We have been using a Graco Snugride carseat and the Snap-n-Go stroller frame since my daughter was born. Now that she's 6 months old and sitting up, we want to switch to a convertible car seat (thanks to many Mamasource moms' recommendations) and a regular, everyday stroller. If any of you are very happy with your stroller and/or convertible carseat, please let me know what kind you have. The stroller features we are looking for include the following:
1. A tray that keeps the baby from falling out and has room for snacks or toys and possibly a cup holder
2. Sturdy wheels that don't stick or break easily
3. Decent steering ability
4. Either tall or adjustable handles so a taller person pushing the stroller doesn't kick the back of it
5. Not super expensive ($150 - $200 max)
6. Could be a glorified umbrella stroller--compact and light would be nice, but maybe this is asking too much!
We already have a jogging stroller, but it has a fixed front wheel, so it's not good for everyday use and running errands, etc.
We don't really have specific requirements on the convertible carseat--I don't know much about them.
Thanks for your help--you moms are the best!
For strollers, I have the Graco Metro Lite. It wasn't very expensive - Babies R Us. I used a 20% off coupon (you can get the coupons at the store). After the coupon, I think it cost about $110. It has a tray, is pretty light, has an adjustable handlebar, a pretty big basket. Compared to a jogger stroller, the handling is not that great. It does the trick around town and getting in and out of the car.
I would suggest looking on Craigslist.com they have great deals. I would also look at consignment stores there is a great one in Thousand Oaks called Childrens Orchard. They have a lot of strollers and they are in great shape like new but already put together so you could try it out to see how it feels. The only other suggestion is get one that reclines, and is not too heavy. Good luck.
Britax car seats are great and they have the highest safety ratings. I believe safety is the most important thing when choosing a car seat as they carry our most precious cargo! I like my glorified umbrella stroller from Safety 1st, it's sturdy but not heavy. It's still in good shape after 4 years, I used it with my 6 year old when he was a toddler and now I use it with my 2 year old. I think it was under $50. Got it at Target.
We love our Aria model stroller from Peg Perego. We thought we wanted the umbrella style but after testing a bunch out at the store, none of them were as comfortable to walk behind for mom (5'6") & dad (6'2"). The Aria is lightweight, folds easily with 1 hand, has a big basket, a tray/cupholder that are removable and a canopy that can be pulled all the way down. Even though the handles are not adjustable, it turns out it was the best fit for both our heights. The shade was a big selling point b/c we wanted our daughter to sleep in the stroller if we were out for the day, but at 6 mos. she was too interested in the world to snooze unless we could pull the shade all the way down.
On the car seat, she may be more comfortable/less cranky riding more upright, but still rear-facing. We found that the Britax models were more upright in our car (we bought the Boulevard model). We also have a Sunshine Radian 80 (convertible that has a 5 pt harness that goes up to 80 lbs. & folds flat for travel). This is a great seat, but it has less adjustment & in our car when it is rear-facing our daughter is quite reclined, so that may not work for you depending on your car. My best advice is to "test drive" both stroller & car seat---have both Mom & Dad walk behind the stroller & try installing the car seat in your car to see how it fits. You can see lots of models at Babies R Us & also at Safe & Secure Baby in Westlake (www.safeandsecurebaby.com), which also has certified car seat inspectors who can make sure your seat is installed correctly.
FYI--the American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending kids stay rear facing as long as possible---well beyond age 1 if they can. In Europe, especially Sweden, kids stay rear-facing often up to age 3 or 4. Our daughter is almost 2 & rear-facing still & now that we have her sitting more upright in the Britax she is perfectly happy with it, even when we've traveled on long car trips. Her legs are getting a bit long, but she doesn't mind it & the car seat people we used explained that legs touching the seat is not an issue...Hope that helps.
