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Strollers are, according to Merriam-Webster, “a collapsible carriage designed as a chair in which a small child may be pushed.” To us and millions of parents, strollers are so much more than that simple description would ever allow for. Strollers are one of the most defining and important purchases for a family with a new baby--and especially so if it is your first child. Getting the best stroller for you and your family is rewarding and will make your life much easier, but getting the wrong stroller will likely result in a difficult and frustrating experience at best and a change in lifestyle and a reduction in the quality of your outings at worst.
Perhaps you want the portability and small size of a lightweight stroller, or the all-terrain ruggedness of a jogger. If you’re more used to navigating the walkways of a mall, you’ll appreciate the maneuverability, luxury, and roomy storage of our extensive selection of full-size strollers. If you’ve got more than one child, we’ve got you covered with our tandem and double strollers.
Umbrella strollers are aptly named for the fact that when you fold them up, they look like an umbrella. The fabric seats are simply made,and the two curved umbrella-like handles allow these strollers to fold up in a way that is handy when packed into a small apartment or for those who don’t always keep the most organized trunk in their car. One cannot usually use an umbrella stroller with a newborn, though, as they don’t recline, nor do they offer the support that infants need in their first few months (there are a few hybrid-design exceptions). But starting around 4-6 months, these are great choices for growing babies who will be in places where free space is scarce and where moms and dads love simplicity and convenience.
Umbrella strollers, due to their easy-to-store-and-travel-with nature, are not particularly rugged, nor will they provide the storage space, stability, and suspension that one would find on a full-size stroller. Most do not have cup holders or parent trays. Rather, they are designed for on-the-go parents who do most of their stroller pushing on flat/paved surfaces like city streets and stores (no long hikes into the woods here). But you’d be surprised, too--umbrella strollers, while easy to maneuver, are more rugged and sturdy than you might think.
The next step up from umbrella strollers is the lightweight stroller. While they don’t fold down into the umbrella pattern, they are typically a mix of full-size strollers and umbrella strollers in that they hold more storage and offer more sturdiness than an umbrella stroller but are lightweight and easy-to-manage like umbrella strollers. (Full-size strollers aren’t difficult to manage, but are larger and heavier than lightweight strollers, which can make them a little more tiring to push and more complicated to travel with).
Whether the lightweight stroller is right for you is a personal decision. Some families like the size and options that come with full-size strollers but also have an umbrella stroller for those rare occasions that they’d rather have a small stroller than the storage and ruggedness of a full-size. Others who constantly travel city streets and small spaces want a smaller stroller as their main stroller but don’t want to go with an umbrella stroller, as they typically have less storage space, no cup holders, etc. So for those in places like NYC or Chicago, a lightweight stroller might be the perfect choice.
Some lightweights also work with infant car seats. If yours does not, lightweight strollers will come into the picture for your little one around the age of six months.
Jogging strollers are great for parents passionate about the outdoors and/or exercise. And just because you are now a mom or dad doesn’t mean that you need to give up what you love to do.
Jogging strollers are much more suited for (you guessed it) running/jogging/and exercising. They have larger wheels, stronger suspension, and are rugged as can be. They’re designed for both paths in parks and, many times, extremely rugged off-road adventures. They are not, however, ideal as a replacement for a full-size stroller. Although they excel at adventure, they don’t always provide what you would need in amenities to enjoy a week walking around Disneyland.
Jogging strollers also often include several standard features that are usually unavailable or require additional accessories on a lightweight or full-size stroller, such as a hand-braking system (like a car), a fixed front wheel (for maneuverability), air-filled tires, sun shields to prevent sunburn, and other features for those daily runs through the park.
If you enjoy running, exercise, and adventure, get a jogging stroller and then get out, run, explore, and see the world as you share your love of physical activity with your child.
Also, if you like to bike (or ski), don't hesitate to check our bike trailers, too.
Full-size strollers are pretty much the ideal stroller for the parent and toddler. Strong, rugged, durable, comfortable, with plenty of storage space, these are more the SUVs of strollers. They include the ability to attach toys, tray tables from which your little one can eat or play, cup holders, large storage baskets, fully reclining seats, and so much more. They are easy to fold, too, but are somewhat bulky when folded (compared to umbrella and lightweight strollers).
Although not particularly easy to navigate on crowded sidewalks nor the perfect stroller to take for a 5k run, full-size strollers excel at the non-specific situations where you do not need a specialty stroller, but rather a stroller that provides a luxury solution for both you and your baby.
A travel system is the combination of an infant car seat that works with both an infant car seat base for your vehicle and the stroller you use every day. The infant car seat clicks right into the car seat base and the stroller--making it a “click and go” setup that’s easy for mom or dad. The nicest part of a travel system is that you can take the sleeping baby from the car and move them to the stroller without waking them.
It can be more affordable to purchase a car seat and stroller as a travel system, although many brands allow you to “build” your own travel system out of select models (and, sometimes, more than one brand’s infant car seats will work with the same stroller).
Double strollers and tandem strollers allow you to transport two children in cozy comfort. The biggest difference is simply that double strollers are side-by-side where in a tandem stroller, the children sit one-in-front-of-another. Thus, tandem strollers are a little easier to navigate through malls and crowded sidewalks. They also tend to fold up a bit more compactly than double strollers, so if limited trunk space is to be considered, perhaps the tandem is for you. On the other hand, double strollers don’t sacrifice quality for convenience. Tandem strollers usually have a weight-limit requirement for one seat vs. the other. With double strollers, both seats have a high weight limit (much better for twins!).
After you purchase your stroller, please do make sure to fill out the product registration card and send it back to the manufacturer. In the unlikely-but-not-impossible event of a product recall, you’ll want to know immediately. By registering your product, you will have access to this information.
When choosing a stroller, there are lots of things to consider. Safety is typically the most important consideration, but rest easy--we do not carry any stroller that doesn't both meet AND exceed federal safety requirements. If there’s a stroller you adore and it’s for sale here at Albee Baby, then you can already know that it is baby-ready from a safety point of view. Beyond safety, consider durability (are you looking to tackle some dirt hiking trails?), size (are you ready for the streets of NYC?), color (what’s your favorite?), style (ready to turn heads?), and so much more. With all these criteria, how do parents choose the best stroller for themselves and their baby? The good news is that Albee Baby is here to help you make the right choice! From right here on our website, you can shop and compare hundreds of top-quality, hand-curated baby strollers from the world’s most respected brands. It goes beyond brands, too, as we provide a wide variety of shapes, colors, and design choices within each product line.
As always, we provide top products at a great value — and when you’re part of the Albee Baby family, you get exclusive offers for even deeper savings on award-winning brands from the USA and around the globe. Add in accessories like rain covers, bug screens, footmuffs, and parasols, and you will be enjoying a complete solution in no time.
With all the baby strollers from which you can choose, there’s really no adventure that’s off-limits to you and your growing family. Our goal is to leverage our almost-100-years-in-business experience and relationships to help you find the strollers that best meet the unique needs of your family and to provide you with the flexibility and freedom to explore your world together for years to come.
