Another Stroller Thread . . .

[Tacori E-ring]

Hi LV! DH and I are overwhelmed with strollers. I think we've narrowed it down to a few options: either 1) the Baby Jogger City Mini with infant carseat adapter or Snap 'N Go, or 2) the Chicco Cortina travel system with the Key Fit infant seat.

The Snap 'N Go seems like a waste of money to me though, because it's only good until the baby outgrows the infant seat. But it is convenient.

STEP AWAY FROM THE TRAVEL SYSTEM It is just pushing a shopping cart. I am a solid lover of the s'ng. Not a waste of money for me. Plus you can find them on CL for cheap.

 

[gailrmv]

BOB is an easy fold. I take it to the mall or larger trips. Love my volo for smaller errands or out of state trips but it is not a walking stroller. The volo folds with one hand. Excellent for airport security.

Totally agree. We have the same setup - BOB plus Volo. Bob is easy to fold and lift, but I am strong and have a large car. My kid would never sit still in his stroller so taking it into a restaurant was a moot point.

SNG is great to borrow if you can, because it will only be useful for about 6 months.

 

[gailrmv]

Just another opinion... We have the BOB Revolution as our only stroller. We love it. We use it for long walks, going off-road, running, or the very occasional trip to the mall or zoo. It folds up pretty easily, but it is bulky and heavy folded up. If we're just popping in and out of stores, grocery shopping, etc, we either put George in an Ergo/mei tai, put him in the seat of a shopping cart, or (more recently) let him walk by himself. This works for us, with our lifestyle, but everyone is different of course! I would absolutely not take the BOB on public transportation for example, or in and out of the car frequently.

Puppmom - I do regret the stroller that I just picked out at BRU (Maclaren Techno XLR), but it's not because it was a bad stroller; we didn't thoroughly think through when we were going to be using a stroller. We found using a baby carrier to be much easier for shorter trips than dealing with even a light stroller and only really wanted a stroller for long trips out of the house and runs, and so the particular stroller just didn't make sense for us. We ended up selling it.


If you do go with a used Maclaren, it is probably subject to the recall but you can contact Maclaren for the free recall repair kit. There are just two pieces that fit over the hinges so that your baby can't stick their fingers in and hurt them when you're collapsing it.

I agree with this too - we found (and still find) that wearing him in the Ergo works better than a stroller for running errands. Even with a toddler!!

 

[Mara]

icekid... I had a flat tire once while out with J a mile from home and had to push stroller w/14lb baby and grocery bags home but it wasn't that bad surprisingly! Anyway after that I had the tire tubes replaced with thorn resistant, I took it into a bike shop and had them do one and then Greg did the other one later--he did it in less than 5 min, it's just like a bike tire.

I also just got the bigger shade and I totally recommend it, it's MUCH better. It covers him pretty much entirely now but he can still see out. Best $35 ever! So for anyone having babes in early 2011, def wait to see if you can get a 2010 on clearance. We got ours in mid-late April I think.

 

[HOUMedGal]

Anyone seen/tried the Bumbleride Flite?

Only 13 lbs (!!), also comes with the infant seat/grab bar, rain cover, cup holder standard. It's not a jogger, but looks to be super lightweight and easy to deal with. It gets very good reviews online. The recline is low enough for an infant, by the looks of things (not quite flat, maybe 20-30 degrees elevated?) You can also add the bassinet-style Bumbleride carrier if you want. Looks to be $249 (stroller alone, bassinet is around $110) at most sites.

I love the fact that (like the Indie) it can hold an infant seat without having to buy the extra adapter, plus it seems like it would serve the purpose of lightweight everyday shopping/paved walking stroller, and being so lightweight it would be easy to travel with (it folds similar to most umbrella strollers). 50 lb weight limit. It really looks like it could work from infancy thru preschool age.

Of course, later on if we ended up wanting a true jogger, then this one wouldn't fit the bill, but we could then get a true jogger (not worrying about size and portability, since we'd have this one) and still only have bought 2 strollers! hehe.

Hmmmmm.....just when I thought I had it figured out, I find better options!! LOL!

 

[HOUMedGal]

Wow, the more I read about the Bumbleride Flite, the more sold I am! Lightweight and portable like an umbrella stroller, but with so many fantastic features, and so versatile - can take the place of your snap n' go as well as your lightweight easy everyday stroller. Everyone who reviews it loves it. I want one!!

