Are there other strollers I should be looking at? - Update post #13 w/Cruz question

[Beth24]

Thanks! Quick question about the Vista: is the bassinet really heavy and/or large? Let's say I wanted to eat at a restaurant. Would it be conceivable to bring it in and put the baby in it when the baby is too small to sit up in a seat? Because if I didn't buy an infant carrier I suppose I could put that money into a more expensive stroller. I know you're not supposed to use an infant carrier all the time anymore, but the restaurant situation off the top of my head is one where I'm not sure what else you'd do...

Yes I took the bassinet off the stroller and bought it into restaurants, peoples houses, my house, all the time. It isn't small, but it is doable.

[strollerqueen]

Yes! I saw your review of the Cabria and that's what made me realize how much I liked the stand-up fold of my old stroller and how it would make me sad to go without it. I actually test drove some combis some years back and liked them except that I felt the seats were too narrow for my kids, so I liked that the Cabria is wider too.

I just wanted to make sure I knew what all my options were before I went to the store to drive them around - much as I like going to the baby store over and over again.

Oh, good! Yes, I agree about the stand-up fold. It comes in a lot more handy than people think. Both the Inglesina Zippy and Avio also have standing folds and bassinettes. The Avio has a single handle, and an incredible push.

[mare_imbrium]

Okay, I have seen a couple of these strollers now. The baby stores around here don't have quite so many different brands available in their showrooms, unfortunately - or maybe the problem is more that they don't have the brands I want to see.

I've seen the old P3 and I think the Switch They are not too different from what I recall Peg Perego strollers to be. Unfortunately that store told me they might get the Pliko Four "in a month or two." But I've seen it in stock online a couple places?

A couple of stores sell the Cabria (Target, BRU) but it's online only everywhere, at least that's what it says online. I'm almost wondering if I'm going to have to buy it to test it out. I can do it, I mean, thankfully it's the cheapest stroller I'm looking at, but still.

I'm also having a problem finding someplace around here that still sells Inglesinas. I think I found a place but it's kind of far. Unfortunately it seems for every brand of stroller I want to try I almost have to go to a separate store.

But what I really wanted to post about was that I got to see a Vista and a Cruz. My mom and husband and I all agree that the Vista is a really nice stroller and there's lots of things to like about it but that it just seemed very big. The width of it seemed like it might be inconvenient in smaller spaces. Also my husband pointed out that the bassinet doesn't fold and it would just have to sit, all big, in the back of the van, and that maybe it WOULD just make more sense to get an infant carrier and use that option if necessary.

However, I LOVE the Cruz. It seemed similar in push and smoothness to the Vista, still had the great basket and the great adjustable handle and nice seat. And when the handle is all the way out it does stand quite well. It is noticeably narrower than the Vista so it doesn't feel really large, and it's a little lighter to pick up. Love love love it. Except...there's no belly bar. There isn't even a space to attach one. And that means the snack tray they sell now won't work with it either (The stroller rollout said it would work with both models, so I was hopeful, but that's not the case). I really don't like that there's nothing in front of the baby at all but I don't really want the bigger, more expensive stroller that has features I don't think I'll need JUST to have that. But I really don't like that there's nothing in front of the baby. Does anyone have a Cruz? What do you do about it?

[mare_imbrium]

I don't understand why my reply was held for moderation, but my original post was too and it didn't take this long to get cleared even though it was much later at night when I posted it...

My question about the Cruz, in case the other reply never comes up, is what do Cruz owners think about the lack of belly bar/snack tray? The Vista snack tray doesn't work with the Cruz and I don't know if I like it that there's just nothing there. I would prefer a snack tray of some kind.

[TwinFoxes]

I don't understand why my reply was held for moderation, but my original post was too and it didn't take this long to get cleared even though it was much later at night when I posted it...

My question about the Cruz, in case the other reply never comes up, is what do Cruz owners think about the lack of belly bar/snack tray? The Vista snack tray doesn't work with the Cruz and I don't know if I like it that there's just nothing there. I would prefer a snack tray of some kind.

The Spam filter sometimes catches legit posts. We try to get to the moderated posts ASAP, but remember the mod team are also moms with kids and sometimes there's a lag time.

[mare_imbrium]

The Spam filter sometimes catches legit posts. We try to get to the moderated posts ASAP, but remember the mod team are also moms with kids and sometimes there's a lag time.

Oh, okay. I thought because it's been a few hours and it never came up that I did something wrong somehow. Thanks.

[KLD313]

My Bee doesn't have a bely bar or snack tray and it's never been an issue. The baby didn't know any better. I do have other strollers with belly bars and she uses them to pull herself up or rest her feet on but if she goes back in the bee she still doesn't seem to miss the bar.

[legaleagle]

FWIW, many of my strollers have bars but we basically never use them. Also, I think I read somewhere that a cruz snack tray is coming out at some point.

I finally got to see the cruz in person at BBB today and really liked it. DS2 (20 monhts, 36" 30lbs) really liked it too and had tons of room left. Now someone just has to talk uppa into making it in a few more colors (pretty pretty please sebby!)

[spannaz]

That's great! I'm glad you loved the Cruz! Is the belly-bar a concern because of loss of snack space, or something else? A tether with a snack-trap would work for snacks on the go. I'm thinking if you liked it that much, remember that, like PP's have said, your babe likely won't care since they've never had a belly bar .

HTH!

[Mopey]

We loved the Cruz and registered for it for all the same reasons (tall parents, great basket, light, stand, etc).

The lack of belly bar doesn't bother me at all but this is my first so I have no frame of reference. It is more important to me to be able to attach the toys and you can look in another thread nearby that we can do that on the harness and also on the footrest and frame (there are even links to get longer attachments for toys).

I felt badly about the price, especially after I had thought the BJCM would be perfect, but like you we hated the sloppy fold and it made it seem even heavier than the Cruz. I think with the Snugseat for the newborn we will be golden

Good luck & happy shopping!