I never considered a doll stroller to be a girl’s toy, so I didn’t hesitate to buy one for Charlie shortly after he started walking at 13 months. It quickly became one of his favorite toys, and he still loves playing with it and his baby doll at 3 1/2. At some point, most kids get interested in playing parent/house/family, so I think doll strollers are a fantastic toy for every child. They encourage role play and imaginative play, which help build the all important executive function skills.
Unfortunately Charlie can be a little possessive about certain toys like his doll stroller, so I wanted to get Olive one of her own because I knew it would get many years of play, and she has virtually no toys to call her own. It’s incredible how many options there are now! There are jogging strollers, prams, double strollers, even triple strollers! When I bought Charlie his stroller, the selection was very limited and the only nonpink options were this red one and this blue one. I purchased the red one at the time, and I’m glad I did because every other little boy at the playground had the blue one.
Here is a roundup of our favorite doll strollers:
1) New York Doll Collection Babyboo Doll Stroller ($40.77, 36 months+) – This is the stroller I wanted to get because it looks just like a real stroller! The handles are also adjustable, so it works for younger and older children. The only reason I didn’t purchase this was because it doesn’t fold and space is a premium when you live in New York!
2) New York Doll Collection Umbrella Stroller ($10.71) – This was Charlie’s doll stroller, and it’s an excellent, inexpensive stroller for a young toddler. It’s small, the handles are low enough for a young toddler to easily push, and it has an easy fold. This has survived Charlie sitting in it all the time when he was younger. The fabric did eventually tear, but I sewed it up and it’s (almost) as good as new. The recommended age is 24 months+, but I think it’s fine for any walking toddler.
3) New York Doll Collection Swivel Wheels Single Doll Stroller ($34.99, 36 months+) – This stroller is best for the older child because it features high handlebars. It also folds, which is an important feature to city moms like me.
4) New York Doll Collection Twin Jogging Stroller ($40.77) – This is not only a jogging stroller with adjustable handles, but it holds twins! Perfect if you have twins, or if your little one has two best friends they want to bring along. It also comes in a single version for $34.99.
5) Mommy and Me Deluxe Babyboo Doll Stroller ($49.99, 24 months+) – This looks just like a Bugaboo and even has the same features — adjustable handlebar, facing in or out, adjustable bassinet, and it even comes with a diaper bag! It also comes in a pram version for the same price.
6) Badger Basket English Style 3 in 1 Doll Pram ($33.15, 36 months+) – I love the classic look of this pram, but the most incredible part is that it also converts into an umbrella stroller and a detachable bassinet!
7) Chicco Doll Stroller ($37.91, 4+) – This is the one we ended up purchasing because of its features and because it folds. The age is indicated for 4+, but I purchased it anyway because some reviewers purchased it for 2 year olds. It’s perfect for Charlie, but it’s too tall for Olive at 20 months. She’s still in love with it of course. It’s well made, has several recline positions, has a basket, and looks like a real mini umbrella stroller!
8) Maclaren Quest Sedona ($34.95, 36 months+) – If you have a Maclaren like we do and want to get a mini version, Maclaren offers doll strollers in several different colors.
9) Hape Girl’s Babydoll Stroller ($50, 36 months+) – If you’re looking for something made of wood, this sweet stroller features a play tray with a toy on it.
10) Nova Natural Doll Stroller ($65, 24 months+) – This sweet and simple stroller is made of birchwood and features plastic wheels for indoor or outdoor play.
11) Moover’s Doll Pram ($123, 24 months+) – If you’d like to invest in a beautiful wooden pram that can be passed down, I love this one from Haba. It’s also available in Natural color.
12) Haba Doll Pram ($170.99, 12 months+) – Yet another beautiful, classic stroller from Haba, also available in a flowers or hearts pattern. I think this one would work great as a walker as well.
. . . . .
I’m considering exchanging the Chicco for #1 or #5, because it is just so tall for Olive right now, but folding is a very important feature since we’d be carrying to the playground regularly. I’m still undecided at this point!
