TOTALLY confused...what should I buy???

[overcome]

I was obsessed with strollers for about a week. There are just too many choices out there.

I *thought* I had decided on the Quattro Tour Windsor (yes, I admit, I fell for the toile print), but after reading some of the posts on this board, I am seriously considering bagging that idea!! Why are there so many rave reviews on Amazon/BRU web site if it is such a terrible stroller?

I am at a disadvantage b/c I don't know a thing about babies (this is my first) so when an infant carseat says up to 20 lbs, I don't have an idea of what age infants usually ARE 20 lbs.

I've already decided on the snug ride infant carseat and the Maclaren Volo for when she is sitting up. What do I do in the meantime?? I have considered the snug ride frame...not sure if that will do until she is ready for the maclaren.

I think Peg Pergo is too expensive for me.

My mind is spinning. Any advice for this first time mom, new to these boards, would be greatly appreciated!!

[dules]

Hi,


This is a good site to learn about babies and what they need. Everyone is a first time mom at some point. (smiles)

There are lots of strollers out there, and not all are expensive. What do you want to use it for primarily? Outdoor walking on rough roads? Smooth pavement? Mall walks?

If the Perego is out of your range and you're sure you want plastic/rubber wheels (i.e. you'll be taking it in and out of the car a lot and don't need to go over a lot of rough pavement/grass/gravel) then perhaps look at a Zooper Swing. It takes a carseat, has a full recline, umbrella fold and lots of accessories with a relatively low price point.

Most babies outgrow the infant seat well before they hit 20 lbs because they hit the height limit. On my 2003 Snugride it was 26 inches and my daughter outgrew it at 5 months. She wasn't 20 lbs until a year.

Next, the Volo has NO recline. Which means I'd hesitate to use it with my 20 month old daughter except for short trips. Some recline is very useful even for bigger children (though the Volo is a great, lightweight stroller that serves a purpose). Consider a Quest perhaps instead....end of year closeouts are good and you have some time to shop for a deal.

ETA: there are serious potential health consequences to keeping a baby in an infant carseat for prolonged periods of time. Definitely do some research, and get a couple of good books (the local library should have some) to have on hand for questions that come up when the baby is born. Like The Baby Book by Dr. Sears...there are many others too.

Hope this helps get you started. When are you due?

Best,
Mary

[Andrea5flk]

OK.

You dont need to use the car seat in the stroller. A baby can go right in the stroller, if it reclines flat from day 1. Graco's seem to not be the best quality, i have friends whose wheels have fallen off, during walking and a mile away from their house!!! So I think it is more of a long term quality issues with the Graco's.

THe volo has no recline, and usually isnt recommended till over 6 months old. I have a 2 year old and have yet to get one because of the no recline. You might want to consider getting a different maclaren, and skip the volo.

What will you be using the stroler for, indoor, outdoor, in and out of the car alot, or left open. THis can help narrow down the wide world of strollers a lot!!!

COngratulations on your pregnancy, you are in a great place for a first time mommy!

[golfgirl12_27]

I bought a Quattro Tour because I never been on this board before. I thought it was a good purchase. To be honest, it has been fine this entire time for what I've used it for (6 months and mall/etc trips- some sidewalk/pavement walking). I purchased a Mac Volo now for the mall/store/errand trips and am planning on buying a jogger for the walks. I'm trying to sell the travel system. I bought the Metropolitan because it's black and silver and what I wanted.

That being said- I went to the store to buy the Peg Perego Pliko P3 or the Venezia (had to "play" with them first to see what I liked) and ended up with the Quattro Tour because I liked how it folded up. The other 2 weren't my thing. I was able to "work" the Graco easier. The huge basket is also nice. I know they aren't well received on here but mine has been fine- but I'm not telling you to buy it. I'm sure the ladies on here will help to come up with suggestions on what to buy for the money. However, my stroller was like $150+ because of the "limited edition" pattern so I could have probably found something better for the money. But you know what they say about hindsight being 20/20.....................

This probably didn't help you very much, but I just wanted you to know that if you can't afford something "better" than a Graco, you will probably still be okay.

But the Quinny Freestyle 4XL is online at walmart.com (see jogging strollers in the baby section) for about $150; or it's on ebay as well. Apparently it's pretty neat stroller- good padding for the little ones and the seat is reversible so your DC can face you or face front. That's pretty cool! The Quinny Freestyle 3XL is the "jogger" I'm getting, because I'm not a serious runner and the price is right for me!

Sorry so long and I hope this might have helped in some way,
Suz
dd- Sophia 01.12.05

[overcome]

Thanks for your post Mary..I realize my original post was a bit haphazard but my mind is truly boggled.

