At one point my husband said to me, really? Do we need ANOTHER stroller? My answer was yes, always yes. You see...they all do different things, and our needs are changing. With our first, we needed a single stroller. With two, we needed a double, with three I needed a sit and stand. Do you see where I am going with this?
My friends think I am hysterical about strollers. Over and over I hear, you should write a blog! It's true that I have done a ton of research (for your average suburban mom) and am really excited about baby gear. It is very nerdy, I know, but it is really interesting. My only gripe is, why can't one company come up with the perfect solution?
My first stroller was a single BOB revolution. I decided I wanted a good ATV that I could attach to the baby seat. It was great, and I still have it. I am not a runner, but I do exercise with it. They have done some improvements in the newer models, but mine will still work well when baby 3 and I are on our own. I used it as my primary stroller right up until baby number two came along! I look back now and I think that I was crazy not to invest in a good umbrella stroller sooner.
I actually don't own a good umbrella stroller. The good one that I have (a Chicco Liteway) actually belongs to a friend of mine. She never used it and I needed one for a disney trip and so, voila! I became the user of an awesome umbrella. Much like the Aiden and Anais Muslin blankets that I didn't discover until baby #3, I am bummed that I missed out. I did break down and buy a cheap umbrella, made by First Years. That thing is a beast. I mean that in a good way! It can hold up to 50 pounds, it's pretty light, and my 4 year old can stand on the frame in the back while I push the two year old. It has been worth what we paid, for sure. It wasn't until I borrowed the Chicco that I realized that I have been missing a lot. A very light stroller that has a large accessible basket underneath. A stroller that folds flat for tiny babies and actually is comfortable for them to ride in. Wow! My advice is to go out there ladies. Go to a local baby store and try them out. I have heard awesome reviews on the Uppa Baby and the Britax B Agile as well. I can't speak to that but after the Chicco, I can believe it.
Double stroller nightmare time. When we discovered that we were pregnant with baby number two, I knew we needed a double stroller. We travel frequently, I work out with a stroller, and with two two and under I needed a safe way to transport the whole family on my own. Gleefully, I borrowed a friends daughter and set out to try some of my favorites.
Expandable strollers like the Baby Jogger City select were in their infancy. While I loved the idea of having one (and reeeeaaallly wanted one) I couldn't justify it as my every day stroller. Why? Working out. I needed a tough ATV style for stroller strides and that buggy isn't made for mommy bootcamp. It made me slightly crazy though that I didn't have one for my first child though. That's why I tell EVERYONE if you think you might want a second child, consider an expandable. There are lots of great options out there. Phil and Teds, Uppa Baby, Britax, Stokke, and Joovy are among the brands that now make those types. I sort of stare enviously at them when I see a smart, stylish mama sporting one.
But back to my needs. I finally settled on the Bumbleride Indie Twin with the green seats. Swoon! The main selling points for me vs a double BOB were numerous. It lays flat for a newborn, I didn't need another attachment for my car seat, it is narrower, and lighter than the BOB. Sold! Guess what? I don't own it anymore. It breaks my heart but after all of that time, research and money, it just wasn't what I needed. You see, it couldn't handle stroller strides. Ladies, any 4 wheel stroller is NOT, I repeat, NOT a jogger. I am also not much of a runner and based on the specs, it should have worked. Nope. It vibrated, a wheel spun, disaster. Thankfully, a friend gave me her old double BOB, so I used that. Boo hoo! When baby three was arriving I sold that double BOB and bought a newer one with the car seat attachment. It is a beast and gets the job done, but it's not as comfortable as my bumbleride, see above gripe.
When I was having baby #3, I also gained ownership of a two year old. My particular two year old has some challenges (aside from the obvious age involved ones) and I needed ANOTHER stroller. You heard me correctly. The double BOB is too big to fit in the preschool, so I needed one to put the baby seat on and strap my son into. I decided to go the route of the Joovy Caboose Ultralite. Unfortunately, my little man isn't comfortable in it. This is the primary reason I wish I had invested in an expandable stroller to begin with. :(. Tandems are easier in the mall, on public transportation, and gernerally anywhere with a door. There are lots of options for sit and stands out there. Some I have seen I think may have worked better for me than the Joovy, but once invested...stuck. Sadly I am noticing a pattern.
I never did the stroller system.. That's the thing that you buy that comes with your car seat. It is usually heavy and unwieldy. I would much rather have a lighter, more user friendly stroller with lots of convenience features. The same goes for the snap and go. I never purchased one. They are not easy to push and they aren't cheap! I decided to go with the adaptor for my regular stroller and it served me well. The one exception (sort of) that I will make for this is Orbit. OMG, if you have one I want to come over and play! They have a "snap and go" base for an infant seat, convertible car seat and the stroller seat. O yes! You read me right! A snap and go stroller base for a convertible car seat. Take the baby out, sleeping, seat and all. On an airplane? No worries! Use the car seat as your stroller seat. Handy for taxis and they even make...da, duh, duh, duh, duh- a double. Now if that was only on the budget.
The last category of stroller that I own is a bike trailer/stroller. It converts back and forth. My hubs really wanted one and he does use it, so I won't begrudge him. :). As Austin Powers says, it's not my bag baby. Give me a bike trailer parked at the pool with my cocktail and a personal lifeguard for the kiddos? Sign me up!
I hope this post didn't give you a case of the Mondays. What were your stroller decisions? Are you making them currently? If so, give me a shout out. I would love to help. Here is a picture of my daughter and I playing catch at Stroller Strides. Notice my BOB beast in the background.
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