Yet another stroller thread....HELP!?

amother

Coffee

Wed, Jun 24 2015, 2:36 am

B'Sha'ah Tova I am due with my first in just a couple of months and being that I live in Israel, I got to consider strollers already so I can have it ordered to my parents to bring me when they come in for the Simcha, B'sha'ah Tova...

There are too many good options out there that I totally feel lost....I guess I'll try and give some qualifications though being that I never had my own I'm not sure if I even have the right priorities for a stroller....Here goes:

1. I am tall so needs to have tall handlebars so I don't strain back while pushing.

2. A light (as in not heavy) yet extremely durable stroller so that I can Shlep it up and down stairs.

3. Large basket that I have easy access too because I am a bag lady and can't stand having a million bags hitting me hanging off the mommy clip.

4. Silly but, I would love if it had a cup holder for my loose change, phone, water bottle...etc.

5. Good break system, I see people on the buses clinging desperately to their strollers even with breaks on as it tends to tip with the bus's wild driving.

6. Something that can be transformed---long time stroller for baby from newborn to toddler years.

7. single front wheels (I've been told it makes it easier to maneuver)

Being that I'm inexperienced if anyone has anything to add to let me know what's important in considering a stroller, I'd be really happy for additional info based on your experience and not just my observations...TIA!

June

Wed, Jun 24 2015, 3:09 am

So I think the reviews are mixed, but I have my Baby Jogger City Versa for a year now, and I'm so happy with it.

It is still in great condition, and it goes on the bus twice a day to/from the babysitter. The only time I had it not stay in place on the bus was actually yesterday. It was a particularly wild ride (I felt like I was gonna puke the whole time), and the front wheels of the stroller slid a bit. But it was the first time this happened, ever.

The handlebars are adjustable for height, and it has a very large basket. I put all my shopping in it. You can buy a cup holder to attach to the handlebars.

It has a bassinet attachment, which I bought, but I only needed it because it was my baby's bed for the first few months. If you're going to get a crib/cradle right away, you don't need the stroller bassinet. Although officially you shouldn't put your kid in the regular stroller until 6 months, I've seen newborns in it, and my baby started in it from 4 months.

It has gotten a LOT of abuse - every time we go to Yerushalayim we dump it in the bus mit'an and other strollers get piled on it. It's very durable, and a great push. I once tried my friend's stroller (I think it was mamas & papas) and there was no comparison.

Feel free to ask more questions about it.

ETA - B'shaah Tovah!

luppamom

Wed, Jun 24 2015, 4:21 am

June wrote:

I also have a City Versa which I used for about a yr. so I'll pipe up.

I agree with June about almost all. I'm a huge walker. The Versa has a nice push. I did not get the bassinet and instead got a newborn insert which also worked. I like that the seat is reversible especially for the newborn stage. (But, I wouldn't consider this an essential feature b/c after the first few mos. baby wants to look around anyway.)

Cup holder is sold separately which I think is a rip off. I think it's an extra $30.00 if you get the one designed from this stroller. There's a nice basket on the back of the stroller seat, so I kind of use that as a cup holder and stuff in what I need to have easy access too.

BUT, it is a heavy stroller and don't take that lightly (no pun intended Wink

) I put weights of different Baby Joggers from the BJ Site (sorry, I don't have much knowledge about other strollers, can only help with BJs) so you can see what I mean. (see below) Now, 26.2 lbs. doesn't sound crazy, but add a baby (at this point my 1 YO is k"h well over 20 lbs) then add all the groceries sitting nicely in the basket and you've got a very heavy stroller. Now, the push is smooth, but when I'm going downhill loaded up w/ groceries, I feel like I'm fighting w/ my stroller (and not letting it push itself down the hill). I also hardly ever fold it and lift it, but when I do, it's heavy. I think I have managed to fold it once while holding baby. It is not an easy one hand fold if that's important to you.

Baby Jogger
CM 3 wheel: 16.8 lbs
CM 4 wheel: 19.9 lbs
GT 20.9 lbs
Versa: 26.2 lbs

The one consideration I thought of that you didn't write is fold. These days, it's not such an issue b/c you are allowed to take an open stroller on Egged buses. But, if you ever have to fold your stroller, you might want that to be easy (and that you can do w/ baby in hand) Test out strollers and see how you like the fold. I have found that my stroller got easier to fold and adjust once it got "broken in".

