Stroller for 3 1/2 month old? UPDATE

[pumpkinmomma]

I'm so happy there are so many suggestions!

Originally this is what I was looking at:

http://www.gracobaby.com/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=1794303

Is a 3 1/2 month old baby too small for the stroller if it lays flat? We probably wouldn't take the car seat into the parks, unless it was easier for going to dining reservations, then we may.

What do you guys think?

I had a similar stroller at one point, and it was just ok. It's big when folded, bulky, heavy, and not that great to push. It was comfortable for the kiddo but I really didn't care for it overall. I would go with something lighter weight if you can.

If you have a babiesrus near you, go test out strollers. You want a full recline, good sunshade stroller that folds easily and can be pushed one-handed.

 

[Leshaface]

Okay, guess I'll be checking out other strollers. We checked this stroller out at Toys r Us and liked the way it pushed/navigated.

I think i'm confused when I go to read the description of a stroller, it hardly ever says 'Full recline'. It always says something like 3 different reclines or multiple recline positions.

I'm now also wondering if I should really bring a carseat, since we're not renting a car at WDW....

I can't believe there are so many things to think about, and this is pretty minor. Don't even want to get started on tackling the bigger stuff...

 

[nadira36]

I highly recommend the city mini for a first baby - it can have a second seat added later with many different configuration options. Works great from birth to age 3-5 (depending on size and speed of older child - boy my 3 and 5 yr olds are the same size lol).

However if there's only 1 baby going with you, I'd suggest helping g-ma learn how to carry the baby in a carrier and just use that for baby, then an umbrella stroller could be used to transport the diaper bag

Of course even for size, and weight I personally won't use an umbrella stroller b/c of how short they are. and how small the wheels are. I need something that can go over cobblestones easily and quickly.

The grace one you posted looks nice, but I'd wager that it'd likely only last for about a year of infrequent use. We bought one like it for a trip to Disney - and it only lasted for that trip to Disney. We never used it prior, and we never used it after. The steering that was easy in the store, was horrid on the sidewalks and even in the airport we had a tough time with it. I like 1 hand steering. I also like something I can carry folded in 1 hand (since I usually also have a child or bags in the other hand). It's also important that it fits in my trunk along with my suitcases.

 

[Leshaface]

I highly recommend the city mini for a first baby - it can have a second seat added later with many different configuration options. Works great from birth to age 3-5 (depending on size and speed of older child - boy my 3 and 5 yr olds are the same size lol).

However if there's only 1 baby going with you, I'd suggest helping g-ma learn how to carry the baby in a carrier and just use that for baby, then an umbrella stroller could be used to transport the diaper bag

Of course even for size, and weight I personally won't use an umbrella stroller b/c of how short they are. and how small the wheels are. I need something that can go over cobblestones easily and quickly.

The grace one you posted looks nice, but I'd wager that it'd likely only last for about a year of infrequent use. We bought one like it for a trip to Disney - and it only lasted for that trip to Disney. We never used it prior, and we never used it after. The steering that was easy in the store, was horrid on the sidewalks and even in the airport we had a tough time with it. I like 1 hand steering. I also like something I can carry folded in 1 hand (since I usually also have a child or bags in the other hand). It's also important that it fits in my trunk along with my suitcases.

Wow did not even think about this! Considering all of Disney is not smooth, like the stores, this really gets me thinking, so thank you!

Okay, so right now i'm checking out the:

Maclaren Techno XT
Chicco Liteweight
City Mini

We don't have the best stores here in my town for stroller selection, so this weekend i'll be heading to a larger city near me where there is a real Babies r Us and a Buy Buy Baby. Hopefully there will be more selection and allow me to feel the strollers, then what I saw at Toys R Us. There was only about strollers I could try out.

ETA: I know I won't really know what I need until the baby comes, but do you think i'll really be needing a carseat? I'm now thinking about the bus system and lugging it around, but then again, I have no idea.

 

[twinboysmom]

Wow did not even think about this! Considering all of Disney is not smooth, like the stores, this really gets me thinking, so thank you!

Okay, so right now i'm checking out the:

Maclaren Techno XT
Chicco Liteweight
City Mini

We don't have the best stores here in my town for stroller selection, so this weekend i'll be heading to a larger city near me where there is a real Babies r Us and a Buy Buy Baby. Hopefully there will be more selection and allow me to feel the strollers, then what I saw at Toys R Us. There was only about strollers I could try out.