 

[Mara]

Hou... I saw one in the store, it looks a lot like the Volo in person. I wanted the best 'combination'..aka to just get one stroller for as long as we could, and I knew I wanted the real tires for walks so I didn't consider it, but it looked cool. A gal came in with one while I was looking at the Indie and I think the kid was in an infant seat in the stroller. Also I don't know much about the sunshade on it but def compare!

 

[HOUMedGal]

Thanks Mara! That's the one thing that makes me hesitate a bit, that if I went with the Indie I'd be able to go more places with the stroller. What have you found about the Indie's use on rougher terrain (bumpy sidewalks, gravelly trails, etc)?

Although, knowing that most of what I will do with the stroller won't involve rougher terrain, I am tempted to go with the Flite just for its light weight and ease of portability. Hmmm. Plus with the money I'd save, I could look for a dedicated walker/jogger with nice big air tires and use it anytime we go offroad. It would mean 2 strollers, but I think I'd have absolutely all my bases covered....infant carseat stroller, nice well-appointed easy to transport umbrella style stroller, plus a dedicated jogger for beach, camping, etc.

I do really like how the Bumbleride products come with the accessories that you'd end up buying separately with other strollers. I was looking at the BJ City Mini, but didn't like how I'd have to pay $65 more for the infant carrier adapter! And then I'd need a separate bar to function as the belly bar in addition to the infant carrier adapter! And no rain shield, or cupholder! By the time you equip the City Mini with all the stuff the Indie or Flite have, you've spent another $100-$150 bucks!!

 

[Mara]

ITA Hou... I loved that it came with all the stuff too.

So when you say get a jogger separately--the BOB and the Indie are both over $300. Would you get a cheaper jogger like a Trend or something for like $115? I ask because if you would still get a BOB or something later and the Flite to start, then why not just get a full sized stroller with ability to jog, or something like that to start and then get an umbrella later when you actually would need it?

I know people love umbrellas for ease, small footprint, but J is 6 months and we haven't felt like we needed an umbrella yet. I actually prob don't see us getting one for at least another 3-4 months. We don't take him to that many places in the stroller right now, but I've taken him to the mall in the Indie and it's totally fine, he goes grocery shopping with me in it and it's fine, etc. We also don't really plan to travel a whole lot with him for a while. Anyway just tossing out there that you may not even need all the 'extras' in the Flite if you still plan to get a jogging stroller later. It'd almost be like having two totally 'full' strollers whereas to me I have a full stroller and I would get an umbrella later ($100 max) if we needed to.

I should also say we carry J in the Bjorn when we go on small or short jaunts or out to festivals and things like that. IF we traveled with him we would prob also carry him in that rather than take a big stroller. We also got the Ergo to transition him to soon since he's outgrowing the Bjorn. But I love carrying him and it's way easier than stroller sometimes.

Oh also the Indie is fab on rough sidewalks--the reason I wanted air tires is I walk a lot, on dirt and gravel trails and also our sidewalks are bumpy and he would turn into a bobblehead when we went for walks with the SNG.

(I have been composing this post for over 2 hours in between meetings so if it's old, SORRY!).

 

[natalina]

Ellie's stroller got a bit beat up during our move, so I have re-entered the search for the perfect stroller! Since we are starting to seriously plan for baby #2 (hoping to start trying VERY soon), I was checking out the City Select. However, the manager of the stroller dept where I was looking said Britax is releasing the B-Ready in August, and it's very similar to the City Select, but even better. THe whole idea for both strollers is that they start as a single "bugaboo-ish" type stroller, but have a second seat that attaches when bebe #2 comes along. The B-Ready is a bit more limited in configurations, but both work with carseats, bassinets, or regular stroller seats and can be re-configured lots of different ways to have baby/ies face you, face each other, face forward, etc. I am going to the baby/toddler show here in Chicago next weekend, and hope that the B-Ready is there to test out since reviews seem to be a bit better for it over the City Select.
Both are a little pricey, with a lot of "extras" if you want the second seat, carseat adapters, etc, but we decided that it would be cheaper in the long run because it would eliminate the need to buy a double when/if the time comes. Just food for thought for those of you that have or may be thinking about a second baby soon .

