BABY'S FIRST
STROLLER
A Basic Buying Guide

If you don't have a friend that has a new baby, take a trip to the park, the hiking trails or wherever the new moms tend to hang out in town to see what's popular. If you see a mom strolling a baby in a cute model, flag her down and get the pros and cons. Get a few personal opinions, take the information and move on to professional consumer reports for more information.

Once you begin shopping in earnest, you will notice that there are different BRANDS and different TYPES of baby buggies.

INEXPENSIVE BRANDS
Some of the least expensive brands that you will find are

• Graco
• Kolcraft (Jeep)
• Chicco
• Baby Trend

MID-RANGE BRANDS

There are brands that offer more amenities, seem to have consistently good ratings on the consumer review sites and yet keep the costs to a reasonable level. A few of these brands would be:

• Combi
• Peg Perego
• Ingelsina
• MacClaren
• Eddie Bauer

HIGH END LUXURY MODELS
Once you leave the baby discount malls, the sky is the limit. Whoever would have dreamed that haute couture and the attempts to reach the height of fashion would be extended to the world of baby buggies? These days the privilege of owning a designer pram or pushchair that is in vogue with celebrity moms can cost plenty. How much can a luxury model injure your checkbook balance? To get the answer to that question, check out the models in more expensive lines like:

• Bugaboo Gecko
• Bugaboo Chameleon (or Cameleon whichever spelling you prefer)

WHAT KIND DO YOU NEED?
Once you find your price range and pick a brand you like, you need to know what KIND of buggy that best suits your lifestyle and strolling needs.

• If you want a lightweight umbrella style that's easy to pack in the trunk of the car and go malling?
  The umbrella may be the best baby buggy for you.
  

• WHERE will you stroll? Are you a jogger?
  Then one of the joggers is what you need. Read reviews and take care to choose the right baby jogger for you!

• How long will you be strolling? If you will have baby strapped in for more than 20 minutes or so, you will need ample storage for extra baby stuff. You will be the judge for how much storage is enough. Some jogging moms like to pack insulated diaper bags with extra bottles, diapers and a change of clothes. Other moms feel that packing anything more than a few diapers and some baby wipes is overkill.

HOW MANY SEATS MUST YOU HAVE?
How many children will you be strolling? Will you need a twin or a double or even a triple (triplet) or quad? Do you have a toddler as well as an infant to stroll? Maybe you should try one of the Sit and Stand styles that are so handy for the toddler who's not quite ready to walk on his own.

THE BEST FIT
I could go into all the stuff about handle height, blah blah blah, but I could talk all day and not cover it all. Let it suffice to say if you try any pushchair that causes you to slump your shoulders or bend your back in an uncomfortable way, move along to one with longer handlebars or that has handlebar extensions for tall people.

If it feels good, buy it. If the handgrips are too short you will have to walk and stand in a painful position. Spend the money, you will find it's cheaper in the long run because you will look forward to your hour or two of running or walking with your infant.

Check out some of the new designs. For instance, The Baby Rock Star model by Jon BonJovi and Tico Tores is causing quite a stir.

And the fabrics! Aren't they fabulously cool? There are designer fabrics for those with sophisticated tastes and for the for the outdoorsy types, there are fabrics in Mossy Oak and other camouflage print!

Once you find the one that makes your heart beat a little faster, head out to the store, sidewalk or trail whichever you prefer, strap baby in and give it a twirl through the streets or down the trails! SIMPLE!!

ALWAYS

• Buy according to your child's age,weight and any special needs he or she may have for travel
  
• Get a 5 point safety harness. We kid around here, but safety is a serious matter.
  
• If your friend has a model you like, borrow it for a while or go to one of the stores with huge displays even if you plan to make the final purchase online. Practice buckling your baby (or a similarly sized teddy bear, for starters anyway stuffed toys tend to have more patience than a real baby) in the display model of your choice, and then (you've heard this before am I'm sorry if this brings some less than pleasant memories) PUSH!!!

ENOUGH OF THE TECHNICAL STUFF!
The new buggies have arrived on the scene and there are a few things we really NEED to talk about! Strollers are the hip new fashion accessory for this season according to the hot gossip in celebrity baby blogs so return to Unique Baby Gear, Nursery Themes and Decorating Ideas for more news and reviews on the latest baby stuff!