Baby Jogger City Select

Selecting the Best Baby Stroller For Your Needs

 

There are dozens of baby strollers on the market today, ranging from discount models starting around $40, to those costing as much as $900 or more. Yet choosing the right one for your needs takes more consideration than price alone. Although models that are more expensive are often made of lighter weight aluminum (making them easier to lift) and higher-grade fabrics, price does not always mean better quality. Consumer Reports' tests have proven that many economical strollers perform as well, if not better, than those costing hundreds of dollars. Keep in mind that the more complicated a model is, the more that can go wrong with it such as faulty locking mechanisms, frames that can easily bend out of shape, malfunctioning wheels and even safety harnesses that can break or come loose.

Parents of newborns may find that since infants cannot sit up or control their head and neck movements until they are six months old, what they need is simply a basic frame that can support almost any type of car seat for easy traveling. Others may prefer a fully reclining stroller with leg holes that close so the infant does not slip out or get trapped.

Where you live can also play a factor. City dwellers that use mass transit such as buses, cabs, or subways generally prefer lightweight models that are compact and can fold easily, while models with large air filled tires are better for use on unpaved roads or even where there is heavy snowfall as they are more shock absorbent. Exercise enthusiasts may also prefer to purchase jogging strollers, which are ideal for use in suburban areas as well as parks.

In addition, although Dorel, Evenflo, and Graco are considered the leading brands of baby products overall, they are not necessarily the leading brands in terms of sales. Other popular manufacturers include, Stokke, Baby Jogger, Peg-Perego, Baby Trend, Zooper, Joovy, Kelty, Maclaren, Combi, Inglesina, and Bugaboo, as well as Phil & Teds, Silver Cross, and Chicco.

When making your purchase, be sure to check the stroller or box to see if the product has met the minimum safety standards for certification set forth by the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association or JPMA to be sure the product is safe. While compliance is not mandatory by Federal regulation, some of the companies that have been approved include Macclaren, Kolcraft, Dorel, Go-Go Babyz, Peg-Perego, Bugaboo and Delta Enterprise, to name a few.