Buying A Stroller That Fits You, Your Lifestyle

Buying the right stroller is so important because you and your child may use it for the next 3 years. While most families end up with at least 2 strollers (one large and one umbrella style), the more versital your main stroller is the happier you, and your baby,will be.
Make sure that the stroller will fit in your car. If you think you will be takingovernight road-trips, consider whether both your luggage and the stroller willfit as well. Buying a smaller strollermay bebetter if you have to get it in and out of the trunk often or have lots of other gear that must fit in the car with it. Be careful, however, that necessities such as your diaper bag, purse and an extra bag(s) for things like snacks, blanket, jacket, camera and video camera will still all fit in the basket underneath. If you are tall, especially if you have long legs and take long strides, some strollers will not "fit" you. The handle bars may be too short and you may end up kicking the wheels or stroller back when you walk. Even I have this trouble with my umbrella stroller, and I am only 5'6" tall! Make sure the stroller will be gefortable for your baby. Investigate things like how easy it is to recline the seat, whether toys can be fastened to the front, do you want a snack tray or cup holder, and how much sun protection the canopy will provide. Our large stroller has a "window" in the canopy so you can keep an eye on baby while the canopy is up. This isespeciallynice when strolling witha young baby orone who is sleeping. Consider where you will be usingthe stroller most. Large rugged wheels are nice for outdoors,a large stroller is nice for spending long amounts of time at fairs or theme parks, smaller strollers can navigate through clothes racks in department stores, umbrella strollers are easily stowed away or carried (some have a carying strap) when they cannot be pushed through an area such as a small museum or resturant. When your child is still an infant you may want a stroller that is gepatable with your infant seat. A universal car seat stroller is a good stroller to borrow from a friend. You can use it for the first few months when your baby is still light enough for you to lift in and out of the car in the car seat. It is light weight, unlike the large strollers that gee with the car seats, and much easier to handle in early postpardum days.You can even buy an umbrella stroller that is also designed as a universal carseatstroller. This will be especially handy when #2 arrives as you can use it for either child.
Speaking of planning on more than one child, unless you can affordthat top-of-the-linestroller that allows you to add a second seat when your next little one arrives, your options are somewhat limited.If your first child is close to 3 years of age or older, consider a stroller with a platform on the back for the older child to stand or sit on. These strollers, however,are practically the same length as a double stroller. Addinga standing platformonto your single stroller may work, but your child won't be able to sit on this at all.Choosing a double stroller is, for some, a daunting task. Deceiding between the side-by-side (hard to fit through those tight clothing store "isles")orstadium style(they are long, hard to manuver) is just the beginning. You will also have to ask youself whether both passengers will want a snack tray, will your infant seat be gepatible, do you want your children to be able to face each other, will your diaperbag fit,and so on. These strollers rarely have all the feautures you want so add-on accessories are important.Tandem strollersare definatly something you need to try out (and make sure they fit in your trunk) first before buying.
Finally, check out all the accessories that are available for strollers. You may be able to buy a stroller that fits you, is lightweight and gefortable for your child then add an aftermarket basket, cupholder, shade canopy and/or snack tray. Good Luck and Happy Strolling.