Does your little one have a doll stroller?
pomegranate / 3503 posts
We have something like #2 but I had no idea they made such elaborate ones.
hostess / eggplant / 11068 posts
They look like real life strollers! I’ve been wanting to buy one for LO, who is almost 2 years old, because she LOVES baby dolls. Maybe for her birthday?
honeydew / 7488 posts
We have a Manhattan Toy stroller http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Toy-Baby-Stella-Stroller/dp/B000IK9HP6 . It gets a lot of use in the house, and DS also sat in it quite a bit when he was a baby and could still fit in it and DD would try to push him around. It doesn’t fold though! But it is very lightweight and is a great height for a toddler. These other options are adorable! ETA: apparently the stroller does fold according to some reviews on Amazon, I just forgot it did!
grapefruit / 4669 posts
WOW, I had no idea there were so many types of doll strollers available! Times have changed.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
how cute! my nanny kid had number 10 and LOVES it. She loves pushing other toddlers in it too haha!
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
My BIL gave LO a stroller for her birthday. She likes it but only with no passengers!
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
These are so cute and real-looking. Makes me want to be a kid again.
cherry / 110 posts
We just bought the Janod Pram for our little girl for her birthday and she LOVES it! It’s extremely sturdy and great for learning to walk! And it looks beautiful too.
http://www.amazon.com/Janod-J05891-Framboisine-Dolls-Pram/dp/B000TSIZUU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370384282&sr=8-1&keywords=janod+pram
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
Wow, fancy! My lo has a $10 doll stroller from babies r us. She loves it
cherry / 119 posts
love those babyboo strollers, but my hubby wouldn’t let me get one since there were cheaper strollers out there! we got Leah a Mommy&Me stroller last month.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007UFW13M
the first time she tried it, she kept pushing it down and it would fall. now she loves pushing her doll, and even wants to sit in it all the time and make us push her. i wish she would do that with her real stroller! this one folds too.
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
I love #10! I hadn’t thought of a stroller for M, but we’re home this week and my mom took out my old shopping cart for him and he’s obsessed! I’m not sure whether to get a shopping cart or a stroller now.
blogger / nectarine / 2687 posts
holy cow! i never knew there was such a wide variety of doll strollers! so much nicer than the dinky all plastic one i had as a kid!
honeydew / 7504 posts
Holy Hannah! I had absolutely no idea there were so many doll strollers out there!!
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
Wow! Doll strollers are intense!!
I haven’t gotten my DD a doll .. not sure if she’d like it? Maybe I’ll take her to the toy store and see if she likes.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22276 posts
So cute! They look exactly like regular strollers.
guest
We have a basic umbrella one my son loves from a garage sale. I ended up sewing a new seat for it.
My daughter got a babyboo pram for her second birthday which also gets lots of use.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@phdmommy: that one is really cute!
@mrsvivian: hmmm maybe i should consider that one!
@Mrs. Stroller: we have the melissa and doug shopping cart and the kids looooooove it. i guess i would take the doll stroller outside but not the shopping cart though? both will get tons of play!
nectarine / 2600 posts
Some of them look just like real strollers!! I think if/when the time comes for me to buy one for a LO, I will get a more “toy” one, like one of the ones on the bottom row.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
That little pram cracks me up!! We got M the FP walker stroller. She loves it and it is very sturdy for the pre and early walker.
pear / 1837 posts
I had never considered getting my daughter a doll stroller, but she LOVES it when we hold her and she can push her stroller. Will definitely be buying her one of these!
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
Awww, my son had a pink one, that used to be my SILs. He rolled it around town for a good year. We were a sight, me pushing around my empty stroller, DS following behind pushing his stroller filled with rocks.
squash / 13199 posts
wow some of those look like real strollers! I had no idea there were so many options!!
olive / 61 posts
Do you recommend any good dolls? Most of them are freaky and can’t seem to find a good one! Don’t like the one I got for a but pickings were slim at target…
pea / 20 posts
We bought my son one of these anatomically correct boy dolls. (They are less freaky looking than the site makes them seem.) They also fit preemie clothes pretty well so there is a bit more selection when it comes to clothes.
http://www.constructiveplaythings.com/cgi-bin/s.sh/2.0/product.htm?pf_id=ACD-DLW
honeydew / 7968 posts
@kickash: omg freaky!! Are they trying to make the dolls look Asian? Lol
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@AQL1211: i have a melissa and doug doll for olive and the corolle doll i linked above for charlie. i don’t have any great doll recommendations… they all look kinda weird to me! but i want to get an asian doll! need to do some research on that….