Moms -- Favorite stroller? Carseat?

[foodlady]

Hi all!

I'm due in August and trying to sort out the stroller / carseat information.

I have twin boys who are 4 1/2, and loved my Maclaren twin traveller. It was lightweight and easy to fold. I'm so excited to buy a single stroller, but I don't know where to start! The travel system idea is appealing to me, but some of these seem really heavy.

Okay Moms. Any favorites out there?

TIA!
Robyn

[fci5767]

I'll need to get a stroller soon, too. Since I'll be fostering I need to have something that is pretty versatile. Lightweight and easy to maneuver will be important too. I spent the afternoon at Borders exploring the Baby/Toddler Bargains books, and the Consumer Reports Guide to Baby Products (or whatever it's called.) I think I'm even more overwhelmed than I was before.

[RunnerKim]

We don't use a stroller that much so didn't want anything much. We opted to go with a nice umbrella stroller and that has worked really well for us for when we've needed something. I had a kolcraft that I loved - padded handles, shade top, reclining but that's about it. It folded up like and umbrella and no built-in storage. We managed to lose that just recently and I was very tempted to not buy another one as DS was just beginning to walk but there were a few specific events happening where I knew I'd want one. I thought about getting a cheapy $20 umbrella but those plastic handles weren't cutting it for me; so we went with the $40 umbrella model (also a Kolcraft I believe - "Jeep" - I don't believe it reclines and the shade top is pretty worthless.). It works for what we need it for - we prefer to encourage walking as often as possible (which means making the time).

When the kids were in the infant seat, we found it just as easy to carry that than to snap it in to a travel system for the distance/places we were going.

We also have a jogging stroller that we use for running/walks around the neighborhood and a backpack carrier for hikes/the beach.

And most importantly a sling - or rather a pouch. It's adjustable by Maya Wrap and very simple. It can be folded up very small, easy to slip on and easy to put kid in and out of. I didn't find it worked that well for a newborn but that easily could have been me; but once they have some neck control and you can carry them on your hip with it; I find it one of the most invaluable baby/wobbler items that I have. We commute via public transit and taking even the umbrella stroller was too much of a hassle. The "sling" allows me to have both hands if I need to and gave enough support for the short walks (1/4-1/2 mile). DS was a big baby and I often used the sling just standing around with him (talking to people or whatever). DH is now using the sling for the 3/4 mile walk to/from our bus stop as we recently decided we'd walk instead of driving (DD walks). We're not "mall/shopping people" so I readily see that going without a regular stroller may not be for most people.

Kim

[foodlady]

Thanks for the input, Kim!

I have a nice sling that I never used with my twins that I look forward to using this time around!

With two four-year olds, I definitely need to be able to buckle this baby into a stroller -- also handy to have them hold onto it when we cross a street, etc.

I do wonder if I'll use a stroller less than with my twins, though, since I can logistically just carry one!

Any more input/suggestions out there??

[MinEaston]

We have a good jogging stroller for our walking around town but it of course is too bulky to transport much. DH and I love it, though, because of the pneumatic tires, adjustable handle, and decent-sized basket underneath, perfect for our recent trips to the local farmers market.

Anna fit into her Graco SnugRide carseat for many months and my parents used the Kolcraft universal carseat stroller base for that. The base was easy to set up and folded relatively small.

After Anna outgrew the Snugride, we purchased a Combi lightweight stroller (I can't remember the exact model), but it is very light, folds up very well, is a little sturdier than the umbrella stroller and has a reclining seat. So far it's worked very well.

I would also second Kim's suggestion for a wrap/sling type of carrier. I have a Maya, another type of sling, and a Snugli carrier, and we've used all 3 in varying situations.

[gertdog]

We used a Graco SnugRide carseat for DS and loved it. He just outgrew it and I miss it! He is/was a BIG baby, however, so carrying him in it was not much fun. We had the Snap-and-Go (v. similar to the Kolcraft universal carrier MinEaston mentioned) and I loved that too. Super lightweight, folds flat so it fits in the trunk, and soooo nice to not have to unbuckle DS from the carseat and transfer to a stroller when we were running errands.

For use around the neighborhood we have a Jeep Urban Terrain three-wheel stroller (I think that's the name). It's not a jogger but looks similar. Great for our bumpy roads and gravel walking trails, with a good-size sunc canopy, great suspension and easy steering, and good storage underneath (though I haven't really needed the storage since we use it for walks close to home). On the downside, it's heavy, hard to fold, and thus not a great portable stroller. Also, the seat reclines using a drawstring which I find cumbersome, and nearly impossible to do when DS is actually sitting in the stroller.

To replace the newly retired Snap-and-Go, we recently bought a Zooper Waltz and so far I think it's absolutely great. I wrote some thoughts about it in this post (http://community.cookinglight.com/showpost.php?p=1056711&postcount=137) on the June New Moms thread.

[jphilg]

We had a Graco Snugride and a Snap and Go, and I found it...fine. We loved the Snugride, but I jsut found that I used my Baby Bjorn rather than the stroller most of the time. It tended to be Dad/Grandparents who used the stroller.

We switched to a Maclaren Techno XT around 12 weeks and never looked back. I really love my Maclaren; Saskia seems so comfortable in it. It is lightwieght and portable, and I love the the handles telescope for tall parents like DH and I.

I have a generic hand-me-down jogger (KoolRide? KoolStop? Something like that) and I like it for our neighborhood's bumpy sidewalks and nature paths, but I never get the sense that Saskia is particularly comfortable.

[RebeccaT]

I LOVED using my Combi Connection car seat/Kolcraft Universal stroller combo. The car seat was great for Julia, easy to snap in and out of the base, and the lightweight stroller frame made moving her from car to stroller and back so easy. We used it all the time.

Once we moved her out of her infant carseat, around 8 months, and into her Britax Marathon (which has been so great, by the way, and she'll be using it for the next couple of years so it's a great investment) we got her a Peg Perego Pliko P3. I love the stroller, but I got it on eBay and had a bad experience with the seller, so that colored my feelings towards it for a while. But it's been great, lightweight enough to not be a pain but sturdy and comfortable for Julia.

I personally think that travel systems are not a good way to go. I think that there are lots of good car seats out there that are sold with inferior strollers, and vice versa; we were glad that we made the decision to buy the infant carseat and the stroller separately, because we didn't have to compromise on any of the features that were important to us. JMHO.

[slknight]

Once we moved her out of her infant carseat, around 8 months, and into her Britax Marathon (which has been so great, by the way, and she'll be using it for the next couple of years so it's a great investment) we got her a Peg Perego Pliko P3. I love the stroller, but I got it on eBay and had a bad experience with the seller, so that colored my feelings towards it for a while. But it's been great, lightweight enough to not be a pain but sturdy and comfortable for Julia.


We have a P3 and love, love, love it! It's been our workhorse for about 2 years and we are still really happy with it. The Mac Techno XT that Jen mentioned is another great stroller. Macs tend to have more sloped seats though, and some kids just don't like them. I had one and never felt that DS was particulary comfortable in it. I have since gotten a Mac Volo (umbrella-ish stroller) and DS doesn't want to ride in it. He's at the age now where he mostly walks, but if we do need to take a stroller somewhere, I'll ask him which one he wants and he never wants the Volo. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

The one nice thing about a P3 that no one has mentioned is that it has a toddler footboard on the back. That means you can put your baby in it, and one of your twins can kind of perch on the back and go for a short ride if they get tired. The P3 also has a child snack tray attached. We found that pretty handy.

There is a very active stroller forum on the Baby Bargains Boards as well as a Stroller Swap yahoo group where people resell strollers.