You are currently viewing How To Choose A Stroller And Keep Your Sanity!

How To Choose A Stroller And Keep Your Sanity!

This post may contain affiliate links for products I recommend. If you click a link and buy something I may receive some compensation. This does not change the price you would pay.

If you’ve been shopping around for your new baby’s stroller, I wouldn’t be surprised if you where totally overwhelmed and ready to tear your hair out purely out of frustration and the inability to choose!how to choose a stroller

Seriously there are so many options out there how do you know which is the right stroller for you and baby? Not only that feeling of confusion but the feeling of this is a lot of money I’m going to spend I better spend it wisely!

Well what can I say, I’ve been there too, got the postcard and I feel your frustration! In this article I’m going to highlight the main features that you should look out for when choosing your stroller, call it your stroller checklist.

  1. Height of stroller – when standing behind the stroller your hands must be at a comfortable angle to push the stroller. If you are a tall person this means you should check that the stroller has telescopic handles – adjustable handles so that you will be comfortable pushing your stroller.
  2. Push of the stroller:- You want to ensure that when you push the stroller your legs don’t walk into the back – this is rather annoying and can be pretty sore too.
  3. Size of the underneith basket. This is more individual, some people like to fit in as much as they possibly can in the basket others like to travel lite. I say make sure it’s a decent size personally I like it to be able to fit a full diaper bag inside.
  4. Recline – Does the stroller recline and if so how much? This really depends on the age of the baby. For newborns you want a stroller that can recline if not fully then at least 160-170 degrees. As baby gets older and can hold up their heads better so you can go with less recline.
  5. Bassinet attachment– not every stroller will allow you to attach a bassinet to it. If your stroller has a full recline then you don’t need one, even a 170 degree recline does not need a bassinet although it is nice to have one as its an extra bed for bady and baby does lie flat.
  6. Can an infant car seat be attached to the stroller? This is not a neccessity however it is nice to have especially when baby has fallen asleep in the car and then you don’t need to disturb them, you just pick up the seat and attach it to the stroller and off you go.
  7. Easy to fold. This one is a requirement in my books. Honestly the last thing you want or need is to have baby in the car seat ready to go and you’re struggling to fold up or open the stroller. Highly annoying and frustrating.
  8. Umbrella stroller or regular fold stroller? This is really a personal choice. I love umbrella strollers as they take up less space and many times are more lightweight. Also with today’s technology the umbrella stroller is just as good if not better than the regular stroller.

    B ready
    Britax B – Ready Stroller
  9. Easy to push. Very important. Wheels should have full suspension and lockablity. They should be able to swivel and move with easy.
  10. Brakes – easy to use brake system usually found by your foot, you never know when you have to stop on a hill and pick up a fallen bottle or pacifer and you need to use the brakes.
  11. Canopy size – I like a stroller to have a decent size canopy that will protect my baby from the sun and wind. Although today you can get add ons to the canopy but I prefer that its included.
  12. A nice bonus is if the stroller comes with a rain/wind protector cover.
  13. Fabric should be washable and easy to remove.
  14. A snack tray is nice but usually you’ll have to add on seperately.
  15. lightweight? This is a feature that I think is often overlooked. If you have stairs to get into your house then a lightweight stroller is a rather important. Don’t forget that baby grows and the stroller will get heavier with time!

I think that is a pretty comprehensive stroller checklist. Needless to say you have to like your stroller’s look and color scheme. If you go shopping with this list in hand then I’m sure you’ll keep your sanity and I hope that this article has helped to answer your question of how to choose your stroller.

My Favorite Strollers

Keeping to my list of suggestions I like the following strollers

Britax B-Ready

Britax B-Agile

Maclaren Quest

Peg Perego Book Plus