infant and toddler strollers

ok, jonathan asked why i didn't buy a stroller that would accomodate two at a time, so of course i have to respond with detailed supporting info.  cal barely rides in his stroller anymore, preferring to run like a madman wherever we go.  when cal was born, my main priority was to buy ONE stroller that would last him the whole time, and we succeeded with the maclaren global, with which i was very happy.   the maclaren was GREAT and it's held up really well.  best features about it: accomodates an infant car seat, multiple recline positions, easy manueverability, compact fold and light.  we did end up getting one more semi-stroller: the chariot bike trailer.  since we knew we were going for two kids, we decided to get the double.  and since the chariot can also convert into a stroller, it's serving the purpose of our double stroller.  chariot's got a bunch of cool accessories too, like an infant sling, and it can convert to a jogging stroller or ski trailer, you know, for all those ski trips we plan on doing...

so, why buy another stroller?  well, i figure bonden was already getting so many hand-me-downs, it'd be nice if he had ONE cool piece of gear.  plus, i was having stoller upgrade itches.  so, the key criteria for me:

• can accomodate an infant car seat, NOT the peg perego.  i found this feature super helpful with cal, and we had the peg perego infant seat, but i didn't like it, so we needed one that would accomodate a new infant seat this time.
• rides well over bumpy sidewalks
• compact/easy fold
• would accomodate bonden from infancy to toddler
• looks cool, or has neat features (yes, i'm shallow, i admit it)

hence, we ended up with the maxi-cosi infant car seat and they quinny buzz, and we're really happy so far.  for those of you that are curious, here are the infant and toddler strollers i researched.  i ruled out any side-by-side strollers because i think they're too big, and we already had the chariot.

 

                       

Phil and Ted’s Sport Double, $500	I   liked this one a lot. My friend has it   and I tried it out: it has good handling, looks good, and the click-in seat   is great. Also has cool accessories,   like panniers.  The only thing I don’t   like is the child in the back seems to ride low. Also didn’t opt for it because it wouldn’t   accommodate an infant car seat.
Joovy Caboose Ultralight, $250	Most   versatile, like how you can use a car seat with it, and all the other   features like the extra large canopy, the parent organizer, or how the   toddler can sit or stand. I think of   all the strollers I looked it, it had the best feature set. I saw this at the store, and it was   reasonable maneuverable, but was kinda bulky when collapsed.  And the real reason I wouldn’t conside this,   despite all the features: I think it’s fugly.
Valco   Trimode, $500	This   one was also a contender, because I’ve heard good things about the Valco. Has a lot of versatility, offers a lot of   accessories: bassinet, riding board, etc.
Wheeled   Boards Bugaboo,   $80: Lascal,   $90:	These   are boards that attach to the stroller frame itself. Several companies make these and they let   the toddler stand behind the stroller. I just don’t see my little guy standing behind the stroller for long   so I didn’t even really consider these.
Baby Trend Sit and Stand, $129	Similar   design to the Joovy, but have heard bad things about Baby Trend quality. They make the popular Snap-n-Go stroller   frames also, so parents who like that may want to consider this one. The least expensive option I found.
Bumbleride Queen B, $510	I   had heard of Bumbleride, but have seen very few of these, and didn’t come   across this until after I bought the Quinny. I think because they’re a more traditional pram style, they’re not as   common. But, I found that they do   accommodate infant car seats and come with some nice frivolous accessories   (footmuff, cup holder). But it’s mega   heavy: 31 pounds!

Comments

[Jonathan & Jill Fiur]

Wow! Next time you're going to buy something you and Jill should hold a concall and compare your intel. Good point on all the hand-me-downs. We'll have a little less of that unless Lukas is really into wearing girl's clothes at a young age. (Plus - don't tell Natalie - but I think he's going to be bigger than she is). Hey, maybe I should just write you an email, or give you guys a call...

[Jonathan & Jill Fiur]

one more thing, there is a way to make an infant car seat work with P&T, but it's "off-label".

[William Hertling]

I really like the Chariot Cougar. Even though we had a handful of strollers already, we bought the Cougar because it could be used as a bike trailer, regular stroller, or jogging stroller. It makes such an excellent stroller, that it is now our primary stroller.

I even built a cargo tray that fits on the front of the stroller using the mounting inserts for the jogging stroller attachment: http://www.liquididea.com/2007/07/customizing_the_chariot_with_a.html

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