Monday, August 10, 2009

Strollers!

Yesterday Eric and I went to Babies R Us and grilled the sales person about strollers and car seats.  I had no idea there was so much to consider!  Heres what we learned:

-       Graco and Chicco are generally the best quality, and their plastic doesnt break or wear down as quickly as some others

-       The other cheaper brands have patented the triangle and zig zag car seat handles (hence why you cant get a Graco or Chicco with one, sad)

-       The Chicco carseats are only good for babies up to 22lbs (which seems like a lot considering little Emma, but I have a nagging feeling Eric and I are going to have a freakishly large child) although

-       I cant imaging lugging around a 10lb car seat with a 22lb child in it, dang!  The empty car seat was plenty for me to do some bicep curls with in the store and get a decent workout.

-       Chiccos collapse and lock nicely, and the car seat sits more securely in the stroller (as opposed to on the stroller), but they dont have much flair

-       Graco has these horrible cheap flimsy pieces of plastic that hold the stroller together when it is collapsed, and they can pop off and easily get lost

-       A travel system is easily the most bang for your buck, especially if you dont have a stroller already

-       The extra pedestals can be up to $80 alone!

-       Next test will it fit in the trunk of my car?

Anything else we should know?  What do you guys have?

7 comments:

McMahan family said...

We have a Graco "travel system" stroller and car seat. We loved it. In fact, we still love it. We use it whenever we're going on big trips like a full day at a fair or a mall or something. Lots of storage and plenty of room. I don't know what you're talking about regarding the plastic pieces that hold the stroller together when it's collapsed. We never clip it together when it's collapsed. We just collapse it and pop it in the trunk. It fits in my Jetta trunk but it does take up space. A few months ago we also got one of those super cheap $19.99 umbrella strollers that we use for most walks now. I felt like our Graco was really sturdy and durable. I'm excited to get to use it again with the car seat for this next baby. We have the one that's mostly brown with the pale blue and tan polka dots. Here's the link: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3224013. James did a ton of research on the strollers too ... it took like four trips to Babies R Us before he finally decided. :)

Amanda said...

That was something the sales person mentioned - that some people don't care if the stroller "locks" into the collapsed position or not. I guess if you're going to be swinging it around it would make a difference but not if you're just putting it in the car. :) Graco definitely has lots more designs to choose from, the Chiccos are all just gray and green, gray and blue, gray and red, etc.

buttakwup said...

We tried out every stroller in Babys R US and then went to several Targets and Walmarts.
We've determined that aside from the "locking features,"the zigzag handle (which is nice, but not really a necessity), maybe the quality of the wheels (but then we're not going to be off-roading) and fabric, most of the travel systems (which is Definitely what we're getting) are pretty much equivalent. The difference is you pay up to 200 dollars more at Babies R US. I'm capping the travel system at 200 bucks and there are several good systems that will work for that price at Target and Walmart. The only other really big feature that matters to me is, funny enough, color. I don't want a really girly one. Just in case baby boy Tranmer comes along next, we want to be able to reuse the big stuff like the travel system.
One of my best friends here in Yucca had a baby last October and he's basically part mine. I can not imagine not having that carrier/carseat/stroller combo. It's just really convenient because when baby is sleeping you can let baby sleep. And you don't even necessarily need to buy the carseat attachment. The carrier itself can be buckled directly into the car without the base. I think I'll buy the base too for convenience, but it's not required...
Isn't this so much fun!!?
I got all registered this week. :)

Shauna said...

Let's see here...we went bonkers and spent quite a bit on our stroller (it was the biggest baby purchase yet - other than the birth bills - of course most everything else we got off craigslist, so I figured we could splurge a little on this). We got an Uppababy Vista (we got the 2008 model which was over $100 less since it was the older model and we got them to throw in a cup holder which is great for the lattes). I'm happy we spent the money (I was nervous I would regret it and feel guilty over our expensive stroller). I run with it and I like all the features and functions it has (the front wheels lock straight for running, the wheels are the kind that will never deflate, the wheels are big enough to cross over different terrain, etc). I actually prefer running with this stroller over the real running stroller we were handed down. We don't ever pull the car seat out and Hailey has gotten used to being pulled out and moved around in her sleep (hopefully making her more tolerant in the future). I also enjoy 'wearing' her in a sling as opposed to pushing her in her car seat or stroller. I know you can put car seats on the uppa baby stroller though, Jenny G has done it on hers.

