Best Umbrella stroller for under $50?

[saboater]

My wife is pregnant and we have a baby under 1 year currently, so we are looking for something very lightweight she can lift in and out of the car. We already have a BOB and plan to get a double BOB, and have a Chicco Cortina(virtually free with the car seat). Those strollers are too heavy for her to lift in and out of the trunk.

She doesn't want to spend more than $50 on a stroller, does anyone have any recommendations.

Amazon reviews show pretty decent for The Heavenly Stroller by DK Innovations and 8.8 lbs.
Also the Chicco Ct0.6 Capri at 11 lbs.
The First Years Jet Stroller at 11 lbs.

Does anyone have experience with these or others?

We are willing to sacrifice a little bit of weght if we get a bit of storage underneath for the diaper bag, because that will help her, too.

This would be used for quick trips to the store, etc.

We will use the BOB for the big walks and family stuff.

Thanks!

[BabyBearsMom]

How old is your other baby?

[saboater]

10 months, so not walking, yet.

[BabyBearsMom]

I would go on Craig's List and get a used MacLaren. You can usually get a used Volo or Triumph for that price range and it will have a nice push. I don't think either of those strollers have a great recline (not sure since I don't own either), but they are lightweight and a decent push. Another option if you would be willing to go over $50 is a MacLaren Starck: http://www.albeebaby.com/mastbustinca.html?utm_source=Google_Products&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=GoogleProducts

They are on sale for $60, have a nice canopy and are really well reviewed by some of the mom's on this board.

[Multimama]

If you're willing to go just a little bit higher in price Albeebaby also has the Britax Blink for $65 shipped. It's a little bit heavier, but I wouldn't want anything with fewer features for a 10 month old and the recline is really deep enough that you could use it with your new baby almost from birth (definitely by 3 months).

If you really don't want a recline I agree the Maclaren Starck is an awesome choice. Definitely enough storage for a diaper bag! It's great for the diaper bag actually. I know it's a little more than you want to spend, but such great quality. You'll probably end up saving money long term because if you buy one of those other cheap strollers it will almost certainly break before you are done using it and then you'll just be out of pocket and spending more. JMHO though. :)

[saboater]

We are now leaning towards the Starck. We've never messed with reclines, since the BOB is pretty reclined already by default and its our main, so I don't know how important it would be.

I think we see this as mainly a stopgap while she isn't allowed to lift more than 20 lbs, so she's not trapped at the house. The Blink looks nice, but its pushing it in weight.

We'll have a BOB duallie and a single that we will put the carseat in for the newborn, so that should hopefully cover for a while.

The only other benefit for this stroller would be airports, since either BOB would be a bit large for traversing the airport.

[blondflava]

Just wanted to add my 2 cent :wink2:, the 10 month old is probably pretty close to the 20 lbs and I think it's the baby that your wife mostly picks up. Blink is very nice for the price, has a lot of great features and definitely worth picking it up just to get it in and out of the trunk :wink2:

[Multimama]

I just can't help but really encourage you to consider the Blink instead of the Starck. I love my Starck, but I love it more when parents put their kids lying flat in the stroller instead of in carseats all the time, which is what you will have to do if you only use your Bobs as your strollers with your newborn/infant. Search for threads here on why extended carseat use outside the car is not recommended. Plus, if your wife is unlucky enough to have an unplanned c-section (like I did) the Bobs will be too heavy and you'll be right back here needing a stroller light enough to lift after a c-s that you can put a newborn in.

If the problems of using car seats outside of cars are known to you and you've already made a parental decision that you're okay with them, please don't take offense at my post. But if you weren't aware that lying flat is much better for baby, then please research this a bit and maybe think about getting the Blink (or another newborn/infant friendly stroller if you decide to increase your budget, there are definitely some out there that recline flatter than the Blink or take a carrycot).

[saboater]

Do any physical stores carry the Blink that we could see? I don't see it even on Babies R Us's web site.

The only other thing is Britax says its appropriate starting at 6 months, and the BOB says 8 weeks without a car seat, so that would seem to cover us after the first few weeks?

Plus the Cortina does recline completely flat, so we have that as well.

The wife will have to CS for the new baby, but she won't really go anywhere without my assistance the first couple of months, so I'm thinking we may be okay.

If the Britax is light enough for her to lift, it'd definitely be more useful, though, but I'd have to have her try it.

[Multimama]

The Blink is 16.5 lbs. That's 3 lbs more than the Starck, but still within your weight range. You won't find it in store because it is discontinued. That is why it is on such deep discount. The new Britax stroller is called the B-nimble. You could try that one out in stores, but you won't find discounts.

I somehow missed that you also have the Cortina. I personally don't think the Bob recline is deep enough for an 8 week old unless they have excellent head control, but I guess everyone has their own opinion about these things.

