Best strollers for Israel

FASMA

Tue, Jul 30 2013, 2:41 am

We will IY'H be moving to Israel after pesach and I was wondering which strollers should I get.
as of now I have the uppababy Cruz but I don't think It will work for Israel.
We are moving to yerushalaim and we will not have a car. My daughter will be just 2 years old and I'll have a 4 month old baby IY'H.
I was thinking of replacing my stroller with the Britax b agile and getting an umbrella double stroller for whenever I'll be walking with both kids but I don't know how often that will be or if I should just get a good single umbrella and a better double?
What do you think?
Also, will I need a carseat?
Thank you very much in advance!

DrMom

Tue, Jul 30 2013, 2:47 am

One thing I had to keep in mind was that the large, bulky, Bugaboo-type monster truck wheels and wide wheel-base didn't fit in the tiny elevator retrofitted into our old apartment building.

I used a Graco with our first few kids. It was a tad ugly, but it fit into our elevator, came with a carseat/base, was lightweight, folded well, and had a HUMUNGOUS basket underneath, which as a HUGE plus for me.

5*Mom

Tue, Jul 30 2013, 5:12 am

If you think you'll use your double a lot, I'd strongly recommend getting a really good one. Umbrella doubles are soooo hard to push. I have a Mountain Buggy Duet and I think it's the best purchase I have ever made. Technically it's not supposed to fit in my elevator either (we measured up, down and sideways before we bought, then bought it anyway for lots of other reasons) but miraculously it does. Our elevator is tiny.

FASMA

Tue, Jul 30 2013, 10:41 am

I don't think we will be having an elevator at home so I'm not sure that will be a problem.

5*Mom wrote:

But I don't know if I'll be using it much. My daughter will probably be going to gan so she won't be around during the morning and I really don't know how much a 2 year old can walk.
I also don't want to spend a ton of money on both strollers…
And will I need the carseat?

EvenI

Tue, Jul 30 2013, 1:10 pm

FASMA wrote:

I don't think we will be having an elevator at home so I'm not sure that will be a problem.

5*Mom wrote:

Most people in Israel who have kids with that sort of age group seem to have a double. My hunch is that you probably underestimate the amount of walking around you will do. What sort of place in Israel are you moving to? If you're coming to Jerusalem, there are lots of journeys that many parents find easier to walk at adult pace with a double rather than grapple with a bus and a single and a toddler and are too long to expect a just turned 2 yr old to walk or to walk fast enough.

Even for going to gan and back you might find it useful. Depends how far away it is, but often a two year old at the end of a gan day is tired and putting them in a seat can be the simplest thing.

People like big wheels here because there are a lot of stairs and awkward places to push.

A very popular double and single is the City Mini, in my neighborhood anyway. I don't have one myself, but I think one of the reasons why people like the City Mini double is that it folds easily and is not as heavy as other similar strollers and yet it has good wheels. They even take it on buses sometimes. It is a side by side and seems to have a good separation between the sides, so that it isn't easy for the older one to attack the younger one. Each side reclines separately. I think the ride is good. It seems to have a good raincover also.

I don't think a car seat is an essential. If you ever rent a car, you will be able to borrow car seats.

EvenI

Tue, Jul 30 2013, 7:01 pm

FASMA wrote:

Thank you PP for your reply, it was helpful.
It might be I'm not realizing how much I'll be walking because where I live now we barely walk so I really don't know.
So you think I should buy a better double and a less expensive single? As I said I don't want to spend a ton plus I don't want to shlep 2 big strollers to Israel when we move.
Thank you

Yes, I'd go for the better double and the less expensive single. I'm basing this on your not having a car and also on the fact that any single is relatively pushable but an umbrella double would be discouraging. You would .

Another point about which double to get: I just remembered that the reason people go for the Baby Jogger City Mini is because it's relatively narrow. That is very important in Israel. You will want to get through as narrow an opening as you can. Some doubles might not fit through some doorways. And think about narrow supermarket isles. In fact, you might consider a Phil and Ted instead, for the narrowness. In fact, if you get a Phil and Ted with a doubles kit, you can use it as a single as well. I see those sometimes. But much more often, I see City Minis.

I have never had a double, so it would be better if people with doubles in Israel speak up more here.

Shuly

Wed, Jul 31 2013, 6:46 am

I agree that for a 2 yo and a baby, you definitely need a double in Israel. Don't get an umbrella double - you can't get up any hills with them.

I see that many ppl are getting the Uppa Baby Vista with the extra seat or the Double Citi Mini - regular or GT. Some people also have the Mountain Buggy duet, although the seats are very narrow.

I assume you will need a decent single stroller for when your older child is in gan and you go out with the baby. I don't know anything about the Cruz, but if you're happy with it, why don't you keep it?
The popular single strollers here are Maclaren, Uppa Baby Vista, or any of the Citi Minis.

Shuly

Wed, Jul 31 2013, 7:14 am

As per needing a car seat, if you already have a lightweight infant car seat, definitely bring it. (You can check in a stroller and a car seat for each kid). You don't legally need car seats for taxis, but it is for your baby's safety. Also, you will need car seats if you ever rent a car.
I was always able to borrow an infant car seat and a snap n go frame for my babies, so I've never bought one yet, but I think I will buy one for the next kid Iy"H.

Most people borrow toddler car seats from neighbors or gemachs for the few times they rent a car, but people who rent cars often, end up buying a toddler car seat. If you have one already, it may make your life easier to just bring it.