The Absolute 4 Baby Stroller Must Haves

I am six months pregnant and officially in the market for a baby stroller, and there are stroller must haves on my list. I have been putting off baby shopping because a) I didn’t want to accumulate a warehouse supply of baby things, and b) we’ve been in lockdown for going onto six months now where I live, so it wasn’t like I could go into a store and see and test things like strollers anyway. Ahh, Covid. I thought by now the lockdown would be over, but honestly they had barely lifted restrictions before they slammed them back down again. Onto baby stroller must haves!

Because I have no idea what to look for in a baby stroller, I put the question out to Facebook as I have many co-workers who have had babies in the recent years. I asked for recommendations and got a few that sounded excellent. So I decided to start doing my own research on these recommended brands. But first, I want to share with you my criteria for my baby’s stroller. Because I did specify certain features I was interested in to my Facebook friends.

Stroller Must Have 1: Movability of Stroller

Now, I totally hate it when I go into a grocery store and get the cart with the funky wheel and have to fight it. And honestly, I make my husband push the damn thing if we are together because even with a cart with nicely rolling wheels, once it’s full my back starts to ache. So I totally want a stroller that is lightweight and easy to maneuver. I have had issues on and off with my back for going on a decade, and I’ve been working hard throughout this pregnancy to correct the problem that I have, and the last thing I want after baby is born is to be undoing all that effort and progress with a hard to push around stroller. So movability definitely is at the top of my baby stroller must haves list.

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Stroller Must Have 2: Easy to Put Away

Now, remember my back? For the same reason I do not want to have fight with my stroller when it times to tuck it back into the car. I totally suck at collapsing things anyway (like my ironing board) and I have neither time or patience to be fumbling with a stroller. So whatever stroller I get, it has to easily fold up and get itself out of my way the instant I want it to.

Stroller Must Have 3: Car Seat Convertible

I want to be able to easily remove the car seat from the car and snap it in place on the stroller. What parent doesn’t? From what I’ve heard, it’s exhausting being a parent, and the last thing any of us needs is to fighting with strollers and car seats. I want the reassurance that the car seat will easily and safely go back into the car and not have to worry about struggling with re-attaching it or buckling up baby. Plus, I want it to have plenty of safety features so that baby is as protected as can be while riding in the car. So safety and ease have made it on my baby stroller must haves list as well.

Stroller Must Have 4: Storage Space

I am going to share a secret with you. I have a love hate relationships with purses and bags. I love them because they are a great accessory, can hold what I need–keys, wallet, etc–but I hate them because they add weight and strain to my back and shoulders. It doesn’t matter if it’s an over the body purse, or whatever I find purses heavy to carry and in the winter, just down right annoying. That being said, now I’ll be carrying around a purse and a diaper bag? The idea makes me shudder. And I know if I stuff my things into the diaper bag I’ll be digging around for ages for items. Likely holding up everyone at the cash register–if stores ever open again. So my stroller needs a storage basket of some sort for sure because I am not carrying both a diaper bag and a purse–no matter how small–on my shoulder and pushing around a stroller. Nope, not happening.

Conclusion

In the end, I want an easy to use, safe baby stroller. I don’t even care about the cost too much as what else am I going to spend money on if not the safety of my baby? I want it to be a stroller I can easily use and that is comfortable and safe for my baby. My health, and the baby’s safety and health are far more important to me than the price tag.