Your precious little one is like a human cargo and you would need a baby carriage to keep your baby safe and comfortable while still on your family budget. Whether on the go or a stay at home mum, baby carriages are the perfect go to. As a stay at home parent, you’d never have to wonder whether your baby is okay or bother about where to keep your little one.
Picking out a baby carriage is fun, but there are so many options to choose from and that can make it difficult. You’d have to think of what fits into your lifestyle and budget. That’s what we are going to help you to do-give a breakdown of what to look out for when getting a baby carriage.
Did I hear you ask, what makes a baby carriage more expensive than the other? Well, several factors can contribute to that including the modern styling, lightweight materials, safety and useful accessories as well as many more features but you don’t have to break a bank to get one, just continue reading.
Strollers are a popular baby gift and shower present. Before you put a model on your registry, evaluate all your options by pushing different models around a store. If you end up using your stroller frequently, your baby will spend a lot of time in it, so choose the best model for you and your child.
Use this guide to help you filter your search.
Is It A Necessity?
Well, it’s not really necessary to have a baby carriage but it’s the best hands-on gadget a mother can have. You get to do your own thing while your baby relaxes and plays. You also get to give your arm a break and get your child involved in every of your activity while you watch him or her.
Let’s take a little history class together now, shall we?
In 1733, the first baby carriage was made by a landscape architect, William Kent, so that the Duke could transport his little ones and probably amuse them with the ride. At that time, baby carriages were animal drawn. It later became a trend in the city and Europe at large, especially for royalties.
In the mid-1800s, the carriage evolved into having handles that parents could grab and pull their little ones themselves, making it easy for the average parent. But it still wasn’t safe for the toddler because he or she could still fall out of it when not watched.
Much later in the 19th century, there was the reversible carriage which allowed the wheels of the carriage move separately with no axle connecting them. But after the first world war, it included safety features like larger wheels, foot brakes and spacious seats. There was also the travel-friendly carriage which could easily collapse and be stored.
Much later in time, the thinner version was built for those who had twins or two little ones. Its evolution brought the carriage we have today.
When To Get A Baby Carriage
This depends solely on your need as a parent. It can be used for a newborn or when your little one gets into toddler stage. So, you, as the parent, get ample time to do household activities and work while waiting for the big step from your lovely baby. The baby carriage is a great lifesaver for parents, so one can’t go wrong in adding it to the baby’s shopping list.
When your baby gets to the crawling stage, it’s so hard to monitor his or her movement while you are busy with daily activities around the house or as a work at home parent. At this stage, the carriage keeps them in check when your eyes won’t be on them, the crawling stage has been known to be a disruptive stage.
How To Know The Best Carriage
Getting the best carriage for your baby all depends on your lifestyle, budget and some questions relating to logistics like
where would it be used? Some carriages can be really big and bulky, thereby not making it fit for narrow city streets. So, if you are living along a narrow path, it’s better to get a smaller umbrella carriage, not the big one that can contain your essentials as well as that of the baby.
Usage (long term or short term)
Buying a baby carriage that you can use from when the baby is born to toddler stage would save you a lot of cash instead of always going to buy a different carriage for every stage.
As much as you would want the best for your little one, you must make sure that the carriage is safe, reliable and easy to use.
Types Of Baby Carriages
There are different types of baby carriages which would suit your needs but you’d have to ask yourself some basic questions. Some of those questions include: where would it be used? What is my budget? How do I store it? What extra features do I need?
If, you’ve answered these questions, we can continue. We would also look at the features and downsides of each baby carriage. Let’s delve in.
Full-Sized Carriage
If what you want is a carriage that would serve you for your baby as a newborn and also be used as he or she moves to toddler stage, then this would be a great option for you. It is big and durable. It’s of a standard look and a great option. Not just because it would wheel your baby into happiness but because it would make life easier for you as the parent.
Features
A wide and comfortable seat which can deeply recline when needed. There’s an option to mount the seat to be forward facing or rear facing. A car seat can be attached. The design is convertible (from newborn use to toddler use, toddler not up to 50 pounds). Expandable canopies. Strong tires with great suspension. Great storage space. Useful accessories like a cup holder or even a snack tray (juicy, huh?).
Downsides
With all the features listed above, I’m certain you can guess its major downside… Yes! it’s bulky and heavy. If you are one to take public transportation, stairways, busy streets or small stores, then this carriage can make movement difficult, even tougher for you to travel with it. If you have a tight home with limited storage, the full-size carriage is a no-no.
Lightweight or Umbrella Carriage
Well, this carriage could make you lose certain features from the full-sized carriage but as its name implies, it’s lightweight. That should work out for something right? Let’s just say another name for it could be easy-on-the-go.
Features
Its weight is about 15 pounds or less. The lightweight baby carriage is known majorly for its portability; some call it ‘shoulder strap’. It can be folded when not in use, making it easy to be carried through tight corners, staircases and easily stored even if you are living in a tight home. A lot of lightweight carriages come equipped despite how it looks. It has features which are beneficial including partial seat recline, expandable canopy, basket storage and a nice accessory package like a cup holder or snack tray.
