Stroller Recs?

[preppy]

If you could get any stroller which one would you get? My mom has purchased an uppababy vista for each of my sisters and had said she will purchase any stroller we choose for us. Should we go with the vista? I have used my sisters and loved it but haven't tried other options. Pertinent info:
-I both walk places and use my car about equally. We live in a more urban area.
-We plan on having 1-2 more kids relatively close together.
-DH is 13 inches taller than me so we need something that works for all heights.
-I want the baby to be able to both face me or face forward.
-I want a stroller in either solid gray or black (lol, I don't know if this is really pertinent info?)
-DH and I both drive crossover type cars (he had a subaru crosstrek and I have a BMW X1) and they both have good trunk space.
-My building has an elevator.

[preppy]

ETA: I know I am only 7 weeks but my mom was asking me what I want her to buy. I told her I would think about it but not to buy anything till we are through the first trimester:)

[pooh8402]

I'm pretty set on the Chicco Keyfit 35 car seat, so I wanted a stroller base that was compatible with it. that led me to looking at the Chicco strollers. (I am fully aware that I can probably buy an adapter for almost any stroller that I do get, but I feel more comfortable if they were made for each other) I was going to get a Keyfit Caddy stroller base (it has a HUGE basket) but reviews are making me lean towards the Liteway Plus stroller, which can be a stroller base or a toddler stroller. it seems to be the most versatile in that price range and not too large/heavy. we are also wanting our children close in age.

that being said, I do need to go to a big BRU and test-drive strollers. my local one pretty much sucks in selection.

[preppy]

Jan 28, 2015 17:48:29 GMT -5 @choco said:

My mom bought us the Uppababy Vista and it was one of my favorite baby gear items. It held up really well during our daily 5 mile walks while we lived in FL and I stayed at home with DS. I was a slow jogger and was even able to jog with it. DH is 6'3 and the adjustable handle height and no kick bar are great features for him.

When we were shopping for strollers, we also considered the Bugaboo but the UBV's basket won me over. This is why I passed on the Stokke even though it looks pretty cool. I highly recommend going to a baby boutique or a Buy Buy Baby to test drive the strollers to see which one you prefer. GL!

So the Vista had the biggest basket of those three? I agree that that is super important. We will have to test drive them at some point for sure:)

I had also considered the Cruz but wasn't sure if it was the best fit for having more kids close together.

[preppy]

Jan 28, 2015 17:52:24 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

I'm pretty set on the Chicco Keyfit 35 car seat, so I wanted a stroller base that was compatible with it. that led me to looking at the Chicco strollers. (I am fully aware that I can probably buy an adapter for almost any stroller that I do get, but I feel more comfortable if they were made for each other) I was going to get a Keyfit Caddy stroller base (it has a HUGE basket) but reviews are making me lean towards the Liteway Plus stroller, which can be a stroller base or a toddler stroller. it seems to be the most versatile in that price range and not too large/heavy. we are also wanting our children close in age.

that being said, I do need to go to a big BRU and test-drive strollers. my local one pretty much sucks in selection.

That makes sense to want the stroller and infant car seat the same brand. My mind works that way too even though I know you can get adapters:) My sisters both got the Mesa to go with the vista and liked it. Actually one of their babies is about to grow out of it, maybe I can steal the Mesa off their hands if it isn't close to expiring...

[centralsquare]

Vista. We got the Cruz bc we live downtown and walk everywhere and it has a slightly smaller footprint. But I want a 2nd fairly soon after this one, and the cruz isn't expandable. I wish we'd gotten the vista, even though it's more $$. I'm inclined to exchange, but haven't sold DH on it yet.

[achi]

I debated between the Uppababy vista and the Britax B-ready but in the end we went with the Britax. It's very similar to the UPV but we selected it for the following reasons:

1) The basket can be accessed from every side where as the UB only has really good access from the back.
2) The handle/whatever you want to call it doesn't just go in or out, it moves to many positions that make it much more ergonomic than the UB.
3) You don't have to rethread the harness every time baby grows. There's a zipper at the back of the seat and you literally just pinch two sides together and move it up or down.
4) The second seat goes at the back which makes it much more weight-distributed with a second kid in it and the top seat can face in or out. With the UB the top seat can only face the parent which would probably be boring for the older child. I might be wrong but I believe UB did change this with the 2015 models and the top seat can face in or out.

Edit: The one thing I didn't like about the Britax vs. Uppababy was the snack options. Britax has two small snack cups that go on either side and I wanted a tray. However, the UB snack tray has the same mechanism and fits on the Britax so problem solved!