Pete's pretty picky about how things are engineered and he was really impressed with the build of the stroller. There's a good warranty on it too.

I figured we're going to have it through all our kids (however many we end up with) and so it needed to be something I really liked and that would stand up to abuse and also would be compatible with a ride along (standing attachment for older kids) or the option to add another seat behind it (to make it a double stroller of sorts). It folds down nicely and the seat can face to or away from you - it also comes with a pram, but I have yet to use it. The handle is adjustable height and the 'kick' bar is up out of the way (which makes running with it a snap).

I figured when we're through with strollers I'll still be able to sell it for a reasonable price.

And basically, I love it. lol...

McMahan family said...

Wow, you're getting lots of good info here! I agree with Amanda -- we picked a pattern that could work for boys and girls b/c we plan to use our stroller for a long time too. I think that's the way to go for sure if you want to have multiple children. Also, my child woke up if I breathed too loudly so she definitely benefited from staying in the car seat and not being lifted out. Every baby is so different and you'll find a things that work for perfectly Baby Haynes that would be crazy if I tried on Emma or Baby #2. :)

The cool thing is that while some things at Babies R Us do seem to be priced higher than at other stores, our stroller (one of the Graco Quattro Tour strollers), was (and still is) the exact same price at Target as it was at Babies R Us (we didn't look too hard at Walmart for strollers). Obviously, if you find one you like, I'm sure you'll compare prices at all the stores around you.

You probably already know I'm a Babies R Us fan. There are a lot of things at Babies R Us that you can't find elsewhere (at least over here on the west side of the state) and you have a lot more options from which to choose. I've found that many things are priced reasonably. Clothes ... not so much. :) I've found that you just have to pick and choose what to buy there and what to get elsewhere. I don't know how big your Babies R Us store is over there but when you're here later this month you should for sure go to Southcenter and/or Tacoma stores. They're huge and have a TON of stuff. You've been there with me before. Anyway, so there's my Babies R Us plug. :)

buttakwup said...

We didn't find any of the same strollers at Babies R US, at least not in the same fabric and style, as at Walmart/Target so we couldn't do an apples to apples comparison on pricing. Maybe there are more of the same ones online? I'm not sure. I just know at Babys R US I starting liking them at around 270-400 bucks and there were a couple at the other two stores that Seemed equivalent for 170. Walmart and Target do seem to be priced within 5 or 10 dollars of eachother on most things.
Babys R Us really is a fun place to go, but again, the cheapest glider/ottoman (not on clearance for damage) was over 400 dollars. I'm registered for one at Walmart for 120. I'm sure you get what you pay for to some extent, but man, there is so much to buy! And I'm such a nerd bargain shopper, although admittedly my comparison research hasn't been the most scientific.
And even though the stroller from the travel systems are usually good up to like 55 pounds, I really doubt I'll use it that long. I have a feeling after lugging that thing around for a few months, I'm going to be wanting the lightest, smallest umbrella stroller possible. So, I can't justify getting an expensive stroller.
I wish I was a runner like Shauna! I'm not that motivated. If I was, I would totally get one of the fancy ones. But I cannot see myself making use of it.
Oh my goodness, that makes me feel really guilty for not exercising! But I'm a walker and it's been over 100 degrees outside by 9am for the last 2 months. Ugh. I can't wait for fall.

McMahan family said...

Thanks for the tip on the gliders at Walmart! I totally am going to check those out. We use Emma's at LEAST three times a day and have been trying to figure out if we should just get a smaller comfy chair for her room and transfer HER glider to the new baby's room or buy another one. James wants to buy another one but yes ... they're SO expensive, especially if you want an ottoman too! And we TOTALLY lucked out because we did find both at Babies R Us but they were clearance AND the floor models. :) Got them for like 70% off the normal price! Woo-hoo!

So maybe this comment has nothing to do with strollers but the glider was just as important of a purchase, in my opinion. :)