Horizontal Stripes Guide to: Strollers

Since becoming pregnant with Thomas, starting to focus on more 'mommy-styled blogging', and seeing many of my friends also become pregnant, the most common question they've asked (at least with regard to 'baby gear') has been 'which stroller should I buy?'. After tailoring my advice to each friend, and discovering for myself what works for our family, I thought this might make a good topic for a blog post.

We have three strollers. Yes, you read that correctly -- three. And yes, we have one baby. So, you might want to keep in mind that I'm not someone who has found one stroller that works for everything. I also prefer to purchase strollers that have a decent resale value, because I want my stroller to have a life after I use it so that it doesn't end up at a landfill after a few years use. So, my recommendations tend to be mid-priced strollers (most very high end strollers aren't locally available and therefore my city's second-hand market doesn't seem to place the same value on them that people in larger cities might). If you're like me, you might want to take a look on Kijiji or the like before buying to see what different brands are selling for in your area.

So, which stroller should you buy?

If you love taking walks in the city while baby naps, you'll want a stroller with a bassinet.

My personal bias for preferring that baby sleep in a bassinet rather than a car seat saw me seeking out a stroller with clip in bassinet (which we actually used as Thomas' bassinet in our bedroom for the first three months) as our main full-sized stroller. We went with a fun Quinny Buzz that combines plastic and air-filed tires (and provides the option to switch out the front plastic wheel for a pair of air-filed ones). Other strollers with similar functionality include the Bugaboo Cameleon, UPPAbaby Vista, Stokke Xplory, iCandy Apple, Mamas and Papas Mylo, Bumbleride Queen B and Microlite Toro. Quinny and Bumbleride strollers pictured above. These are catch all strollers, and tend to have better resale values than similar 'travel systems' (Graco and Evenflo, for example, strollers that come complete with a clip in car seat from big box stores).

If you want to use the same stroller seat from newborn to toddler, you'll want a stroller whose seat can lay completely flat.

There's something appealing about having one seat, which has the ability to lay completely flat so that it can be used from birth and up. The bonus here is that there are no extra components to store or adapters to fiddle with. The leaders in this category are the Mamas and Papas Sola and the UPPAbaby Cruz (both pictured above).

If running is part of you're daily routine, you'll want a jogging stroller.

We also bought a used jogging stroller for occasional use on some trails around our neighbourhood for about $40 (it's a Co-Pilot). BOB and Phil and Ted's (both pictured above) are the leaders in this pack (at least in St. John's), so I'd recommend starting there first when you're looking to buy. I have close friends with both types. If you plan to use your stroller while also walking your dog, this is the sort of stroller I recommend. BOB and Phil and Ted's also sell double strollers.

If you're a jet-settler, you'll need a compact umbrella stroller.

Baby's comfort is most important to me, so I suggest staying clear of the too flimsy umbrella varieties if your little one is less than two. We have a Maxi Cosi Mila, but I also love the Maclaren Triumph and the Quinny Zapp Xtra. If you plan on flying with your baby, or want a stroller to keep in your car all the time, I recommend one of these. I love the Maxi Cosi and Quinny varieties best because they also allow you to clip in your Maxi Cosi car seat, which is super convenient if you're travelling with a small baby. Maxi Cosi and Quinny strollers pictured above.

If you plan on having a second child, you might want a stroller that converts to a double.

Similar in styling to the bassinet options above, a stroller that expands to accommodate two might be the best choice if you plan to have a second child or if you have twins. This is a small but growing category of strollers. My personal favourite is the Bugaboo Donkey, but the Mountain Buggy Duet and Baby Jogger City Select are also beautiful and functional. Bugaboo and Baby Jogger strollers pictured above.

Chances are you might need one or two of these (likely a larger stroller and a compact stroller). What strollers do you use and love? I'm so curious!