Personally if I knew I was having another c-section I would invest in a really nice lightweight stroller, probably even something that takes a carrycot. I wouldn't want to limit myself to $50 when I know this stroller could be invaluable to my sense of independence and enjoyment. But that's just me! In fact, I already have a lightweight reversible stroller even though I don't know that I'm going to have another c-section just because I so regretted not having something like that with my last DS (who was an unplanned CS). Even lifting baby *and* carseat felt like too much for me after my CS so I really wanted to make sure I had something I could lay baby straight into if there is a next time around.

But I understand that sometimes budget is the top priority. The Blink has a much deeper recline than the Bob, FWIW.

[saboater]

Its funny, I'm the husband, but I seem to have the opposite issue many I see here have, my wife gives me a stroller budget, and I have to work within it.
Originally she didn't want to get another stroller at all, despite not being able to lift it herself. Her solution was to just not go anywhere, unless her dad or I were around to help.

I convinced her I didn't want her trapped, thus the $50 budget. I did manage to get the Starck allowed, and since its the same price, I could probably swing the Blink.

The Cortina is just about the same weight as the BOB, so that is why I wanted something else for her.

[legaleagle]

FWIW, now that the Blink is officially retired, you can't find the info on Britax's website, but a couple months ago, in one place it said "6 months" and in another it said "from birth". Having seen it in person I would put a newborn in it, no problem.

[Multimama]

FWIW, now that the Blink is officially retired, you can't find the info on Britax's website, but a couple months ago, in one place it said "6 months" and in another it said "from birth". Having seen it in person I would put a newborn in it, no problem.

Yeah, I think it says 6 months because that is the standard age in the UK for strollers that are not a *flat* recline. They should have updated it for the US market. The Triumph says 3 months and that is much less flat. The Blink is just a couple degrees less flat than the Maclaren Ryder, which gets raved about here for newborns. I would get that instead.

I can't believe your wife doesn't want a stroller she can actually use alone! Just shows how different people are. Has she has a CS before? She might feel differently after the birth.

[saboater]

Our first was also a C-Section. I think the problem is that both the pregnancies and the C-Section knock so much out of her, she feels that no matter what stroller we have, she will need help, and I don't necessarily disagree. I just want her to have some flexibility this summer.
We're also transitioning from dual to single income, and she's a lot more conscious of that then I am, and I think it worries her.

[wendibird22]

I just bought a blink and it arrived yesterday. I haven't taken it for a stroll yet beyond my living room but I'm very impressed with it and the features for the light weight. The recline is very deep, the canopy is decent and the fold is quite compact. I would recommend it thus far.

[abh5e8]

Personally if I knew I was having another c-section I would invest in a really nice lightweight stroller, probably even something that takes a carrycot. I wouldn't want to limit myself to $50 when I know this stroller could be invaluable to my sense of independence and enjoyment. But that's just me! In fact, I already have a lightweight reversible stroller even though I don't know that I'm going to have another c-section just because I so regretted not having something like that with my last DS (who was an unplanned CS). Even lifting baby *and* carseat felt like too much for me after my CS so I really wanted to make sure I had something I could lay baby straight into if there is a next time around.

which stroller is lightweight and reversible?

[Multimama]

which stroller is lightweight and reversible?

It's a Japanese Aprica I bought off CL. It weighs 12.5 lbs. :D

[Smillow]

It's a Japanese Aprica I bought off CL. It weighs 12.5 lbs. :D

Is it like this one? Aprica stroller CL ad (http://baltimore.craigslist.org/bab/2438280673.html)

[Multimama]

Is it like this one? Aprica stroller CL ad (http://baltimore.craigslist.org/bab/2438280673.html)

Kind of, except that one looks like it is one of the ones they used to make for the US market so it must be pretty old now since they haven't made them in years. Mine is a bit fancier. And I also didn't pay $200!!

But yeah, that's the basic Aprica concept. The handle is reversible and the recline is almost flat. I really wish they still had something like this on the market. It obviously has the limitations of most very lightweight strollers in the wheel department though. I think Combi made something similar for awhile, the Combi i-Thru.

[saboater]

So... the wife is mostly worried about weight, so it looks like we'll probably go with the Starck since its a few pounds lighter. But we did discuss the other situations, and we are having a problem locating a double BOB that works with the car seat anyway, so we plan to use the Chicco if needed for things like that with the little one.

We've never used the car seat for long outside of the car, anyway, the extent of it was always maybe at a restaurant once or twice a week in the stroller(not on the table).

The double BOB will be our main stroller once the new baby gets big enough, and we will probably supplement with wearing, as well, with the Moby and Ergo we have.

[Multimama]

If she doesn't plan to use it without help that sounds like a good choice. (I love babywearing too, but didn't feel up to it for awhile after my section.) The Starck is a great stroller for toddlers and it is an amazing price right now. I love mine. I hope you love yours too. It comes with a rain cover and a travel bag too, which is a nice bonus.