Downsides
Looking for a baby carriage that would serve for your newborn into toddler stage? Then, this range of baby carriages is definitely not for you. Only a few models can carry your newborn safely with car seat adapters but most are designed for babies six months or younger than that.
Jogging Stroller
Always on the field or on the go? A constant jogger? Live in an area that’s rocky? Then the jogging stroller would be your perfect fit.
Features
Its superior suspension allows you walk, jog, or hike while your baby stays comfortable in his or her carriage. For the ability to maneuver on and off a jogging trail, the jogging carriage has a front wheel that can flexibly swivel or be fixed (for stability when on smooth and rough surfaces). It also includes car dealer compatibility which can be used from a newborn to toddler stage.
It has reclining seats. There are telescoping handlebars designed just to prevent runners from hitting the frame of the carriage. The storage basket holds your valuables while you jog freely. A hand brake helps you stop the carriage easily. It also has five-point harness and wrist strap for your infant’s safety.
Never get a jogging carriage without these features, you can see it totally fits into the safety speculation of a true jogger.
Downsides
This carriage can be really heavy like the full-size carriage. It’s also a challenging one to assemble. If house storage space is too tight or the car, the carriage wouldn’t fold up as small as the umbrella carriage would.
Now, here’s one little tip I’d like to give: most three-wheeled carriages are referred to as a Jogger but not all three wheelers are for runners. Some of them do not have hand brakes as well as other safety features. you aren’t supposed to use one without those safety features while jogging with your baby.
Also, this is very important. Take the carriage for a test drive just to make sure the safety features are okay and it has the functionality you need.
Double Seat Carriage
If you’ve got a double dose of sunshine or a toddler who isn’t ready to give up his carriage days while it’s being used by his baby brother and sister, then a double seated carriage is your best bet. This carriage comes in two formats: the tandem (one child sits behind the other), and the one where they sit side by side.
The side by side carriage is similar to those on passenger model. It’s for babies about the same height and weight such as twins.
The tandem stroller has a seat behind the other, it can also recline like the side by side model but the front passenger won’t have such option because reclining would leave little or no space for the back passenger. Some models can have the feature of passengers facing each other. This will give your little ones ample time to play with each other. Others have stadium seat style that could allow the child at the back see over the child in front.
Features
With multiple children, this option enables you to manage only one stroller. The different types have features peculiar to them. The side by side could take an infant car seat or not. If you are looking for a double seater, go for one that reclines and makes use of the infant foot enclosure or boot. These features come with the carriage for the safety of your precious one.
The tandem, on the other hand, comes handier than the side by side. It can fit through doorways easily. When folded, it takes up little more space than the folded mid-sized baby carriage.
Downsides
If your little ones aren’t of the same weight, it can make one pull the other to the heavier side. When the side by side gets folded, it takes up a lot of space as the full sized version. Some of the side by side would definitely not fit through a standard doorway or elevator doors.
Steering can be quite difficult, making it tricky to get over curbs. Since the parent would step on the back wheel to lift the front, you’d be lifting a heavier weight; that’s two times the size of the single full-size baby carriage. Some of its models come with little room for leg support for the child at the back. It tends to be bigger and bulkier; weighs up to 40 pounds. This makes mobility harder for the parent.
Car Seat Carriage
This lightweight frame originally has no seat of its own, but it can accommodate an infant car seat. Here’s the fun part, you can simply turn your infant car seat into a carriage in a just a snap, allowing your baby to take a stroll while still comfortable in his or her car seat.
Note that there is also the tandem double seat version for parents who have newborn twins.
Features
Lightweight, compact and not so expensive. You are most likely not to wake your sleeping baby while moving from the car seat to the carriage. It is very easy to use; you can secure it in just a snap and convenient.
Often times, you don’t just place the car seat on the universal car seat carriage, a strap is used to secure it. The strap is an extra step to ensure your baby is secured.
Downsides
For parents that would like their baby carriage to be used for a long-term, this is definitely not a choice you’d like to consider because your little one outgrows this carriage and it would go back to being a normal car seat but if your infant car seat is toddler friendly, you can still snap it.
Travel System Carriage
This baby carriage is a hybrid. It consists of an infant car seat, a car seat base for the vehicle and then the stroller. It can be full size, lightweight or jogger. So you can choose from its variety according to your specifications.
Features
Just like the car seat carriage, this travel system allows you to move your sleeping infant undisturbed from car to the carriage. Some have a seat that can recline in a flat form, you hush is a good option when choosing a travel system carriage. When your baby is ready to sit, the backrest car seat can be adjusted into a comfortable position giving the travel system more value. Not only does it have such amazing features, but it’s also inexpensive.
Downside
Just like other types of carriages, the travel system is no different, it can be really bulky. Some range of travel system carriages can be easily put together but others can be so cumbersome.
Having gone through this guide on choosing the best baby carriage that suits your lifestyle, we trust that you are now well informed and you can make a good choice. Remember that any type of baby carriage can work well as long as you have considered your budget, space and usage. Do let us know if this was helpful in getting you to choose the right baby carriage for you.