Let's Talk Strollers (Baby Products 101)

In My Humble Opinion
1

Part of being of “advanced maternal age” means that all my friends are done with babies and strollers (or just skipping that altogether) and so I turn to the Dopers for advice. With KiddoNym I had, no joke, five different strollers…I’d like to avoid that situation with FetalNym, if possible. What happened to those five strollers, you may ask? KiddoNym is nine; all that stuff is long gone.

I know that Bugaboo is the current gold standard in infant transportation but they run $750-900 and let’s face it, I’m 37 and this is my last kid. I don’t need it to last forever. OTOH, if it truly is the best and everything else pales in comparison, I don’t mind spending that on something I’m going to use for a couple years.

You know, I thought I’d add a bunch of stuff about what I want in strollers, but I realize that’s pretty much what everybody else wants too. So just give it to me straight, what kind of stroller do you have, what do you like/love/hate about it? Feel free to tell me about strollers you don’t have, or ones your friends do have.

Hell, add any advice you have on other baby products too, I haven’t bought a single thing so I’m starting from scratch. I need it all.

2

I found the Boppy to be absolutely indispensible, not only for breastfeeding, but bottle feeding, and propping baby up for tummy time, or helping her sit, or letting her nap on the floor with it around her head as sort of a sleep positioner.

We live in the city, so one of the giant travel system strollers would have been incredibly rude and inconvenient, so we got the Graco Snap n Go system, where it’s just the frame (with a lower basket) and you snap the carseat in right from the car (it has to be a Graco carseat). She’s graduated to a simple umbrella stroller now (13 months) and I got a good one at Babies R Us for under 60.00. (The snap and go was around 65.00 I think).

I also think the binky clip on strap (if you’re not opposed to pacifiers) is amazing, because we have a dog who steals.

Totally Stupid Things You’ll Get Five Of At Your Shower:

The rubber ducky that tells you whether or not water is hot
Butt wipe warmer <-- I mean really
And let me tell you, you might think that you have too many onesies or jammies…but sister, you don’t.

3

I was really happy with the Combi, mainly because it was incredibly light. It folded up nice and small, too. It’s probably in the $200 range. We went through two of them (across three kids). The first one wore out after a ton of abuse, and the second one got left behind. We finished out the stroller phase with a sort of crappy stroller that we found on the street or bought at a yard sale or something. There does seem to be that sort of arc with strollers – you start with the Cadillac of strollers, costing 400 bucks or something, and you end up with a ten-dollar umbrella stroller from WalMart.

4

We used the travel system until she could sit up well, and then mostly switched to a Maclaren Volo. It was very lightweight, easy to push one-handed even on bumpy terrain, and easy to open and close. I felt a little silly spending that much on an umbrella stroller, but it was totally worth it.

5

But what travel system? Did you buy a whole travel system together, did you buy a stroller that had adaptors for a certain infant seat, did you buy a universal infant seat holder…?

SO MANY OPTIONS

6

What I will NOT recommend, in fact I will heartily UNrecomend, DISrecommend and ANTIrecommend is the Chicco Stroller (which I recommended in another thread before I realized how awkward it is). I got it because it’s essentially a hybrid - a bit bigger and sturdier than an umbrella, with a larger basket underneath, but not nearly as large as a full size stroller. If you’re over 5’4", however, your back will ache like the dickens - the handles are too low, and the sun visor prohibits handle extenders. I’m not terribly tall - only 5’6" - but it was very ouchy for me. My 6’4" husband couldn’t manage it at all.

I’ve had the gamut of inexpensive strollers, from Graco to Evenflo to Kolcraft and they’re all more or less the same.

Honestly, if money was no object, I’d skip the Bugaboo (although they are cute!) and go right to the front of the line for a Stokke Xplory. It’s not just a status symbol of a stroller, but an amazing piece of design work. It can even do stairs!

7

The Boppy is fantastic for our six-month-old. We still use it every day for breastfeeding, and I like to lay it in the crib surrounding his head to keep him from rolling over while he sleeps – he can’t get back over from his tummy yet.

Yes! The Graco Snap ‘N’ Go is also great. We have a carseat base for each car, the “Cosmonaut Pod” (baby carrier), the lightweight travel stroller, and the URBAN ASSAULT STROLLER. The folding travel stroller is fine for shopping trips, taking him to a restaurant where parking is 3+ blocks away, etc. The URBAN ASSAULT STROLLER lives in our front coat closet for walks to the supermarket while mom’s home during the day, or a walk across town to the Inner Harbor, or… well, we live on a cobblestone street and the sidewalks suck, so the way the UAS takes bumps makes it great for local stuff. Later on, the UAS’s clip-in area for the baby carrier drops away, and Ben will be able to sit in it like a real stroller.

Oh my god… me, is that you? We use the leash extensively. Sometimes you’re carrying the baby into the restroom at a Pizza Hut to change his diaper, and you just cannot risk the pacifier touching those tiles. Also, pacifier physics are something else. A superball dropped from three feet will bounce to almost three feet in height; a pacifier dropped from the same height will skitter seven to ten feet horizontally in the direction of the dirtiest crevice through which it will fit (provided that your arm will not fit). Get a pacifier leash. It’s saved us about two hours of pacifier rinsing over the last six months.

