Special Needs Stroller recommendations

[Bitsmommy]

My little guy has finally grown out of the City Mini. We love everything about that stroller, but he is simply too big for it now. He is almost 8, 48 inches tall, and weighs 46 pounds. Our Therapist is starting the process to get insurance to pay for the stroller. Does anyone have a Special Needs stroller that they love??/

 

[lanejudy]

We used a Maclaren Major Elite once my daughter outgrew standard strollers. It's a fairly simple stroller, basically a large umbrella stroller. She really only needed it for vacations; we only used it locally a couple of times for festivals with lots of walking.

 

[SWofDisorder]

We have the advance mobility Liberty and love it.

 

[Nevada Jen]

It sort of depends why you need the stroller. I am a huge fan of the Maclaren Major. We are in the process of getting our third one. But she is normally in a wheelchair. She can't walk at all or sit in a normal chair/booth at a meal. We like it for ease of breakdown and the fact that it doesn't take space in the trunk. It is meant for smooth surfaces (basically an umbrealla stroller on steroids). It would not be a good containment device or good for blocking out the crowds and is not supportive enough for everyday use or bus use. Her everyday chair is a convaid push chair and looks like a wheelchair but pushes like a stroller and can handle "terrain" to some degree. Again, it doesn't offer much of a cocoon effect if that is part of why you need it. She is about the size of your son.

 

[tigger51276]

My 8 year old has a Convaid Cruiser with the transport option which has worked great. With the transport option it does make for a heavier chair but I am able to wheel it right on and off the buses and she is just strapped in. Only problem with this chair is that while it certainly doesn't look like an every day stroller to me you would be amazed at how many Cast Members and even bus drivers will flat out argue with you that it's a stroller and either not allowed into ride lines or even on the buses unless folded. I have the sun shade for it which is nice an big and is a great way to give my daughter her quiet space when she needs it (which at Disney is often). I can just pull it down and put a blanket over it to cover her.

 

[Nevada Jen]

I'm always shocked that we run into at least one cast member who insists it is a stroller. There is even a tag on the seat cushion that says "wheelchair." And the guest relations folks seem to think I am crazy for insisting that we need a stroller as wheelchair tag in addition to the DAS.

 

[tigger51276]

I'm always shocked that we run into at least one cast member who insists it is a stroller. There is even a tag on the seat cushion that says "wheelchair." And the guest relations folks seem to think I am crazy for insisting that we need a stroller as wheelchair tag in addition to the DAS.

I agree! While yes they do "push" like a stroller and the wheels are huge like an adult wheelchair, strollers do not have swing away foot supports nor are they made with heavy reinforced metal frames for being strapped down for transport. When it comes to a cast member that is arguing with me after my telling them it's a wheelchair and they will not accept that answer, I simply tell them they don't know what they are talking about and continue on my way. As for the bus, I always demand a supervisor and every time one has come over the second they see her chair they immediately apologize and explain to the bus driver that it's a chair. I'm always floored how the supervisors can tell right away but the bus drivers don't.

 

[ladyjubilee]

I love my son's stroller and it will go up to 175lbs. It is a Convaid Cruiser with all terrain wheels, handbrake and sun screen. I went with the 14" as my son doesn't need support and it will last him until adulthood.

Pros:
-The bar location for pushing. We've tried other strollers, but frankly, they killed my back.
-The ease of movement. Even with the All Terrain wheels it is very manuverable. I can truly push with just one hand, and the turn radius is good.
-The handbrake. It really keeps the stroller from getting away from me on sharp inclines.
-My son can get up and down from the stroller by himself---which is important when he's trying to retreat quickly (ex. when he's startled).
-I could pick a color that stood out, so I can find the stroller
-A readily available "regular" stroller drink holder works for the pusher
-The lock really works. I've tried others, where the lock just didn't lock it down properly
-He's *very* comfortable in the stroller

Cons:
-I have a little teeny tiny car.....and a HUGE stroller
-The tires seems to deflate a little more quickly than I would expect
-The tire lock mechanism can come loose. It popped off while we were at the Renaissance Festival and a really kind man had to help us get it back on
-It might no matter to others, but there isn't really a good option for my son to have a drink holder/treat holder. We have to improvise.
-Its not always easy to collapse.
-It wasn't a downside for us, because we used a designated fund that has a pretty big budget (and would be forfeited if not used), but its not a "value" priced item. I don't know that I would have loved it so much if I had the basic features instead of all the upgrades.

My family joked about how big it is. Now each time we're pushing him cross country or long distances, I'm like, see don't you love this stroller.

I don't know if it helps, but when I evaluated which stroller to get, I first made a list of what mattered to me. High priorities for me were: 1) will fit in my car, 2) bar high enough that I don't have lean over to push (causing fatigue and back pain) 3) he won't outgrow it next year and 4) can handle the terrain without getting stuck in crevices. Your list might be different. But once I knew my priorities, it was easier to pick the stroller for us.


And I too have been stopped by Cast Members and have to point out the stroller as wheelchair tag....