Baby Strollers
Let's talk Strollers.
Last weekend Chris and I went to Babies R' Us and Buy Buy Baby to just start "looking" at products that we will need to consider for our registry. Strollers, cribs, high chairs, car seats, gliders, mattresses, pack n' plays, video monitors....we left overwhelmed and with our heads spinning! It was good to go there and get a sense of what we need to look for. We focused largely on strollers right away.
Many of the mom-bloggers I read are obsessed with their BOB Revolution strollers. There is even a whole clique of self-professed "Bob Snobs" of people who love their BOB jogger strollers. I was intrigued to check these out, but it just didn't seem practical for me. In an ideal world, I'll be motivated and jog all the time with my baby...but I just don't know if that will really happen. And I don't think I should splurge on a jogging stroller in the hopes that I "may" get into the idea of jogging with a baby. Also, the stroller is really large and really heavy. I don't see me getting it in and out of my car trunk every day. In the end, I don't think this is a practical stroller for me.
So then I came across the Baby Jogger City Elite. Great for jogging or regular use, lighter than the BOB and it comes with a conversion kit that allows you to add a second seat to the stroller when/if you have a second baby in a few years! I like the idea of this stroller a lot, however, I don't like the car-seat adapter - it seems like a complicated strap-in system rather than a click. Also: Once you add up the price of all the components needed to really get the full use out of the stroller, it ends up being much more money than most of the others. I would want to buy all the second seat things now because models are constantly changing and I'd worry that by the time we'd have a second child, the stroller we use will be obsolete and we won't be able to take advantage of the second seat feature. So...I will probably pass on this one as well.
I was mostly drawn to the Britax B-Agile strollers. It was very easy to slip the car-seat in and out of the stroller, it was lightweight, and easy to push. The employees at both stores seemed to recommend this stroller to us right off the bat.
I often see MacLaren strollers everywhere. It seems like a practical, easy, lightweight stroller...but maybe this is better for kids once they get older? Does anyone have opinions on the MacLarens? I don't know if they have a car-seat feature for a newborn.
I've only just skimmed the surface with stroller shopping. I have a lot more to investigate and look into, but Moms and Moms-to-be! What strollers do you use?? Do you like/recommend it, or do you wish you got a new one?
Last weekend Chris and I went to Babies R' Us and Buy Buy Baby to just start "looking" at products that we will need to consider for our registry. Strollers, cribs, high chairs, car seats, gliders, mattresses, pack n' plays, video monitors....we left overwhelmed and with our heads spinning! It was good to go there and get a sense of what we need to look for. We focused largely on strollers right away.
Many of the mom-bloggers I read are obsessed with their BOB Revolution strollers. There is even a whole clique of self-professed "Bob Snobs" of people who love their BOB jogger strollers. I was intrigued to check these out, but it just didn't seem practical for me. In an ideal world, I'll be motivated and jog all the time with my baby...but I just don't know if that will really happen. And I don't think I should splurge on a jogging stroller in the hopes that I "may" get into the idea of jogging with a baby. Also, the stroller is really large and really heavy. I don't see me getting it in and out of my car trunk every day. In the end, I don't think this is a practical stroller for me.
 |
| Source |
So then I came across the Baby Jogger City Elite. Great for jogging or regular use, lighter than the BOB and it comes with a conversion kit that allows you to add a second seat to the stroller when/if you have a second baby in a few years! I like the idea of this stroller a lot, however, I don't like the car-seat adapter - it seems like a complicated strap-in system rather than a click. Also: Once you add up the price of all the components needed to really get the full use out of the stroller, it ends up being much more money than most of the others. I would want to buy all the second seat things now because models are constantly changing and I'd worry that by the time we'd have a second child, the stroller we use will be obsolete and we won't be able to take advantage of the second seat feature. So...I will probably pass on this one as well.
I was mostly drawn to the Britax B-Agile strollers. It was very easy to slip the car-seat in and out of the stroller, it was lightweight, and easy to push. The employees at both stores seemed to recommend this stroller to us right off the bat.
 |
| Amazon.com |
I often see MacLaren strollers everywhere. It seems like a practical, easy, lightweight stroller...but maybe this is better for kids once they get older? Does anyone have opinions on the MacLarens? I don't know if they have a car-seat feature for a newborn.
 |
| amazon.com |
You gotta love the many decisions you have to make about products! We looked into a few of those but ultimately decided on the BOB. It just seemed like the best fit for us. We love to be outside and we needed something that would work on all terrains. It is bulky BUT it's not as bulky as I thought it would be. And once I got used to it it's super easy to pop up and break down. Good luck choosing!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll check these out in the store again...I only very briefly looked at them. I should see how heavy/bulky/etc. it really is for me. I think it will be much easier once we get an SUV...to throw in the back, but for the next few years we're just going to keep my regular Toyota car, so it's kind of a pain to load the trunk. Thanks for the insight though!
