Something To Know Before Selecting Your Baby Stroller

Taking your new baby for a walk through the park, a jog along your favorite trail or a leisure walk through the community contribute greatly to the pleasure of having a new baby. This pleasure is possible because of the stroller. A baby stroller is one of the most important items you will ever choose for the baby in your life. As a parent you may want to have more than one, a traditional stroller for the every day use and a lighter-weight one for traveling. If you take walks or jog, you may want to have a more rugged stroller for jogging.

How do you choose the right stroller for you and your baby? First, I suggest you decide how you will use the stroller. Will you use it for everyday things around home? Will you take baby along for long walks, a jog from time to time or will you travel and need to put the stroller in and out of your vehicle often. You may want to consider the surface of the sidewalks and curbs you will be negotiating with your baby stroller. Answers to these questions will equip you with the right question to ask about your stroller.

Next you will want to know the stroller types. My own study to answer these questions included a review of a report on strollers by ConsumerReports.org. This report gives and describes the stroller types as following:

Traditional Strollers (Click here to see an example.)

These have the conventional design. Unless used with an infant car seat, they are generally not suitable for babies younger than six months.

Pros: They are often fairly lightweight and convenient to handle.

Cons: The heavier models are difficult to carry on publication transportation or use in buildings with escalators. And you will need a car seat.

Umbrella Strollers (Click here to see an example.)

These are similar to traditional strollers, but with narrow, curved handles. They offer lightweight, compact, basic transportation.

Pros: Lightweight, compact, ideal for quick trips and errands or travel.

Cons: You still need a car seat, and this type of stroller typically can’t be used for an infant (younger than six months).

Travel Systems

This type is a stroller and infant-car-seat combo for newborns through toddlers. The car seat fits in the stroller. When the baby outgrows the car seat, usually at about 22 pounds, the stroller is used alone.

Pros: Allows adults to move a sleeping baby undisturbed from the car to the stroller.

Cons: You’ll need to buy a new convertible car seat when the baby outgrows the infant seat.

Jogging Strollers (Click here to see an example.)

Jogger strollers, a subtype of the all-terrain category, are for jogging or running with mom or dad. (Few all-terrain strollers can be used for jogging; read the manual or check the box, or visit the store or manufacturer’s website for recommended uses.)

Pros: Also good for off-road use.

Cons: Not suitable for babies younger than six months. Can be unstable when the rear wheels are lifted over a curb.

All-Terrain Strollers (Click here to see one type)

All-terrain strollers are traditional or three-wheeled models with heavy-duty suspension or air-filled tires, good for jaunts on and off the sidewalk. Three or four wheeled strollers with air-filled tires and a rugged, sporty look are meant to appeal to men. This type is intended for off-road use, such as trail walking, but just as often is found on city or suburban streets.

Pros: Long, high handlebars can give extra foot and legroom for adults pushing the stroller.

Cons: Can be large and heavy; often don’t fold completely. Because of that, they are not practical for everyday use. Also not suited for jogging, unless the manufacturer specifies.

Double Strollers (Click here to see an example).

Some models seat children side-by-side; tandems seat one child behind the other or face-to-face. Some can accommodate newborns in infant car seats.

Pros: The only way to push two children is in one stroller.

Cons: This type is heavier and harder to maneuver than single strollers. Side-by-side models fold more compactly than tandems and are somewhat easier to push, but can’t be used with infant car seats.

Seat-Carrier Frames

These are lightweight, empty frames designed to roll an infant car seat around, using it as the carriage.

Pros: Inexpensive and convenient.

Cons: Both the car seat and the frame must be replaced once the child outgrow the seat.

Armed with this information you can compare your need to the description of the stroller types and make a better decision about the stroller for that special baby in your life.

John H. English is the chief operating officer of BabyStoreGiftShop.Com. His contact information is available at http://www.babystoregiftshop.com/.