Researching strollers gave me the biggest headache out of all the baby gear I researched.  There were just SO.MANY.OPTIONS. and so many brands with so many different features. When deciding on a stroller, it’s also really important to factor in the type of city you live in (suburb vs. city vs. countryside), and what kind of lifestyle you lead (are you the traveling jetsetter type?  do you take public transport a lot or do you own a car?).

It’s worth considering whether you even need a stroller at all, at least initially. Baby HH hated the stroller at first, so I baby carried more than I strolled for a good portion of her first year.  In retrospect, I probably could’ve waited to buy a stroller. The one thing I do recommend is to go into a store and see your strollers of interest in person.  Play around with them and see if you like how it folds and how it strolls.

Below you’ll find the pros and cons of the all-around and umbrella strollers I considered purchasing, and which ones I ended up purchasing!


ADVERTISEMENT

1) Graco Snugrider Stroller Frame – $66
8.1 x 17.9 x 31.2 inches ; 15 pounds

PROS: This is the stroller frame that goes with the Graco Snugride infant carseat, so it’s compact and light and easy to open/close.  Although it’s made for the Graco Snugride, it also fits other popular car seats on the market.  Our infant car seat just snapped right into this stroller so I never had to wake my newborn to transfer her.  It also comes wit a cup holder tray.  It met all our needs for the first 6-8 months.  The storage basket is huge and comfortably stored both my purse and diaper bag.

CONS: Great for suburbs and well-paved roads, but probably not so great on rickety big city streets.  Honestly, there was nothing I didn’t like about this system.

2) Britax B-Agile  – $189
38.2 x 22.8 x 40.5 inches; 16.5 pounds

PROS: can be used for children up to 55-lbs.  This has been my go-to stroller ever since Baby HH was able to sit upright in it at 8-months.  I chose it because I was looking for a stroller with a large sunshade, deep recline (in case she wanted to nap), easy to open/close, and wasn’t too heavy.  I also love that it has a window opening at the top of the canopy so I can always see what my girl is up to.  This fit all my criteria, except it’s heavier than some of the other strollers I looked into (my runner-ups were two really light strollers – the MacLaren Quest and the UppaBaby G-Luxe).  I also liked that this stroller had 3-wheels, making it very easy to maneuver with one-hand.  Baby HH loves this stroller and often climbs into it on her own, just waiting for me to stroll her about.

CONS: because it’s a 3-wheeled stroller, it is wider than I would’ve liked.  It also has a very small basket (I can barely squeeze my purse in there!), and there is no snack tray or cupholder included.  Other things to consider is that it does not stand upright when closed, and at its most upright position, the recline is still a little too far back than I would’ve liked.  Baby HH likes to sit up and see the world around her.

3) Baby Jogger City Mini 2011 – $220 (a 2012 version recently came out, but I didn’t research that one)
20.9 x 5.5 x 31.1 inches ; 20.4 pounds

PROS: This is a direct competitor to the Britax B-Agile.  It also has a deep recline, huge sunshade, and 3-wheels.  When I did my research, the B-Agile had just been introduced to the market with superior ratings and improvements over the Baby Jogger City Mini.  I think the Baby Jogger might’ve come out with a new version that’s just as good as the B-Agile though.  Both have very similar features and I don’t really think you can go wrong with either of them.

CONS: it is heavier than the Britax B-Agile and more expensive.

Moving onto Umbrella Strollers:

4) The First Years Ignite Stroller  – $60   
18.5 x 39.8 x 34.5 inches; 14 pounds

PROS: I put this on my registry because it was a cheap, lightweight stroller with excellent (4.5 out of 5 stars) reviews on Amazon.  I thought it would be great for traveling and quick errands.  It is very light and very cheap, it has an easy one-handed fold, and it comes with a stroller storage bag for when you travel.  It also comes with a zippered pouch with a cupholder.  It holds babies up to 50 lbs.

CONS: like most lightweight, umbrella strollers, the canopy on this is practically non-existent because it’s so small.  It also has a very small storage basket, and when it folds up it folds long.  It also does not stand upright when folded.

5) UppaBaby G-Luxe – $190  
44 x 13 x 12 inches ; 11 pounds; holds babies up to 50 lbs.

