How important are these features?

[Aranel]

I'm going to be a first time mom in December! I would certainly like to avoid buying a stroller only to realize that it doesn't have the features I need. So, based on your experience how important are the following...

*Child snack tray
*Parent tray
*Large basket

[jubilee]

My first stroller had all those features and my second stroller has none of them. The only one I miss is the cup holder for me. So far I haven't found a cup holder that I like that fits my new stroller, but cup holders are available to fit a lot of strollers.

[Momof3Labs]

When I didn't have them, I didn't miss them. When I have them, I like them. I just don't like incredibly small baskets, like the Maclarens and Combis, but the P3 basket is perfectly adequate for us.

[lmariana]

For me, none of those are important now, but pre-baby, I thought I had to have them!

If I was buying a first stroller today, I'd look for one with:
-Full recline (most important feature for me)
-Great one-handed steering (close tie for first)
-Great canopy (you never know how much you need one until you get a great one!)
-Napper bar (my son LOVES these)

I'd also be sure to get a Skip Hop diaper bag to use with the stroller. That thing rocks!

Mariana
www.heinzandmariana.com
Mother of Gabriel, 08/14/2003
Join the Babybags Swap group! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/babybags/join

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030814/1/5/0/-5/.png[/img] ([img)

[hardysmom]

I've never had a snack tray and i can't for the life of me figure out why I would want one. By the time my DS was eating Cheerios and the like, he would have just thrown them off the tray and made a mess. It was always easier to give him a sippy cup, and, once he was old enough, a little bag of snacks.

I've only recently had a parent tray... it is nifty enough, but not something I'd use as a deal-breaker on getting a stroller. I have always put add-on cupholders on my strollers which are more secure than the cupholders in parent trays anyway.

I like having some kind of basket, but how big depends on the weather where you live (bulky coats, etc) and where you go (mall, groceries, etc) Macs have always been fine for me... I've grocery shopped with several of my strollers and never needed a Graco-style monster basket, but that is just me. As long as the stroller can EITHER take a diaper bag over the handles OR in the basket, I'm good to go.

Fold, weight, steering, and ability to go indoors and outdoors (flexability) have always been my priorities.

Stephanie

[pittsburghgirl]

My stroller doesn't have any of these features and I'm happy with it. I'd love a little bigger basket but I usually just carry a LE Little Tripper which hangs on my handles w/o tipping so I don't need the basket (I don't carry a purse anymore!)

I think the snack tray would be useless, my DS is far too enamored of picking up and dropping things. (He's too young now anyway), I like the fact that the napper bar is padded b/c he ends up gnawing on it. I got a Prince Lionheart Click N Go cupholder and that is all I need when I have something from Starbucks so a parent tray isn't a priority.

Features I am glad to have, echoing Mariana -

full recline
one hand steer
not too heavy; not too bulky folded (has to go in a trunk)

I have a Zooper Zstreet (now called Swing) which comes with rain shield, sun/bug shield and boot. The rain shield has definitely come in handy a few times when we got caught out in a downpour (I got soaked but DS was happy & dry!)

Marilee
mommy to James 8 months!

[heatherlynn]

With this baby, I really put a lot of thought into what was important to me in a stroller. I think I'm in the minority, but I must have a parents tray on a stroller I use a lot. I will often put my phone, keys, wallet, paci, cloth diaper for spit up and a few other things in it. I just like to have those things at my fingertips.

Quite honestly, it doesn't matter to me whether the stroller has a child snack tray or napper bar. My DD used the napper bar to rest her feet on, but I'm sure that if she never had it, she wouldn't have missed it.

As for a large basket, well... I think it's more important to have one that is easily accessible for you. Some like the P3, but I don't too much because I think it's a pain to access from the side. My Atlantico's is like a big chute - I just keep stuffing things into the back of it and things keep sliding forward the more I put in there.

H-
Heather
dd 3/98
ds 8/04

[MamaKath]

I agree with others. Not deal breakers for me. There are add ons that can be purchased as far as trays (some need napper bars, some can actually use other trays altogether) for the baby, cupholders for moms, and storage for stuff.

Features I would look for now-

*Full recline (a MUST in my opinion, I don't use the infant bucket seats outside of the car really)
*Steering/Maneuverability (this also calls into question the wheels and places I plan to use it, I can not see not needing something with big airtires for my unpaved roads, but also would like something with smaller wheels for malls, stores, etc. I prefer to have different strollers for these purposes)
*Hood (pocket on the back is handy though ;-)) to provide shade/shelter
*Fold (how hard, how compact, will it work in my trunk?)
*Knowledge of products that could be added on for the additional features

My kids loved the child tray to hold toys until very recently. Suddenly my 2.5 year old hates them, so removability of the tray or bar would be a must as well now. Parent trays are a waste IMO, a pocket on the back of the hood or an add-on bag keep the musts at my fingertips, but not at someone else's. Drinks can be held in add ons too. And let's face it, I don't shop like I used too so a basket is a plus, but not a deciding factor overall.;-)

[kcampo]

I'll have to agree with many of the PP's. I had 2 of of the 3 with my first stroller, a larger Combi perfect match. It had a huge basket & snack tray. My Combi was such a loser because it was big, bulky & hard to manuever. When I was pregnant, I was very proud of myself for buying a "lighter" stroller. Well, it was lighter than the full-fledged Gracos & Evenflows, but at 19 lbs, it was hardly lightweight. After 2 more tries I finally got it right with a Peg Perego Pliko. It had the features most important to me:

full recline
compact fold
plush, soft fabric
great maneuverability
fairly lightweight (16lbs)

Secondary pluses:
decent, but not huge basket
cup/water bottle holder
pocket on back of canopy
snack tray

With my first child, we were outdoors A LOT. I had 2 Mommy & Me classes & a playgroup. The snack tray was great for cheerios or goldfish crackers when in the park. My son loved putting his cup in its "special" place. He probably wouldn't have missed it if it weren't there. The cup holder was nice, but it would only fit a 16oz size water bottle or other tiny cup. Since I breastfed, I had to have water ALL the time. By the time I had DS#2, my double stroller had a napper bar. It was fine too, the Peg Peregos have a "floating" harness that lets the baby have some freedom of movement & mine would pull themselves fully upright with the napper bar. They didn't miss the tray & we weren't out in parks as much.

Bottom line, your stroller needs really depend on your lifestyle. The catch is that when baby comes, your lifestyle will totally change. So many of us have visions of long strolls in the park with a fancy pram, totally matching travel systems or other ideal fantasies of motherhood. After the baby comes, reality kicks in. Do you know how big & bulky prams are or travel systems?I firmly believe (from experience) that you should buy the stroller after the baby comes. A good starter is a Baby Trend Snap & Go with an infant car seat. The new ones have a parent tray & good sized basket. You'll use it anywhere from 4 months to 6 months. Its pretty compact & lightweight. Just before your baby outgrows the car seat, start stroller shopping with the baby. By then you can assess your stroller needs. Take your baby to the store & see how the strollers fit your child. EVERY new Mom-to-be stresses over details crib, bedding, having enough onsies, getting the "right" car seat, getting the "right" stroller. They want everything to be perfect for the baby. Don't stress out. This is definitely one purchase that can wait.

[DustysSweety03]

i'm currently shopping for new stroller because my Graco the backet is way to small now. so to me a big basket is very important and so is the child snack tray.