Choosing The Right Stroller For Your Child
Also called a pram or a carriage, a stroller is a hand-pushed baby gear capable of carrying your baby or young infant. It is typically needed until your child can walk on his own.
A stroller is one thing that will keep your baby safe and comfortable, especially during the early stages of growth. With different models of baby strollers around, there are plenty of things to consider when it comes to choosing the right one for your child.
Since most strollers cost from $200 to $2,000, you want to make sure that you are investing in a safe, reliable and easy-to-use stroller.
There are two main types of strollers: single strollers and double strollers, each of which has their own subtypes. Some strollers are built with 3 wheels; others with four wheels.
The ideal stroller for your kid should be free of toxic materials, easy to fold and unfold, and equipped with a 5-point harness system.
For Baby (0 to 6 months)
At this point, your main concern is keeping baby stable, supported and comfortable. Look for a sturdy, structured stroller with a good suspension system that can absorb bounces and prevent jostling. Another must-have feature: a comfy seat that fully reclines, so your newborn can lie flat on his back.
The Seebaby Lightweight Stroller QQ3 can recline to a 175 degrees, which is almost fully flat. The full canopy shields baby from the sun and there’s also a functional basket beneath. Reviews say that it’s light yet sturdy; you can hang a moderately heavy diaper bag on its handle and it will not topple over.
The Bugaboo Fox Complete Stroller has a super-compact fold, effortless steering and a roomy basket underneath. It comes with a complete stroller package includes the chassis, seat (reversible, fully reclining seat) and bassinet—everything you need to go exploring with baby from the day he or she arrives. It is also one of the more pricey options in the market.
If you’re a city mom, or you just don’t drive much, instead of a travel system, get a stroller with a bassinet attachment. That’ll allow you to lay your little one down and go, with no attachments, adaptors or snaps to finagle with–something you’ll appreciate in the early sleep-deprived, new-mom days. The bassinet can also double as a mini crib.
For Baby (6 to 12 months)
Now that baby is sitting upright, your stroller’s seat is more important than ever. It should be roomy, with plenty of support and cushioning, adjustable and offer multiple recline positions to keep up with your growing child. Also make sure it comes with a five-point harness to keep your child snug and secure while you’re strolling.
Strolling is a perfect chance to chat (read: bond!) with him, especially when he can see your face. One often-overlooked feature that will come in handy now: a seat that can face forward or backward.
The Bugaboo Bee 5’s neat one-hand steering, one-piece fold makes it easy, and takes up less space at home. It is lightweight and easily reversible for parent facing and world facing.
The four-wheel suspension features a damping mechanism for extra shock absorption so you can enjoy a smooth and stable ride when getting up or down sidewalk curbs.
Bugaboo offers car seat adapters for many popular car seat models so you can safely and easily transition between your car and your stroller.
The Baby Jogger City Tour Lux is highly configurable to fit a bassinet or a seat. Featuring a compact fold with auto-lock, it makes travelling a breeze.
It has 5 riding options - an infant car seat or a foldable pram to accommodate children from birth, and a reversible seat (rear or forward facing). It also accepts a glider board for an older child to ride.
For Toddler (12 to 36 months)
Your kid is becoming more independent and curious, and wants to soak in the world around her. Also, you may be taking your child to more excursions or even overseas. You need a good travel stroller to explore places or simply visiting your favourite cafes. A must-have feature that will come in handy: compact folding and meeting cabin luggage requirements.
The Bugaboo Ant is their lightest, most compact stroller yet. Thanks to its most compact folded size, it can also be used as a carry-on for most airlines. It comes with a reversible seat, with parent-facing or facing-the-world position
As like all Baby Jogger single strollers, Baby Jogger City Tour is equipped with one-hand quick fold technology, convenient to carry it around anywhere. It folds down to a compact size, meeting cabin luggage requirements.
The GB Pockit currently holds the Guinness World Records 2014 as the world's smallest and most compact stroller. The ultra-compact folding mechanism of the Pocket Air All-Terrain reduces the stroller into a handbag-shaped package in seconds and is airplane hand luggage compliant, great for when you are on the move, and practical and easy to stow away when you are not.
Double strollers
If you are expecting twins or just growing your family, this is where a double stroller comes in. Double strollers can be a big investment, but they are also key to getting out and about when you have multiples or two children close in age.
The Mountain Buggy Nano Duo has an ultra-compact fold, is lightweight and comes with a shoulder strap for convenient, hands-free transportation on the go. It also comes with extra roomy seats with full lie-flat option. It is also convertible into a single travel system with the car seat adaptor accessory and easily manoeuvrable on Singapore’s landscapes.
The Baby Jogger City Mini GT Double features the City Mini quick fold and will accept 1 infant car seat. With its sturdy, all-terrain wheels, it makes it perfect for both every day excursions in the urban jungle and weekend adventures off the beaten path. The City Mini GT has roomy seats with a taller seat back and longer foot well to accommodate taller children. It also comes with individually adjustable sun canopies with peek a boo windows, adjustable five point safety harnesses with shoulder pads and buckle cover, a large and easy to access under seat basket, seat back storage compartments and a rear parking brake.