 

[Dreamer_D]

Ellie's stroller got a bit beat up during our move, so I have re-entered the search for the perfect stroller! Since we are starting to seriously plan for baby #2 (hoping to start trying VERY soon), I was checking out the City Select. However, the manager of the stroller dept where I was looking said Britax is releasing the B-Ready in August, and it's very similar to the City Select, but even better. THe whole idea for both strollers is that they start as a single "bugaboo-ish" type stroller, but have a second seat that attaches when bebe #2 comes along. The B-Ready is a bit more limited in configurations, but both work with carseats, bassinets, or regular stroller seats and can be re-configured lots of different ways to have baby/ies face you, face each other, face forward, etc. I am going to the baby/toddler show here in Chicago next weekend, and hope that the B-Ready is there to test out since reviews seem to be a bit better for it over the City Select.
Both are a little pricey, with a lot of "extras" if you want the second seat, carseat adapters, etc, but we decided that it would be cheaper in the long run because it would eliminate the need to buy a double when/if the time comes. Just food for thought for those of you that have or may be thinking about a second baby soon .

Have you seen Phil and Ted strollers?

 

[natalina]

I have, but the City Select and B-Ready can be configured a lot of different ways and also hold infant car seats (don't think P&T does, but maybe?). I also wonder how much the kid in back would like his seat on a P&T; although the B-Ready second seat is similar it is supposed to have more room.
I'm going to the baby show next weekend and should be able to play around with all of these. I will keep you guys posted!

 

[phoenixgirl]

If you're close to the Uppababy outlet, I'd get a G Luxe or G Lite once you've outgrown the Snap N Go to keep in the car for the mall.

As for your primary outdoor stroller, I'd just say to test them out in the store before you buy. Some strollers feel better in your hands than others.

Also, consider what type of wheel you want with the BOB (or whatever you decide to get) -- fixed or turnable. The fixed wheel might be better for truly rough terrain or if you plan to jog with it, but the turnable wheel is more versatile.

I have a BOB sport utility (bought without my input -- I'd probably have gotten the Revolution for the turnable wheel) and a Mutsy 4Rider Light (urban heavy-duty stroller similar to the Vista). They are fairly similar in that they both have good shocks and a smooth ride on the bumpy roads. The Mutsy has better maneuverability and a smaller footprint, but I wouldn't run or go on serious trails with it.

If I were you, I'd definitely check out the outlet and see if you like the Vista. At the very least, the G Luxe or G Lite will make a great second stroller. We have a Maclaren Volo for the car, which is similar to the G Lite.

 

[HOUMedGal]

ITA Hou... I loved that it came with all the stuff too.

So when you say get a jogger separately--the BOB and the Indie are both over $300. Would you get a cheaper jogger like a Trend or something for like $115? I ask because if you would still get a BOB or something later and the Flite to start, then why not just get a full sized stroller with ability to jog, or something like that to start and then get an umbrella later when you actually would need it?

I know people love umbrellas for ease, small footprint, but J is 6 months and we haven't felt like we needed an umbrella yet. I actually prob don't see us getting one for at least another 3-4 months. We don't take him to that many places in the stroller right now, but I've taken him to the mall in the Indie and it's totally fine, he goes grocery shopping with me in it and it's fine, etc. We also don't really plan to travel a whole lot with him for a while. Anyway just tossing out there that you may not even need all the 'extras' in the Flite if you still plan to get a jogging stroller later. It'd almost be like having two totally 'full' strollers whereas to me I have a full stroller and I would get an umbrella later ($100 max) if we needed to.

I should also say we carry J in the Bjorn when we go on small or short jaunts or out to festivals and things like that. IF we traveled with him we would prob also carry him in that rather than take a big stroller. We also got the Ergo to transition him to soon since he's outgrowing the Bjorn. But I love carrying him and it's way easier than stroller sometimes.

Oh also the Indie is fab on rough sidewalks--the reason I wanted air tires is I walk a lot, on dirt and gravel trails and also our sidewalks are bumpy and he would turn into a bobblehead when we went for walks with the SNG.

(I have been composing this post for over 2 hours in between meetings so if it's old, SORRY!).

Mara, yes, what you said in the 1st paragraph was my plan when I saw the Flite...Flite now, use as SNG with infant carseat, once bebe is big enough to sit in it without carseat (and/or I get tired of lugging said carseat around) use as primary stroller. Then whenever we get itchy to have a good powerwalking/jogging stroller (honestly it will be a powerwalking stroller, I don't run, LOL) we find a cheaper yet still decent alternative in the >$150 range. So overall, the money spent will be less than if I were to start with, say, the Indie, and get a cheaper decent umbrella later (I think?). Because Flite is $250, and then hopefully $150 or less for a decent yet more budget-friendly jogger.

