Strollers are designed to provide comfort to babies and toddlers when taken outdoors for walks. Not all strollers are created equal, though. Choosing the best baby stroller that fits your little one would depend on your child’s age as well as your lifestyle.
For example, if you often take your baby for walks in the park, choosing a stroller with larger and sturdier wheels that can deal with variable surfaces would a great choice. Apart from that, comfortable seating and protection from the elements are other factors that you should consider.
When Will I Need a Stroller?
When your child is a coming up to one year old and over, you will probably be seriously considering purchasing a stroller. Depending on the individual child, a stroller can be used for up to 3 years or more (until the child is approximately 4 years old), however this number varies hugely from child to child.
Some people start using strollers when their child is only a few months old, while others prefer to carry the child during the first year or so.
Best Baby Stroller List
- Baby Trend Expedition Stroller – Best all-terrain stroller for outdoorsy type.
- The First Years Ignite Stroller – The best umbrella stroller for tall parents.
- Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stand On Tandem Stroller – Lightweight sit and stand stroller.
- Kolocraft Cloud Plus Lightweight Stroller – Go jogging with baby with this budget jogging stroller!
What Type of Stroller Do You Need?
There are so many types of strollers that you may want to just pick one and go. When I first read up on strollers I felt the same way! But once you’ve seen other moms with their ‘perfect’ strollers, you’d wish you spent more time choosing a better stroller instead.
I know how long it takes to do research on every type of stroller, so for the busy moms, here’s a brief guide to save time.
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Standard Strollers
As the name tells you, this is the basic stroller that carries one child and comes with various features depending on the model and price. Standard strollers are for shopping, traveling, and walks in the parks or paved sidewalks. Some can be turned into travel systems to fit in your car.
Standard strollers are good because they have:
- Stable frames – makes them sturdy and there is less chance of tipping over when taking a sharp turn
- Durability – not the flimsy type!
- Various features for your comfort and convenience
They are not suitable when:
- Going on walks on rougher terrain
- Jogging
1. Stroller Travel Systems/Universal Car Seat Carriers
Both Travel Systems and Universal Car Seat Carriers are designed for your convenience to go travelling in a car, but they differ a little bit.
Travel systems are standard strollers attached to infant car seat that clips onto car seat base for your vehicle, all of which are included unless you want to buy them separately, which I would not recommend because some car seats and strollers are not compatible to be attached together.
Universal car seat carriers are infant car seats that can be fastened to a stroller frame to become a lightweight stroller.
Pros of travel systems and universal car seat carriers:
- Convenient for traveling
- Available in multi-child versions
- Usually has one-hand fold system
Cons:
- Not suitable for jogging
- Not suitable for rough terrain unless they have all-terrain wheels
If we compare travel systems to universal car seat carriers: Travel systems
- have the advantages of a standard stroller (stable, durable, and has many features)
- are good for children from birth till toddlerhood
Universal Car Seat Carriers
- are more lightweight and compact
- are less expensive
- will eventually be unsuitable for babies who’ve outgrown the car seat
1. Multi-Child Strollers – Twin Strollers and Triple Strollers
You will need a multi-child stroller when you have twins, triplets, or children who are very close in age.
Nowadays many types of strollers come in the multi-child version. These strollers either use the tandem design (one seat behind another) or the side-by-side design. It is difficult to say which design is better, as it all depends on which kind you think is easier to steer. The tandem design is more convenient to go through narrow aisles, but some people think it’s too long to manage when crossing the road.
For twins and triplets, twin strollers and triple strollers are suitable. If your children are of different age – maybe one year apart – it is advisable to get a double stroller (which is slightly different from a twin stroller) or a sit-n-stand stroller. Read my review of the Baby Trend Silverado Sit N’ Stand Plus.
1. Active Stroller/Jogging Stroller
If you think that you can’t go jogging anymore because of your baby, you’re wrong! Jogging strollers are specially designed for the active parents. They have 3 all-terrain wheels, shock absorbers, and built for smooth running.
Be sure to check for good safety features before you buy. It is best to have
- Adjustable 5-point harness
- deep child seat
- lightweight frame
- large tires and wheel fender
- shock absorbers
- adjustable handle
- safety wrist strap
- brakes
- storage basket
- sun canopy
- washable fabric
- lifetime warranty on frame
Beware though, that jogging strollers are not suitable for newborns up to 6 months, as recommended by the American Pediatric Society. If you need to get some fresh air, go for walks until your baby is able to sit up unassisted.
Jogging strollers are also not usually suitable for shopping or walks because of their design. Using strollers with disregard of their main function will only lead you to much frustration.
