Best Stroller for City Living

[NGoslee]

I have read lots of pluses and minuses on the various stroller types (Bugaboo, Quinney, MicraLite, etc) and I am looking for the lightest, most versitile stroller that will be easy to put in a cab (heard the bugaboo comes apart in two pieces) but hold up well for the wear and tear of city streets. Would love advice and I am completely overwhelmed by the (expensive) choices.

[ahrimie]

I don't recommend a 2 part fold for getting into cabs. I took our Bugaboo Cameleon to NYC once and ended up hating it. Instead, the Bugaboo BEE would be great. I have both and use for different type trips. The Bugs have a great ride and steer great. The Bee also has a great canopy.

[TwinFoxes]

I haven't bought a stroller yet, but I checked out the City Mini in person yesterday, and it has the easy fold I've ever seen. You just pick it up by its straps and it's folded. I can't vouch for it other than that, oh, and it's pretty light, only 26 pounds.

[AnnieW625]

Are you going to be doing a lot of walking? If so then you might want something a little more substantial than the City Mini. It does have the easiest fold ever, but I don't think it would good for long walks. We have a Mac Triumph that I love and it's decent for short walks too, but again I prefer air or pseudo air tires (like Uppa Baby Vista) for longer walks. For portability though and if it's just from home to cab to maybe a little shopping, drs. etc. then I think something like the City Mini or one of the Maclaren strollers should work for you.

I have an UppaBaby Vista and I can collapse it without taking the main seat off (not with the bassinet though), but it might take up a bit of room in a trunk, but it should fit fine in the trunk of the cab.

[PeppyParents]

I haven't bought a stroller yet, but I checked out the City Mini in person yesterday, and it has the easy fold I've ever seen. You just pick it up by its straps and it's folded. I can't vouch for it other than that, oh, and it's pretty light, only 26 pounds.

Hi, just a quick note -- the City Mini Double is just under 27 pounds.

The City Mini single is 16 pounds.

And yeah - all Baby Joggers have the easiest folds!

[TwinFoxes]

Hi, just a quick note -- the City Mini Double is just under 27 pounds.

The City Mini single is 16 pounds.

And yeah - all Baby Joggers have the easiest folds!

Right, so sorry! I tried out the double...you can guess why from my screen name! ;-)

[cestkaren]

I have the City Mini and go on long walks (1 hour+) almost daily. I can push it with one finger...strolls like a dream. We are on walking paths, but they are not well maintained.

[lorinick]

I vote City Mini too, or maybe the just the City. It's great in the city.

[strollerqueen]

You could also check out the new Mountain Buggy Swift. It is the cutest little thing ever!

mountainbuggyusa.com

The air tires make it very rugged, and will give it a smooth ride all over the city. It folds quickly, by pulling up on the two side levers.Has a built in cupholder, great basket with little pouches/pockets, and a full recline. It weighs about 20 pounds, which is the same as the Bee or the Toro, (both of which I also like.)

[strollerqueen]

By the way, you can quickly pop off the rear wheels if you need to make it more compact. The axles slide all the way in. So then the rear width is 17.5", which is very narrow.

[MamaKath]

I have read lots of pluses and minuses on the various stroller types (Bugaboo, Quinney, MicraLite, etc) and I am looking for the lightest, most versitile stroller that will be easy to put in a cab (heard the bugaboo comes apart in two pieces) but hold up well for the wear and tear of city streets. Would love advice and I am completely overwhelmed by the (expensive) choices.

Do you mainly walk? If so you probably want the option to face you and interact. I would look at the Pliko Switch. Compact fold, even with the seat reversed. I would stay away from the Bug if you are planning to be taking public transport. Light and easy to fold would be the Maclarens and the Baby Jogger City Mini if you are mainly public transportation folks.

[NGoslee]

Thanks to all!!! I will be doing alot of walking, and cabbing and potentially subway riding, although will limit the latter.

[marge234]

i checked out the mountain buggy web site, I like that the urban has what they call a "carry cot." Is that one a lot heavier and bigger than the swift?

