I spent a LONG time researching strollers and I finally made a decision this week. I realize most of my readers probably won't care too much, but if you're a mom or mom-to-be, I just thought I'd share my findings.
For a long time, I wanted to get the Maclaren Techno XLR. It's the ultimate umbrella stroller. It's relatively lightweight, folds easily to fit in the trunk of my small car, has an extendable footrest, can fully recline, is supposedly great for tall parents, has a car seat adapter bar, and is appropriate from birth to 65 lbs. ALL of the reviews I read on it were excellent. I read great things about its sun visor (which unzips and comes way farther down than what's in the picture) and rain shield and decided that this must be the way to go since we live in Florida. BUT... I plan to walk with Eleanor every day, and I didn't really want to have to put the stroller in and out of my car every time I need to take it somewhere. Plus, it's kind of pricey. You can find them for much cheaper on ebay - brand new - than you can anywhere else, but still, it would be around $280.
So, I came up with plan B. Why get one stroller for $280 when you can get two for $255? Here is what we finally got.
For walks in the neighborhood, I got the Baby Trend Phantom Jogging Stroller. I knew I liked the feel of jogging strollers, and this one had excellent reviews. Plus, it was pretty inexpensive compared to a lot of other stuff out there. It has a child tray and a parent tray that's perfect for keys, a bottle of water, and a cell phone. It supposedly takes most car seats (I just want that for the first couple of months when she'll be kind of small for the regular seat), but the car seat I've ordered is a Graco so I'm not sure if it will work. I'll find out soon. The sun shade isn't quite as big as I'd like, but it's not bad and you can pull the whole thing down if the sun is coming right in on the baby's face. It has a viewing window in the canopy which is another plus. I bought it at Target yesterday (yay for gift cards!) and put it together and I'm very happy with it. I wouldn't want to try to put it in my car's trunk very often, but it's perfect for walks.
My stroller to keep in the car is a Maclaren Quest. It's basically a step down from the original stroller I wanted. It has 4 reclining positions but doesn't fully recline and it doesn't take a car seat. Still, I think Maclaren is a great brand and, once again, the reviews were excellent. (I really base my shopping on reviews for things I know nothing about!) I got it on ebay brand new, and I even got it with two different sets of fabrics. One is gray and sky blue, and the other is pink - VERY pink. I think I prefer the gray/blue, but it's good to have choices. It was $140 total, including shipping.
For a long time, I wanted to get the Maclaren Techno XLR. It's the ultimate umbrella stroller. It's relatively lightweight, folds easily to fit in the trunk of my small car, has an extendable footrest, can fully recline, is supposedly great for tall parents, has a car seat adapter bar, and is appropriate from birth to 65 lbs. ALL of the reviews I read on it were excellent. I read great things about its sun visor (which unzips and comes way farther down than what's in the picture) and rain shield and decided that this must be the way to go since we live in Florida. BUT... I plan to walk with Eleanor every day, and I didn't really want to have to put the stroller in and out of my car every time I need to take it somewhere. Plus, it's kind of pricey. You can find them for much cheaper on ebay - brand new - than you can anywhere else, but still, it would be around $280.
So, I came up with plan B. Why get one stroller for $280 when you can get two for $255? Here is what we finally got.
For walks in the neighborhood, I got the Baby Trend Phantom Jogging Stroller. I knew I liked the feel of jogging strollers, and this one had excellent reviews. Plus, it was pretty inexpensive compared to a lot of other stuff out there. It has a child tray and a parent tray that's perfect for keys, a bottle of water, and a cell phone. It supposedly takes most car seats (I just want that for the first couple of months when she'll be kind of small for the regular seat), but the car seat I've ordered is a Graco so I'm not sure if it will work. I'll find out soon. The sun shade isn't quite as big as I'd like, but it's not bad and you can pull the whole thing down if the sun is coming right in on the baby's face. It has a viewing window in the canopy which is another plus. I bought it at Target yesterday (yay for gift cards!) and put it together and I'm very happy with it. I wouldn't want to try to put it in my car's trunk very often, but it's perfect for walks.
My stroller to keep in the car is a Maclaren Quest. It's basically a step down from the original stroller I wanted. It has 4 reclining positions but doesn't fully recline and it doesn't take a car seat. Still, I think Maclaren is a great brand and, once again, the reviews were excellent. (I really base my shopping on reviews for things I know nothing about!) I got it on ebay brand new, and I even got it with two different sets of fabrics. One is gray and sky blue, and the other is pink - VERY pink. I think I prefer the gray/blue, but it's good to have choices. It was $140 total, including shipping.
3 comments:
Hey! I like the Mclaren also. I am not that into the travel system, so I think I will be going with the Baby Jogger City Mini. We will see though. You must be so excited to get the big things out of the way!
Sounds like you made some good choices, Beth! I can't wait to see pictures of Eleanor in them next. :)
That's SO the one I want(the Maclaren), but in the raspberry/black color!
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