[Deleted]

I loooove my Britax BAgile- but it's only a single. I like my City Select a lot though.
I will be going back to the BAgile when DD doesn't need the stroller anymore.

[preppy]

Jan 28, 2015 18:18:14 GMT -5 centralsquare said:

Vista. We got the Cruz bc we live downtown and walk everywhere and it has a slightly smaller footprint. But I want a 2nd fairly soon after this one, and the cruz isn't expandable. I wish we'd gotten the vista, even though it's more $$. I'm inclined to exchange, but haven't sold DH on it yet.

This is what I am concerned about with a Cruz, that we would grow out of it and end up spending more $ on the vista with kid #2. 

[preppy]

Jan 28, 2015 18:22:28 GMT -5 achi said:

I debated between the Uppababy vista and the Britax B-ready but in the end we went with the Britax. It's very similar to the UPV but we selected it for the following reasons:

1) The basket can be accessed from every side where as the UB only has really good access from the back.
2) The handle/whatever you want to call it doesn't just go in or out, it moves to many positions that make it much more ergonomic than the UB.
3) You don't have to rethread the harness every time baby grows. There's a zipper at the back of the seat and you literally just pinch two sides together and move it up or down.
4) The second seat goes at the back which makes it much more weight-distributed with a second kid in it and the top seat can face in or out. With the UB the top seat can only face the parent which would probably be boring for the older child. I might be wrong but I believe UB did change this with the 2015 models and the top seat can face in or out.

Edit: The one thing I didn't like about the Britax vs. Uppababy was the snack options. Britax has two small snack cups that go on either side and I wanted a tray. However, the UB snack tray has the same mechanism and fits on the Britax so problem solved!

Both models of the Vista the child can face both in or out. 

Do kids utilize the snack trays later on? They all look flimsy and useless for all options honestly. 

[preppy]

Jan 28, 2015 18:25:28 GMT -5 ladybug said:

I loooove my Britax BAgile- but it's only a single. I like my City Select a lot though.
I will be going back to the BAgile when DD doesn't need the stroller anymore.

Do the seats on the city select face both front and back? I like that stroller a lot from the look of it. I don't think I will utilize the bassinet feature on the UBV much so the select might be a good option of something that works for 2 kids later on.

[achi]

Jan 28, 2015 18:28:38 GMT -5 preppy said:

Jan 28, 2015 18:22:28 GMT -5 achi said:

I debated between the Uppababy vista and the Britax B-ready but in the end we went with the Britax. It's very similar to the UPV but we selected it for the following reasons:

1) The basket can be accessed from every side where as the UB only has really good access from the back.
2) The handle/whatever you want to call it doesn't just go in or out, it moves to many positions that make it much more ergonomic than the UB.
3) You don't have to rethread the harness every time baby grows. There's a zipper at the back of the seat and you literally just pinch two sides together and move it up or down.
4) The second seat goes at the back which makes it much more weight-distributed with a second kid in it and the top seat can face in or out. With the UB the top seat can only face the parent which would probably be boring for the older child. I might be wrong but I believe UB did change this with the 2015 models and the top seat can face in or out.

Edit: The one thing I didn't like about the Britax vs. Uppababy was the snack options. Britax has two small snack cups that go on either side and I wanted a tray. However, the UB snack tray has the same mechanism and fits on the Britax so problem solved!

Both models of the Vista the child can face both in or out. 

Do kids utilize the snack trays later on? They all look flimsy and useless for all options honestly. 

Sorry I should have clarified - I meant when you have the second seat on the UBV the top seat can only face the parent. A friend of mine has a model from a few years ago and that was her main complaint. I just visited the UB website and I see they have corrected that on the new model. 

My friends kids all use the snack tray. The UB snack tray is pretty solid and can go in the dishwasher which is convenient. 

[Deleted]

Jan 28, 2015 18:32:20 GMT -5 preppy said:

Jan 28, 2015 18:25:28 GMT -5 ladybug said:

I loooove my Britax BAgile- but it's only a single. I like my City Select a lot though.
I will be going back to the BAgile when DD doesn't need the stroller anymore.

Do the seats on the city select face both front and back? I like that stroller a lot from the look of it. I don't think I will utilize the bassinet feature on the UBV much so the select might be a good option of something that works for 2 kids later on.