Smile1234

Wed, Jun 24 2015, 11:29 am

I bought the City Elite 2 years ago ( I also live in Israel ) and was for the most part happy with it, but would not really recommend it based on your questions.

basket - small and hard to access
VERY HEAVY - over 28 lbs I think, and with a 30 lb 2 year old its extremely heavy. However, it may not be an issue for you if you won't have to bounce it up stairs. I live 2 flights up without an elevator and no place to leave it in the lobby.
Very wide, which gets annoying on crowded or narrow yerushalayim streets
Folds easily but is very big when it is folded.

However - the wheels are big and a pleasure to push.
Adjustable handlebar is great for my almost 6.5 foot tall dh.
It has a great hand break, but the story is that when you are on a Egged bus being driven by a former IDF tank driver... you need to hold on to it so it doesn't tip. The wheels dont actually move, but inertia (is that it?) makes it tip when the bus makes short stops and wild turns.
There is a great console that came with it.

The City Mini GT is very similar to the Elite but its has much smaller wheels, and is lighter. I know a lot of people are very happy with it. Has same adjustable handle, and same break. Easier to access basket but not so big either.

That being said, if I were to buy a new single stroller now I would highly consider the Versa as the above posters recommended.

Or...Are you thinking of going the more expensive route? Bugaboo, Uppababy? People are very happy with those but they don't fold easily like the Baby Jogger strollers.

Another option is the Mountain Buggy mini I think its called. Easy to push, and very narrow. I don't know much else about it except that I have a friend who has it and is very happy with it.

FTR most strollers come with/ or you can buy a bassinet for newborns. I used the Elite for a newborn with a snug seat and was perfectly fine with it. Some people specifically want their newborns to be completely flat though.

Good luck and beshaa tova!

amother

Coffee

Thu, Jun 25 2015, 1:38 am

Also, with the cruz, I read a review where there was a complaint that the curve of the stroller was too severe and that a baby in recline position has no way to comfortably rest legs... to quote:

My baby is the most agreable baby and she HATED being in it. The way that the knees bend so severely in the stroller made it hard to tip her back to sleep without her legs flopping. Maybe she is too little but she is not THAT little. She would scream and straighten up in it all day It was a weird angle for her. A friend has the BReady and the bendy part moves so you do not have to have such a severe knee bend. Uppababy needs to improve this for babies. The angle of the knee bend is like for a 3 year old. if your kid is either too small or two big it may be uncomfortable.

write on

Thu, Jun 25 2015, 2:12 am

I have an Uppababy Cruz and I absolutely love it--and so does my baby! It is not perfect for newborns because it doesn't lie all the way flat but I think there's a newborn insert you can get for it. It's a good weight--not as light as the Baby Jogger, but not as heavy as some of the other ones out there, and it pushes great where I live in RBS. You do have to be careful on buses even with the good brake because I have found that the crazy rollercoaster ride can actually throw even the best stroller with the best brake--I had a stroller do a tumble-sauce from those busrides. I really love this stroller and, best of all, it's beautiful. I got it in lilac for my little princess! :-)

Hope this is helpful...

wiki

Thu, Jun 25 2015, 6:02 pm

I used a Cruz regularly for a while and it meets most of your requirements, but it performs poorly when it comes to stair-bumping. For stairs, you want larger rear wheels, or air tires or something. I was using a brand-new stroller, and within a week I encountered the telescoping handlebars popping taller when I tried pulling them to get the stroller up the stairs.

That was my only complaint with it, though. It is otherwise an excellent stroller, with great push, great seat, fabulous basket, and a nice maneuverable size/weight/width.

I think you'll be happiest with a City Mini GT, although it is not suitable for a newborn.

amother

Seagreen

Sun, Jun 28 2015, 12:47 am

I have the mutsy iGO. I personally think it is THE BEST stroller that exists. It's heavy, and the basket looks small, but it pushes way better than anything I've tried - so smooth and easy, it just goes where you want it to. The city minis, mountain buggies etc. have such an uncomfortable push, the 3 wheel ones especially - the front wheel swings and it's so hard to use.

I always knew I would have to compromise on something. And it was weight. Because a strong, easy to push stroller is not going to be lightweight. As far as the basket is concerned, if you look up the mutsy iGO, you'll see that the basket is big, but very shallow. If you put a mommy clip attached to the back of the basket, you can fill up all the space under the seat with bags and just make sure they are attached to the mommy clip - I've put 6 or so heavy shopping bags under there. Because of the weight though, I remove them before bouncing the stroller up the 4 flights of stairs to my building. Yes, it's heavy, but any stroller is heavy-ish anyway, and you only feel it while going up the stairs. It's my exercise for the day. And it's worth the compromise.