Hellobee

In our house, babywearing and using strollers were never mutually exclusive gear choices! We went back and forth between a few different options and although we’ve grown out of the baby wearing (both boys are over 25lbs!), these were our favorite options.

When K was an infant, we wore him out in this simple (and inexpensive) Infantino carrier, primarily for errands and casual walks around the neighborhood. It was easy to take on and off, easy to adjust, and you can’t beat the price! We also started out with a great First Years umbrella stroller that has since been discontinued! The most comparable one I see now is the Chicco Capri. We never bought a travel system — K was born in the fall and we live in suburbia, with no necessity to walk around in the winter, so we figured we could wait until he was 6m to use a stroller and just babywear before then. That plan worked well for us!

After over 3 years of use, one of the wheels is kind of wonky (we think from being gate checked and tossed around a few times), but it still works and steers fine. If I just have D and don’t need a big storage space I just use this one — such easy maneuverability! My one complaint is that it can be hard to steer one handed since it doesn’t have a bar, which makes it harder if I have K and need to hold hands to cross the street. Mr. T has talked about buying beefed up wheels to make it have a smoother ride, but the kids don’t care. Neither has been a big stroller-napper so we don’t mind the pitiful reclining function. D was also born in the fall so we did babywearing for his first six months, same as K!

With D we preferred the Moby wrap in the early days. H really liked being cuddled up more, and if we bounced while we wore him he would go to sleep! I also liked it for running around to doctors’ appointments, again because I could bounce him to sleep in the waiting room (looking ridiculous, I’m sure!), and I could easily tuck his excess wires in the fabric. As he grew and became more interested in looking around, I switched back to the trusty Infantino.

Before D was born, I was less willing to commit to buying a new double stroller, especially since there was no equivalent double umbrella stroller option like my first choice! I first bought a used Contours Options stroller for a steal – $65! It was in great condition, but I found that the seat backs were pretty short (K was topping them out at 2y, and he’s under 50% for height), and it was a pain to maneuver (which is probably true of any tandem). Because I wanted D facing me (he was quite little when we were out and about in this), K was mad that he was so far away, and he also couldn’t climb in or out himself. I was able to sell it on Craigslist for more than I paid for it, and starting looking at sit ‘n stand style doubles.

Look how thrilled they are… not!

I found a used Joovy Caboose for $45 on Craigslist, which was in not fantastic condition, but I went for it. It’s served us very well and at times I wish I had just bought a new one (and am still considering it, honestly!), but we don’t use it frequently enough for me to justify it. K loves hopping on and off, standing on the “skateboard,” and having the (small) bench to sit on if he gets tired. If he’s walking, there’s a huge amount of space to put stuff (like luggage in the airport!). It’s way lighter than the Contours and much easier to maneuver. D has no complaints about the seat from what I can tell, and I like the slight recline option. I think this is the last stroller I’ll buy!

Not obviously happier but they love it!

Have you gone through different carriers or strollers? Have we settled on good choices, or is it time to switch it up again?