However, I still wonder which way I'll be happier....with juiced up, high quality umbrella style for most of our every day use plus budget jogger, OR with a nicer lightweight jogger (like Indie) for most of our every day use plus a cheap umbrella for only those times when the jogger is too big/too heavy/difficult to travel with.

Also, I think more of what we want in the jogger is "off road" capability - like for trails, beach, grass, etc. I don't plan on jogging with it, but if I want to walk on non-smooth sidewalks or do outdoorsy stuff, I want a stroller that will be appropriate for that. (Still open to suggestions if anyone wants to share their fave for this purpose)

I *think* most of our stroller time would be well-served by the Flite, and we wouldn't need the more rugged jogger most of the time. The ads for the Flite just make it look so nice and easy to deal with...

So much to think about!!

 

[Mara]

hey HOU so I think that the BOB is the only jogging/real tire stroller that goes on the sand... but maybe someone can tell me I am wrong. My neighbor has one and she said it was the only one which I didn't know.

When I was looking around for something that I would like long-term for a jogger/off-roader/power walker...I felt like the BOB was the best option, I just didn't love the way it looked. But it's def the powerhouse. The other one I looked at online I think was the Trend Jogger and it was about $115 and I was thinking it would be the way to go but I was unsure after reading reviews re: the durability and real stability of it.

I know it's SO confusing, so if you aren't sure what you want to do, then I'd suggest just waiting til the babe is born. Maybe do your research now and keep it narrowed down and then let the babe come and then figure it out. We didn't even use a stroller the first 3-4 weeks as we were just using carseat and taking it to restaurants etc and we don't really go to the mall or anything anyway. If I went grocery shopping I'd just put the carseat in the cart and/or put him in the Bjorn or leave him at home. Then once we had him and I used the SNG I knew I wanted real tires and I wanted to still hopefully get one stroller. So it might solidify in your mind when the babe comes. I am glad we waited because all the strollers I was *thinking* about (City Mini, BOB, Bee) in the end all had some detracting thing for me, so if I had gotten any of those I might not have been as happy as I am now. Just food for thought!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I have, but the City Select and B-Ready can be configured a lot of different ways and also hold infant car seats (don't think P&T does, but maybe?). I also wonder how much the kid in back would like his seat on a P&T; although the B-Ready second seat is similar it is supposed to have more room.
I'm going to the baby show next weekend and should be able to play around with all of these. I will keep you guys posted!

Please do!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

umbrella strollers are great for toddlers.

 

[jewellk]

We have the BumbleRide Rocket, which I think was the precursor to the Indie (dd is 3 now). I loved it! We also had the Graco Snugride and the adapter that came with the rocket fit, though I didn't use it that much. I loved the one-hand steering of the rocket and especially that the back fully reclines so that dd could just lie down and sleep fully extended on our walks. We live in an old neighborhoond (~100 yrs old) and the sidewalks are iffy at best. There's also some nice parks around with trails so I could just walk down the street to the park and take a trail if I wanted to, no problem. Also loved the cargo net, fit lots of groceries on our walks to the store.

I also have to say the customer service with Bumbleride was excellent! Our stroller arrived damaged in shipping the first time and they shipped a replacement immediately. Then I thought I was missing some parts for the brakes and they sent those out asap, no questions asked (turned out I had misplaced them).

 

[neatfreak]

Mara-I just wanted to pop in and say THANK YOU for mentioning that they were selling the 2010 canopies separately! I ordered 2 and they arrived in like 4 days (Bumbleride is in same state I am) and I LOVE them.

It was the only complaint about my Indie Twin and I have spent the last year saying to my DH "ya know, if only the canopies could extend down further they wouldn't even need to use any more materials" and that is exactly what they did. The new ones are the same size but extend down so much further so now the kids don't get sun in their eyes on our walks. My kiddos love it so thank you!

 

[meresal]

The SNG is a must for me.

We have the UPPA which must be taken apart to fold up... ie, it isn't easy. Also, the carseat attachment bar for the UPPA was about $50... so for only $30 more, I didn't have to worry about lugging around the huge stroller. This is why we also bought the Maclaren SNG... and I can fold/unfold it by myself with only one arm.