Also, the Bugaboo looks totally lame. I see a bunch of them in the (very trendy) beach town where I grew up, and I have to assume that the price tag is high specifically to convince these extremely well-off new parents that the Bugaboo is the cream of the crop. Does it really have any additional functionality for that price tag?

8

I decided not to go with the travel system, because I am also of Advanced Maternal Age, and the damn things are HEAVY. I got a stroller like this one, which is just a frame that will fit pretty much any infant car seat on the market. It’s really light…easy to get in & out of the car. Plus, like the travel systems, you don’t have to take the baby out of the car seat…you just pop the whole seat out, strap it on the stroller, and you are ready to go! And it’s only $50…can’t beat that. I was surprised how manuverable it was for such a great price. The thing you pay for with the pricier strollers is ease of pushing & steering, but this one rolled along as easily as some of the higher-end models.

You do have to get another one once the baby grows out of the infant car seat (not a problem with the travel systems, I think), but it’s so convenient and reasonably priced, I didn’t feel bad having to buy another later.

ETA: Dang, I see fatgail and Jurph beat me to it. I’m an idiot…normally, I read through a thread before I post, but I just love the Snap n Go so much, I couldn’t help myself! :slight_smile:

9

We got an infant seat and stroller that fit that seat. It was a Baby Trend Latch-Loc. The stroller was nice on longer outings because it reclines all the way to flat, which was convenient for the times she napped in it. But it was more of a pain to fold and unfold than the umbrella stroller, and the wheels weren’t as nice as the Maclaren.

One thing we did when testing infant seats that I would recommend was to take a ten-pound weight with us to Babies R Us and put it in the seats while carrying them around. (In retrospect, fifteen would have been even better.) It gave us a much better feel for which seats were comfortable for us to cart around.

10

Holy crap, congratulations! And how the hell are you? Shit, I haven’t talked to you in forever.

I recommend getting the book “Baby Bargains.” Very helpful.

Strollers: I started out with a Graco travel system. <a href=“http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber=7308DEL3&CategoryID=12”>This one</a>, actually. It worked well for us. I still use that stroller a lot, though the seat no longer reclines as it’s supposed to. That could be because we’re rough on it. When the kiddo got bigger, I got a little Maclaren umbrella stroller. I think it’s a Triumph. It’s great for small spaces, or when Dante is mostly going to be walking. One advantage the Graco has is its a tray for food and a baby cup holder: very important for a toddler.

11

Really one needs two strollers: a heavy stroller for the wee ones, and a light umbrella type stroller when they are older. I used a Greco and a Combi respectively.

We have a joke going 'round about the “$2,000 stroller” - a friend of mine bought a super fancy stroller that cost almost than much, and was soon using a $20 Wall-Mart umbrella because, and I quote, “the $2,000 stroller is too nice to get all beat up stuffed in the car”. :smack:

There is a lot of unspoken social pressure to spend a fortune on strollers, they are a visible status symbol more than anything else. You only use the really expensive big baby roller for a few months, and it will get beaten up, scuffed, barfed on and pissed on, so I think it is not really worth it to go too fancy.

Edit: after the stroller comes the toy waggon for pulling 'em in (and for them to pull).

12

Congratulations!

We like our Graco Cirrus travel system fine. It’s not too terribly heavy or bulky, you could put the car seat in it when she was tiny, and she could ride in the stroller until she was three. I agree, having a tray with a cupholder for her and also a cupholder up top for me was really nice.

I personally really hate the idea of toting around the new baby in the car seat. It’s absolute hell on your neck, shoulders, and back, and it distances you from your newborn. So I’ve got . . . let’s see, at least three different slings/baby carriers. For tiny babies I like the Maya Wrap unpadded. As this one gets older I think I will splurge on an Ergo because I do have some neck and shoulder issues and that really distributes the weight well.

We used the Boppy some, but I think with this one I’ll have less use, since I’m much more comfortable with breastfeeding. Oh, and Jurph, I don’t want to be obnoxious, but I believe your use of the Boppy in the crib is raising your baby’s risk rather than lowering it. There’s no evidence that any type of sleep positioning device is protective against SIDS, while there is plenty of evidence that having cushions in the crib, especially up by the baby’s head, is a big risk factor for SIDS.

As we expect our new bundle, and looking back on when my 4yo was tiny, I’ve made sure to have plenty of diapers, burp cloths, flannel receiving blankets, and as fatgail says, onesies and sleepers on hand. We have a changing pad set up - that can be nice. If you’re breastfeeding, some good bras, a bit of lanolin, and some breast pads are very helpful. I’m borrowing a cosleeper, which is good for the baby and makes life easier the first few months. And yeah, when they get older, the paci-leash is great. Oh, and the shopping cart cover. But honestly, the list of [del]crap[/del] stuff people think we need but we really can’t be bothered with is much longer than the list of stuff we do need/want.