ETA: I know I won't really know what I need until the baby comes, but do you think i'll really be needing a carseat? I'm now thinking about the bus system
and lugging it around, but then again, I have no idea.

I agree with the others and don't get the graco system. I won't say I don't own any graco products but if it is in your budget, I would consider the citi mini of the ones you have mentioned. And if you do go to the stores to try them out, do not rule out the britax b-agile. If I was in the market for a single it would be the top of my list for sure. Next question, is the stroller going to be on a registry or are you paying for it yourself? The reason I ask is that the big baby stores are usually quite a bit higher than what you can buy them on the Internet (amazon, Albee baby).

 

[Leshaface]

I agree with the others and don't get the graco system. I won't say I don't own any graco products but if it is in your budget, I would consider the citi mini of the ones you have mentioned. And if you do go to the stores to try them out, do not rule out the britax b-agile. If I was in the market for a single it would be the top of my list for sure. Next question, is the stroller going to be on a registry or are you paying for it yourself? The reason I ask is that the big baby stores are usually quite a bit higher than what you can buy them on the Internet (amazon, Albee baby).

Okay, I'll add the Britax B-agile to my list as well!

No, i'm making this purchase myself and it will not be on the registry. I was just looking at Albee baby and noticed how much cheaper some of their strollers are compared to other websites!

 

[twinboysmom]

Okay, I'll add the Britax B-agile to my list as well!

No, i'm making this purchase myself and it will not be on the registry. I was just looking at Albee baby and noticed how much cheaper some of their strollers are compared to other websites!

I own a lot of strollers (some were given to me) but the 5 I have bought myself have been purchased from amazon (the maclaren came from eBay). Definately compare prices for sure. I test them out at the big stores but have always done so much better to order online. Good luck!

 

[Mama Who]

We bought the only model of infant friendly Graco stroller that Babies R Us had that didn't involve hooking in a bucket. (I hate the bucket. It's a personal thing.) I can't remember the model name but it was about $70 and is still going strong 2 years later- and DD will still fit into it for quite a while. She's nearly 3 feet tall, 31 pounds and has a good amount of room to grow in the stroller. Short of a cheapie umbrella, I don't think we'll ever need another.

 

[cel_disney]

We are HUGE fans of the Inglesina zippy...and now the Inglesina Avio...highly suggest checking them out on baby gizmo or strollerqueens websites! We have put a lot of miles on them at home and on 6 Disney trips so far!!! The fold is amazing! And it is full featured! And has a great canopy!

I also own a Mac quest. We used it starting at birth with a seat insert/head positioned. It is very lightweight and handles well but I don't recommend macs or any umbrella stiller for wdw because they are very 'tippy' with a diaper bag on them and they don't have good Canopies...

We have rented babyjoggers before, but I really prefer the zippy to it for just one kid....Ihave also tried graco strollers but really don't like the fold and I have tried combo and think they are too wobbly...definitely try them out...if you don't have a kid to try them with, use a box of diapers or something!!!

Highly recommend an ergo baby carrier for baby wearing in lines etc! We took dd at 4months and it was AWESOME! Can't say enough about ergo!!!

We also always buy our kids airplane seats and therefore have cars eats with us. But we can use Disney buses for most other things and they spend most of our trip tucked away in our rooms....but for a 3month old, I think it would be helpful to have one for baby to sit in in the room etc with toys to look at etc...

Happy shopping!!

 

[Leshaface]

I own a lot of strollers (some were given to me) but the 5 I have bought myself have been purchased from amazon (the maclaren came from eBay). Definately compare prices for sure. I test them out at the big stores but have always done so much better to order online. Good luck!

Wow you have quite a lot of strollers! Thank you!

We bought the only model of infant friendly Graco stroller that Babies R Us had that didn't involve hooking in a bucket. (I hate the bucket. It's a personal thing.) I can't remember the model name but it was about $70 and is still going strong 2 years later- and DD will still fit into it for quite a while. She's nearly 3 feet tall, 31 pounds and has a good amount of room to grow in the stroller. Short of a cheapie umbrella, I don't think we'll ever need another.

I've been reading about bucket seats. Is this another name for a carseat?

We are HUGE fans of the Inglesina zippy...and now the Inglesina Avio...highly suggest checking them out on baby gizmo or strollerqueens websites! We have put a lot of miles on them at home and on 6 Disney trips so far!!! The fold is amazing! And it is full featured! And has a great canopy!

