Do I need a full size stroller?

[Anonymous]

I am 5"7 and have not found an umbrella stroller than I can push comfortably, they are just lower. Unless you are short I cant see how they work for you long term.
Are you going to be using he stroller to put shopping in, or need space for a diaper bag? If so you need one with a decent size storage area underneath it.

[Anonymous]

No. Babies can’t sit up. Just get the Cruz.

[Anonymous]

FYI if you get the Cruz we liked the infant snug seat more than the bassinet. Baby rolled all over the bassinet when we went over bumpy sidewalk. Bonus the infant snug seat is a lot cheaper.

[Anonymous]

I got a Summer Infant 3D model, which has a full recline so infants under 6 months can use it. Lightweight and easy to fold. It has served us well. We still occasionally use with with our 3 year old, but mostly he walks everywhere now.

We mostly did baby-wearing for the first 9 months, though. Very clingy baby with reflux, so laying flat was his idea of torture. Plus not having to deal with a stroller was just easier, imo.

One-and-done family, so that also colored our decision not to invest in an expensive and bulky stroller that can be used for multiple children.

[Anonymous]

We had the Graco snap n go stroller for the car seat, then we got an Inglesina umbrella stroller which did recline, and finally we got an Uppababy Cruz for my 2nd with the scooter add-on for my toddler to stand on (used a Graco add-on for the carseat when she was an infant).

The Cruz was awesome and we lived in San Francisco and walked everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Uppababy Minu or Babyzen YoYo are your friends for NYC.

I have a Cruz but we are in a rowhouse in DC and walk everywhere (including to the pediatrician's, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Try Bugaboo Bee ( loved this for singleton) - it’s pricey but is so well made I’d be confident buying one used. You can purchase components as well. I used the Mountain Buggy Duet for twins and loved that, too - I suspect their single strollers are just as good.

https://us.mountainbuggy.com/pages/strollers
https://www.bugaboo.com/us-en/strollers/bugaboo-bee-5/

[Anonymous]

We're really talking about three different categories of strollers - full-size, compact/lightweight, and umbrella. The nature of an umbrella stroller and how it folds limits some functionality, while some of the compact/lightweight strollers, like the Baby Jogger Citi Mini, pack some of the functionality of a full size stroller into a lighter and more compact package.

[Anonymous]

I prefer babywearing to putting newborns in strollers. I think it's way easier to be hands-free. You can wait til your baby is born and see how you do. If you decide you want a big stroller, I'm sure you can get one at least by the next day.

[Anonymous]

Look into the Zoe. I love it for a compact travel umbrella stroller alternative. I'm 5'9 and my husband is 6'1 and it works great for both of us. They have a car seat adapter too. The full recline and huge canopy is great. The wheels are a little bit better than what you'd expect on an umbrella.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. you do not need a full size stroller. We have the babyzen yoyo which is much better for city life. It has a small foot print which is better for tiny cafes, city sidewalks, subway etc. It is also very lightweight if you have a walk up. You can use it from birth to 4 years. The storage underneath has always been plenty for groceries etc in my mind. Less obtrusive is better for city life.

That's what I came here to recommend. It's very nice for maneuverability. A lot of subway stations don't have elevators so a full time stroller might impossible by yourself

[Anonymous]

When are you due, OP? People are saying you need a full size stroller because babies can't sit up but if you're due soon it isn't like there's a lot of places to go with baby aside from walks and the pediatrician.

My plan is to babywear unless baby hates it. Live in DC and walk a lot of places/use public transit...At least we did before covid. Anyway, big ass strollers seem like a complete nightmare to me. Hate being trapped by them in small shops and restaurants. Hate being run off the sidewalk. Don't want to haul a 25# stroller up my front steps every time I go out. I'm assuming you don't have a car so you won't be doing the infant bucket seat clicking into the stroller thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're tight on space I would plan on wearing the baby until they're older and then using an umbrella stroller. Per my NYC mom friends, the train elevators are often non-existent or non-functioning so a lighter/smaller stroller is a big pro.

We also had a Maclaren umbrealla stroller and it was great (large sunshade, good recline, large basket and comfortable seat) but I agree with PP that pushing it wasn't nearly as comfortable as our city mini GT. That was/is our go to stroller.

Pp who just posted, but I wanted to note here that it is much,much easier and safer to kind of bump a bigger stroller up and down the stairs than it is to carry a lighter stroller down with a kid inside. (If you're traveling during peak hours I wouldn't want any stroller).

Carry the child on your hip, fold and carry umbrella.

[Anonymous]

I used a baby ktan for babywearing and a Graco snap n go type stroller for first 6 months in DC, mix of walking, bus, metro, car and Uber. The basket is not huge but big enough. This is useful because you can pop it off and put in a taxi without the base. Base is for convenience in your own car, it is not needed for safety. Then we had a regular, cheap umbrella. It's true the handles are short but I believe you can buy an extender or some may be taller. In DC it's technically not allowed to roll an open stroller onto the bus, so umbrella was great for that. If I'd had more than one small child though, I may feel differently.

[Anonymous]

I saw the minu recommendations here and I must say we have this and liked it a lot at first but have had trouble getting it to close after less than a year of use. It will also be a bumpier ride on the sidewalk for a newborn than the vista. I’ve always thought a vista would have been great to have.