Some items I won’t be buying/keeping:
Baby bathtub, Baby washes, shampoos, lotions, etc. (Dove and Cetaphil, all the way), Baby detergent (we use free & clear anyway), Baby swing, Bouncy seat, Boppy lounger, Bottle sterilizer, Bottle warmer, Wipe warmer, Stuffed animals (GOD we have so many from when Chloe was born, that have never been used, and certainly won’t do an infant any good), Bedding sets, Mobile, Baby food, Baby shoes, Nursing shawls/bibs/burkas . . . and so on.

13

One item I would disagree on is the baby swing/bouncy seat. Ours cared nothing for the bouncy seat, but LOVED the swing - it would calm him when nothing else would, and he’d stay calmed for a while.

Other babies I’ve known loved the bouncy seat and hated the swing; yet others cared for neither. Each baby is different, but some at least really found the swing or seat worthwhile.

14

Holy crap, I’ll send that! Congratulations!! I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout birthin’ no babies, but I’m happy for you!

Zette

15

We have a Mountain Buggy that can start out as a pram and converts to a pusher. On its second child now, it’s not noticeably worn. Fine product. We went through about 5 umbrella strollers and then got a McClaren. Great product. You could probably go with just the umbrella stroller if you just wanted one.

I like the removable bucket car seat for when they are young. We hired one both times. The great thing is you can put them in before you go out to the car and take them out and go to lunch with them still asleep in it.

Both ours like the Baby Bjorn carrier. Other children hate them.

16

I have absolutely no advice, being a childless-by-choice, but I just wanted to say it’s really nice to see you posting again. And preggers, too! w00t!

17

Strollers depend entirely on how much you drive, and how bad the steps are out your front door.

Are you a person who drives everywhere, and needs something to toss in the trunk, then pull out to walk around the mall? Then get an umbrella stroller like a Maclaren. Anything more than $100 is going to be a waste of cash. Since I moved back to Montreal, it’s the stroller I used 95% of the time.

Are you living in a neighbourhood where you walk everywhere? Then get the All-Terrain Stroller of your choice, with real inflated tires and some convertiblity (I’ve got a Valco Runabout, 3-wheeler with a bassinet option). It’s heavier, but rolls much smoother than an umbrella. And since I never had to fold the thing to put it away when I was in NYC, it was perfect. In Montreal, it’s folded at the bottom of the front stairs, and only occasionally gets used if MrsB or I goes for a run. If I didn’t have stairs it’d get used more often, but it’s still too big to comfortably toss in the trunk.

18

I’m a typical suburbanite that takes strollers to the mall, out for walks around the neighborhood, and to the odd park or outdoor fair. We’ve got:
A Graco travel system type stroller. The infant seat attaches to it - great for shopping while the baby was tiny.
Pros: No transferring newborns from seat to seat, lots of storage for packages while shopping, easy to set up and to steer. Readily available at typical big box stores at a decent price point. Lasts from tiny newborn to squirmy toddler.
Cons: Large, heavy. Not easy to maneuver around store fixtures or rough terrain. Takes up much real estate in the trunk of the car. Not all that cheap, either.
Small folding stroller (not umbrella type) Given to us by another mother, so I don’t know where to get one or how much they cost (I’d guess probably in the $20-$30 range).
Pros: Much smaller in trunk, lighter than Graco. Not great for infant, but seat has upright and recline feature and can be used with younger children than an umbrella stroller. Has basket underneeth for packages.
Cons: Can’t be used with newborn. Handles are short, which means taller adults will find pushing it uncomfortable and their feet will keep bumping the wheels.
Umbrella stroller Purchased while preparing for vacation.
Pros: Very inexpensive ($10), light, easy to stash in the trunk for “just in case”.
Cons: Child must have good head control and be sitting upright well to use. Short handles again, no place to put packages other than on the handles. Chintzy wheels for rough terrain, although they’re light enough to lift easily over the occasional bumpy patch.

If I had a choice, I’d still get the Graco travel system and an umbrella stroller, but I might try to find one of the pricier umbrellas that have the extendable handles.

19

This scares me. Our boppy (I have a 3 year old and 9 month old) has a huge warning on it about not letting children sleep with it.

As far as strollers go, we used a Graco Snap and Go until they were too big for the infant carrier. Then we moved them to a Britax umbrella stroller (the Britax Preview, I think).

20

We’ve got the Graco Quattro Tour travel system. It worked beautifully when the girl was tiny and in the infant seat, and it’s still the stroller of choice for trips to the zoo and the mall and such.
It is rather heavy and large - but I knew ahead of time that it would fit in the car, so I didn’t worry too much about that.
The large wheels are fairly necessary in snow - which we certainly get here.

We were given a cheapo umbrella stroller that I will toss, assuming I don’t give in to my desire to set it on fire, first.
The Graco is pretty large, so before our last airplane trip I got an Eddie Bauer umbrella stroller (folds just as small as the cheapies, but sturdier and with taller handles).