I really REALLY need help finding a stroller...

[westisleflower]

So I am a bit overwhelmed. As a FTM I don't really know what makes a good stroller and what doesn't. I need some honest, no nonsense answers. I don't think I want a travel system since those car seats don't accommodate much above 40 lbs or so. I think I want one of those 3-in-1 car seats that grows with your baby. I want a stroller that I can use for a long time (I don't mind spending a little extra on it for this reason (but probably no more than $800-$1000 range), including a seat for when we have our next baby (which will hopefully be within the next couple years), I think they call them convertible strollers? Are they worth it? If I do end up getting a single stroller, is there a good market for resale if I want to upgrade to a double? Also, do strollers come with a carrier, like something I could potentially place in a shopping cart (I know the car seat I want can't do that) I need advice please! Thank you in advance!

[greysonsmom]

You should look into the uppa baby stroller. It has a lot of the features you are looking for.

[sandandsea]

I will recommend my all time favorite stroller that we have used with DS and still use, the City Mini. It's amazing, and it can lay totally flat so you don't need the carrier for an infant to use it. We still use it with DS at age 4 and it's going strong. It's also easy to wash, folds with one hand, pushes one handed, has a huge sunshade, and is very light to put in and out of cars/through airport security/etc. We've taken it everywhere with us from the mall, to the racetrack, to Disneyland and it's been amazing.

The infant carriers that work with strollers as a travel system won't go beyond 40 pounds because really, no one wants to move a 40 pound child around in those anyway. DS is 4 and very average for weight and is right at 40 pounds. I'm not carrying him any more than I absolutely have to at this weight.

Most strollers don't come with a carrier, but some do have a bassinet like the uppa baby. However, the infant stage doesn't last long. By 4 months, DS wanted to sit up and see the world instead of lay down. So, I wouldn't spend a ton of extra money on stuff that will last a very small amount of time.

My most important stroller features are durable, not too large to be convenient (think about weight lifting in and out of trunks, size when pushing through clothing racks at the mall and maneuverability with crowds at amusement parks, etc.). Also 1 handed push is an absolute must.

I would recommend the City Select if you want something that can go from 1 kid to 2 kids. However, strollers in this category will be quite a bit bulkier for 1 kiddo and a little more than you'll need. I think there is always a market for used baby stuff of good quality. I like to get what will best fit my needs now and now worry too much about how those needs may change in 2 years to buy ahead. Also, some kids hate strollers. My nephews were out of strollers by age 2. DS still loves his stroller.

[regal]

We bought the City Select when I had my first because I wanted another kid pretty soon after. I also wanted my kid to be able to face me.

In regards to the car seat, are you going to wake your sleeping baby to get them from the car to the house? Probably not. My friend who was adamant about not getting one ended up borrowing one for both of her kids. They definitely serve a purpose.

[shan]

Buy a super cheap (second hand) snap and go. They are the BEST for the first few months. So so so so easy. Good storage. And you keep them asleep in their car seat.

Also, we had:

Uppa baby g-lux was a great easy, light, one hand fold/unfold stroller. It was my "mall stroller" for for things like that.

BOB (I had the car seat adapter too bc I liked going on walks before she was strong enough to sit upright in it well).
We still use that for walks around our neighborhood/green belt/trails/festivals.

All three served a huge purpose and I plan to use all three again + a double BOB.

[lakecountrygal]

I have a Baby Trend Jogger Expedition and love it, however now I'll need a double and am not sure what to get. I used a baby trend car seat and it locked into the jogger perfectly.

We also don't have a ton of money to spend on a nice stroller but definitely consider what type of terrain you'll be on because even though I'm not a runner we needed the jogger. Around us the roads are crap or gravel and other strollers just don't push as nicely as a jogger does.

[vivela]

How important do you guys think having the baby face you is? I registered for the Citi Mini GT based on reviews. But I went to look at stuff in person this weekend and realized that you can't switch sides. I feel like I'd rather be able to lean over and replace pacifiers, etc. without going all the way around the stroller. Yay or nay?
The uppababy and Citi Select allow for this feature, but i like the weight of the mini and its price.

[greysonsmom]

Feb 2, 2016 22:10:33 GMT -5 vivela said:

How important do you guys think having the baby face you is? I registered for the Citi Mini GT based on reviews. But I went to look at stuff in person this weekend and realized that you can't switch sides. I feel like I'd rather be able to lean over and replace pacifiers, etc. without going all the way around the stroller. Yay or nay?
The uppababy and Citi Select allow for this feature, but i like the weight of the mini and its price.

I have a bugaboo and chose it based on its versatility. I really liked the fact that the baby could face me especially when he was young. Now at 18 months he doesn't care to look at me, he wants to see what's going on around him.

[sandandsea]

I used the car seat on the city mini when DS was really little. Then he faced me. After 4 months he wanted to face the world and was bored with me. It was easy enough to reach over to get him a paci or whatever.

ETA:  DS outgrew the infant carrier carseat at 10 months.  We have the Graco Sungride 30/32/35 (I can't remember which).  He had a little more height to go, but it was so heavy at that point that it really wasn't fun or easy to carry him around in it.  They're really bulky and awkward to carry.

[pbandj714]

If you do end up going with the City Select, Babies R Us has them on sale right now for 399 (100 off!), just FYI.

