For your shopping and baby-registering convenience, I did a little research on the latest and greatest single strollers out there. Wow, this was so overwhelming! So much has changed since I was in the market for a single stroller.
While there are so many to choose from with super cool designs and features, I think the basic requirements of a stroller shouldn’t change much over time. In my opinion, as a new mom cruising around Charlotte, you need to think about the following things in this order:
How heavy is your stroller? You will be folding and unfolding this beauty several times a day and throwing it in your car often. If it weighs more than 20 lbs, I say skip it.
How does the stroller fold down? Can you fold it with one hand?
How bulky is it? Does it take up the entire back of your car or trunk? Your main stroller needs to be versatile for car travel, airplane travel and just everyday use. We don’t live in NYC so our stroller isn’t our car. We put it in our cars. Think about the places you go and how you travel, your stroller will need to be adaptable to those things, not you adaptable to your stroller. This is very important to think about before you purchase.
Consider the size of your basket when looking at strollers. While this isn’t as important when shopping for a double stroller, it is very important when shopping for a single stroller. You will be shopping and shopping often with your little one and you deserve a decent basket. Getting out of the house is your means of survival so you need to make it as easy on yourself as possible.
Lastly, test drive them all before you purchase. You need to make sure the height of the stroller “fits” you and your husband (many of them come with adjustable handles – yay, finally!). And you need to be comfortable with how it steers and drives. Do a one-handed test drive with a full cart and see how it does. Practice folding and unfolding it, if it is difficult, no matter how cool it looks, it will probably be thrown across a mall parking lot.
That said, here are a few of the new strollers I checked out online – remember, prices change daily due to sales and may be different than in local stores:
–The Rad by Valco – this one looks pretty cool and works for newborns and up. You can turn the base to face in either direction which I thought was a good feature. This can be yours for $475 and $599 if you want a fancy bassinet to boot. This weighs 29 lbs and is a little expensive so it didn’t make the cut on my list.
–Uppa Baby – this one has the same features as the Rad but weighs slightly less at 24.5 lbs and costs anywhere from $700-$800. Also didn’t make the cut for me.
–Phil & Teds Vibe – I like this stroller. It is very groovy, aerodynamic, and weighs 22 lbs. I can be flexible on my weight requirement on this one. It costs $600 and you can get a double kit for an additional $109.99 which is an EXCELLENT feature for planning for your future if you think you may have more kids. The only bummer about the double kit is that the smaller child always sits in the back and faces the back of the older child. I bet this would get challenging as baby #2 gets old enough to have an opinion.
–Bugaboo Frog Stroller – also a very retro stroller with excellent features. But this one costs $759 and I think my husband would leave me if I brought this home!
–Orbit Infant System – this seems to be the trendiest of all. However, I was not very impressed. This entire system, which includes the carseat, base and stroller costs around $900-ish. Ouch! The carseat without a child in it weighs 24.4 lbs – this is insane. The stroller and carseat together weigh close to 40 lbs. I think you have to dissassemble the entire thing to get it in and out of your vehicle. Then to top it off, you have to buy a specially designed Orbit bag to clip on (yes, clip – this means, no basket on your stroller whatsoever) underneath the stroller. Maybe I just don’t get it?
–Maclaren Techno XLR – this is my favorite. Maclarens are the best overall stroller in my opinion. They are the lightest (since they are an umbrella stroller) and fit through any small shop you can find. They cost $350 which was pricey in my day when I was buying single strollers. But this seems to be the cheap route nowadays.
-Jogging Strollers:
Mountainbuggy Urban – great off-road novice jogging stroller. Costs $429. I also looked at the Bob which was a cool off-road stroller. Costs $379. These two seem like good park strollers. If you’re a serious jogger, I think the best jogging stroller for you is the BabyJogger Performance Single with 20″ wheels for $350. I say don’t mess with a good thing here.
So my advice to you is this. No matter what you select, just know that you will probably buy at least 5 strollers in the life of your toddlers. Sounds intimidating, but that’s just how it is. I would recommend buying the Baby Trend Snap N Go stroller for a bargain price of $50 for your infant stage. Most carseats fit the Snap N Go and you will use this lightweight stroller with the biggest basket you will ever see for at least 6 months. Then promote yourself to a Maclaren. You will lose the giant basket. But the lightweight stroller will make you happy in the longrun. Actually, I think the Maclaren has a bar for the infant carrier to snap into. So you could skip the Snap N Go, although for that price, you could get both. Like I said, you absolutely have to test ride any and all strollers. The best stroller selections in town hands down are Shower Me With Love in SouthPark, Babies R Us and USA Baby.
Good luck and let us know what has worked for you!
12 comments
I know it was super expensive but I LOVE our Bugaboo. It was definitely worth the investment. Also, as far as just buying the Baby Trend Double Snap N Go Stroller and using your carseat, these days, from what I have heard from some doctors, it is important that your baby doesn’t spend a whole lot of time in their carseat. Apparantly this can cause flat head, leading to them having to wear a helmet. We were ALMOST faced with this with our baby and were told that we should immediately stop leaving her in the car seat and toting her around that way. Just a thought because we had no idea that was a problem. It also restricts them from developing their neck muscles.