Here's the lowdown...

I live in a rural area. I drive EVERYWHERE which means I will be leaving the stroller in the car. We do grocery shopping, mall, and outlet shopping. Occasionally we go to fairs etc in the summer months. I do some walking outside and will probably do a bit more with the baby, if she likes it, but our road was recently repaved and it is a great smooth surface.

I guess I should be resonable and just start out with what I really need at the beginning. I'm thinking I may not be going out a whole lot b/c my due date is Nov. 4 and since I live in NE PA, winter weather will be upon us (we tend to be more homebodies in the winter even w/o a baby!). So I'm wondering if the snugrider carseat frame would do initally and then I could shop around for a more permanent stroller after a few months.

I really have to get over this obsession with getting "THE BEST" stroller. I think it is b/c we have to choose EVERYTHING for the registry. It doesn't help that I am not a good decision maker.... :-)

Again, thanks for your suggestions Mary. I will check them out.

Anyone else like to chime in??

Ashley

[overcome]

BUMP

Anyone else have any good advice??? :-)

TIA
Ashley

[DAKnits]

I just have to reiterate that you should not just have a snap and go as your stroller, it is not good for a baby to remain in the car seat anymore than it has to. It causes all kinds of neck problems and contributes to plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome). If you are just running in and out of a store, then it's fine. If you are going shopping, it is not.

I live in Miami, Fl and we drive everywhere. I would suggest a P3 for great features, great steering, and a stroller that will last you for years which in the end, may not cost you more money because you will have to get another stroller if you buy the Graco (you will want to!). If you are not going out that much in the first few months,I don't think the reversible handlebar of the Venezia matters as much, and the P3 has just about all the features you could want. You can get one on sale/discount on ebay or on many websites, and with coupon codes. You can actually use the Buy It Now feature to buy the P3 for about $220 (plus $35 in shipping), and even the Venezia for $269 Buy it Now plus shipping. Both will take the Graco infant car seat, but again, there really is no need for this feature -- just place your baby directly in the stroller where he/she can lie flat, move freely, and be comfortable!

Consider going to ebates.com and signing up (it's free). Then you can go from ebates.com to any of the baby websites, and get coupon codes and cash back! For example, if you go to Ebates.com and click on BabyUniverse, they are selling the P3 for $284, no tax and free shipping, and then you get 6% cash back sent to you. If you went to Babystyle, you would get it for $289 free shipping and 6% cash back. Or even better, go to the StrollerSwap site and post what you are looking for. Your best bet may be buying one from a Swapper b/c you may be able to pick a used one up for $150-$200!! Swappers generally take great care of their strollers! I know that a few people were looking to sell.

If you still don't want to spend the $ now on the Perego, there are less expensive strollers of much better quality than the Gracos that you may at least want to look into before you purchase. Why not join the StrollerSwap group and post over there, to get more ideas?

[melbb]

I, too, did not want to invest in the Peg Perego. I ended up getting a Zooper Waltz. It has a lot of features and fully reclines for newborns. It is pretty easy to fold, too. I hve no real-world experience as I will be a FTM in November, but everyone who has one seems to like it. It is on sale not at tinyride.com for $143 with free shipping. If you want to see it IRL, you can go to the Zooper website and see if there is a specialty store that has it.

[kijip]

>I was obsessed with strollers for about a week. There are
>just too many choices out there.

Yes, there are a lot of strollers to choose from!

>I *thought* I had decided on the Quattro Tour Windsor (yes, I
>admit, I fell for the toile print), but after reading some of
>the posts on this board, I am seriously considering bagging
>that idea!! Why are there so many rave reviews on Amazon/BRU
>web site if it is such a terrible stroller?

Reviews on Amazon are often from folks who have never used the item---5 stars from someone who says "I got this from my baby shower and the clors is pretty and the fold is easy A+++ stroller" Not serious comments from experienced parents. I am sure many of those 5 stars would drop down if parents came back in 6-18 months. That said, the Quattro Tour is a nice enough stroller for what it is.

>I am at a disadvantage b/c I don't know a thing about babies
>(this is my first) so when an infant carseat says up to 20
>lbs, I don't have an idea of what age infants usually ARE 20
>lbs.

In addition to growing out of the seats by pounds, babies outgrow them by length...my so was too big for his Snug Ride before 4 months old! Babies come in all sizes...some will hit 20 pounds at 4 months, some at 15 months. 6-8 months seems to trypical time in the baby bucket around here. As the pp say, the infant car seat should be primarily used in the car, not in the stroller.

