Basic vs Jogging Stroller for First Time Mom

You can probably afford both if you shop second hand! Craig's List and nice consignment shops are the way to go with baby stuff. If you want a new carseat (probably the safest way to go) then get the new stroller to match that and buy a used jogger. I have gone through 5 strollers in my 7 years and 3 kids of mommyhood and am about to go looking for yet another one to fit my new needs. Since I never spent too much on any one thing I never felt bad to change my mind and get something different later. (only felt guilty when I had so many strollers in the garage the car wouldn't fit anymore!) :) Have fun & good luck!

Hi!
I know this may be too late, but I have a couple of considerations for you that I didn't see mentioned...
First, I had no idea that my little one would arrive at almost 11 lbs - needless to say, he's 6 months now and has outgrown the Graco system (which I LOVED); so once they outgrow the seat, they outgrow the stroller too. Second, when you get a jogger, I would go with rubber tires instead of plastic, especially if you plan on walking trails that have that jogging gravel on them...the plastic tires always get stuck in hidden holes or deep gravel. I am borrowing a Safety 1st jogger now with big rubber tires, which are great, but it is RIDICULOUSLY huge, heavy, and difficult to manage (I guess I was spoiled with my convenient little Graco frame)...so I am looking for something lighter and smaller that has rubber tires AND a pivoting front wheel, not a set one. The good news is that they come out with new stuff all the time, and might even have "the next best thing" when your little one arrives. I'd say stick with the Graco system (it's the very best value, in my opinion) and then get a jogger. If you are going to be an avid runner, I would suggest GOOD shocks, like the BOB has (which will be more costly, but worth it), because until the baby is old enough to have good muscle control, they will be jostled pretty badly on some of the trails around town. Hope this helps, and congratulations on your beautiful surprise!

I had the same quandary before my son was born. My advice is that you should only get a jog stroller if you really plan on jogging. We got a PegPerego (it's a bit pricy-we got it as a gift), and it has the carseat-clip on feature and it folds "with one hand". It folds to the size of a bag of golf clubs. The only place that seemed a bit too rough for our stroller was the Austin Zoo. We've been all sorts of other places including town lake. If we were ever going, say to the greenbelt, we would carry him in a front carrier on our body.

good luck.

i am a stroller junky. i have a 3 year old and a 10 month old/ i really use all my strollers at different times. i try not to buy a lot of stuff i dont really use but i do use my strollers and was able to get most of them as shower gifts. i had a snap and go that i used at the beginning. i kept the jogging in my garage b/c i walked all the time to the mailbox, around the block, etc. when the baby outgrew the snap and go i just kept a nice umbrella in my trunk unless i had specific plans and i would take my jogging with me. it worked great. i also always had a sling and an ergo carrier in my car. priceless!
good luck.

First child I had the BOB, I didn't like how big it was. I would go to the mall or a restaurant and it was so big it wouldn't fit down the isles. This time I have a graco quattro something, it really works well. I walk every morning and it works for that, plus it fits in the stores. The graco also folds up easier, I found with the BOB I would forgo the stroller because it was a pain in the butt.

37 years old with a fantastic 17 month old little girl! Married two years to a fantastic, funny, fab man!

My advice-

Buy the graco snap and go and the BOB!

Trust me on this. You want that snap and go at first! Chekc craiglist for the base!! I was so SAD when I couldn't use it anymore. There is nothign like popping that baby in and out of the car in there seat. I miss those days! You will want this stroller for your everyday life! THEN you get the BOB for walks and jogs etc. They have a bar you can add that you can clip the car seat on so you can use it will the baby is tiny!

I thought the BOB was too much $$ but hubby was so into it and...as much as I hate to admit it. He was right. Worth EVERY penny.

These two are must have's on my list for new moms...

Another item is the swing that can go two ways. WE LOVED THE SWING! Our mini still wants to get in it! A little too big but it's a GREAT piece.

Don't forget to look on craigslist.org. You can find great items on there.

Good luck!!! IT is the most amazing ride!

J.

We have a Kolcraft Jeep Liberty Urban Terrain Lightweight Stroller. Its more expensive than some but its handling is amazing, especially when we go to festivals, its also lightweight and its not as wide so its convenient. Although its not really designed for a newborn so we have to use the headrest for the carseat and "pack" him in a bit but I love how the stroller handles.

I have the Cortina travel system, I like it and use the stroller often when I go shopping. I have a jogging stroller, not the Bob, but similar, and have just started using it. I love how lightweight it is and how easy it is to push around. Plus, it's much better to take to town lake as well as for walks around the neighborhood.

As for the folding aspect, I find that the jogging stoller actually fits into my SUV better than the Cortina, that one's a hassle to pick up and try to maneuver in the back. My recommendation is to get a carseat with the stroller frame, it's smaller and easier to use, and then get a jogging stroller to use when the baby is 6 months old. I did see a set up with the Bob where you could connect your carseat in, you may want to check that out as well if you're interested in saving money by only going with one stroller.

Also, as a side note, the Cortina carseat doesn't fit really well into most shopping carts, so it's a pain in that sense as well. And in the stroller, you are unable to use the storage basket for shopping bags when you have the carseat in it, so you have to get one of those "Mommy Hooks" for everything.

Finally, if you are planning on getting an umbrella stroller for later use, don't get the Combi, I have it and really hate it, a total waste of $100. A good swing (major necessity) is the Fisher Price rainforest that goes both ways and plugs in. That way, you don't have to change out the batteries every week. Hope this helps!

From my experiance I would recomend getting the light weight travel system and the jogger. I bought atravel system light weight stroller at first that I still really love. It is great for quick trips into the store or around the mall, but it cant stand up to the jogging stroller for running or going off road. My daughter is now 2 and the jogging stroller is our best freind. Was very worth the money to get both strollers.

My hubby jogs around TLake all the time & I walk w/ our little guy.......there's no way our child would sit for that long in anything but the BOB :). The shocks are amazing & worth the price.

Plus - I always had a smaller more convenient stroller that was lighter to use at the mall, ect.

Get both - you'll totally use them all the time.

I love my Bob! I started using it when my son was 3 weeks old and use it 3-6 times per week to jog Town Lake. At first we tried our regular stroller, but we found it way to bumpy to take my then infant on a 3.5 mile trail. Again, I LOVE my Bob!