I spent months and months researching strollers when I was pregnant with my first child. We finally decided on a Combi and we’ve had it now for almost 5 years and it still rocks. It’s light weight, folds up small and came with a “universal” bar to hold any type of infant carrier. We have since bought a jogger stroller – but the Combi stays in the trunk for every day use. We also took it to Europe and many states in the US. I even dragged it across a beach in Florida last week – the thing goes anywhere.It was originally about $249 back in 2003, but I think I got a good deal on it through babyage.com.
Peg Pergo Aria is by far the lightest…9 lbs with lots of space underneath. Two people I know have taken back their current one to get the Aria and love it.
We have a Silver Cross pram that we use for walks around the neighborhood. It has held up beautifully through 2 children. Well worth the money! For everyday in the car, I bought the Maclaren Triumph. Love it, love it, love it!! Lightweight and has withstood a 3 year old little boy with no problems!
I used the snap n go for the infant car seat and then a Chicco umbrella stroller when mine were out of the infant seat. It’s very inexpensive (less than $100, I think) and handles great.
Does anyone know anything about the One Step Ahead jogging stroller? It seems like everything I want but I am nervous about buying a stroller without test driving it first.
We are having our first baby in a few weeks so I have not used our stroller yet but we bought the City Mini by Baby Jogger. It is wonderful! It is really lightweight the way it folds absolutely sold us. It folds with one pull of a handle that sits flush in the seat. The stroller is wonderful! I plan to use it at about 3 months and until then am going to use the snap-and-go.
I have so many strollers it’s ridiculous. I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 7 month old, so I have tried to figure out what is best. My list and reviews are as follows:Peg Perego Aria: very lightweight, hard to fold, hard to get infant seat properly latched into stroller, hard to steer with one handSit ‘n Stand: too heavy to get into the car, hated itBaby Trend Expedition Jogger: Great, but never put it in the car, only walked/jogged with itMaclaren Single Quest: The best, light, easy to fold, easy to steer, baby footrest is greatSnap ‘n Go: The best to start out with, because then you can really figure out what you like
I have the Maclaren Global, which they do not make anymore, but I bought new on ebay about almost 2 years ago when I was pregnant. I absolutely love it!!! The steering is so easy & my 14 mos. old always seems comfy. A lot of people complain about not having a snack bar, but my son is fine holding his snack trap & sippy cup. Also, tons of room under it to store everything! Whatever you decide, check ebay. We bought both stroller & carseat new in boxes as overstock from baby stores & saved quite a bit of $$$$
I have the Maclaren Global, which they do not make anymore, but I bought new on ebay about almost 2 years ago when I was pregnant. I absolutely love it!!! The steering is so easy & my 14 mos. old always seems comfy. A lot of people complain about not having a snack bar, but my son is fine holding his snack trap & sippy cup. Also, tons of room under it to store everything! Whatever you decide, check ebay. We bought both stroller & carseat new in boxes as overstock from baby stores & saved quite a bit of $$$$
Actually, the orbit is one of the best investments we’ve made in terms of baby gear. Few corrections: Not only is there a basket underneath which converts to a shoulder bag, it is without a doubt the most user friendly as far as getting it in and out of the car. The purpose of it is just that – it spins around so that you can get your baby all strapped in without breaking your back, then just spin him with one hand in the forward or rear facing position. That’s the beauty of the stroller as well – you can face baby forward, backward…even sideways for museums if you so choose. As for weight – the small difference that the extra safe graphite base offers isn’t noticeable due to the flexible strap that comes with the seat – not one of those hard plastic type things on the other brands. True, this stroller isn’t for moms who think it is “trendy”. It’s better suited for those who don’t mind spending extra money on safety and convenience. The stroller base can be folded and lifted with one hand and easily tucked under the table in a restaurant; that in and of itself is worth the money to me. True this is a pricey stroller, but like most things in life you get what you pay for. The only complaint I have about it is the fact that I’m sick of people stopping me and asking where I got it, how much, etc. That gets annoying. Also, the toddler seat was supposed to arrive a month ago, but we’re still waiting. This company has grown so much so quickly they can’t keep up with production. Not sure if you even looked at this stroller before reviewing it? The orbit and my BOB jogger are the only 2 strollers I’d ever endorse, and we’ve researched and tried them all. Just my opinion. 🙂
Gotta add a plug for the Bob Revolution. I walk a lot on the Greenway and this stroller is great for strolls and yet it also folds up in the car well. The front wheel can be stationery for a serious jog or pivot for walking. The pivot, in my opinion, is crucial for walking because if you only have the stationery wheel, you have to keep readjusting the front and turns are harder. It is a little pricey but well worth the cost for us. PLUS it is super roomey for my 100% plus height 2 year old. Last comment – you can add a drink holder to the bob and I recommend it. It holds my keys, drinks, pacifiers, cell phone, etc. during treks.