out for a stroll

Filed Under Pregnancy and Birthing, Tips & Tricks | June 4, 2009

When you become pregnant you’re suddenly thrust into a whole new world of consumer reports where strollers and cribs replace your former big ticket buys. And given how much time most of us spend pushing a stroller, it’s a purchase that demands a lot of thought. So we went to stroller expert Cristina Lewarne of Crocodile Baby and asked for her top stroller-buying tips.

Lewarne suggests you focus on value, what fits your lifestyle and the specific features you want. And when she says value she doesn’t just mean price – after all, you could buy three cheap strollers that don’t last and end up in the landfill, or invest in something that costs a little more, lasts for years and has great resale value. Says Lewarne, “A stroller to a mother is as important as a car is to a traveling salesman. You’re going to spend hours and hours using it so if you’re not happy with it you’ll be frustrated and upset.”

There are thousands of different models of strollers out there with different strollers for each niche. As Lewarne says, “Our job is to work hard at finding the best stroller in each niche.” Your job is figure out what fits your lifestyle and what features you need.

“We’re finding more parents want a stroller that allows their baby to face them, while less parents are asking if the stroller can fit a car seat,” says Lewarne of stroller trends. She suggests thinking about the following features:  Do you need big wheels that can go anywhere? How far back does it recline? Does it include a rain cover? Will you be lifting it in and out of the car a lot? If so you’ll need to think about the weight and the size of your car’s trunk.

What’s one of the most commonly asked questions they get at Crocodile? How long will the stroller fit my child? And the answer, for all strollers, is four-years old. Don’t tell our stroller loving five-year-old that…

Want more expert advice? Let us know as we’ve got a great cadre of experts to call on and we’d love to share their knowledge with you. On yoyomama this week we covered a great diaper bag that would make a fab Father’s Day gift. And check out this month’s contest. We’ll be announcing the winner of last month’s contest soon. Are you doing some serious sharing in our Refer a Friend contest? You could win great swag.