[lefarrell]

I live in Rome, walk a lot over cobblestone streets, traverse large curbs and stairways and ride the train, tram, subway and bus. I rarely take a cab with my little one, only when traveling to and from the airport.

After reading a lot of threads about city living, I bought a Zippy, which does have a great one handed fold, but that's were the love ends. It pushes like a tank, and at only 5'6" I was constantly kicking the back of the stroller, and the two handles where not a comfortable height. In a busy city, I also didn't like not being able to see my child.

My second stroller the Bugaboo Frog, with rear foam wheels instead of air (once you have a flat tire, air is not so much fun) has been a dream!
For doing lots of walking, dealing with curbs and staircases this stroller is excellent. It pushes so easily, you don't feel the weight of your child. I can totally load it down with groceries - yes it will collapse if bags are hanging from the handlebar and I take my son out, but show me a stroller that won't. The large back wheels make it possible to navigate almost any terrain, and also makes it possible to go up and down stairways by myself. I like the safety strap on the handlebar, and the reversible handle has come in handy when fitting in a packed elevator, subway or tram - just position the handle upright to take up less space, and it's also useful to move the handle out of the way to use the seat as a high chair. The two part fold even has it's advantages: 1) I can take the stroller apart, leaving my son in his seat, to get in an out of my tiny 21" doored elevator with him, me and the chassis plus a bag or two of groceries. 2) When out with my husband we can break the stroller down into 2 parts for going up long stairways, or fitting on the bus. 3) I can detach the seat at the park/playgroup for my little guy to sit in, or to use as a high chair while interacting on the ground with everyone else. 4) I've even left my son in the seat, and put the chassis in the trunk on a cab ride from the airport to the hotel when traveling - not the safest, but it was raining, late at night, he was asleep and it was the fastest way to get the cab loaded up.

The con: The back wheels are too wide for most buses because there is a bar in the middle of the entrance/exit door, so I can't travel on a bus by myself, but with husband in tow, we just divide the stroller.

With all that said, based on the description of you planning to walk a lot, I think you will want to go with larger back wheels versus all same size wheels, and there are many models that offer this. Unfortunately larger wheels mean a wider wheel base that may be a challenge on PT at times. If you can, measure the openings on the PT you will take most often and see if a typical 24" wheel base will be too much. Not being able to access the bus system by myself is a fairly mild inconvenience that I can usually plan around, and just end up walking a little further, but I am considering a second stroller because of it, perhaps the Bugaboo Bee because I'm sold on the easy push of the Bugaboos, and advantages of rear-facing. If you can borrow strollers from some friends for a real test drive (like your normal walking route, plus a ride on the subway, up and down some stairs, and a hop in the cab), before buying something I would strongly suggest doing this. If you're little one isn't here yet to go for the ride, try using a 20lb bag of flour or something to feel how the stroller handles the weight. You'll notice distinct differences between the strollers when you add the weight, especially large versus smaller wheels, and how important the push of a stroller really is.

Good Luck!

[NGoslee]

I think we are going to go with the UPPAbaby Vista. Looks like it will be really good for NYC. Any complaints??

[edurnemk]

None! I live in downtown Chicago and I absolutely love my Vista! I've had other strollers and nothing is better than foam or air tires for doing a lot of walking.
We also have a Maclaren Quest we use for air travel and when taking the subway on rare occassions, but other than that I only use the Vista. Ater pushing it, I don't want to push anything else.
The only minor issue for me is that the seat doesn't come to a fully upright position, but it wasn't a deal breaker for us and my DS just pulls himself forward by the bumper bar when he wants to look around.


I think we are going to go with the UPPAbaby Vista. Looks like it will be really good for NYC. Any complaints??

[strollerqueen]

i checked out the mountain buggy web site, I like that the urban has what they call a "carry cot." Is that one a lot heavier and bigger than the swift?

It is 4 pounds heavier than the Swift.

