Get the Right Baby Stroller for You
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It’s likely that you’ll need more than one stroller in your child’s first four years. There are a huge selection of baby strollers, which makes it easy to find the right stroller at the right time.
Baby travel systems
As the convertibles of the baby stroller world, the versatility of an infant travel system fulfills the need for a car seat, a baby carrier, and a baby stroller, with just one purchase. Baby stroller makers like Evenflo and Graco offer baby stroller lines that recline fully and adjust to fit babies for years. Infant travel systems come in many shapes and sizes, so you can factor in portability and find a lighter, collapsible infant travel system if it suits your lifestyle.
You can expect to see a lot of extras on baby travel systems. The COMBI Ultra Savvy Travel System, for example, includes a built-in stereo to play music or stories. When shopping for travel systems on a budget, check out what features are included and prioritize your needs.
Full-size and mid-size baby strollers
Ironically, the smaller the baby, the larger the baby stroller often needs to be. Full-size baby strollers and mid-size baby strollers frequently come with shock absorbers, oversize wheels, and wheel breaks, so that baby gets a smooth, safe ride. They also can have plenty of features like extra padding, weather covers, storage baskets, and so on. Many larger baby strollers can be adjusted to carry babies from birth until they’re old enough to want to walk on their own.
The bulkiness of full-size baby strollers can be an issue if your day-to-day life includes a lot of climbing stairs or navigating grocery aisles, in which case you should opt toward a mid-size stroller. Mid-size strollers can have aluminum frames and weigh as little as 15 pounds.
Lightweight baby strollers
Lightweight baby strollers are maneuverable and convenient for walks in the park, errands, even cross-country travel, as many models collapse for storage in a car trunk or even an airplane overhead bin. Lightweight baby strollers or “umbrella” baby strollers (named for their hooked handles) are also very affordable, so having one in addition to a sturdier model won’t break your budget.
Though unbeatable for portability, lightweight baby strollers are less sturdy than full-size baby strollers or mid-size baby strollers. You’ll need to read the manual that comes with your lightweight baby stroller so that you can use it as safely as possible. For example, you won’t want to hang purses, backpacks, or grocery bags on lightweight baby strollers or use a non-reclining baby stroller for a newborn under three months old.
Prams
Prams and European-style strollers really make a statement. This traditional baby carriage design is both sturdy and stylish. Silver Cross makes such a pram for fashion-forward moms.
The extra money you’ll pay for a high-end baby carriage doesn’t only get you good looks; however, Prams and high-end strollers by makers like Bugaboo, Silver Cross, Kelty, and Stokke’s Xplory are built to last. They typically convert from fully reclining strollers for newborns to upright strollers for kids up to 3 or 4 years old. You’ll typically find extra-large wheels, removable weather protection gear, adjustable padding, storage baskets, dual wheel brakes—the works—on these larger, more expensive strollers.
Classy antique prams tend to be both wide and heavy, but newer deluxe models use sturdy aluminum frames to keep the overall weight manageable.
Jogging baby strollers
For athletic parents, jogging baby strollers with streamlined designs and very large wheels make it possible to bring infants on countryside outings. If you like going on long hikes or runs, your baby will be ready to go with you at about six months, thanks to these specialized jogging baby strollers.
Built with lightweight frames and large bicycle wheels, jogging baby strollers are made to roll easily over uneven surfaces and move at running pace. As three-wheelers, they’re also streamlined and sporty. Note that some three-wheelers are not made for jogging, but for looks only, so if you are shopping for a true jogging baby stroller, make sure you get one intended for that purpose.
For jogging baby strollers, safety is top priority. Be sure to look for a 3- or 5-point seat belt. Some jogging baby stroller models include hand brakes and other features like storage pouches, all-terrain wheels, and shock-absorbing suspension.
Tags: Baby stroller
