Buying a stroller can be compared to buying a car .. there are so many factors to consider. The number of choices available complicates the task of buying a stroller for your baby. Tons of styles and features .. it can be overwhelming to say the 
least. Lightweight, Jogging, All Terrain, Double, or Prams .. so many decisions? If you are unsure what type of stroller is the best fit, you are not alone.
Aside from your babies nursery furniture it is the next biggest purchase and to ensure that your money is well spent you want to make sure that your stroller has all of the features you need.
Being in retail and a parent myself, I can completely understand how frazzling this experience can be for first time parents. When customers come in to our store beginning their search for the “perfect” stroller I tend to probe them for information. I want to make sure that I am going to direct them to the stroller that is a good fit and one that will make them happy.The following are a few things to think about when purchasing your stroller and will hopefully provide a bit of ease with this task.
Your Lifestyle … Are you active and like to get outdoors? Will you be getting out for lots of walks once your new baby arrives? Are you anticipating that you would like to take the baby on your nature walks? Rain, shine or even snow, do you want a stroller that will take you anywhere, over any terrain? Or are you more of an “urban city parent”? City sidewalks, shopping malls and light errands is more or less the general purpose for your stroller? These are questions that I tend to ask our customers in order to find the type of stroller that would be better suited based on lifestyle.
For the active parent whose lifestyle tends to be spent for the most part outdoors, you may want to consider a stroller that is bit more rugged and can encompass more terrain. Strollers with bigger wheels (at least 12″) and either air filled or EVA – Forever Air Tires tend to be in this category. These type of tires accompanied with shocks in the stroller unit provide a smoother ride for the baby. The stroller absorbs the bumps rather than your baby. Most can adapt a car seat to its frame for every day use, and most have similar functions that the light weight strollers have (i.e. storage basket, recline seating, Swivel / Lock front wheel and an all around smooth ride for your little one.
If you are a runner and plan to do so with your baby, you would want a stroller with a wheel size of 16″ as this will provide you with the best stride. Most jogging strollers are versatile in that they can be used for more than just a running stroller. With the 16″ wheel size, you will definitely know no boundaries as these size of wheels will cover a lot of different terrains. Disadvantages with just solely having a jogging stroller are that they are heavier than most strollers, and tend to be bulkier making a simple trip to the mall or store, not so easy.
For the urban parent whose life entails city sidewalk and shopping mall terrain, you probably would not want to be pushing the bulkiness and size of the all terrain type stroller, but still want a stroller that will take you places.
Most single 4 wheel strollers are smaller 
and more compact than a typical all terrain stroller making it easy to get your stroller in and out of your car. Also, most 4 Wheel Strollers have a smaller wheel base than a 3-wheel all terrain model which tends to have a wider wheel base. The shorter wheel base allows easier maneurverbility and a shorter turning radius allowing for them to fit through the check-out at the supermarket or between aisles of crowded shops. These strollers tend to have a smooth ride and are a joy to push.
Travel Systems are strollers that come with a car seat that snaps into the stroller frame. These “Click and Go” systems are your Graco, and Peg Perego Strollers. You are no longer limited to these systems however, as nearly all strollers today adapt to take a car seat. Gone are the days of having no choice but to purchase the clunky, heavy travel systems. You now have options to have the stroller that fits your needs and will take you from birth right through.
There is a vast amount of strollers available today compared to the days when our mothers were babies and our Grandmothers had maybe one or two options. It really doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. Breaking it down and looking at the strollers functions and features and eliminating the “not so important” stuff, will help narrow down the options.
Of course you can always come into The Baby Boutique or call us for our help. We are always happy to answer your questions, and love to assist “parents to be” with choosing their stroller : )
There will be a limit of one discount per family and it will apply to in-store purchases only. Also not valid with other offers such as Wagjag vouchers.
