Especially with a first baby, you are already starting to worry about not only looking after the baby when he/she arrives, but also all the things you need to buy! Hopefully, family and friends will pitch in with some of the cost but one of the major considerations you need to make is buying the first stroller for baby (yes, you may need more than one later!).
If money is short, you’ll need to be particularly careful as some sales people are very good and will convince you that you need to buy something more expensive than you need. They may even use emotional blackmail to make you think that your baby will be deprived in some way if you don’t buy that expensive model. Don’t be fooled, and don’t go to buy without having all the information and research already done so you know just what you want within your budget.
When looking at the lower price range, you will usually find that these are the lightweight strollers of the umbrella type. Umbrella strollers do have the advantage in that they are very easy to store and fold and therefore ideal for use with a car. As you may expect, the more expensive lightweight strollers come with more features some of which will be unnecessary and a bit gimmicky.
If you spend a lot of time getting in and out of cars, maybe a stroller travel system would be best for you as they are the most versatile. You basically keep a base in the car and have a detachable safety seat that doubles as a carrier. When removed from the base it can be latched on to the stroller frame. The seat can be tilted for use for newborns. A best travel strollers for newborns often incorporates a play tray and good storage.
The braking system of your baby stroller is obviously important and must be easy to put on to both rear wheels. Some models come with a wrist strap as a back up and you will nearly always find these on a running stroller (great for mum’s exercise routine!).
OK, so that’s some of the basic types of stroller for baby, if you are expecting twins, most types come in various twin arrangements. Other things to consider are storage as you will probably need as much of this as you can get. Is the height of the handlebars adjustable, or if not, is the height comfortable for you (it’s your back!). Will you want a lie-back stroller so baby can sleep nearly flat and how comfortable is the seat? If the seat is well padded, can it be easily removed as they always get in a mess? What type of rain cover do you want, completely clear or just with a panel so the sun can be kept off even if it is raining?
Next, are you going to buy second-hand stroller for baby? Make sure it is clean and that it is structurally sound with no missing or loose bolts or dents or cracks that would weaken the frame and may harm baby. Then you also need to look for signs of wear. Make sure the wheels are not too worn and solid and that the axles are not warped. Give the seat a good wobble and make sure that is sound and aligned properly. Practice putting it up and down to make sure the catches work.
So whether you are looking for a lightweight stroller, a stroller travel system or a running stroller and whether it is second-hand or new, hopefully we have given you a few ideas to consider to help you make the correct choice for your stroller for baby.