Choosing Baby Stroller Tips

Which stroller is the right one for you?

Let your lifestyle be your guide. If you live in a city and rely on subways, buses, and cabs, you will need a lightweight but sturdy stroller that folds quickly and compactly. A stroller with sizable, air-filled tires is recommended if you’ll be going for long walks with your baby and your vehicle is big enough to accommodate it. Besides being more shock-absorbing, these strollers typically have cushier, more supportive seating. If you’ll be strolling through snow, on unpaved roads, or on the beach or taking your baby to soccer games in the park, a stroller with large wheels is the way to go. Under those conditions, a stroller with small wheels may be difficult or impossible to push. If you’re athletic, you might want an all-terrain or jogging stroller for walking or jogging workouts.

Choosing Baby Stroller Tips

Don’t go by price alone. As you’ll find out when you’re shopping, there’s a wide price range among types and brands. What makes one stroller worth $100 and another $750? Several things drive up the price tag. Higher-end strollers are made of high-grade, lighter-weight aluminum, and are easier to lift in and out of a car. The seat is cushier, with more back support, and is likely to be made of high-quality fabric. And because they often feature large, shock-absorbing, swivel wheels, higher-end strollers are easier to push, especially over rough terrain, which includes anything from uneven sidewalks to sand and snow, so babies get a smoother ride.

Bigger-ticket strollers have such comfy amenities as adjustable handles and a reversible seat so your baby can face toward or away from you. They tend to be more durable, lasting from child to child. But that doesn’t mean a lower-end stroller won’t serve you well. A lot depends on where and how much you’ll use the stroller. For infrequent travel or trips to the mall, a lower-end umbrella stroller (less than $100) may be all you need. But if you’re going to be strolling more often and through all kinds of weather and conditions, consider spending more. Good-quality traditional strollers start at around $250.

Give it a test drive. Take the models you’re considering for a spin in the store, even if you plan to buy online or expect to get it as a gift. Compare maneuverability and practice opening and closing it–with one hand as well as two. See how easy it is to adjust the backrest, lift and carry the stroller, and apply the rear brakes. Make sure you can stand tall when you push the stroller and that your legs and feet don’t hit the wheels as you walk.

If both you and your spouse will use the stroller, you should both try it out. Some models have adjustable handles, an important feature if one parent is taller than the other. If possible, take the floor model you’re considering out to your car to be sure it will fit in your trunk when it’s folded. Also, jiggle the stroller. The frame should feel solid, not loose.

Consider your baby’s age. Newborns can’t sit up, so they need a stroller that lets them lie on their backs for the first few months, or one that can hold an infant car seat. Don’t use a traditional stroller that doesn’t fully recline until your child can sit up.

If you buy a stroller that fully reclines for an infant, make sure it has a wall surrounding all sides. In addition, you can use the cover or stroller boot the manufacturer sometimes supplies for the foot area/leg holes so your baby can’t possibly slip through, or use the bassinet that may come with the stroller.

Size up the storage. A stroller with a large shopping basket makes life easier for parents who get around town mostly on foot. If you opt for a model that reclines, make sure you can reach the basket if the seat back is fully reclined, or, if it’s a travel system, when the infant car seat is in place.

Evaluate warranties and return policies. Most stroller manufacturers and retailers have warranties that cover poor workmanship and inherent flaws, but they won’t necessarily take the unit back if it malfunctions. Manufacturers may refer you to the store for a replacement or insist that you ship the stroller back for repair–at your expense–leaving you stranded without baby wheels. Your best bet is to purchase the stroller from a store, catalog, or Web site that offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.

Keep the packaging the stroller comes in until you’re sure you want to keep the stroller and ask about a store’s return policy (usually 30 days). It’s not uncommon to buy a stroller many months in advance. If you’re shopping that far ahead, you’ll want to buy from a store with a flexible or long-term return policy.

Check certification. Somewhere on a stroller’s frame or carton there should be a certification sticker showing that the stroller meets the minimum requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) voluntary standard and that its manufacturer participates in the certification program administered by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). Companies that are certified are: Baby Trend, Britax, Bugaboo, Delta Enterprise, Dorel Juvenile Group, Evenflo, Go-Go Babyz, Graco, Hauck Fun for Kids, J. Mason, Joovy, Kolcraft, Maclaren, Mia Moda, and Peg-Pérego.