I also own a Mac quest. We used it starting at birth with a seat insert/head positioned. It is very lightweight and handles well but I don't recommend macs or any umbrella stiller for wdw because they are very 'tippy' with a diaper bag on them and they don't have good Canopies...

We have rented babyjoggers before, but I really prefer the zippy to it for just one kid....Ihave also tried graco strollers but really don't like the fold and I have tried combo and think they are too wobbly...definitely try them out...if you don't have a kid to try them with, use a box of diapers or something!!!

Highly recommend an ergo baby carrier for baby wearing in lines etc! We took dd at 4months and it was AWESOME! Can't say enough about ergo!!!

We also always buy our kids airplane seats and therefore have cars eats with us. But we can use Disney buses for most other things and they spend most of our trip tucked away in our rooms....but for a 3month old, I think it would be helpful to have one for baby to sit in in the room etc with toys to look at etc...

Happy shopping!!

I'm also looking at what kind of carrier to use. Is the ergo something that can be passed easily from person to person? I was watching the 'how-to' video and it looks like the baby has to be laying down to be placed in the ergo, unlike the mei-tai or the moby wrap.

 

[mummabear]

I know I won't really know what I need until the baby comes, but do you think i'll really be needing a carseat? I'm now thinking about the bus system and lugging it around, but then again, I have no idea.

I wouldnt bother with the carseat if your not driving. I would consider bringing a front pack as well though my #2 slept really well in hers so was easy getting on the buses or if she was a bit fussy and not wanting to be in the stroller.
This is what we have and it is great http://www.amazon.com/Phil-Teds-Exp...22/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1337715468&sr=8-11

 

[Angel Ariel]

FTM here as well (though I am still only 32 weeks along) - we decided to buy a City Mini as well as a stroller frame for our Graco car seat. We both fell in love with the City Mini very quickly - the fold is amazingly easy, and it really moves very easily. It will work well for us in pretty much every setting we could think of. The canopy is huge, and the recline is almost completely flat.

We decided to get the stroller frame as well because buying that was the same price as buying the graco car seat adapter for the City Mini, and we felt the stroller frame was much more stable than the car seat adapter was. We were told that you could use the city mini as is from birth (though we may end up purchasing a newborn insert for it, I'm not sure).

 

[Leshaface]

I wouldnt bother with the carseat if your not driving. I would consider bringing a front pack as well though my #2 slept really well in hers so was easy getting on the buses or if she was a bit fussy and not wanting to be in the stroller.
This is what we have and it is great http://www.amazon.com/Phil-Teds-Exp.../ref=sr_1_11? ie=UTF8&qid=1337715468&sr=8-11

I figured I shouldn't worry about a car seat. I'm still debating about wraps. Last night I even had a dream about wraps and strollers I just need this weekend to hurry up already so I can make a decision and stop thinking about this all the time!

FTM here as well (though I am still only 32 weeks along) - we decided to buy a City Mini as well as a stroller frame for our Graco car seat. We both fell in love with the City Mini very quickly - the fold is amazingly easy, and it really moves very easily. It will work well for us in pretty much every setting we could think of. The canopy is huge, and the recline is almost completely flat.

We decided to get the stroller frame as well because buying that was the same price as buying the graco car seat adapter for the City Mini, and we felt the stroller frame was much more stable than the car seat adapter was. We were told that you could use the city mini as is from birth (though we may end up purchasing a newborn insert for it, I'm not sure).

Hi and congratulations to you!

So there is an insert we can buy for the City Mini for newborns? This is good to know. Although i'm wondering, at what age is an insert not needed?

 

[Angel Ariel]

So there is an insert we can buy for the City Mini for newborns? This is good to know. Although i'm wondering, at what age is an insert not needed?

it's not specific to the city mini - the store clerk just mentioned we could use any stroller newborn insert if we felt like it was necessary. They did emphasize that the insert wasn't needed for a newborn, just that we could use one if we wanted.

Hi and congratulations to you!

Thank you!

 

[Leshaface]

I wanted to thank everyone so much for your suggestions. it made it much easier for me to narrow down strollers once I was at Babies R Us and Buybuy Baby.

