There's a lot to consider when you're picking a stroller. Everyone's needs and situations with strollers are different, there's many moving pieces (part intended) and the price tag can be hefty. I'm not going to lie, we have four different stroller contraptions but they do all have a specific need! I'll go through the decision making and share what we have at the end.
Questions to ask yourself and why these questions matter:
When is your baby's due date? Both of my girls were due in the winter. So I didn't use my stroller until the weather changed. This impacted my decision to NOT get the stroller bassinet. But if you plan to be strolling in the warmer months, you probably want the stroller bassinet. It keeps them cooler (and happier because you're not strapping them into a car seat).
What's your storage situation like? Do you have a place in your garage to store it when you're not using it? Do you have a big or small trunk?
Do you plan on traveling a lot? Does this travel require driving or flying? If you plan to travel a lot, you may want to splurge on a good, compact, yet durable, travel stroller. These things don't always go together, so to get the best option, you'll be paying top dollar. BUT if you do plan to travel a lot, this could be worthwhile.
Do you plan to have more than one kid? I know it can be taboo to talk about the second when you're not even through growing the first, but a stroller is such an investment, having the option to add a second seat is definitely something to consider.
Do you care about...: How heavy it is? How easy it is to clean? If it's a one-handed or two-handed fold? If the brand has other accessories you can buy without shopping around (rain cover, winter bunting, etc).
Do you want a specific car seat?: All stroller sites will list which car seat they (or their adaptor) is compatible with - make sure you are cross checking that if you are mix-matching-brands.
Types of Strollers:
All purpose strollers: Living in suburban areas, this is definitely what comes to mind when I think of a stroller. It's collapsible, it has storage and cup holders, and often the ability to add on an extra seat or riding board, etc. These strollers have different accessories you can add on to swap out a bassinet, a car seat adaptor, and a toddler seat. Prices for an all purpose stroller are all over the map - from $400-$1000+.
Travel System Strollers: These are strollers that come as a system. They usually have a car seat and a stroller and maybe some other accessories as a package. While this can be something your drawn to because of the ease of ordering and the price, I caution you on brand choice. Some of the brands offer all of these items, but as a whole the quality is less. I would say that is untrue about the Nuna systems and the Uppa Baby Vista. BUT both will run you $900-$1500. The Uppababy comes with the bassinet and the toddler seat. The Nuna comes with the car seat and toddler seat.
If you want either the Nuna or Uppa Baby stroller, this system is a good option for you! Consider if you want the car seat (Nuna) or the bassinet (Uppa Baby).
Both systems can be purchased NOT as a system as well.
Uppa Baby does also have a car seat but it's not part of the system deal, you'd need to get that separately.
Travel Strollers / Compact: This is an attractive model for those who plan to spend time traveling. They have made some really nice options for travel. Personally, I have a cheap umbrella stroller because we don't travel much (yet). The options are much more vast for toddler travel vs. newborn. It's hard to be compact with a newborn in a car seat. Just simply can't fold that flat.
The Nuna mentioned above also has a system called TRVL which ranks high on the list of best travel strollers. It's a bit more compact than the other two options from Nuna. This is compatible with a newborn car seat.
The Joolz is compact with good storage but it comes with a price - $450
The internet loves this one for flying - $329
This Baby Jogger is a great option for using the bassinet and or car seat BUT you need the compatible car seat and bassinet. The price is nice on this for a nice toddler travel stroller - $250 and with the compatible accessories it may still be more cost effective than the Uppa Baby or Nuna.
I've seen a lot of great things about this Zoe travel stroller too. It also comes with a $250 price tag but is more every day than traveling - once again for a toddler.
I'm going to call an umbrella stroller a travel stroller too because I don't know why else you'd use an umbrella stroller. They don't have the smoothest ride but they get the job done.
This Summer Infant scores high on the list, but $99 is still a lot for another baby item.
We have this one by Summer Infant and it gets the job done for half the price.
Jogging Strollers: I don't have a jogging stroller but they are something to consider if you like to run and if you live somewhere with rough terrain.
Baby List has some good recommendations here
These are $$$ - so if you don't plan to use the jogger as your daily stroller, consider buying second hand!
Double Strollers: Above there are a few recommendations that are also single-to-double strollers (Uppa Baby, Mockingbird, Baby Jogger)
This article from Baby List has a couple others mentioned too.
What We Have:
Main stroller: Mockingbird Single to Double
I chose this one because of the price, the flexibility to add on, the ability to choose the car seat I wanted (Chicco Keyfit30). We love it. In the last 2 years, this stroller has had many miles put on it and it still works like new. Mockingbird did have a recall this year, but they shipped out reinforcement parts right away. My stroller was part of the recall but we never saw the cracks for which it was being recalled for. Every baby item gets recalled, it seems like, so don't let that scare you.
Even with my toddler in the front, without being weighted down by the infant on the top - the stroller is not wobbly and does not tip forward.
Accessories: Car seat adaptor, Snack Tray, Parent Organizer, Rain Cover, Second Seat Kit
Umbrella stroller: Summer 3Dgo Convenience
I got this stroller before our first trip up north with Charlotte. We didn't have a large car at the time and the Mockingbird was not going to fit in the trunk with all the stuff for a weekend. This stroller got the job done and was so easy. It's not the best on uneven terrain but for the price, it was everything we needed. I also bring it to places I want a place for her to sit but know there won't be a lot of space (like a restaurant or a party).
Wagon: Wunderfold
We haven't used this yet but I'm so excited! Once Mackenzie can sit up we will likely use this more than the stroller. I bought it around Black Friday last year when it was on sale- because it is $$$. This will outlast the stroller though, as the kids get older.
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