We use the UPPA for walks, and will be taking it with us to DisneyWorld. Anywhere else we go... we only use the SNG. When he outgrows his carseat, we will get him an umbrella stroller to replce the SNG.

 

[Mara]

NF..no problem! It's amazing what a diff 9inches makes actually, I wasn't sure it would matter but it DEF does. And SOO worth the $35!

And ditto Bumbleride CS being fabulous. I emailed them just basically complaining that my stroller got a flat within 2 weeks of using it, which isnt even their problem but I was just so irritated--and they sent out another tire tube immediately. I ended up getting the thorn resistant ones anyway but now we have a backup just in case.

Mere...what you said about the 'take apart' for me was a deal killer for a stroller, if I couldn't have a one hand fold then an easy two hand fold without part or tire removal was a must.

 

[steph72276]

The SNG is a must for me.

We have the UPPA which must be taken apart to fold up... ie, it isn't easy. Also, the carseat attachment bar for the UPPA was about $50... so for only $30 more, I didn't have to worry about lugging around the huge stroller. This is why we also bought the Maclaren SNG... and I can fold/unfold it by myself with only one arm.

We use the UPPA for walks, and will be taking it with us to DisneyWorld. Anywhere else we go... we only use the SNG. When he outgrows his carseat, we will get him an umbrella stroller to replce the SNG.

Slight threadjack but Mere, I just wanted to mention that I wouldn't take an expensive stroller to Disney World. My friends went a month or so back and their stroller got stolen while they had to leave it for a ride. And basically you have to leave it anywhere you go there unattended (even to the little kids' rides and the restaurants)....I would just rent one they have there or bring an inexpensive umbrella. I would have never thought about that, but since that happened to them, I will not leave my $400 stroller out for people to take!

 

[Lanie]

Ditto on the stroller theft. My sister's was stolen at the zoo when they put it in a guarded pen when she went on the train. Some other mother apparently took it. I'm registering for a cheapo 30 dollar umbrella in addition to my main one for that reason!

 

[meresal]

Thanks for the heads up.

We actually went to Disneyland last month when we were in CA, and there were TONS of expensive strollers around. We took my sisters Peg and nothing happened to it. C is only going to be 5 months, and those strollers that you rent just dont look comfortable. I wanted to take something that he could nap in, if he gets tired.

Umbrella also isn't going to be an option, since he will still be so small.

Off to the drawing board.

Actually after googling the strollers that you can rent, those are not going to be an option. There is absolutely no padding, and he would have to be sitting up straight the entire time. Which he most definitely can't do at 5 months. They are definitely made for toddlers. We will just take a bike lock with us. There are tons of light poles and iron fencing around, so we will just be sure to lock it up if we have to leave it outside.

 

[Mara]

what about taking the SNG with the infant carseat...that way you could take him in with you to restaurants in the infant carseat etc? and he can nap in there. plus the SNG is cheap.

i def wouldn't take my stroller and leave it out--i imagine some people SHOP for strollers at places like that. here take my umbrella and give me this awesome $500 stroller!

 

[meresal]

what about taking the SNG with the infant carseat...that way you could take him in with you to restaurants in the infant carseat etc? and he can nap in there. plus the SNG is cheap.

i def wouldn't take my stroller and leave it out--i imagine some people SHOP for strollers at places like that. here take my umbrella and give me this awesome $500 stroller!

Ohh, Mara, I totally would... IF my son enjoyed being in his carseat. He hates it. I have to take car trips right when he gets tired, and as soon as he wakes up, he screams. I don't even use the SNG anymore... pointless. We have to pick him up as soon as he wakes up, because he hates lying in the thing. He loves to sit up and look around.

 

[steph72276]

Mere, didn't realize you were going so soon. Yeah, the lock sounds like a good idea. I didn't realize theft was such an issue, it's a shame some people are like that.

 

[Mara]

Aww! That sucks. What about borrowing an umbrella that is more cushy from a friend? At least that way if it was stolen you could replace it for them and it would be less than your UB. Just a thought albeit a weird one.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I wouldn't risk bringing an expensive stroller either. What about buying a cheapie off CL. Most of the seats are removable so you can wash it before you use it.

 

[natalina]

Quick post to let anyone in the market for an umbrella stroller know that Mamabargains has one from Cybex up and it looks like a great deal! Hurry though! Some colors are almost gone!