Strollers Product Review and Advice

Oh my goodness, there are so many strollers to choose from these days, you have the Travel System (includes infant car seat and stroller), Lightweight strollers, the snap and go. The major brands include Graco, Peg Perego, Chicco, Bugaboo, Maclaren, Combi...just to name a few. Here a primer on the different options available:

Travel System
These are larger sized strollers that come with carseats and matching strollers. They've been around a little over a decade now. Most all of the stroller companies make the Travel System. What's great about it is that you can take the car seat and snap it right into the stroller, very convenient! The downside is that often the strollers that come with these systems are very, very heavy and hard to handle for a new mom. The good Travel systems I like and are very well reviewed by other Moms are the Graco Metrolite (Retails for $199) the and Chicco Cortina (Retails for $279).

Lightweight Strollers
Most of them are light (less than 15 pounds), fold easy and have great storage baskets. My favorite lightweight stroller is the Peg Perego Aria (Retails for $200), it weighs only 12 pounds and looks like a full size stroller. Jogging or All Terrain Strollers These strollers feature 3 big wheels designed to handle up 15 mph and rought terrain, such as trails and bumpy roads. The downside to these strollers is that are not usually meant to be used for smooth surfaces such as malls. My favorite brand is the Expedition LX Jogger (Retails for $119).

Umbrella Strollers
They are just as light as the lightweight strollers but fold more compactly. Great for those that travel or don't want to take up too much trunk space. These strollers can vary in price and quality greatly from $20 to $400 for a fancy Maclaren. My favorite Umbrella stroller in this category is the Maclaren Quest Sport (Retails for $199) and great lower priced option to the Maclaren is the Chicco Capri (Retails for $60)

Having gone through the stroller buying process only a few months ago, I eventually settled on a Travel System (Chicco Cortina) and a Lightweight Macleren Quest Sport stroller to use after my son outgrows the Travel System.

Bottom Line Review and Advice:
If you are a first time Mom, go for a Graco Safe Seat Car Seat that can handle up to 30 pounds in case your little one is a bruiser and use it with the Baby Trend Snap and Go or Graco's version of the Snap and Go. When your baby is six months old or after they outgrow the carseat buy a Maclaren or Peg Perego lightweight stroller.

For more information, visit our baby stroller reviews page at the Baby Review Center.