. I wish someone would push me around in one of these all day.
Total cost? $80 plus $4 for a Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte. (The Starbucks was RIGHT THERE next to their condo complex! And I was ten minutes early! I needed to stall!) Original cost? Over $300, and the super fancy Quinny’s they sell in the U.S. go for $600 or more. I luuuuurve it. Lurve.
Ok, here are the negatives of my AWESOME NEW STROLLER: It weighs a ton, doesn’t fold up very small and takes up the whole back of my Jeep. I doubt it would fit in the trunk of a smaller car. I can’t switch the direction the baby is facing while he’s in it. It doesn’t have cup holders or a snack tray. None of those end up being real negatives for my strolling needs, so my lurve continues.
*Quick review of my Chicco: Very easy to fold, light enough for me to get in and out of the car no problem, Baby Evan likes it, basket can hold my whole diaper bag plus more, cup holders. Negatives: too big for shopping in some stores (women’s section at Target, Gymboree), no really suspension, steering isn’t great at faster speeds or with one hand.
And while I’m at it, here’s the review of my $7 consignment store umbrella stroller (Babies R Us brand, you can buy them for $20): Best $7 I’ve spent on the baby so far. Tiny, light, fits in even the smallest, most crowded clearance sections of the outlet stores, Baby Evan loves it and didn’t make a peep during three hours of shopping. Negatives: doesn’t recline, no basket for storage (although it does have a bag that hands on the back I can keep a burp cloth or a blanket it), no cup holders, probably not tall enough for E to push comfortably.
So right there is everything I know about strollers. Which one do you use? Do you like it?
Tags: baby gear, craigslist, pictures, Reviews & Sponsored, shopping, stroller
We chose a travel system when we were stroller shopping prior to birth as well. And I liked being able to just take the car seat out of the car and hook him in when he was really little. But he outgrew the carseat so fast we only got about 6 months of use out of it before we were shopping for a convertible car seat and stopped using both the old stroller and the old carseat. We mostly rely on our ring sling, but as he’s 13 months old now and getting heavier we also use our other stroller, a MacLaren, which was given to us as a baby gift after he was born. I love this stroller, it’s super light, you can easily fold it up for tiny storage and it has a strap so if you’re out and about and one of you wants to hold the baby you don’t have to push the stroller around you can carry it on your shoulder. Did I mention its super light?
We registered for this Baby Planet stroller;
http://www.baby-planet.com/products/ES_Tiger.aspx
(The html tag escapes me in the comments here) and I love it to pieces. It’s pretty light and folds up super easy. So easy that I can fold it up with one hand while holding the baby. And it fares pretty well on the bumpy streets and sidewalks of Brooklyn. It’s even been pulled through the sand at the beach! It holds up to 55 lbs, but god help me if my child is not walking by the time she weighs that much. The basket underneath has a frame through it which is kind of silly but I can still manage to fit stuff in there. there’s no kid snack tray but apparently you can buy a universal one from the first years that fits. And there’s a parent cup holder. Also, the tiger stripes down the side are totally bad ass. I also love that you can send it back to them for recycling when you’re done with it.
We also ended up buying a snap in frame for $50 (baby trend universal snap in which works with our Graco snug ride car seat) after she was born, and we actually started going places with her. It’s a lot easier to just snap the car seat in to this when she falls asleep in the car on the way to target or wherever. But this one sucks for any kind of strolling along the streets/sidewalks. But there is a ‘parent tray’ with not one but TWO cup holders! and the basket underneath is pretty decent.
We decided against the combo stroller car seat thing since we happened on to a good deal on a car seat and get a Baby trend stroller frame instead. It was pretty cheap and I love it!!! It is so convenient and small and easy to manage. Plus we (I) wanted to get a jog stroller when I found a good used one and we didnt think we would need that many strollers to justify getting a regular graco kind. It ended up that I found a BRAND NEW baby trend expedition jogger at a consignment sale for $25!!! Now, baby trend isn’t the classiest brand out there or the fanciest stroller but you really can’t beat that price!!! I am very happy with both of them, and being that they are staples at BabiesRUs they are really easy to find used. I highly recommend them both.
OK- don’t laugh. I’m embarrassed- but I have a Stokke. I love it and it’s awesome x a million. It was a gift, clearly.I will say though- this thing is the shit. I love the height and the adjustable EVERYTHING. My car seat attaches NP. It is comfortable and great now especially as I don’t have to bend down in my current state of twin pregnancy.
We area 3 stroller family: The travel system – never gets used since until recently it wouldn’t fit into out vehicle and trying to get that thing on the bus is cause for being shot, the cheapass Babies R Us stroller- ok enough, got it for free with a coupon and a $50 purchase and a Chicco C6 which I love, love, love. It’s waaaay less expensive than your MacLarens for obvious reasons but it’s light (11 lbs), foldable with one hand and really, really manueverable. I wish it had more storage but that just means I am less tempted to take a whole bunch of crap.
Taking walks with my daughter and husband is one of my favorite things. Having a good stroller makes that time together that much better. It’s the part of our day where we are taking in the world around us and reflecting on our day.
Thanks so much for the post! We are finally telling family and friends about the pregnancy and got an offer last night for stroller(s?) and gear from my sister-in-law. They are definitely going to send us a Bugaboo Frog, and they may have others they’ll give us, I’m not sure of the details. It’s good to know, Suzanne, that you felt you needed a more “rugged” stroller, as I was contemplating just getting a basic Maclaren or other sort of umbrella stroller and calling it quits. Now I will probably use the Bugaboo and also get an umbrella stroller, whether from my sister-in-law or elsewhere. It’s so helpful to read everyone’s comments, so thanks!
I have that stroller! No joke! Isn’t it amazing! The only thing I don’t love about it is it’s not great for store shopping. It’s a tad too wide to fit in amongst the aisles and racks, but when people see you coming they usually give way and help. Also, I bought it so we could go hiking with because the tires are just so awesome. But! If you’re on a narrow trail or a trail with root systems it is a pain in the butt. The tires start turning the wrong way and getting stuck. Ack – nightmare! But if you just want to go for a walk along the street or a wide trail system this stroller rocks! I’ve had mine for five years now and I now I will be able to get good money in return when I sell it second hand. People always comment on it. Enjoy!!!