>I've already decided on the snug ride infant carseat and the
>Maclaren Volo for when she is sitting up. What do I do in the
>meantime?? I have considered the snug ride frame...not sure if
>that will do until she is ready for the maclaren.

As the pp say, the Volo is not going to work for a small baby.

>I think Peg Pergo is too expensive for me.

Look online at sales...Albee Baby for example has the P3 from $220 and the Maclaren Techno (full price $289) for about $175! Zoopers are also between $100-$200.

[tiapam]

If you are interested in a particular item, just search the archives for previous posts. You will see some good things about the Quattro, as well as the bad.

-Pam

Charlotte born October 2004

[knaidel]

I want to point out something else: even once your baby is sitting up, (s)he may or may not like the seat of the Volo. A lot of moms say that: their baby just doesn't seem comfortable in the mesh seat of the Volo. Also, even once your baby is sitting up, (s)he still might want to nap in the stroller. So I wouldn't get the Volo for now. It seems like the Zooper Waltz or Swing or swing would work well for you or -maybe check out the Zooper Z-street - this is the older version of the swing. YOu can buy them on ebay from the seller "liquid baby." The stroller is suitable for a newborn. Zoopers are good quality, reasonably priced strollers. I believe the Z-street takes a car seat (which you shouldn't use on a regular basis when not in the car, but once in a while is okay).
does that help you at all?

[TereasaT]

I have a Graco Quattro Tour and must say I don't know why there are such bad reviews. It actually is a great stroller and the price is good. The wheels are big so it is great for indoor and outdoor walking. There's a parent tray and a child tray. It reclines fully. The basket is huge and very accessible. It is big, but if I'm just lifting it in and out of my trunk, it really isn't that much of a problem.

I also have a PP Venezia which I love for the reversible handle and the footboard for my older son. Honestly, the Graco Quattro Tour drives much better outdoors than my Venezia.

I think the Graco Quattro Tour is a great stroller for its price.

Tereasa

[baby]

I was in the same position as you. I wanted the best stroller and I obssesed over the decision. Now I focus on practicality and ease of use. In my opinion the kolcraft universal carseat thing was so convenient. I dont know about the snugrider but it looks like the same idea although i cant imagine anything better than the kolcraft it has a huge baske, big wheels and tall handles. but anyway i found it to be so amazing. when the baby falls asleep in the car you dont have to wake him to transfer him and that proved to be so important. When I went to the supermaket I could even use the basket as my shopping cart bc it was so big. It was just such a great thing that I could not bring myself to use any other stroller. I know that the research says babys shouldnt be in carseats for too long but you mentioned you probably will stay home a lot anyway since its cold and with a newborn people usually stay home a lot. A lot of people I know use this exclusively i did and I wouldnt hesitate to again but i obviously agree and respect everyones opinion to do what they feel is best. And something I learned after the baby was born and a lot of my friends agreed that some babies preferred to be in the carseats and felt more snug in it. I have friends whose babies would only sleep in the carseat not to condone this. I too was eager to get everything I needed in advance but its so hard to tell what you want in a stroller till you actually have the baby therefore in my opinion I personally would suggest waiting otherwise you will invest money in a stroller that may not even suit your needs. and maybe you can borrow a fully reclining stroller from someone for long walks.
Ashley

[baby]

I was in the same position as you. I wanted the best stroller and I obssesed over the decision. Now I focus on practicality and ease of use. In my opinion the kolcraft universal carseat thing was so convenient. I dont know about the snugrider but it looks like the same idea although i cant imagine anything better than the kolcraft it has a huge baske, big wheels and tall handles. but anyway i found it to be so amazing. when the baby falls asleep in the car you dont have to wake him to transfer him and that proved to be so important. When I went to the supermaket I could even use the basket as my shopping cart bc it was so big. It was just such a great thing that I could not bring myself to use any other stroller. I know that the research says babys shouldnt be in carseats for too long but you mentioned you probably will stay home a lot anyway since its cold and with a newborn people usually stay home a lot. A lot of people I know use this exclusively i did and I wouldnt hesitate to again but i obviously agree and respect everyones opinion to do what they feel is best. And something I learned after the baby was born and a lot of my friends agreed that some babies preferred to be in the carseats and felt more snug in it. I have friends whose babies would only sleep in the carseat not to condone this. I too was eager to get everything I needed in advance but its so hard to tell what you want in a stroller till you actually have the baby therefore in my opinion I personally would suggest waiting otherwise you will invest money in a stroller that may not even suit your needs. and maybe you can borrow a fully reclining stroller from someone for long walks.
Ashley