PROS: so many people seem to love this stroller!  It is as light-weight as they get, has a good recline, it stands upright when folded, making it easier to store, it has a large canopy with UPF 50 protection, it comes with a cup holder, and it also comes with a shoulder carrying strap.  I still have buyers remorse sometimes and wonder if I should’ve gone with this stroller.  Just writing this out makes me want to Craigslist my current stroller and get this one!!

CONS: it has a small storage basket.  Another con is that it requires a two-handed fold.  But now that I’m more “seasoned” when it comes to strollers, I don’t think I’d mind a two-handed fold very much.

6) MacLaren Quest Sport– $270
31.5 x 19 x 41.5 inches ; 12 pounds; From 3-months up to 55 lbs.

PROS: Maclarens are probably the most popular strollers on the market.  I have several friends who own this model and they all LOVE it.  It comes with 4 reclining seat positions, a window in the canopy that you can look through, an extendable foot rest that grows as your baby grows, and it can be folded one-handed.

CONS: it has a really small sunshade and small storage basket.  The stroller also tips over really easily.  For example, it will fall over if you hang your diaper bag on the handles, but don’t have your baby sitting in the stroller.

In conclusion, I really liked the Graco and Snap ‘n go combo that I used for the first several months of LO’s life.  I’m really glad I went with this instead of an expensive and bulky travel system.  It was so easy to open/close and lightweight.  It was perfect for a suburban mom like me.

I found I didn’t really need a “real” stroller until LO was 8-months old.  One regret I have is buying my strollers too early.  I registered for the First Years Ignite umbrella stroller because I thought I would need it, but I never really used it all that much. I did most of my traveling when LO was a newborn (meaning I just used the snap ‘n go or a baby carrier instead!), so this umbrella stroller ended up collecting dust in a corner.  I also purchased an extremely expensive BOB Revolution jogging stroller because I thought I’d have no problem running with my baby.  Then one time, in the middle of a run, my LO started crying nonstop.  I had to stop my run and carry my LO home while attempting to push the BOB in my other free hand.  That was the end of my jogging days with the BOB.

For all my day-to-day needs, I turn to my Britax B-Agile and it meets all my needs for the most part.  My only two gripes are that I wish it were lighter, and more narrow.  It was modeled after the Baby Jogger City Mini with some improvements.  I’m 5’6 and the handlebars are perfect for my height.  It maneuvers well, even one-handed.  The canopy is huge and Baby HH loves lounging in it.  However, every once in awhile I wonder if I should’ve gone with the Uppababy G-luxe.  I second-guess my stroller decisions a lot, and I’m always scoping out other people’s strollers when I’m out and about.  I do get stroller envy sometimes, but overall I am very happy with my Britax B-Agile.

Are you happy with the stroller(s) you ended up with or did you suffer buyer’s remorse?

Strollers & Stroller Accessories part 1 of 7

1. Stroller Comparison Guide by Mrs. High Heels
2. Stroller Saga by Mrs. Bee
3. Double Strollers by Mrs. Bee
4. Best Stroller Accessories by Guides
5. Stroller Review: Jeep Liberty Stroller by Mrs. Pen
6. Infantino Stretch by Mrs. Bee
7. Maclaren Globetrotter by Mrs. Bee

Mrs. High Heels’ Visual Gear Guides part 5 of 12

1. My Ultimate Baby Registry by Mrs. High Heels
2. Toddler Pooltime Essentials by Mrs. High Heels
3. My Biggest Registry Regrets by Mrs. High Heels
4. Car Seat Comparison Guide by Mrs. High Heels
5. Stroller Comparison Guide by Mrs. High Heels
6. Baby Carrier Comparison Guide by Mrs. High Heels
7. Prenatal Fitness Guide by Mrs. High Heels
8. Sick Toddler Essentials by Mrs. High Heels
9. Mrs. High Heels' Skincare Essentials by Mrs. High Heels
10. Mrs. High Heels' Hospital Bag by Mrs. High Heels
11. Mrs. High Heels' Diaper Bag for Two by Mrs. High Heels
12. Nursing Pillow Showdown: Boppy vs. My Brest Friend by Mrs. High Heels