Stroll On!

Strollers. Every mom has one. My sister-in-law has a garage cemetery of them. A few of my friends earn money by giving workout classes using them. But I am yet to find someone who is 100% happy with hers. We researched like crazy, and by we I mean Mitch, who found this and a few other purchases to be his first way of connecting with Cam while I was pregnant.

We were limited to strollers with extendable handles because we’re both over 6’0” tall, which ruled out anything under a million dollars. Like looking for a home, a car, etc., all I wanted was a nice, mid-range item with some design appeal and value for money.

But there we were, splashing out considerable funds on a Quinny Buzz 3, thinking it would last through the two kids we planned for. We loved it initially, but the front wheel started to stick. The handle cable broke. And suddenly we’re wondering how it would last through one kid, let alone two, when the steering was stiff and terrible.

Toys R Us were brill, they fixed it and gave us a floor-model umbrella stroller to get us through the two weeks while they fixed it.

And then the front wheel started to stick again. Then the mechanism that locked the stroller in an upright position popped in and out of place. We were frustrated, and Quinny customer service wouldn’t fix it.

So based on further online and in-store research, here are a few I’d recommend for tall parents. Had I a cheap option, I’d own one myself, so apologies in advance that nothing comes under about $300.

Chicco Cortina: Not going to win design awards, but not bad for the price and the handle height is really high. Really high. Watch out for weight limit, as I think it’s only about 40lbs and you might find yourself buying another stroller with a higher weight limit in a year or two.

Bugaboo: Expensive, prices going up July 1, but I don’t think I’ve heard any complaints from parents who own any of the models. Also got high marks in boutique stroller shop. Lots of (equally expensive) accessories, but you can’t swing a cat in the greater New York area without hitting a mom (usually nanny) pushing one. Though I understand the UPPAbaby Vista line is taking considerable market share. I can see why: I’m tired of seeing the Bugaboo. Weird status symbol but good product, so…what to do.

Maclaren XT: Best umbrella stroller, but it’s still pricey. A bit of a booger in that you can’t have anything in the storage compartments when you fold it, but handle height is good, and it’s light(er)weight than a lot of the “systems.”

Baby Jogger – Classic or Elite (City Mini handle is still too short): Highly recommended by boutique staff member who had tested every stroller (including expensive Stokke/Maclaren/etc brands) on her three kids. She owns the City Mini, but she was short. OK for light jogging, handmade, more lines available, crazy high handle and crazy easy folding. Mine’s on order, I’ll update when it gets here! We were looking for an umbrella stroller to replace the Quinny, so turned up our noses at a jogger-style at first. Time will tell! But the joggers typically have taller handles, and this one has a child weight limit of 75lbs and good for tall babies, accessories to convert it to a double stroller and an infant system. Baby Jogger seems to be the “it” double/triple stroller as well.

UPPAbaby: Handle height on the Vista range was pretty good, but their umbrella strollers boasting high handle heights and high frames were not high enough. The Vista was reminiscent of the Quinny, which is why we shied away from it, not for any other reason.

Quinny Buzz: Starts off great. Not cheap, but not the most expensive. Fab design. At first the steering was awesome. The one-finger, gas-spring unfold was impressive. Diaper bag attached to frame was convenient. The design and ease-of-use, especially with the Maxi-Cosi carseat, was great. However, the steering going stiff and the handle cable snapping are common problems, as we knew and as we heard talking to vendors. Also, the stroller attachment is very short, so at 30lbs our son is too tall for it. The straps were too short for him to wear a jacket and I think the buckle pinched his crotch.

Maxi-Cosi and Quinny are the same brand, so while a Maxi-Cosi line has come out, we didn’t bother.

Stokke and Orbit: Far too expensive to even try. Cool looking, but at price points well over $1,000 (heard $1,800 to fully kit out the Orbit), all I can say is, you’re buying a stroller, not a rocket ship.

Top Stroller Buying Tips:
Go someplace you can test in person. Take full strides because you will kick the frame unless the handles are tall enough, and that’ll drive you bonkers in the real world.

If you’re tall, your kid probably will be, too. Look for higher weight limits, or at least a large-looking chair (wide and tall) to accommodate her. Think about stroller weight, but not too much, as if you’re tall you can lift a bigger stroller.

Then there are smaller things: how much do accessories cost on top of stroller cost? Do you have to empty all the baskets to fold it? Will the stroller tip backward if you have a heavy diaper bag hanging off the back? Do you own a car or are you on and off buses?

Don’t always buy the best deal. Toys R Us has an excellent return policy (keep that receipt forever!), though staff don’t tend to be super knowledgeable and the stores don’t always stock the more expensive brands to test. Boutique staff are very knowledgeable but the strollers tend to be more expensive. Buying online is cheaper, but if you need a fix…duh-doh. Ask about repeat offenders on repairs.

Largely, I think, where do stroller makers get off charging what they do? I'd take a $20 umbrella stroller if the handles were high enough.