Thursday, January 1, 2009

Stroller Lady

My seventh stroller arrived yesterday. So are you thinking, "good god, what does one person, with two kids, need with 7 strollers??" Well I don't keep them all. I usually sell one then purchase another.

It has been an on going quest to find the perfect stroller. Perhaps you think I have too much time on my hands, but I like to have things that work well to facilitate my outings - outings that become increasingly more difficult (but not unmanageable).

I believe it wont be something created in my stroller needing life time, I dare to hope by the time I have grandkids someone will manufacture one though. In case any would-be stroller designers want to know what I need, here it is:

I want a:
• LIGHT (under 25 lbs)
• Durable (fabric doesn’t rip or stain)
• Easily removable straps/fabric for washing
• One hand fold
• Good umbrella coverage - why even bother with an umbrella that only blocks the sun at high noon?
• Converts from one to two, preferably front to back
• Big wheels, easy for pushing and jumping curbs

These are the strollers I have purchased and their pros/cons:
• Graco travel system: heavy and big, perfect for one baby, lovely cup holders, trays, storage
• Maclaren Volo: super easy to fold, super light, good for travel, only holds one baby though
• Maclaren Techno: same as the volo, but a little more sturdy
• Kidarooz: Umm, we only had this one over night as the parts were not able to be assembled.
• Phil and Ted: So slender, great for malls/stores, holds two, but tedious to convert, also heavy kids goes in front, but heavy kid likes to jump out a lot, leaving little helpless baby underneath to tip over, mom to frantically grab stroller, but unable to grab child that jumped out and is running away. Very cool design though. Good wheels.
• BOB Duallie: So easy to push, can climb mountains and roll on the beach. Lots of storage, holds two kids - three if one perches on the front. Really comfy for kids. Too wide, too heavy, takes up the entire back of van. You get dirty looks if you take it in retail places "How inconsiderate is that lady to take up the entire isle?"
• Joovy: Light, steers well, perfect for one strapped in and one who needs to hop on and off. Design doesn’t not allow for jumping up curbs. Folds easy.
If you read this and have found the perfect stroller by all means tell me!!

4 comments:

kschei said...

You still make me laugh... the Joovy and the Kidarooz is all I need, Kristen. But my standards are lower than yours. "Keep your standards low and your hopes high!" is what Kyle always tells me. I'm such a happy-go-lucky person even when my kids tell me how "squooshy" my tummy feels! It could be worse, right? I could be pregnant and squooshy?!

Anonymous said...
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Kristen said...

Oops, I was signed in as my moms account - so I ask - Are you calling me high maintenance? AND pregnant and squooshy??

Anonymous said...

I really think you should be a product tester for stroller companies - your stringent standards would force them to design the perfect stroller. You crack me up ;-)

By the way, did I mention what cute pregnant lady you are? You definitely are.

Rachel