Stroller Recommendations Needed!

Hey H.,

Wished I lived closer and I could loan you one of mine until you found the best fit. I own a cheap umbrella from BRUS, a Babytrend , a Graco Metrolite, a Graco Quatro Tour and a Graco Duo(now that I have 2 lil' ones).
What I can say about brands is that I do not like anything Eddie Bauer for it is most always unsafe and cheap made but high priced. Fisher price while colorful is always having recalls. McClaren which are attractive are exhorbantly priced and recently in the middle of a recall for amputating fingers of little ones. With that said I am a Graco fan by huge amounts.

My cheapy umbrella is just that. It gets the job done but not great on most surfaces.

My Babytrend took forever to break in and feel easy to use but for the $60 I paid it is junk. It suffices for things where I plan to leave it unattended and will not feel bad if it gets lifted.

Graco Metrolite is *****awesome******. It handles everything I need and fits great on almost every store aisle. It is by far the one I recommend to everyone.
Graco Quatro Tour. It is the mothership. I use it for heavy shopping days where I need a huge cart. Or take it for walks in the neighborhood or through the yard. It covers terrain like no problem. It does not fit down every aisle so I take it to walmart or the mall but not small stores.

Graco Duo. Only had it a few months and have only used it once. It is the mothership x2. So far it is realitively easy to use and for size it is not hard to maneuver. It is heavy to uload but I am small and can do it. Though I am short and can not see over it so I am worried in a crowded space some heels will be clipped.

I highly recommend Graco as their stuff is safe, rarely has a recall, well made, reasonably priced and holds up for real mommy use.

Now the secret about Graco is patterns. Prices for Graco varies significantly based on the pattern of the material. Simply said they make a line of patterns for walmart, BRUS, Burlington's Baby Depot and then high end retailers. So if you want first hand best price shop the internet or BRUS or BD for Metrolite.

Graco also has other models not as plush with general patterns at Walmart for vary reasonable cost. And then there is always your local craigslist find for second hand Graco strollers. As with any second hand baby item, review them for safety and structural soundness AND NEVER go alone to get the item.

With all that said, I think the Graco singletons are rated for around 65 lbs...not sure but my 120lb self has sat in it and it did not seem to be a problem. I love Graco.
You can go to BRUS or Baby Depot and load your little one in a display and then shop the store to get a feel for turns and usage. That is always best.

Hope to have helped.
-MB

hi H.,

i sing the praises of the BOB Revolution over and over and over again. it is quite frankly, the best stroller on the market in my opinion. too many good things to list. just go to their website. http://www.bobgear.com/ it is not cheap, but you really get an awesome stroller that LASTS!! (we've had 2 others to compare)and it's light weight. pretty much any of their products rock. good luck!
K.

I love my graco's! I had the travel system when I had my first son and when I got pregnant with my second I bought a double graco and I love it. It worked with my other graco infant seat and my sisters graco infant seat. (We have kids the same age and do a lot together.) We have traveled a lot and they have held up great.

I know Macclarens have been getting knocked about lately with the recall, but I LOVED my non recallled Quest. It was light weight but sturdy, easy to fold and get open, reclining back but with the ease of an umbrella stroller. The strap came in handy at the airport once too. I got mine on e-bay for about $50 cheaper than the going rate at the time and have since loaned it out to 2 mom friends and am getting it back for (hopefully) the next family member of our own home. It still looks great and works perfectly.

Maybe try one of those second hand stores for something less expensive? I've been tempted to just go get the $50 one from Big Lots. I really liked my Graco stroller, unfortunately it got lost in one of our many moves...