DeleteWe have the Britax B-Agile stroller and B-Safe seat and love them! The only two features I'd like that it doesn't have are the ability to face the baby toward you when just in the stroller, and a larger basket underneath. The B-Ready has those features, but I just couldn't justify the extra cost of it. Overall I'm really happy with what we chose!
ReplyDeleteyay! Glad to hear you have it and like it. I did read complaints about the size of the basket underneath in the reviews I read online, and I agree, I'd like the baby to face me too. I'll check out the B-Ready and then see what we like more, thanks for the tips!
DeleteWe bought this one http://www.amazon.com/S1-Safety-1st-Trivecta-Stroller/dp/B007HDPX9G/ref=sr_1_64?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1373551999&sr=1-64&keywords=safety+1st+travel+system. I liked it because it was easy to put the carseat in when he was younger and it is fairly light and easy to fold and unfold. It's still the stroller we keep in my trunk for when we are out and about. We were able to buy a used BOB stroller from our neighbor for $100 that we use for most of our walks, especially if we go on trails. But it is heavy and I wouldn't want to have to get it in and out of the car, we keep that one folded up in the house, so that's why we have two.
ReplyDeletethat's so awesome you were able to get a BOB for $100! Sounds like you've got a good system down with the two strollers
DeleteThe city Elite is not intended for jogging or so they said. So since I am petite I needed a light weight stroller...so I got Chicco Liteway PLUS because it connects with our Chicco Car seat (rated best in consumer reports). With stollers I really thing light and small is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteOnce I went to a festival and there were millions of stollers and sooo many people had huge strollers I found it so annoying (I was not a parent yet). I kept saying geeze why can't people bring smaller/lighter strollers knowing there are tons of people around. Hahaha fast forward a year I remembered to keep it light. haha
Good luck!
When babies are small they need to be in a basket/infant seat in the stroller so the Maclaren (real good strollers) are for 4-6 months or older.
Oh I like how they look! and I also like that the car seat faces toward me, which is not a feature of the Britax....mm, I'm going to try these out in store, thanks so much!
DeleteI can't believe how many things there are to buy and register for when having a baby! I went shopping with my cousin once and definitely felt totally overwhelmed just thinking about doing it someday. The Britax B-Agile stroller sounds great!
ReplyDeleteoy I had NO IDEA the things I would have to think of before I started on this "registering journey" as I so lovingly refer to it as..haha. Luckily, the blog world is so helpful with matters like these!
DeleteMama Mia!!! So many choices! Based on your reviews and the comments posted I'm beginning to wonder if you should just get two strollers. I loved taking you and your sister to the park and fast walking with you to get back into shape and it wasn't always easy with the stroller. I think you're going to want something that works well for a brisk walk at least. I talked to a mother yesterday about the Britax she had her 14 month old in and she loved it. He was sleeping in the car seat attachment and he was facing her. Too many things to consider. Good luck, Mama!
ReplyDeleteMom: Do you know if it was the Britax B-Agile or Britax B-Ready? Did it have 4 wheels or 3? Yea..I think I will want something for a brisk walk definitely....still don't think that should be the BOB though - I have those 4 steps that lead into the house and the entranceway isn't that big!
DeleteI have to tell you, I cannot recommend the BOB stroller more! It is like the Cadillac of strollers in my opinion! We didnt register for it (honestly cause it is so expensive) but someone bought it for us when Dash was about 10 months old... After using it for about a minute, we wondered how we ever used anything else!! I can see how you feel its a little heavy but it folds with one hand, so you can have the other hand free to hold baby D if need be! It lays flat and stores so easily! We have travelled in airports, on beaches, hiking, exercising, pretty much every terrain imaginable, and have been so grateful to have it. Either way, happy shopping!!
ReplyDeletethank thank you for letting me know your thoughts on strollers Erin! I'll be facebooking you with more questions I'm sure!
DeleteWe registered for the BOB and the Britax B-Agile. As much as I didn't think we needed two, I liked the idea of being able to take the BOB to parks for my husband's baseball games, up to the campground at the lake, and for my husband to use when he jogs. I liked the shocks and the ease of the BOB but it is so heavy and bulky that I can't imagine it to be a good every day stroller. I loveddd the Britax and how light and easy to maneuver it is. Definitely a stroller you can take everywhere by yourself and it even folds with one hand. Clearly I don't have a baby to put in them yet but if I only had to go with one (between the two we picked) it would be the Britax. The reviews were great for the stroller and the carseat.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know what you registered for...I'm very tempted to do the same thing and register for both, cause i'm really torn. We went back to buy buy baby yesterday to check both of them out. The bob seems great...but I just don't see me lifting that thing and getting it into my little toyota car! Plus...I have to get up and down 4 steps, just to get in and out of my house. I just don't know if a BOB is practical for us...but I am soooo curious and feel compelled to buy it because I have never heard a single person regret buying a bob or say they didn't like it!
Delete