When a child is on the way, the first purchases for the new arrival are made during pregnancy. Proudly, parents go to baby specialty stores to look for clothes, baby carriers, toys, and nursery furniture. You can easily spend a few hundred euros here, especially when it comes to choosing the right stroller in which the little baby will be pushed through the world for the first months of its life. To get a little insight into the future vehicle, here are a few tips for buying a stroller.
Important points when choosing a stroller
- Combinability of baby seat and seat unit
- Wipeable seats or easy-to-clean fabrics
- Seat position should be adjustable
- Handlebar should be adjustable
- 5-point harness for the child
- Larger wheels are an advantage
- Foldable (and not too complicated)
- Lighter models (if you have to overcome many hurdles, such as steps)
- Parking brake
- Storage space
- Canopy for darkening
Whether in a baby specialty store or on the internet – the choice of strollers is truly vast and diverse. Size, colors, and features – you are really spoiled for choice here. It should be a stylish model, safe for the baby, with enough storage space for shopping and, of course, baby utensils, easy to steer and handle, and easy to transport. It is not uncommon for one model or another to fail in one or more categories. Whether it's a stroller or a sports version, with large or small wheels, solid rubber or air-filled tires, which are either fixed or swiveling, the small details are also decisive for the purchase of a future baby carriage.
Combination strollers are usually advisable, in which babies can be pushed lying down until they can sit up on their own, which is usually reached at the age of 9 months. It is strongly advised against transporting babies in buggies or similar vehicles before they are at the sitting age, as this results in an overload of the spine, which is not conducive to the child's health.
So, once the child has reached the sitting stage, the combination stroller can be converted into a buggy. Here, only the baby tubs are removed; the frame remains the same. Such a stroller has quite a few advantages, as a child gets use out of this vehicle from birth until about 3 years of age.
Safety is important
CE, GS, or TĂśV mark
Of course, safety is very important for a stroller. Strollers that function perfectly in all categories receive a TĂśV seal after the GS test. So, if you are not sure whether the future stroller is the right one for you in terms of safety, look for the CE as well as the TĂśV and GS marks.
Harness
If your child is sitting in the buggy, safety belts must be present so that your little treasure does not fall out of the stroller in their lively way. A simple lap belt is not enough here, as the little ones very quickly find out how to free themselves from this annoying part. A five-point harness is recommended, where the toddler is securely strapped in but still enjoys plenty of freedom of movement.
The wheels
Due to their maneuverability, swivel wheels have become popular on many strollers. Especially on level floors, in the supermarket, or while shopping, you can easily reach different shelves, do not have to swivel the entire stroller around as with fixed wheels, and are therefore very flexible.
However, think carefully about whether you want to use solid rubber, plastic, or air-filled wheels. To avoid risking a "flat tire," solid rubber tires or plastic wheels would make perfect sense.
Parking brake
In addition, every stroller must have a parking brake that blocks the rear wheels of the stroller. This way, the stroller cannot simply roll away while chatting on the street, on the bus, or when parked in the stairwell.
Adjustable handlebar for parents
So that every family member can drive the stroller perfectly, the handlebar should be adjustable.
Size and weight are important
The size and weight of the stroller are also important. Here you have to think carefully about where and how you will use the stroller. Anyone who frequently uses public transport or is confronted with stairs or similar obstacles in everyday life will quickly realize that this problem is difficult to manage with large, wide, and especially heavy strollers. Do I have to drive by car often and fold the stroller frequently? Then it should be light and quick to fold. The weight is also decisive here, because if you have to heave several kilos into the trunk every day, it is quite hard on your back.
For twins, our decision was: twin stroller with seats one behind the other or side by side. The pros and cons are obvious. If you choose one behind the other, you can wonderfully go through narrow aisles in shops. Disadvantage: the curves. Furthermore, one child has a clear view forward, the other sees the back wall. That's why we decided on side-by-side. Although I didn't get through the door in all shops, the children found it very nice to sit next to each other and be able to look. Also, in terms of steering, side-by-side was never a problem.
Accessories for the stroller
Accessories such as rain covers, insect protection, parasols, and attachment options for toys should also not be neglected. A seat bar that the toddler gets over their legs is particularly important – this way, toys can be attached here and the child sits very securely in their stroller for the next walk.
I also found the reclining function important. If the child has fallen asleep, the reclining position can be taken; this should be easy to adjust so that you don't wake the child up immediately.
Furthermore, we bought warm footmuffs as accessories. In winter, they were really great and easy to put on.
Conclusion
Finding a stroller for all everyday situations or parental wishes is very difficult. Here you really have to concentrate on a few points that are important to you. For example, those who live in the countryside and want to drive a lot off-road should pay attention to large tires. Parents with a baby in the city will tend to choose a slim and light stroller so that they fit comfortably in elevators and public transport. Anyone who wants to do a lot of shopping with the baby should pay attention to storage space in the stroller. The equipment was also important to me: a bag on the handlebar, large storage space at the bottom, a canopy to darken when the sun is shining or when the twins wanted to sleep. Folding was also very important to me, as I often had to transport the stroller into the car.
In many cases, combination strollers are bought first so that you don't want to keep buying a new model. We also had the tubs for our twins first and could remove them very easily and then put the children in the seats. The frame remained the same and that was very practical.
We decided on the twin stroller from "Easywalker" and were really very satisfied. It was easy to fold, I could drive everywhere great with the tires, as the steering was really simple. Our stroller was still in such great shape that we could even resell it. Clear recommendation from my side.My parents then treated us to 2 buggies when the children were older, as you can of course drive around a little easier with these. These were not as heavy and you are just better off in shops if you have narrow buggies. We also took the 2 buggies with us when we flew on vacation. However, I always missed the large tires and the steering; that was by far not as good with the buggies as with our twin stroller.What should be considered when buying a stroller
In this article, you will find tips that you should consider when buying a stroller.
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
Also read: Setting up a baby room
