Stroller #2

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It should not come as a surprise that I am one of those stroller-obsessed Mommies. I have been reading up on strollers now for days on end, and lurking on Craigslist for months to try and find a deal on one that I like. We already have a stroller, it is the Safety 1st Evolution travel system from Sears which we purchased without fully investigating all the options - it was on sale, it was 3-wheeled, has pneumatic wheels, comes with an infant car seat, and Linds liked it. I had spent most of my research time on infant car seats, and the Graco Snugride was best ranked for safety. But after seeing the Graco products in person, I was turned off by its cheap look and feel materials. At the time I was also determined to not have to spend an arm and a leg on a stroller,

It was only after using the stroller and doing more research that I realized the huge and confusing range of options - for example, I could have purchased the Snugride and used it with a Peg Perego stroller. Also that even the "Snugride" has various models with better fabrics (and thus a higher price tag). There is no "perfect" stroller, and I might need to purchase several to suit different functions.

The Evolution, I found, is great for almost everything and there are many things I like about it - it is easy to push with one or both hands, handles very well, has an easy one-pedal push brake, and also has a hand brake. It is not even that heavy, but, it folds up kind of wide which makes it a bit difficult for little me (at five-foot-almost-nothing) to place in and out of the car. The bad things about this are the fabric used isn't that great, and when the stroller folds up, one of the stroller bars is too close to the hood and scratches it up.


And so I have been drooling over all the higher end models available - the ones I have been most interested in are from Peg Perego, Bebecar, Bugaboo, and Quinny. I decided I wanted another stroller with these features:

• -Reversible toddler seat - that the baby can sit facing you or away from you.


• -Must be lighter than my Evolution.


• -Must handle well.
  
• -Must have decent suspension so that the ride is good for baby.


• -Easy to fold.


• -Must fold up smaller than my Evolution.


• -Buying used, must be less that 4 years old and very good condition.

Bebecar is too heavy, and the Bugaboo and Quinny are both too expensive and not reversible. I ended up buying a lovely red Peg Perego A3 Pramette (purchased off a Craiglister). It doesn't have a reversible toddler seat, but what sold me was its weight - I think it's only 18 lbs! It can also be set up as a pram that faces you. The stroller was in excellent condition - the owners had barely used it, in fact I don't think they ever used it as a pram. Bonuses were a huge basket below and cup holders. The perfect model may have been the Peg Perego Venezia which has a reversible toddler seat and a pram, but I never got to check one out and it may not have been as light as the A3.


Yesterday morning for our morning walk we took the stroller for a spin! It was great for Connor to be able to lie flat in his cute little Winnie the Pooh bunting bag - see pics below.

What would I purchase if I could do it again?

1. Save enough Airmiles to get the Peg Perego Pliko Switch Completo (4500 miles, or 3700 miles + $149.99; $539.99 at Crocodile Baby) - this is the 2008 model that has a reversible seat. It is a beautiful stroller with plush seats. The seat can recline to almost flat. It comes fully accessorized, complete with cover, zipper hood and zipper rain canopy. It is supposed to weigh 19 lbs, but when I checked it out in person it seemed a bit heavy. Would still need to purchase a car seat to use with this, probably a Peg Perego Viaggio SIP ($299.99) which is very plush and better materials than those used by the Graco Snugride.
   
2. Save enough Airmiles to get the Peg Perego Pliko 3 Classico (3700 miles; $399.99 at TJ's Kids). This is like the Switch Completo but without the reversible seat. Would still need to purchase a car seat to use with this.
   
3. If I wanted to splurge even more, I'd consider the German-made I'coo Targo ($699.99). I tested it out - it is reversible, includes a pram, not too heavy, it pushes like a dream and the materials are gorgeous. I had thought this came with a car seat but looking at a few websites now it doesn't appear to include a car seat.
   
4. If I not splurging, I'd buy a new Peg Perego Viaggio SIP carseat to use with a used Peg Perego stroller (a style that is reversible with a pram).
   
5. Don't worry about a jogging stroller for now (unless you are really into jogging regularly).