Why is it so hard to decide???

[MissKimberlyD]

Hi there! After lots of deliberation, my husband and I have made some stroller choices.
1. Buy a snap and go with infant car seat for first few months followed by a Peg Aria.
OR
2. Buy the Peg P3 and use without a car seat.
We live in Chicago and do most of our errands by foot or public transportation. I also plan on using a sling. Have we made good decisions? Any insight on our choices? We are so confused by all the options. HELP!

[Susann]

If you're planning to walk a lot, I think it's very important that you have a stroller that reclines flat. A lot of people have their infants in carseats on top of strollers even when they go for neighborhood walks. Babies should be allowed to lie down and be able to move and kick and stretch.
A Snap n' go is a nice thing to have in the car but I think it's for transporting the carseat. When the baby doesn't need a carseat, take the stroller.
The P3 is a nice option but make sure that you have a good footmuff or carrycot to protect the baby from the winter weather.
I think the Aria is too open for a newborn, but that's just my opinion.

HTH

Susann

[tinkerbell1217]

I agree with the PP. Get a stroller with full recline. The SNG is great for 10 minutes in and out of the car, but not for long periods of time. Use your sling as much as possible, but in case of walking and being out with baby for more than 10 or 15 minutes, get a full recline stroller. I believe the P3 reclines to just about flat so it would be a good lightweight choice IMO. The Aprica models are also very lightweight and have full recline, although they are expensive! Lots of luck!!

[heatherlynn]

I have an Aria that I use w/ my 2 month old. It doesn't recline flat, but I use a snuzzler w/ it and he's fine. He can't lie flat anyway because he has a little reflux and is very uncomfortable lying flat. He seems to love this stroller! He always falls asleep in it. I think because it's smaller than my Atlantico (which is _my_ fave!) he may feel "cocooned" inside it.

There are a lot of people here who don't like the Aria, but I think maybe it's because they expect too much out of it. I see it as an umbrella stroller w/out umbrella handles, but w/ a better basket (although not great). And for outside, I think the wheels are a little better than, say, a Macs smaller wheels.

H-
Heather
dd 3/98
ds 8/04

[pittsburghgirl]

I agree the SNG is really a tool for the carseat. If you aren't in and out of the car all day you're better off with a stroller with full recline. I would tend to go for the P3 for walking around and use the sling when you're on public transit.

(When the baby is older and heavier you can get a cheap umbrella stroller to drag around on public transit.)

Marilee
mommy to James 8 months!

[Susann]

I forgot to mention that already about a 165 or 170 degree recline can be considered flat (that's how the P3 is in full recline). 180 degrees sometimes (like in Gracos) feels like lying with head down.

Susann

[MissKimberlyD]

Okay, so I think we've decided against the snap and go option. Now we're deciding between the P3 or Zippy. Which do you prefer?

[tinkerbell1217]

P3, been hearing lots about Zippy problems lately! The P3 is a great stroller, IMO!!

[snowangel]

I don't know why so many people are against the SNG. I love mine. I honestly do not feel comfortable putting a newborn in a big stroller. They are so tiny. I swear they get lost in a full recline stroller. That's just me though.

The Zippy is a wonderful stroller because you can put a carseat on it if you decide you like that option. Hey, some babies LOVE their carseats and are soothed by them, other babies hate them. All depends.

I have a P3 and my gf has the Zippy. I envy how easy hers collapses. The P3 collapses ok, but it's not one handed.

I just wanted to say, don't discount the car seat attachment option, because it is a lifesaver at times. ie, if your baby hasn't napped all day but then finally falls asleep in the carseat, the last thing you want to do is wake the baby up to move him/her to the stroller.

I LOVE all of my slings, but I can't imagine taking my baby on the transit with it. It would get heavy and akward, because you need to carry your diaper bag also.

That's my novella.

[deenass]

IF you are planning on using public transportation I would reconsider the P3 as an option. I have it and love it, but you need 2 hands to open and close and that's not really practicla when holding a baby or squirmy toddler. And while it's not heavy (in comparison to said squirmy toddler) it's not light either.

You might want to buy one at BRU and "test drive" it (you can return with a receipt).

I do love my P3 but we never travel with it. Instead we travel with a Graco citilite which opens and closes with one hand and is really lightweight.

[sobers3]

The 2005 P3 is supposed to have a one-handed fold! I love my P3! HTH

[MissKimberlyD]

Do you when the 2005 model comes out?

[darby24]

>ie, if your baby
>hasn't napped all day but then finally falls asleep in the
>carseat, the last thing you want to do is wake the baby up to
>move him/her to the stroller.

You can just as easy put the car seat in a P3 or Zippy as you can in the SNG.

[darby24]

oops, got trigger happy.

[shyviolet]

I've heard the 2005 P3 will take a Graco Snugride, not just their Primo Viaggio (sp?), so if you go with the P3, you wouldn't necessarily need a Snap 'n Go, unless you wanted it just for the lighter weight or other reason. I'm not sure if it snaps in or if there's a strap that you secure it with, though. The fold on the 2005 P3 is one-handed, but not one-step like the Zippy. You release each side separately and then pull up on the back handle, so you can use one hand but it's 3 steps. The way it was described to me, that doesn't seem like a negative, unless you want a super-fast fold for getting on the bus. I've heard they'll be out mid-November.

[tinkerbell1217]

I think the SNG is a great idea, but only for quick trips. Infants should be in infant car seats for as little time as possible because of possible respiratory issues. Flat is just better. With my children, there were no "travel systems" per say. No SNG or UCSC and I never had a problem using a stroller from day one. Luckily, my kids never woke too often when transferring from car seat to stroller. I am lucky that way. Infants just look so much more comfortable in a fully reclined stroller than an infant car seat to me. I know mine were.