 |
| Goodbaby High Impact Stroller |
So for fellow moms who are currently looking for the perfect stroller, here are the important things to assess before paying for your baby's four (or three) wheels:
- Capacity: The very first question I ask the salesman when buying a stroller: "What's the capacity?" We need to consider what age, weight and height the stroller can handle.
- Recline: Infants can't hold their head up or can not support their neck yet, so it is important that your stroller seat can fully recline. Also, even if the baby is a little older, they may want to fully recline their seat so that they can sleep or drink milk comfortably.
- Canopy: Most strollers have a canopy, but for me a stroller with full canopy is awesome, as it can shield the baby from light and other elements, and also work as a quick cover from sudden drizzle.
- Storage Basket: It is the basket just below the seat. For someone who travel and shops a lot, the bigger the storage basket, the better.
- Car Seat: Can the stroller accommodate or attach an infant car seat? It's a nice feature that allows you to move your baby from your car to the stroller, without having to remove (and wake) the baby from the car seat.
- Easy to Fold: This is a vital feature for parents who love to move quick and are prone to travel.
 |
| The important features of a reliable stroller. This one is the Capella Adonis series. |
My personal preference:
 |
| Capella Adonis Stroller |
- Reversible Stroller Seat/Handle: I find this feature very important. With my first child, I needed to walk ahead and have my husband push the stroller so I can look at my son and see if he's asleep, awake, playing or whatever. So I made a promise that next time I needed to buy a stroller, I'm definitely going to get the one with the reversible seat/handle.
- Four Swivel Wheel: When the stroller is placed in reversed, a stroller with four swivel wheels would be easier to handle and move smoothly.
- Adjustable Handle: The stroller we bought for our second child is a Capella. One feature that caught my attention is the adjustable handle height.
- Fully Padded: The stroller I bought for my first born is a very reliable Graco. My son used it for more than 3 years, and is now somewhere in the province being used by my husband's nephew. The only complain I have for this stroller is that it's not fully padded, that we needed to buy an extra stroller pad from Skip Hop. A fully padded stroller means extra comfort for the baby.
- Extended Seat: One of my concerns when my then 2 year old son Euan sleeps in this stroller is his feet dangling, so my husband and I needed to adjust the stroller and put our son's feet on top of the food tray. So pull-out /extended seat is a feature that solves this problem.
There are 6 types of Strollers to choose from:
- Standard Strollers - this type of stroller varies in size and weight. It is the stroller that works for children of all ages, mostly newborn to 4 years (depending on the child's weight). I like standard strollers because of its style, designs and awesome features. Standard strollers also have models with reversible handle/seats and can also accept car seats. It is the "all-purpose" stroller that you can rely on for years.
- Umbrella Stroller - is what I consider, a "backup". It is the easy to use, lightweight, compact and easy to travel stroller. It is not the most comfortable stroller for babies though as most umbrella strollers lack the much needed padding to make their ride comfortable. Umbrella strollers are cheaper compared to other types of strollers, some umbrella models offer more padding and features but it comes with a higher price. Also, umbrella strollers do not fully recline, so these strollers are not for infants, but may be perfect for toddlers.
- Jogger or Jogging Stroller - these strollers are large but often lightweight. A jogger is stable and usually has three tires and a suspension system. It is the best choice for parents who loves to go off-road or jog with their baby. Since it's a stroller for active parents, it often comes with a wrist strap to keep the stroller close and some have an emergency brake. These strollers are not advisable for newborns since most jogging strollers can not fully recline, although some can accept infant car seat. *It is best to ask your pediatrician when it is safe for baby to ride a jogger.
- Travel System - is a standard looking stroller with an infant car seat that comes as a package. So for OC moms, you can be sure that the stroller and car seat looks good together. Since the infant car seat is detachable, moms have the option not to use the car seat, especially if the stroller seat fully reclines.
- Tandem and Side-by-Side Strollers - are strollers that can accommodate more than one passenger. The tandem strollers are the ones that seats babies back to back, so it's long from front to back and can be configured in several ways. Side-by-side strollers can seat babies side by side, the only downer for this model is that since it's too wide, it often can not fit through doorways, but is easier to steer than the tandems. There are strollers that can carry not only one, two, three but a few can carry more than four!
- Stroller Frame - is just what it is, a frame. It is designed to accommodate a car seat. There are stroller frames that comes with a car seat and a stroller seat that you can alternately use.
 |
| Foundations LX6 6-Passenger Stroller |
With so many options available, I hope this list will help moms and dads out there in choosing the perfect stroller for their little ones. :-)