Pain In The Stroller

Hannah is now 2.5 years old, and we are on our fourth attempt at finding the "perfect" stroller.

"Eddie Bauer Travel System Stroller"

(exact colour)

The first attempt was a second hand "Eddie Bauer Travel System" we found in the local listings. The price tag was tame in comparison to buying it brand new. The transaction was naive and speedy, predictable with us being uneducated in the world of strollers. A test drive down the driveway would have made us realize our mistake, but we were standing in a tiny foyer of this strangers house in the middle of winter so instead we got the two second 411 on folding and features and from there it can only be summed up as a buy and bye bye. Then came the misery of having to maneuver this awkward 4 wheeled joke around. The only positive features were the generous storage basket, the concept of a car seat and stroller combo was mastermind for transporting a newborn from car to stroller and the car seat was a major requirement for bringing baby home from the hospital. These pros I can imagine could be in many other strollers, I just wouldn't recommend this specific beast. The downside involved the steering of the stroller, very difficult (imagine me doing wheelies in narrow pathways to turn the beast around surrounded by clothing racks while shopping). It was not worth the headache of getting acquainted with such a horrible first stroller.Geoff, myself and a few family members wished to leave this trouble making piece of junk behind a car and let it be roadkill after the car went into ultra reverse a few too many times.

"Mongoose Hope Jogging Stroller"

(exact colour)

Around the same time we were looking for second hand strollers, we came across another fabulous mistake of a stroller, the "Mongoose Hope Jogging Stroller." It is worth it if you are an avid hiker/jogger and you have the extra storage space available for stashing away a big awkward stroller meant only for those two things. We found it for a great price because it was another second hand monster that was hardly used by the previous family (not suprised). It was not a smart substitute for the "Eddie Bauer Travel System" because as much as it was a way different stroller, it was inconvenient for getting around town with its protruding front wheel (lost count of how many times that wheel caught on manual doors when I didn't have a butler handy.) And the large wide set back wheels made me cringe when having to pass through narrow walkways which was never avoidable. And for such a stroller meant for hiking/jogging the storage basket was pitiful! Whoever invented this stroller didn't have kids to know how valuable storage is for parents! The folding feature of this stroller continuted to allow it to be a bulky and cumbersome chunk of metal to store with its huge wheels. "Welcome to our home, take a seat on the couch and make yourself comfortable! Meet our dogs, our daughter, and oh our stroller in the corner of the living room!" The collapsing latch was also not user friendly (lost count of how many times I had my fingers pinched). We did take the stroller for many hikes and I admit it did work wonders for trails and terrain (thanks to the shocks) and we just packed everything (that didn't fit in the basket) into a backpack. But for an all the time use stroller..mistake number two!

"Quinny Zapp 4 Wheel Stroller"

(exact colour)

Our tiresome third attempt for a stroller came later when we needed to upgrade to a toddler stroller - and bid a not so tearful goodbye to the first two strollers. With the lemon second hand strollers we had experienced, we decided to look for a new one (how exciting with a box and instructions!) With luck on our side we grabbed an amazing deal on a usually expensive stroller. All of us instantly fell in love with, the "Quinny Zapp 4 Wheel Stroller." It was a dream to navigate and was a slick and slender rocket that got the job of running around town done! The few drawbacks were minimal but helpful so here we go, the storage basket was tiny in size but we did find a second storage solution to attach to the side of the frame so, problem solved. There was no cup holder for driver of stroller or tray/cup holder for child, but the stroller was so light that pushing with one hand and holding your drink in the other hand was flawless. The last concern was the wheels were small and plastic, not ideal as a hiking/jogging or winter weather ride but fantastic for all other seasons and purposes. It came with a rain cover and a storage bag (that fit the entire stroller.) After collapsing this stroller, you hardly know its sitting in the corner of a full cupboard or in the trunk of the car. My all time favourite feature was the whole seat was attached to the frame by a zipper, so messes and spills were easily cleaned up by tossing it in the washing machine. High up in the ranks for sure!

"InStep Suburban Swivel Wheel Jogging Stroller."

(ours is green and black)

Although we love our Quinny stroller and will certainly keep it, we recently found a serious sale (lucky again) on a stroller that will be an investment for before and after Geoff leaves. I will be walking in winter wonderland so we need versatile wheels and a larger storage basket for all the errands. Introducing our newest family member, the "InStep Quinny!" The storage basket is a dream come true size with lots of space to fill! The driver of the stroller gets a tray for drinks, keys etc and the child gets a tray with cup holder too! WIN WIN! It collapses into a fair size and easily condenses, yay for no more pinched fingers! And the fabric has reflective strips for safety. The wheels are smaller than the Mongoose stroller but presents the same setting so this model has the versatility to be a jogging, hiking or errands stroller. The search has now reached an end and I can now say I am a stroller expert (kidding). The views in this post are personal opinions and are suggestions of what to look for so you don't get caught in a situation of 4 strollers later (like us)! Its an important topic to research and talk about. Keep in mind, opposite opinions of what features matter can make it stressful, so sometimes compromising is the key to success. Good luck in your stroller hunt!