Hi! I'm probably spending way too much on this decision but I'm a first time mom & very excited for our little one! We're trying to decide on the best strollers to register for city living. We have a house so space is not that big of an issue. I have gone back and forth adding and deleting items from my registry b/c some car seats are not compatible w/ certain strollers. (i.e. Chicco w/ a "Snap & Go" or certain joggers)
I've heard that even though the Bugaboo's are pricey, they are worth it in the long run. But we would still need a Jogging stroller for short runs so that might not be a good option for us.
Infant Car Seats, we like 2:
Britax Companion but we are not sold on the stoller? The handles have an excessive tilt.
or Primo Viaggio - Peg Perego
Strollers:
So, I've come to the conclusion that we may need 3:
1 - universal snap & go stroller
1- light weight stroller that reclines when we can't use the snap & go anymore(Possibly a Maclaren or Peg Perego Aria or Pilko - Aria is lighter w/ a larger basket than Pilko but both seem to be all plastic & cheap)
1 - Running stroller (Mountain Buggy, Bob or Bumbleride Rocket)
Any options on a running stroller or quality light weight stroller?
We thank you in advance for your insight!
Hi S.,
I would have to agree with Nicole. We went through exactly the same dilemma but we live in a small apartment in the city. We decided to wait on the jogging stroller until after the new year due to the winter weather approaching and we won't be jogging/running for a few months yet, and for now have a Graco infant car seat with a snap n' go.
Good luck!
A.
Congratulations! We went through the same dilemma and came to the conclusion that we didn't want a combo car seat/stroller. Even if your house is big enough, the stroller can take up a ton of room in the car. We live in River West and walk to day care/work in the loop and have a fantastic stroller - by far my favorite purchase! It is a Zooper Swing and it can be used from birth until they grow out of it. It's a little heavier than a Maclaren, but still manageable, even through airports (if that would be a concern). The wheels are large enough to bypass a majority of the bumps you encounter on city streets. We went with a Britax Decathalon car seat, definitely a great brand!
B.
I looked at all the joggers, read a ton of reviews, and ended up with the Dreamer Design jogger. Less $ than a Bob, but I liked some of the features better. It's got a great sun canopy, the newer models have a super easy to use harness, and it's really easy to run with/steer. I use it mostly for 3 mile runs, and you can get an insert to accomodate a newborn. Great jogger. However, if you're going for shorter runs and want to cut down on # of strollers (we have 3), I have a friend who has the Zooper Boogie that she uses for walking/errands/running and she loves it for all purposes. I prefer the larger, 16" wheels, for running, but the Zooper seems to hold up and her daughter has a totally smooth ride when we run together.
I also have the Maclaren Triumph for our lightweight, umbrella and think it's great for babies 6+ mos. Small and lightweight for traveling or keeping in your trunk. Airport travel is super easy with it.
I'm not sure about other strollers, but I know with the Pliko you can get adaptors to snap your carseat into the stroller, so if you went with that option (and I know there are others out there, just not sure which ones), you could elminiate the snap 'n go which is only good when you have an infant seat.
My opinion... just register for infant car seat and do a snap n' go single. When your youngin is ready for a big boy/girl stroller, new models will have come out that you might like better. At least that's what we did. So we'll be up for researching new seats/stroller soon. :) Good luck!
S.- First congratulations! I just had my first in July. I was totally obsessed with the stoller issue. We also live in the city and I walk everywhere. These were the things that were important to me: light weight, car seat attachment, soft rubber air filled tires(good for city sidewalks) and easy to steer. What we finally found was the Infinity by I'coo. It acts like the snap and go, has a larger kid seat to attach later, that my 3 year old niece uses when she comes down and loves it and you can steer it with one hand. Here is a link to see it:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=230286...
We have taken it through the airport several times and it travels well.
This stroller is the same as the $600+ Rock Star stroller it just is half the cost.
It fits the snap-n-go graco car seat which is rated very high for saftey and is one of the less expensive car seats. Go figure that one!
Good Luck, M.
I wish I would have gotten the snap & go until my daughter was big enough to move to a regular stroller. The snap & go is GREAT, so convenient for walking, throwing in the car, etc.
I tried to find a stroller that worked with a car seat and ended up with one that I don't like as well now that it's regularly used. I agree that 9 months from now (when you have your baby and he/she is old enough to move into a regular stroller, you'll have met many moms with many types of strollers...and can make an informed decision. If you want to register for things, register for a gift card that can be used to buy a stroller later, or for the snap & go.
Finally, about the jog stroller, you won't take a newborn in a jog stroller, especially now that the weather will turn nasty. So don't worry about that until the spring.
I wish I would have waited, I would have gotten a different stroller.
Good luck with your decision.
Hi S.,
Good for you for doing your research! We loved the Primo Viaggio and have used it for both of our sons plus lent it out in between them and it's still in great shape 4 years later. We also have a Britax Marathon that we got after the little guy grew out of the infant seat. We love that too, and again, the second son is in it now. Britax makes great quality seats.
For strollers, we got a Snap and Go as well as the Peg Perego that the Primo Viaggo snapped into. My friend had a Pliko and said it was too flimsy. I was happy with that decision because Peg Perego offers some stroller features that are hard to find from other folks like a reversible handle (so the baby can face you or face out) and a terrific warm attachment for winter that snaps on over the stroller for when you want to take a walk on a cold day - which is so nice to have in this city! (And you can quickly unzip it when you go into a store.) It's much better than having them kicking out of their blankets. Sorry i can't describe it better but check online to see what i'm talking about.
I don't have a reco on a jogging stroller, but remember you can't put a baby in there until they are between 9-12 months old at least (check with your pediatrican, but that's what ours recommends.)
Congratulations on the baby and i hope this helps!
I know two people who splurged on the Bugaboo and wish now that the hadn't. They look cool, but they are rather bulky and NOT good for travel. My one friend tried to take hers with her on vacation and realised that it's not the best for airport travel. Save the money and use it toward college!
You can buy two strollers for the price of one stinkin' bugaboo!
The snap n go is a great idea. I would also look at at company called Ingelsina. We own the swift (umbrella stroller--comparable to the mclaren, but made better).
