2 1/2 years into parenthood and I am already in the market for a new stroller. I hadn’t counted on this when I invested in our wonderful Bugaboo Frog when Jax was an infant. No matter what people may say about luxury strollers, I LOVE mine. It came with a great little Moses carrier for the infant. All the fabric comes off and is completely washable. All the parts can be replaced. There is winter and summer fabric. Tires take air. It holds up to 40lbs. The only set back was that it has to come completely apart to travel. But the flip side to that was that the Moses carrier came off, and our baby liked to sleep in it where ever he was. This stroller was a dream come true for us! That is until our baby became Shaqzilla. My son will be 3 in October and he is the average weight and size of a 4 year old. He is making the stroller squeak. The hydraulic system cusses me out every time he sits in it! So it’s time for me to get a new stroller.
But what do you choose for a child who still needs a stroller but is too big for the average reclining stroller? I’m guessing a test drive of strollers is in order. There are so many choices! It’s exhausting and frustrating! I really don’t want to waste money, but I also feel like I’m wasting a lot of time searching and searching for the perfect stroller. I’m finding that a lot of lightweight umbrella stroller will not recline or if it does it only goes up to like 40 lbs. Well we are at 40lbs and he isn’t even in Pre-K yet. People ask, “Why not just let him walk?!” I have a few answers for that. A. He does walk. He walks a lot. But sometimes I need him to be exactly where I had him, in his stroller! LOL! B. Sometimes if we are out for a while and he gets tired, but we are no where close to leaving, he needs a place to sit and fall asleep. And in mommy’s arms isn’t always the answer. I just can’t carry him that long. C. He’s only 2 1/2!! He may look big, but his motor skills are still developing. He’s not even potty trained yet! All I can say is don’t judge a book by its cover. He literally is 
a big baby! Now, someone suggested the SmartTrike, which we have and I LOVE! However, the SmartTrike is just that, a Trike. We are using it to help him learn how to ride a bicycle. Yes it has a seat belt and handle bars, but it’s not exactly appropriate for a mall excursion or going through the airport. I do recommend it though. Starting from when they are about 6-9 months old. It’s great for walks around the neighborhood or the park. We used it in the mornings for our Lattes & Hooligan time. Jax was able to exert some energy and I didn’t have to chase after him while carrying coffee or suffering from a colitis flare up.
So, stroller shopping it is. I swear it’s like buying a car. You have to research and then test drive and figure it all out. Baby gear is expensive, so I feel like I want to make sure that I’m going to get all I can get out of my little investment. I’m looking at the BumbleRide Flite Movement, The UPPABaby G-Luxe & The Maclaren Triumph. They all fold up easily. They are lightweight & they recline. The BumbleRide holds up to 90lbs in weight. And at the rate my son is going, he may be 80lbs by kindergarten! The one thing I don’t know is if they all have removable & washable fabric. Some say seat washable…but what about the umbrella hood?? I also don’t know just how easy they fold up or how easy they are to push. And to be honest, I want something that is comfortable for Jax so I don’t have to worry about him constantly trying to escape. When it’s time to ride in the stroller, I don’t have to fight Jax too much because it’s comfortable. I need to be able to shop in places like Apple without having to worry if my child is face-timing on all the iPhones displayed. Don’t laugh! There was an attempt made by said hooligan…twice. What I’m probably going to end up doing is heading over to Right Start. They carry all three of these brands and they have people there who have a lot of knowledge about different products, especially strollers. In fact it was there that I first learned about how great the Bugaboo was, before I was even pregnant, when I was a nanny. It’s a great store to register at and to get all your baby gear questions answered. I seriously heart that store.
I’d also like to hear some personal opinions from you moms and dads. Has anyone tried any of these strollers? Or do you have a suggestion? Let me know! Time is running out. My stroller gave me THE LOOK, when Jaxon climbed in it the other day. I think she’s ready for retirement!