1. Lightweight Strollers/Umbrella Strollers
Umbrella strollers are named for their easy folding up and curved handles just like umbrellas. Lightweight or umbrella strollers are a lot lighter than the standard ones, made simple and compact for quick and easy handling. They are particularly useful when running quick errands and traveling on public transport.
I like it that most umbrella strollers are so light that you can pick it up with one hand. The one-hand fold system is also very useful for these strollers because you can do the folding while carrying baby in the other hand. Imagine storing it away in seconds! Find one that is easy to steer with one hand too, and you can practically call it a one-hand stroller.
Lightweight strollers are definitely not for walks on rough terrain or jogging. They’re not that great for long shopping trips too. You probably can’t use them for newborns because the seat either doesn’t recline at all or doesn’t fully recline.
Baby Carriages or Prams
This is totally a different line of stroller. Remember what baby carriages look like in the old days? They have the elegant-looking bassinet on a four-wheel frame. The baby carriage is solid and inflexible but comfortable for newborns. Baby carriages can only be used from birth until a few months old when the baby has outgrown the bassinet. They are not practical for fast-paced modern living, yet they’re more expensive than other kinds of strollers.
You should always read more so that you won’t regret your purchase later. Why bring on unhappy experiences and waste of money just to save a little time? Click here to read more about the Types of Strollers now.
Best Strollers Reviews
Here are my favorite strollers.
Best one hand fold stroller / Best travel stroller / Best stroller – Truly a one-hand fold stroller.
Best luxury stroller – Stylish and versatile! Also the best all-around stroller. Strongly recommended to those who can afford it.
Best double umbrella stroller / Best lightweight stroller – Best stroller to bring on errands!
Best travel system stroller / Best car seat stroller – For families on the go.
Best Jogging Stroller – Best stroller for the activ
BEST DOUBLE STROLLER– best stroller for twin baby!
How to Choose the Best Baby Stroller
Basically, a good stroller is all about convenience, comfort, and safety. The important things that you should keep in mind when shopping for the best stroller are:
- The persons using it
- Where and when you will use it
- Features
- Budget planning
Which Type Of Stroller Is Right?
child. Often, your budget will dictate what option is right for you. Other things to consider are portability, durability and to a lesser extent, color and design etc.
Where and when will you use Best Baby Stroller ?
For instance, shopping, walks, jogging, or errands. Here are the types of strollers and features suitable for each event.
- Errands (lightweight/umbrella/standard)
- Walks on pavement and sidewalks (lightweight/standard)
- Walks on sand/snow (all-terrain wheels)
- Walks on rough terrain (all-terrain wheels/ shock absorber)
- Jogging (jogging/ all-terrain wheels/ shock absorber)
- Shopping in malls (lightweight/standard/parent and child tray)
- Travelling on public transport (lightweight/umbrella/one hand fold)
- Travelling in car (travel system/car seat carrier/compact and one hand fold)
How Many Strollers Should I Have?
Naturally this will be dependent on your individual wants and needs, however a good rule of thumb is that three is the maximum number of strollers you could require, one of which will be useful for any given situation.
For every day use, you would ideally have a sturdy four-wheeled stroller. For more strenuous activities such as jogging etc, you would want a “jogging” stroller, preferably with two wheels at the back and one large extra-manoeuvrable front wheel.
A useful “extra” stroller is what’s known as an “umbrella” stroller. This is a small (and inexpensive, possibly second-hand) stroller that is appropriate when your child is old enough to sit upright on their own.
“Umbrella” strollers are extremely useful when travelling (for example on a plane), as size and weight are at a premium. They are designed more for convenience than anything else, but they do provide adequate short-term comfort for your (slightly older) child.
Baby Best Strollers Price ?
Before rushing in to buy the most expensive (and probably trendiest!) stroller, you need to consider that the most expensive isn’t necessarily the best. I’ve read of the odd person whose child preferred a stroller that was less expensive than one they had previously, so it does of course depend on the preferences of the individual child.
Cleaning Your Strollers
The instructions for fabric care are usually located on a label on the seat. Many seats are designed to be sponge-cleaned in lukewarm water, or washed by hand in cold water.
If there is just a little bit of dirt you want to remove, you can simply use a soapy sponge and lukewarm water. Generally speaking, it is not a good idea to put them in a washing machine or tumble dryer.
Conclusion
You will not regret reading more stroller reviews before you buy a best baby stroller for your children. I’m not going to tell you any horror stories but a good stroller not only gives you convenience for trips with baby, it also promises safety, comfort and overall a happier day for your little one. Good luck in getting your best baby stroller then!