Parenting Article:

Buying a stroller - Purchasing tips and tricks

Courtesy of: Stokke

There are many varieties, types, and variations of strollers available to you when considering the ideal stroller for you and your child.

From jogging strollers to sit and stand strollers, twin strollers to bob strollers, lightweight strollers to baby carriages and prams. Such wide selection and market choice makes it difficult to navigate and choose the stroller that’s right for you.

With so many models and types, all with attractive features, options, and accessories, how can you be sure that the stroller you select is the ideal stroller for your needs?

Of the many important considerations to review when selecting your stroller, perhaps the most important are:

Pram, stroller, or carriage solution?
Many strollers are designed for use with your child after their first year (twelve months). Before this, a more traditional pram is often seen as a conveyance option for your child.

If you already have a child, or intend to have more than one child then a stroller which can be fitted with both a carry cot and seat option, suitable for both infants and toddlers, is an ideal solution to avoid purchasing multiple carriages, prams, and strollers.

Ensuring that your stroller can be used as a carry cot and then later as a seated option ensures that you child can travel in the stroller at anytime during their early development.

Travelling
Whilst all strollers may appear practical and provide various benefits and features, choosing a stroller which easily folds into the trunk of your car means that whenever you travel between distances you can always bring your stroller with you and your child wherever you go.

Safety
Your stroller should provide a safety harness system that secures your child comfortably. Choosing a stroller which provides a harness restraint that incorporates an easy release buckle makes it easier for you to secure and remove your child from the stroller without the need to adjust or attempt to release awkward claps or fasteners.

Reclining seat
As your child outgrows its carry cot, it is important that the stroller seat allows your child to recline. A stroller seat that reclines allows you to take your child out for walks long before they are able to sit up unaided.

Canopy
Your stroller should provide a canopy that protects your child from weather ailments such as the harsh winter winds, autumn rains, and strong summer sunshine.

Washable fabrics
Whilst most stroller chassis’s can be easily wiped and cleaned, choosing a stroller whose fabrics are fully machine washable, and can be easily removed, is essential to maintaining your stroller and ensuring its longevity.

Handle height
Many of today’s modern strollers allow you to adjust the height of the stroller handle to minimize strain on the back and lower spine.

When considering a stroller for your needs, it’s important to remember that the handle of the stroller not only needs to full adjustable both in height and position, but also needs to be comfortable for you and anyone else pushing your stroller.

Stroller height
Just as the handle of your stroller needs to be easy to adjust and position, the height of your stroller must also be adjustable.

As your child grows and develops the height of the stroller seat needs to adjust to reflect your child’s development. A stroller which also incorporates a fully adjustable footrest allows your child to sit comfortably and securely, able to adjust position and resting dangling feet.

Manoeuvrability
Strollers come in different sizes, with differing chassis types, and wheel configurations.

Whilst a heavier chassis is ideally suited as a jogging stroller, extra weight and size makes manoeuvrability in shops, stairs, and other crowded narrow urban areas more difficult to access and navigate.

Strollers that do not have rotating front wheels, or have only three wheels, make turning and cornering in small spaces difficult and cumbersome.

When considering which stroller best suits your needs, remember that your ideal stroller should not only accommodate your child’s needs for transport, comfort, and growth, but also your needs for safety, stability, and manoeuvrability.

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