Yes you can face them to each other, away from each other, both forward or Both back. The basket is HUGE!
We also got a ride on board so it would even work for 3 kids- my almost 3 year old already uses it occasionally. And the seats can lay completely flat (but you have to recline both to make it fit well)

[preppy]

achi aahhhh that makes more sense! Good to know the snack tray is useful!

ladybug I like that you can use it for 3 with the ride on board and that the seats can face each other. I dont think they can face each other on the UBV.

[estrellita]

My only real advice to offer is just to echo test driving the strollers. I thought I wanted a jogging stroller because they were easier to maneuver, but trying them at Target proved otherwise. They were really back heavy and I didn't like them! We went with a Graco set with the click connect system because it was pretty lightweight, easy to snap the car seat in and out, and a good price! I'm not sure about strollers that hold more than one kid at a time though, we didn't really look at those.

[kate1482]

I'm only 35 weeks so not sure if this will be helpful or not. We bought a baby jogger city mini (all black) and my sister gave us her black uppa baby vista (I think its a 2013 model). The city mini is way easier to fold and much smaller to move around/lighter weight to toss in the trunk. I'm planning on keeping the vista in the garage for walks around the neighborhood/park and the city mini for shopping/places that require a car ride first. I have a adapter for the city mini for our chicco key fit car seat and it's simple just to click in. I think I will just use the bassinet with the vista. the handle on the vista adjusts for taller parents while the city mini does not. You might want to look into the baby jogger city select - you can add a seat/flip the seat to face you etc.

[dearprudence]

My friends with the Vistas love them - and they're all tall so I'm sure your husband will enjoy it. They have tall husbands too, so I don't know much about the conversion from short to tall - I will say we have that issue and an adjustable handle is a must.

We did a test drive and ended up with the Baby Jogger City Elite. It's lasted 3 years and we'll use it for this current baby too, so at least I know it'll hang in there. The things that sold us on it were the easy fold (a must for me to be able to do one-handed since you really never have 2 hands to do it), the adjustable handle (only 12 inches difference, but that's close to you!), the foam tires, the variable front wheel that can turn or be fixed, the weight, and the maneuverability.

Something to think about re: kids close in age. When I first got pregnant I was kicking myself for not getting the City Select first time around, so we could just add on with the second, but then I started thinking about how much we actually use the stroller. We rarely used it once my son turned 2. Within the past year, we've used it a total of 3 times - 2 of those times were for 5ks, so he'd have a place to sit when he didn't want to walk anymore, and the other time was for a trip to Disneyland, and we only used it during naptime - so he had a place to lie down and sleep. So if you love a stroller that easily converts to a 2 seater, great. But don't bypass a stroller you love because it's only a single, because you never know whether you'll end up using it as a double.

[starburst604]

We are likely getting the 2015 UBV too (MIL is buying it). H is 6'5" so the tall handles were definitely a must for him. We test drove and loved it, but I didn't try the Baby Jogger for comparison so I want to try that out before we buy. I also drove the older model and I want to try the new one. A friend who has it said her only gripe with her was the lack of options on which way to face the seats, but that's been corrected with the 2015 model. She said it's also great to take on the beach, moves over sand well and the bassinet with the cover down was great in the sun when her daughter was small. H's family has a beach house and we spend a lot of time at the beach, so this is a plus for us.

[preppy]

Jan 28, 2015 19:48:36 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

We are likely getting the 2015 UBV too (MIL is buying it). H is 6'5" so the tall handles were definitely a must for him. We test drove and loved it, but I didn't try the Baby Jogger for comparison so I want to try that out before we buy. I also drove the older model and I want to try the new one. A friend who has it said her only gripe with her was the lack of options on which way to face the seats, but that's been corrected with the 2015 model. She said it's also great to take on the beach, moves over sand well and the bassinet with the cover down was great in the sun when her daughter was small. H's family has a beach house and we spend a lot of time at the beach, so this is a plus for us.

Ooh its good to know it works well on the sand. My mom lives on the beach so we spend a lot of time down there in the summer. I don't know that I have seen my sisters take theirs out on the sand, but its great to have the option/ability. 

It seems like a lot of the smaller issues people had with the UBV were corrected in 2015. They were also going to make a version called the Legacy without the bassinet which we would have chosen, but they ended up deciding not to manufacture it. I also like that its a local company:)

[nextbigthing]

We went with the City Mini Elite and I also got a chicco snap n go for quick trips while he's little, I loved how small and lightweight it was, but love the CityElite for when he's a little bigger. DH is 6'7 and I'm 6'2 so something plenty tall for us was really important and both fit the bill.

