Stroller Buying Guide: How to pick the right ride for Your Family
Why Choosing the Right Stroller Matters: Essential Tips for New Parents
When you have a baby or toddler, a good stroller is essential. It lets you get out of the house and navigate the world with ease. Leaving the house with a newborn can be tricky, so a high-quality, easy-to-use stroller is a lifeline for many new parents.
Your stroller is also one of the most expensive baby purchases you’ll make, so it’s important to get it right. You don’t want to invest in a stroller that ends up being too heavy, hard to fold, or difficult to steer.
Of course, no one stroller suits every parent. Consider your lifestyle. Will you be navigating bush walks and country paths or be more likely to keep to the footpaths and malls?
Before you buy, it’s a good idea to take a look at different models in-store, push them around, fold them down, and open them up to get a feel for how they work.
Before you’re overwhelmed by options and terminology - In New Zealand, we tend to use the words pram, stroller, buggy and pushchair interchangeably.
Capsule compatibility
For new babies, you’ll most likely want a stroller that’s compatible with your capsule car seat. These are particularly handy during the sleepy newborn phase, as they let you move the baby from car to stroller without waking them.
All of our strollers are compatible with most capsules from well-known brands such as Maxi Cosi and Nuna. Talk to our in-store team if you want to check on compatibility.
Carrycot – or not
A detachable carrycot can be incredibly handy in the early stages – from newborn to around 6 months.
Lying flat on their back is the best, safest position for newborn baby to be in. If the seat on the stroller you choose has a lie-flat position, a carrycot isn’t essential. But many parents choose them because they simplify life in the first few months.
A carrycot attached to your stroller not only allows your baby to sleep comfortably while on the go, it can also be removed and used as a portable bed for naps when visiting friends or family.
Single vs. Double Strollers: Which is Right for Your Family?
When you buy a stroller for your first baby, it can be hard to imagine life with more children. But it’s a good idea to consider your future when making your decision. Some strollers – like the Nuna Demi Next and the Edwards and Co Olive – have the option to add an extra seat for a sibling. If you plan to have two children close in age, this is worth considering.
Having twins? Both the Demi next and Olive are tandem strollers, where the seats are not side-by-side but instead tiered. This is more convenient for everyday errands and shopping, as they’re narrower and easier to manage.
Another option to consider for an older sibling is a Stroller board that attaches to the back of the stroller. These are great for independent walkers who might tire on a long walk or need a ride to quicken the pace.
The right size for your space
Strollers come in a range of shapes and sizes. They’re all foldable, but some – like the lightweight Stokke Yoyo – have a more compact fold than others. It even fits in an aeroplane’s overhead locker making it ideal for travel.
Travel can be considered a separate stroller category all together – we’ll do a separate blog on those soon.
But even for your everyday stroller, you’ll want to think about storage and transport options. Where will you keep your stroller when you’re at home? How big is the boot of your car? How often will you need to lift it into the car, onto public transport or up stairs? If you can, try the stroller in your boot to see how well it fits. If not, measure the space before you make a decision.
How easily the stroller folds is another factor to consider and this is where trying a few models in-store is a good idea. One-hand fold mechanisms are incredibly convenient, especially when your arms are full with a little one.
If you think you’ll be lifting your stroller frequently, opt for a lightweight model.
Which wheels are best?
For a while there, three-wheel strollers seemed to be the only option. Now, four-wheel models are having a resurgence in popularity.
Three-wheel strollers are typically thought to be easier to steer, especially with one hand – which can be useful if you’re carrying an upset baby and pushing a pram at the same time.
Four-wheel strollers, tend to be more compact, making them easier to manage in shops and cafés. They also tend to fold more neatly for easy storage.
Tyre type is another factor to consider - larger wheels with foam-filled or inflatable tyres tend to offer better suspension, which is more comfortable for your baby on rough terrain. Whereas smaller swivelling wheels are easier to manoeuvre around busy places and crowded shops
For the best of both worlds, the four-wheeled Mixx has tough, foam filled tryres and boasts easy one-handed steering.
The wheels on the New Nuna Swiv offer something unique – with a 360 degree swivel so you can navigate small spaces with side-to-side ease.
Forward or back?
Forward-facing or rear-facing? If you’ve never bought a stroller before, it can be hard to know what you’ll prefer. Fortunately, this choice is more about preference than safety or practicality.
Newborns are naturally drawn to their parent's faces, and a rear-facing stroller lets you interact and keep an eye on them as you go. Then as they grow up, forward-facing gives them a chance to look out on the world around them.
Most everyday strollers we sell have convertible parent-facing/ world-facing seats so you have both options in one.
Other things to consider
- Comfort features for your little one - like padded seats, adjustable recline positions and good suspension.
- How comfortable is the handle height? Adjustable handle height can be good for parents of different heights.
- Des the stroller offer good storage underneath for all the baby essentials, nappy bag and shopping?
Fun and functional extras
These days, strollers have a huge range of add-ons and accessories – rain and shade covers, parasols, cup holders, snack trays and compatible nappy bags.
Choose what’s best for you
As with any big purchase, buying a stroller is about working out what’s most important to you, and finding a model that best fits your needs and budget.
If you need help finding the right stroller for your family, visit our store, talk to one of our team members and take some of our display models for a spin. Check out our range here.
