A stroller is one of the most convenient pieces of baby equipment that you’ll buy. Since you will likely put a lot of miles on a stroller, it’s a good idea to get the style and model that will best fit your needs and your budget. There are many types of baby strollers, and you may find that you end up buying more than one type, depending on how you use them.
You can choose from an umbrella stroller or lightweight stroller, a pram or carriage, a standard stroller, a dual stroller, or a jogging stroller, to name some of the styles numerous styles available for purchase.
An umbrella stroller is a simple stroller with a lightweight frame and a basic, nylon sling seat. It usually has a three-point buckle, and sometimes comes with a footrest and/or sunshade for the baby’s comfort. Their main selling points are their convenience and their small footprint – umbrella strollers fold up quickly and can be easily stowed in an airplane carry-on baggage compartment, for example. They are usually simple and lack the finer features of the larger strollers, such as swivel wheels.
Their lack of features makes an umbrella stroller a pretty dull and uninspiring choice for regular use. There are other lightweight strollers sold for babies currently that have many of the features of a larger stroller like a gear bag for parents and a padded, reclining seat for baby, but with the quick fold, easy portability convenience of the umbrella stroller.
A pram or carriage is the traditional stroller for an infant. They feature a mini-bassinet, sometimes removable so you can keep baby asleep, and a sunshade for an infant who is still lying down. These strollers transport your little one in style, but are obsolete once the child is able to sit up, and must not be used once a child is able to pull himself or herself to a sitting position without assistance.
Standard strollers come in a plethora of sizes and styles, with features that take time to consider. You will want to consider your needs and how you expect to use the stroller as you look at wheels, reclining seats, bassinet, cup holders, snack trays, baskets, suspension and so on. For example, to take long walks over generally smooth terrain (for example, a mall floor or good sidewalk) a larger stroller with good, large wheels and a comfortable seating area with a tray for baby’s snacks and toys and a tray for mom’s water bottle and keys is a smart choice. If you will rarely walk long distances, you may go with a stroller with fewer features.
A dual stroller comes in stadium seating, front-facing, side-by-side, or sit-and-stand models for twins or toddlers and infants. They have many of the features of standard strollers.
If you’re jogging often with the baby, or will frequently go “off trail” through the grass or over gravel, the jogging stroller is the best choice. Jogging strollers have large, bicycle type wheels that give baby a smooth ride as the caregiver bounces at a run or the terrain gets a little bumpy. No matter what your requirements, there are strollers which will meet your needs!