[csat]

We have a Bumbleride Indie for DS and I love it. We've used our stroller A LOT. It's really a workhorse that doesn't look or feel like one.

www.bumbleride.com/strollers/indie

Pros:
- Seat can lay all the way flat
- Very large undercarriage for storage (a case of wine can fit under this thing)
- Large canopy
- Easy to fold up and relatively compact
- Can be used as a jogging / off road stoller and has sturdy wheels but much lighter and narrower than a BOB
- You can purchase a bucket carseat adapter for as long as you still want baby in the bucket seat, which we've done for the new baby.

Cons:
- None I can think of except it's on the pricier side, $500
- Does not have a second seat that you are looking for. DS will be old enough when the new baby comes that we plan on putting a riding board on this

[shoogars]

I have a City Select double. I wish I would have gotten it from the start. It's a great stroller. When deciding I watched a bunch of reviews on YouTube to help me decide.

Personally I think an infant bucket seat is worth the investment.

[athn64]

If DD wasn't too big, she'd still be in the bucket. She tends to fall asleep in the car and it was so much easier to get her inside and keep her napping in the bucket. It's too cold to sit in the car for her two hour nap without the engine on, which runs all our gas to nothing, so we have to bring her in and pray she goes back to sleep.

That said, I loved our travel system, but I also wasn't too picky about my stroller needs as I planned on (and do) wearing her more often than not. You;ve got some great stroller advice already.

[regal]

Feb 3, 2016 11:27:54 GMT -5 pbandj714 said:

If you do end up going with the City Select, Babies R Us has them on sale right now for 399 (100 off!), just FYI.

Holy crap.  It's nearly double that price in Canada!

[origamimommy]

I would also recommend a city select. We have a city mini GT, and we're trying to figure out which stroller to get now. We both love the city select but our older DS is already cramped I those seats. I'm pushing for a GT double but my husband doesn't like side by side doubles. We didn't see any sit and stands that we liked either.

Also the infant seat I would reconsider. They are worth it when the baby is so tiny. You don't have to wake them up every time you get out of the car, etc. I know one car seat sounds good in theory, but I don't think it's realistic. We're on our third or fourth car seat with DS.

[vivela]

Feb 2, 2016 22:32:26 GMT -5 sandandsea said:

I used the car seat on the city mini when DS was really little. Then he faced me. After 4 months he wanted to face the world and was bored with me. It was easy enough to reach over to get him a paci or whatever.

ETA:  DS outgrew the infant carrier carseat at 10 months.  We have the Graco Sungride 30/32/35 (I can't remember which).  He had a little more height to go, but it was so heavy at that point that it really wasn't fun or easy to carry him around in it.  They're really bulky and awkward to carry.

Are you saying that when you click a car seat into the city mini, it can be rear facing? If that is the case, it wouldn't matter since we are going to attach a Britax at first. Or am I misreading this?
Clearly I need to get to the baby store and try out this stuff more in person!

[sandandsea]

Feb 5, 2016 16:54:24 GMT -5 vivela said:

Feb 2, 2016 22:32:26 GMT -5 sandandsea said:

I used the car seat on the city mini when DS was really little. Then he faced me. After 4 months he wanted to face the world and was bored with me. It was easy enough to reach over to get him a paci or whatever.

ETA:  DS outgrew the infant carrier carseat at 10 months.  We have the Graco Sungride 30/32/35 (I can't remember which).  He had a little more height to go, but it was so heavy at that point that it really wasn't fun or easy to carry him around in it.  They're really bulky and awkward to carry.

Are you saying that when you click a car seat into the city mini, it can be rear facing? If that is the case, it wouldn't matter since we are going to attach a Britax at first. Or am I misreading this?
Clearly I need to get to the baby store and try out this stuff more in person!

Yes. When we attached our car seat to the city mini DS faced me. .

[ArgyleEnigma]

We will probably go city mini if we buy new, but I have been trawling Craigslist for deals and am going to see a $100 city select tomorrow. It's a great price, so I'm cautiously excited.

[sunshineshades]

Feb 5, 2016 16:54:24 GMT -5 vivela said:

Feb 2, 2016 22:32:26 GMT -5 sandandsea said:

I used the car seat on the city mini when DS was really little. Then he faced me. After 4 months he wanted to face the world and was bored with me. It was easy enough to reach over to get him a paci or whatever.

ETA:  DS outgrew the infant carrier carseat at 10 months.  We have the Graco Sungride 30/32/35 (I can't remember which).  He had a little more height to go, but it was so heavy at that point that it really wasn't fun or easy to carry him around in it.  They're really bulky and awkward to carry.

Are you saying that when you click a car seat into the city mini, it can be rear facing? If that is the case, it wouldn't matter since we are going to attach a Britax at first. Or am I misreading this?
Clearly I need to get to the baby store and try out this stuff more in person!

**lurker**
You do need an adaptor though for it to click in.

[sandandsea]

Feb 8, 2016 9:09:53 GMT -5 sunshineshades said:

Feb 5, 2016 16:54:24 GMT -5 vivela said:

**lurker**
You do need an adaptor though for it to click in.

Yep, a very overpriced adapter.  Seriously, as if the strollers aren't expensive enough.