Choosing a stroller is hard! Really hard! First of all I had to contend with all the changes in terms. Back in the old country a stroller is a perambulator or for those born since Queen Victoria’s day a pram and a carrycot is a bassinet. Americans in their best efforts to irritate the British for all those pesky taxes during the colonial years gleefully desecrate the mother tongue cutting out our beautiful u’s and inventing words were perfectly good ones already existed, but alas I digress. Choosing a stroller is overwhelmingly difficult. What is the source of the problem in this complex equation, CHOICE! If there were only three strollers available then I think parents would find the process remarkably easy but alas theres probably several hundred on the market. Walking onto the second (for Brits read first) floor of Babies”R”Us and you are confronted by a proverbial sea of strollers. There’s high riding ones, ones that can lie the baby completely flat, ones with designer fabric, umbrella fold, flat fold, what’s a travel system? Pretty soon your head is ready to explode and your expecting wife who weeks ago decided that department stores were not a fun place to be is threatening to keel over.
Things you need to know:
- Baby’s should lie flat on their backs for their best development. If you’re stroller doesn’t lie flat then you won’t be able to use it until the baby is around six months old.
- Baby’s shouldn’t spend more than 1.5-2 hours in a car seat.
The amount of online stroller rewatching I’ve done accounts for an uncomfortable number of hours so I thought I’d outline here for the benefit of others my wisdom. When you set out on the search you need to ask yourself (and your partner!) a few questions.
How much can you afford?
This is perhaps the most important question given that some of them cost about the same as a small car! You’ll spend time worrying that if you underspend you’ll be buying a deathtrap for your child but feel ill at the thought of splashing a small fortune. Working within your budget is really important.
Are you planning on having another child?
Wait, what, I haven’t even had the first one yet! Yes I know, I felt exactly the same but it’s a serious consideration. If the answer is that you’re at least thinking about it then it you might want to consider getting a stroller that can accommodate two children or is at least built to last. Stollers ain’t cheap so you probably don’t want to buy a second one if you can avoid it.
How do you get around?
Are you a city dweller who only gets in a car occasionally or do you live in the burbs and a car is a regular feature of life? This is important because it changes the requirement set completely. If you travel in the car a lot then you probably want to get yourself a stroller that has a car seat or at the very least supports car seats adaptors. If you live in the heart of the city and will be going to the grocery store (Brits read supermarket) stroller in tow then something with a nice large basket underneath might have some advantages. It’s worth noting here that at least in New York the hospital won’t let you leave unless you have a car seat so whatever stroller you opt for getting you hands on a car seat for the ride home is essential even if you never use it again. You’re required to put a child in a car seat up until they’re 9 (Yeh right – like you can convince a precocious 9-year-old to sit in a car seat!). However, if riding in Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) cars you are not required to use a car seat whilst travelling with an infant. Finally, if you’re intending to do a lot of flying then you’ll want to check the stroller can be checked at the gate. Some strollers can even now be taken on as hand luggage.
Where do you live?
Or perhaps asked as how many stairs do I have to climb to get into my building? Strollers come in a vast number of sizes and weights so how cumbersome it is to get around is a vital thing to consider. If stairs are to be found in large numbers then get yourself something light. If you can avoid the challenges of lugging it up five flights then you can put other priorities first.
What do you want your life to be?
Perhaps the selfish question but worth thinking about. What kinds of activities do you imagine yourself doing when you’ve had the child? Are you looking forward to taking strolls with baby in the park? Will you be popping in and out of coffee shops? If you want the flexibility then something that lets you pop the baby off the stroller base and carry it might be important to you.
Once you’ve answered these questions you might feel some of the strollers start to make more sense than others. Over the next few days I’ll go over some of the strollers that I think fit the bill for different scenarios.
Photo by Kevin Poh