After looking at all of them, checking out the features, trying them out and looking at the prices, I decided to go with the City Mini Single Stroller. We're going to buy the Universal Parent Console for my DH and I and we're going to wait and see if we'll be needing the Child Tray at such a young age. I'm sure we'll need it when he's a little older but don't think he'll need it at 3 months. Unless there's a great reason for him to have it now, we'll be waiting.

Does everyone think I should be getting a red Stroller bag for the airport? I've been reading stories about how some strollers can't get damaged at gate check. Would this stroller fit inside an umbrella stroller size bag or do I need to get the double stroller size bag? I haven't seen any other size bags...

 

[strmtroopr96]

I wanted to thank everyone so much for your suggestions. it made it much easier for me to narrow down strollers once I was at Babies R Us and Buybuy Baby.

After looking at all of them, checking out the features, trying them out and looking at the prices, I decided to go with the City Mini Single Stroller. We're going to buy the Universal Parent Console for my DH and I and we're going to wait and see if we'll be needing the Child Tray at such a young age. I'm sure we'll need it when he's a little older but don't think he'll need it at 3 months. Unless there's a great reason for him to have it now, we'll be waiting.

Does everyone think I should be getting a red Stroller bag for the airport? I've been reading stories about how some strollers can't get damaged at gate check. Would this stroller fit inside an umbrella stroller size bag or do I need to get the double stroller size bag? I haven't seen any other size bags...

We have the actual travel bag from Baby Jogger for our City Mini so I don't have any experience with the red travel bag. But if it is truly an umbrella size travel bag (thinking long and narrow similar to the bag that camping chairs are carried in if that makes any sense), then no the Mini would not fit. When folded, the Mini is fairly flat but more of a square shape. You would want to look for a large stroller bag.

We once had a universal stroller bag from Eddie Bauer (bought at Kmart for $6) and it was HUGE!! It was seriously big enough to fit more than just a stroller. The mini would have fit into that one. Only problem was it had no padding at all and did show wear and tear after only 2 trips flying to WDW with it. Our Baby Jogger bag shows very little wear and offers better protection and padding for the Mini. Our Mini has made 4 trips so far in the BJ bag and no problems.

Look for a universal stroller bag. Ones for most jogger styles should work or check the dimensions of both the Mini and the bag and see if they would work.

 

[Leshaface]

We have the actual travel bag from Baby Jogger for our City Mini so I don't have any experience with the red travel bag. But if it is truly an umbrella size travel bag (thinking long and narrow similar to the bag that camping chairs are carried in if that makes any sense), then no the Mini would not fit. When folded, the Mini is fairly flat but more of a square shape. You would want to look for a large stroller bag.

We once had a universal stroller bag from Eddie Bauer (bought at Kmart for $6) and it was HUGE!! It was seriously big enough to fit more than just a stroller. The mini would have fit into that one. Only problem was it had no padding at all and did show wear and tear after only 2 trips flying to WDW with it. Our Baby Jogger bag shows very little wear and offers better protection and padding for the Mini. Our Mini has made 4 trips so far in the BJ bag and no problems.

Look for a universal stroller bag. Ones for most jogger styles should work or check the dimensions of both the Mini and the bag and see if they would work.

I thought it would be a little too wide for an umbrella bag, but just wanted to make sure, before I purchased.

Thank you very much for your review about the stroller bag!

 

[princess pooh]

We love our Maclaren Techno XT. We've used it since birth for our dd, including Disney World at 6 months. It has a full recline, adjustable handles, extendable canopy, reasonably lightweight, great steering and has bigger wheels than most umbrella style strollers so it handles better on rougher terrain (rough sidewalks, cobblestone, etc.). DH had no problems handling it on the Disney buses (he dealt with stroller while I dealt with dd in the Ergo).

I love my Techno! I bought it for travel when my older son was six months old and he's still able to fit in it at age 4. His baby brother has been using it since birth. It's small enough that I can keep it in my trunk at all times and it's great to travel with.

 

[JessiLynn015]

We'll be at Disney World with our new baby in November. He should be almost 3 months at the time. I was between the city mini & b-agile. I ended up choosing the b-agile with accessories & b-safe car seat. I love the weight, size, how easy it folds & the accessories Britax had available for the stroller (organizer, bug net, rain guard, etc).

Now I'm just hoping all goes well with an infant on our trip!

 

[mummabear]

We purchased a stroller bag after ours got damaged on one trip, they dont always let you gate check sadly