[centralsquare]

@choco, that made me feel better about our cruz choice! Thanks!

[Velar Fricative]

Jan 28, 2015 18:18:14 GMT -5 centralsquare said:

Vista. We got the Cruz bc we live downtown and walk everywhere and it has a slightly smaller footprint. But I want a 2nd fairly soon after this one, and the cruz isn't expandable. I wish we'd gotten the vista, even though it's more $$. I'm inclined to exchange, but haven't sold DH on it yet.

I have the Cruz as well and would also recommend the Vista. I love the Cruz for what it is and the Vista was just too heavy and bulky for our walk-up apartment, but now with another pregnancy earlier than planned I wish our living circumstances were different (they are now) so we could have had the Vista and just expanded. As of now we will try and manage with the UB Piggyback board for DD to stand on. I really did love the Vista when I tried it out! The UB strollers are also awesome for tall parents.

[lindsaymg]

I think I am sold on the Uppababy Vista, it meets all of your criteria.

I started off with a Chicco travel system last time and it was THE WORST. I went through like 3 strollers last with DS and it ended up totaling the cost of an Uppababy so this time I am just getting exactly what I want.

[miamigirl]

My parents also offered to buy the stroller. I really like the Bugaboo Cameleon and the Stokke Xplory, but I didn't read very good reviews about the Stokke. A couple friends have the Bugaboo and love it.

Of course, we need to go see them and test them out before we make our decision.

[pooh8402]

Jan 29, 2015 10:57:22 GMT -5 AutumnRose25 said:

Jan 28, 2015 17:52:24 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

I'm pretty set on the Chicco Keyfit 35 car seat, so I wanted a stroller base that was compatible with it. that led me to looking at the Chicco strollers. (I am fully aware that I can probably buy an adapter for almost any stroller that I do get, but I feel more comfortable if they were made for each other) I was going to get a Keyfit Caddy stroller base (it has a HUGE basket) but reviews are making me lean towards the Liteway Plus stroller, which can be a stroller base or a toddler stroller. it seems to be the most versatile in that price range and not too large/heavy. we are also wanting our children close in age.

that being said, I do need to go to a big BRU and test-drive strollers. my local one pretty much sucks in selection.

Check out the Chicco Bravo Trio - that is what we ended up choosing over the Britax system and the Litway.

It has three modes (frame, travel and just stroller) a nice big basket, a tray with two drink holders and place to put stuff AND the handlebar height can adjust (which is great because H is a foot taller than me)

It looks huge in store compared to the liteway. I'll definitely try it out when I can get to a big BRU or BBB. But I'll mainly be keeping it in the back of my SUV and using it in stores or parks. So I didn't want something bulky.

[pooh8402]

Jan 29, 2015 11:35:29 GMT -5 AutumnRose25 said:

Jan 29, 2015 11:34:40 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

It looks huge in store compared to the liteway. I'll definitely try it out when I can get to a big BRU or BBB. But I'll mainly be keeping it in the back of my SUV and using it in stores or parks. So I didn't want something bulky.

It really isn't. 

I was really concerned about size and weight too, and it was not an issue.

Good to hear!

[hbomdiggity]

I'm glad to hear the UBV love. I went to BBB and it was the only stroller that I could figure out by myself.

I also live in an urban area and don't want to be tied to the car seat nor do I want something huge (ie Bob).

But when I told my mom the price she fainted. Sooooo I guess she won't be getting it for me.

[starburst604]

Jan 29, 2015 13:23:31 GMT -5 hbomdiggity said:

I'm glad to hear the UBV love. I went to BBB and it was the only stroller that I could figure out by myself.

I also live in an urban area and don't want to be tied to the car seat nor do I want something huge (ie Bob).

But when I told my mom the price she fainted. Sooooo I guess she won't be getting it for me.

My MIL told us she would buy any stroller we want, price doesn't matter. She mentioned how SIL went through so many strollers for her 3 kids and should have just bought a really good one to begin with. So hopefully she won't balk at the cost of the Uppababy! We shall see, I've been waiting for her to bring it up. If she doesn't, H isn't shy about reminding her.

[speyedr]

We have a city select which is similar in features to the UB and I love it. It meets all of the criteria you listed above.

[Deleted]

I have the City Mini with car seat attachment. I love.how easy it folds and hanils - My issue is the size of the basket. It blows. I knew about it ahead if time but didn't appreciate how sucky it was until I tried to fit a diaper bag in it.

My.recommendation is to test drive - with your intended diaper bag.