Your stroller purchase will likely one of your big-ticket items and on a bad day can be the make or break factor of a full-blown meltdown! When bub is having a Defcon 1 blowout and you want to nip into a shop quickly, the last thing you need is a stroller that takes forever to get in and out of the car, or if it’s raining and again, screaming bub, in a hurry, hands are full and the damned stroller won’t collapse to go back in to the car! My gosh. These are some of the things we probably should have considered when purchasing a stroller! So, I thought I would throw a few ideas at you to consider if you’re in the market on a stroller hunt.
- Your lifestyle!! This is a big one! Are you a running mumma? Are you a mumma who likes to go all terrain, off piste? If either of these are things you say yes to, then a stroller with good suspension and manoeuvrability is going to be a big one for you! Take it from someone who has first-hand experience of a shit stroller. It was an expensive “big name” one (I won’t say what name, don’t need anyone after me for my opinions) but I will say that Bub was jiggled around like a sack of potatoes, I nearly tipped bub out when the f’ing wheel got stuck on the curb, AND it had the manoeuvrability of a 10-ton brick. Not kidding. I love to be out, about, and amongst it so the stroller’s ability to be able to handle the length of my stride (again, the kick bar is NOT fun to kick when running! nothing like bruises on the top of your foot to make your day), it needs to go up curbs easy, it needs to be agile with gravel and “off piste” tracks so it can keep up with family hikes.
- Will it fit into your car? I own a Mini Cooper which would barely fit a baby let alone its stroller (this will be another topic, things to consider before you have a kid). How quickly can you assemble and disassemble your stroller to fit in your car, also, can you fit groceries and baby gear, as well as any other children you may have?
- Do you want a three or four wheeled stroller? I personally like the agility of the three wheeled stroller. Some momma’s will feel a four wheeled stroller will offer more stability (not accurate but hey, whatever’s going to make you happier). Three wheeled strollers tend to sit higher as they usually have tyres that can be pumped up, therefore four wheeled strollers may be lighter weight than their three wheeled counterparts. Studies have shown both types of stroller can tip backwards, historically, three wheeled strollers were very prone to tipping or going ass over teakettle with odd curbs, however modern day three wheelers are not as likely to tip over. Again, whatever makes you happy mumma.
- Are you needing to boot about with twins or a singleton? Also, do you have other children that need to fit into the stroller?
- Do you need it to fit onto a plane? Are you a travelling mumma? if so, do you want to be able to take the stroller right up to the gate? Only certain strollers are of size to be able to be taken onto a plane, keep this in mind. What about the bus? do you want one that can fit down the aisle of a bus or shops without hassle, a bulky stroller is going to be nothing but a hassle here.
- Would it be better for you to have two strollers? One that you use for most of your daily stuff, the running, cafe meet-ups, family walks etc, and then a cheap quick to assemble/dissemble stroller that bub won’t be in for long but is handy for that super quick supermarket run. This is an option a lot of mommas go for to have the best of both worlds.
- Do you want a stroller with adaptors so you can switch out a bassinet, capsule, or chair for bub. If so, yes you may be paying a bit more, but you will only need the one stroller that can be adapted to bub’s life progression.
- Does it have storage? Most strollers these days are very suited to modern living, with under seat storage for the nappy bag, shopping etc.
- Do your research on how ergonomic the seat is for bub. Remember, they will be spending a portion of their baby and toddler years in this thing and if they’re uncomfortable a) guess who’s going to be screaming the place down but also, b) bad ergonomic design can place strain or pressure on bub’s developing spine. Nobody wants a hunchy scrunchy baby.
- Will the seat recline for bub. Nap time still happens when you’re out and about, if bub can’t lay back to nap, here we go tantrum city.
- Does it have adjustability so both mumma and baby daddy can push the stroller without height difficulties? If you’re 5’4” and baby daddy is 6’4”… that’s a huge difference in handle height needed or one of you is gonna be super uncomfortable pushing bub.
- Can bub go in the stroller from birth to toddlerhood or will you need to upgrade as bub grows up. Could be worth investing in a stroller that can adapt with bub rather than needing to change up. Also, to what age will the stroller be suitable, can you still use the stroller when bub is older and doesn’t want to walk on long trips (think zoo etc with your older kids and bub just can’t be F’d walking or needs a nap).
- Finally, what is your budget? lightweight, durable strollers with all the bells and whistles can really set you back a few shiny pennies, yeah, we’re talking like 2K+ here. BUT, making the wrong choice to save a hundred or so can be the detriment to your sanity, sooo just my humble but try make the right choice straight off the bat.
So, all food for thought. If you have friends who have babies, perhaps ask them their thoughts or even test out their stroller. Also, don’t feel scared to ask for demonstrations or have a play around for yourself with different models and styles in the store, it’s the salesperson’s job to help you and sell you the right stroller. Drop your comments below on your good (hopefully not bad) stroller experiences.
