I love strollers and use mine more than my car! I’m particular about choosing strollers at each stage because of the cost and my desire for a functional and comfortable stroller. As our family has grown and our kiddos become older, our requirements and wish list for strollers have changed. Here’s a roundup of my favorite strollers at each stage!
1) Infant in Car Seat Stage: Graco Snap and Go
I did not want to use a cumbersome travel system with an infant. Instead we purchased the Snap and Go. We had an infant Graco car seat, but other car seat manufacturers make their own version of this stroller. I love this stroller because it is lightweight and easy to fold up. It still had a small basket underneath to carry baby items, and a cup holder for my car keys and phone. We found this stroller at a children’s resell shop, and it has worked well for both my babies.
When BeBe outgrew her car seat, I wanted to find a stroller that was as portable and lightweight as my Snap and Go. I also knew I would frequently be flying alone with her to travel and see family. Again, I wanted a lightweight stroller for me and a comfortable seat for her. We bought the Combi stroller and loved it. I often use the carry strap to fold it up and wear across my back to get through security at the airports. It also has a little cup holder for her, which I used to hold her puffs and Cheerios. We bought this new, and it has held up well to the travel and use of two kiddos.
3) Two kids (Baby and Preschooler) Stage: Graco Room for 2 (Also called a Sit N Stand)
When our little guy was born, BeBe was almost out of the stroller stage. However, she still liked to ride in strollers for long walks or day trips. We decided on the Graco Room for 2. It does have an infant car seat adapter, however, we never used this feature. We started using this stroller when our little guy could sit in the front seat and BeBe could ride on the bench seat. It’s been great for zoo visits or walks to the farmer’s market by our house. BeBe likes to hop in and out and can do so easily with the bench seat. We bought this stroller secondhand on a Facebook swap site, and it’s worked well for us.
4) All Purpose and Every Age Stroller: BOB Revolution SE Single Stroller
I love my Bob jogger. It’s expensive, but if I hadn’t received this as a gift for our first baby, I would have tried to buy one used because they hold up really well. I used it for my Stroller Strides class, running, and walking on the uneven sidewalks by our house. The small bike tires make the ride smooth for our little ones, and easy to push and turn.
There are three kinds of BOB single strollers, and they differ on features for hand breaks and locking front wheels. Two of the strollers, the Revolution and the Revolution Pro, offer the ability to lock the front wheel or let it swivel freely. The idea is to lock the wheel if you are running fast, for better control of the stroller. However, it is difficult to steer the Jogger when walking on sidewalks if the front wheel is locked. The BOB Sport only offers a locked wheel, and is not a good option for our family because of this. The Revolution Pro differs from the Revolution SE because it offers a hand break which would be nice for running and walking on hills.
There are a couple of BOB stroller accessories available. These are the few we tried.
BOB stroller accessories
5) Attmu Stroller Hook (Mommy Hook) – I use this often to hang water bottles, purse, book bags, and shopping bags.
6) BOB Handle Console, Single – This is great to put your phone and keys in for a quick jog.
7) Snack Tray – This was ok, but it seemed to block my kiddo’s vision, so we didn’t use it much.
8) Car Seat Adapter – I didn’t take them running with me when they were infants so we didn’t purchase this one. By the time BeBe was 5 months old she could comfortable recline in the seat. However, this would be great if this was your only stroller.
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These are the strollers which have made my life easier at each parenting stage and been worth the investment. Which strollers have been worth the investment for you?
guest
Uppa Baby Vista- holds 4 days worth of groceries in the basket and has served as our “city car”. Great for our daughter from birth-3 years and still going strong. Well worth the price tag if you live in an urban area (not great if you’ll be going in and out of a car).
nectarine / 2243 posts
bumbleride indie.
its a full featured jogging stroller that can handle any terrain, yet is totally at home in the city (which is where we live). Best part: it only weighs 20 lbs, which is significantly less than most other full featured strollers or joggers. It is super nimble and the push is so easy. The seat reclines fully flat so no need for a bassinet but a infant bucket can be snapped in.
pomelo / 5084 posts
Oo thanks for this! This is our infant stroller and we love it despite its relatively small price tag! But we do have to upgrade this summer/fall so I will look into what you recommend getting next!
guest
We have the UPPABaby Vista and the G Lite Umbrella stroller. Both have been awesome. Our oldest still uses the toddler seat and skate board attachments for the Vista – at 3.5 years. For us they’ve been worth the high price tag/
apple seed / 2 posts
I actually think the Uppababy Vista is worth it if you are using a car! I now have the skateboard attachment for my 3 year old and I’m using the car seat adaptor for my 6 month old and I love it. It’s easy to fold, not too heavy to lift in the car, and the basket space is amazing. We skipped the rumble seat (I probably wouldn’t with the new full sized ruble seat) and it is still very functional for 2 kiddos with the skateboard!
GOLD / apricot / 341 posts
We still use our bugaboo donkey everyday and i think it’s fantastic. It comfortably fit three children in the beginning (baby in bassinett, toddler in seat, pre-schooler on board) and now we mostly use it as a single stroller with toddler in seat, pre-schooler on board and older pre-schooler walking beside. Worth every penny!