[strollerqueen]

I live in Rome, walk a lot over cobblestone streets, traverse large curbs and stairways and ride the train, tram, subway and bus. I rarely take a cab with my little one, only when traveling to and from the airport.

After reading a lot of threads about city living, I bought a Zippy, which does have a great one handed fold, but that's were the love ends. It pushes like a tank, and at only 5'6" I was constantly kicking the back of the stroller, and the two handles where not a comfortable height. In a busy city, I also didn't like not being able to see my child.

My second stroller the Bugaboo Frog, with rear foam wheels instead of air (once you have a flat tire, air is not so much fun) has been a dream!
For doing lots of walking, dealing with curbs and staircases this stroller is excellent. It pushes so easily, you don't feel the weight of your child. I can totally load it down with groceries - yes it will collapse if bags are hanging from the handlebar and I take my son out, but show me a stroller that won't. The large back wheels make it possible to navigate almost any terrain, and also makes it possible to go up and down stairways by myself. I like the safety strap on the handlebar, and the reversible handle has come in handy when fitting in a packed elevator, subway or tram - just position the handle upright to take up less space, and it's also useful to move the handle out of the way to use the seat as a high chair. The two part fold even has it's advantages: 1) I can take the stroller apart, leaving my son in his seat, to get in an out of my tiny 21" doored elevator with him, me and the chassis plus a bag or two of groceries. 2) When out with my husband we can break the stroller down into 2 parts for going up long stairways, or fitting on the bus. 3) I can detach the seat at the park/playgroup for my little guy to sit in, or to use as a high chair while interacting on the ground with everyone else. 4) I've even left my son in the seat, and put the chassis in the trunk on a cab ride from the airport to the hotel when traveling - not the safest, but it was raining, late at night, he was asleep and it was the fastest way to get the cab loaded up.

The con: The back wheels are too wide for most buses because there is a bar in the middle of the entrance/exit door, so I can't travel on a bus by myself, but with husband in tow, we just divide the stroller.

With all that said, based on the description of you planning to walk a lot, I think you will want to go with larger back wheels versus all same size wheels, and there are many models that offer this. Unfortunately larger wheels mean a wider wheel base that may be a challenge on PT at times. If you can, measure the openings on the PT you will take most often and see if a typical 24" wheel base will be too much. Not being able to access the bus system by myself is a fairly mild inconvenience that I can usually plan around, and just end up walking a little further, but I am considering a second stroller because of it, perhaps the Bugaboo Bee because I'm sold on the easy push of the Bugaboos, and advantages of rear-facing. If you can borrow strollers from some friends for a real test drive (like your normal walking route, plus a ride on the subway, up and down some stairs, and a hop in the cab), before buying something I would strongly suggest doing this. If you're little one isn't here yet to go for the ride, try using a 20lb bag of flour or something to feel how the stroller handles the weight. You'll notice distinct differences between the strollers when you add the weight, especially large versus smaller wheels, and how important the push of a stroller really is.

Good Luck!

Excellent post! You may want to check out the Teutonia Fun system. It's 21" wide, vs. 23" for the Frog. I can't believe how easy it is to get around crowded places.

[ebjw]

No compliants about the Vista. Love it!!! Haven't used the seat yet, but the car seat adapter (Chicco) and bassinet are fantastic!

[MCsMom]

DH and I used to live in Manhattan pre-DD.
My vote is for the City-Mini.
We love ours and have used it (subway, bus, not in a cab) on visits.
You have to unclip the safety straps before folding but that's pretty much it.
We also have a BOB and that's great for walking (we walk Central Park whenever we can) on uneven surfaces. I can't imagine taking that thing on the bus though...

[lefarrell]

Excellent post! You may want to check out the Teutonia Fun system. It's 21" wide, vs. 23" for the Frog. I can't believe how easy it is to get around crowded places.

Thanks strollerqueen. I met a mom with the Teutonia the other day and she can ride the bus, so I've been researching that one too. How does the total weight and push compare to the Bee and Frog?