There are so many options out there. Too many actually. I was totally overwhelmed when I first started the process to find the right one...and here’s where I landed: The Bugaboo and the City Mini.
Here’s why -
The Bugaboo: I used to be highly against this stroller. My thoughts were it’s expensive, flashy and a beast. But at the time that I was looking into it, Paul Frank had launched an exclusive design for them and I’m obsessed with him + monkeys. So I had to have it. But before making a $1000 decision so superficially I went to Buy Buy Baby, found a sales guy to assist me and asked him a zillion questions. Most importantly was how does the stroller break down? If you’re going to need to break down your stroller often (going in and out of a car, traveling, getting up stairs, etc.) then this may not be the stroller for you. But as I talked through this with the sales guy he made me realize I’m not going anywhere that needs breaking down in the city! I’m walking around all day long, getting into an elevator and parking the beast in the closet in my apartment that I made into a stroller “garage”. Also, my sister in law wanted to buy it for me as a baby gift. So – if this is the case....GREAT stroller! It rides so nicely, goes over bumps like it’s a four wheel drive and does look pretty cool. I get tons of compliments on my Paul frank fabric which happened to be a great buy.
The other thing that I really loved about this stroller was the bassinet. I think it’s important to get a stroller with this feature for when the baby is a lil one.
There are a ton of other fabric patterns (there’s a really cool denim one!) and colors to choose from. If I didn’t get the Paul frank I would have probably gone with black. Unisex and very sleek looking. I’ll probably get it to update the stroller for baby #2.
Also – when I do take the subway or a cab or know I’m going shopping where there are lots of stairs – I take LM in the Ergo baby carrier. It’s brilliant. An update to the famous Baby Bjorn which I personally really dislike. The Bjorn is wildly uncomfortable on your back. It's great because the baby can face out but it hurts man! I borrowed my sis in law’s and couldn’t make it out of the house with LM. The Ergo however is super supportive and even though LM can’t face out he’s always comfortable in it and often passes out on me while being carried around. Definitely a must on my list. Add to your registry and make sure to include the infant insert (separate part) for when the baby is teeny tiny.
An alternative stroller that is similar to the Bugaboo is the Uppa Vista: My good friend has this stroller and she likes it. But from what I can see it has it's pros and cons...
Pros:
Also – when I do take the subway or a cab or know I’m going shopping where there are lots of stairs – I take LM in the Ergo baby carrier. It’s brilliant. An update to the famous Baby Bjorn which I personally really dislike. The Bjorn is wildly uncomfortable on your back. It's great because the baby can face out but it hurts man! I borrowed my sis in law’s and couldn’t make it out of the house with LM. The Ergo however is super supportive and even though LM can’t face out he’s always comfortable in it and often passes out on me while being carried around. Definitely a must on my list. Add to your registry and make sure to include the infant insert (separate part) for when the baby is teeny tiny.
An alternative stroller that is similar to the Bugaboo is the Uppa Vista: My good friend has this stroller and she likes it. But from what I can see it has it's pros and cons...
Pros:
* Has a really big basket underneath. Sounds dumb but I grocery shop a ton with the stroller and that space underneath is key. Since the bugaboo basket is not as big I end up carrying a whole foods bag on my shoulder and just put the heavy stuff like milk in the basket...hence…why I hit the spa for massages so often…hehe.
* Great rain cover – the Uppa Vista has a rain cover that just zips over the shade on the stroller. On the bugaboo it’s a separate piece that you have to put on when you want to use it. Makes no difference to me but is definitely more practical on the UV stroller.
Cons:
* the Uppa Vista is VERY wide! The bugaboo is large but not as wide. A bit easier to maneuver in and out of stores.
* the Uppa Vista does not have a full toddler seat like the bugaboo. You’ve gotta see these two strollers next to each other to understand what I mean by this...so when you go to register or check out your local baby stores…take a look and you can even ask the sales guys to help you better understand what I’m saying here.
A MUST: Which ever stroller you get – invest in the adaptor. It’s a piece that allows you to attach your infant car seat onto the wheels. I used it a ton on both strollers...
The City Mini: I started traveling with LM when he was 4 months old. So I needed a stroller that I could get around an airport and on a plane with, when traveling on my own. So I went back to Buy Buy Baby and checked this City Mini out. It basically collapses with one pull of a string. Brilliant. There is a fully reclining seat so when baby is still too small to sit up they can lay all the way back. I STILL use this stroller all the time to travel with and just keep it in the car. It’s awesome.
Another thing that a lot of people I knew did was get the Snap N Go wheels. These are an inexpensive set of wheels that you can attach pretty much any infant car seat too. It’s great if you’re going to be in and out of the car a lot or traveling frequently in the first year of your baby's life. The reason I felt it’s better to get the city mini instead of these wheels is because I’m still using the city mini and LM is now 16 months old...the wheels are history once the baby grows out of the car seat…
