Shopping for Strollers – Ratings and Review

Have you ever made a purchase and the later experienced cognitive dissonance or buyer’s remorse? That is, you regret making the purchase for a variety of reasons. One of the most common reasons for cognitive dissonance is that you discover you could have purchased a better quality product for the same money or you could have purchased the same product for less money elsewhere.The best way to avoid being disappointed with your decision is to first due some research.

Many consumers, including myself, rely heavily on Consumer Reports for their testing and rating of products. Then the consumer can choose a product with greater confidence that it is a quality product. This however, only satisfies half of the equation. The consumer now knows the relative quality of the product they want to purchase but they do not yet know where they can find the best price.

The second half of the equation requires additional research on the part of the consumer. The internet is an invaluable tool when it comes to comparison shopping. You can compare the price of the product you desire without ever leaving the comfort of your home. You can then decide to purchase it online (for convenience) or drive to the retailer that offers the best price.

This article will hopefully help you in making a decision on which stroller to purchase for your new baby or babies. I use Consumer Reports’ ratings for the relative quality rating of the strollers and add my own price comparison research to assist in your decision.

Guide to the Ratings

Overall score is based primarily on performance, maneuverability (all-terrain strollers), ease of use, and safety. Performance is panelists’ impression of ease of pushing and maneuvering on varied terrain while walking (all-terrain strollers) or running (jogging strollers). Ease of use is primarily based on ease of safety harness use, folding and unfolding, adjusting backrest, lifting, carrying, and engaging wheel brakes. Safety for each stroller was assessed by testing for compliance with ASTM F 833-05a voluntary standard and a stability test designed by Consumers Union.

Strollers that did not meet the standard or had relatively lower stability on an adjustable inclined plane were downgraded. Price is approximate retail for stroller. Maneuverability was assessed by trained staffers on how well the strollers maneuvered S-turns through cones, narrow sections, grass, dirt trails, uphill, downhill, and steps while walking. Durability was assessed by rolling the strollers 19 miles over 150,000 bumps with a 40 pound bag in the seat, then each stroller was folded and unfolded 10 times to check for mechanical failure or unusual wear.

Traditional Strollers

The traditional strollers listed below are rated in four categories: day-to-day use, folding, reclining and maneuverability.

Graco Quattro Tour (84)

The Graco Quattro Tour was top-rated and a Consumer Reports “Best Buy” with an overall score of 84. It was rated excellent in folding, reclining, and maneuverability, and very good in day-to-day use. It includes the following features: one-touch brakes, car seat compatible, safe for newborns, trays for parents and child, extra storage basket, stands when folded and weighs 27lbs. The suggested retail price is $130.

Stokke Xplory.

The Stokke Xplory ranked a close second with a score of 82. It was also rated excellent in two the four categories: reclining and maneuverability. It rated very good in folding and day-to-day use. Its features include: 5-point harness, safe for newborns, one-touch brakes, extra storage space and an adjustable handle. However, it is not car seat compatible, does not have trays and does not stand when folded and weight 27lbs. The suggested retail price is $770.

Bugaboo Frog.

The Bugaboo Frog received a score of 77. It also rated excellent in two of four categories: folding and maneuverability. It rated very good in reclining and day-to-day use. Its features include: 5-point harness, safe for newborns, one-touch brakes, car seat compatible, and extra storage space. It does not have trays and will not stand when folded. It weighs 23lbs. The suggested retail price is $730.

Safety 1st Avilla Alumlite.

The Safety 1st Avilla Alumlite received a score of 73. It rated excellent in folding and in maneuverability and very good in day-today use. It rated only good in reclining. Its features include: car seat compatibility, adjustable handle, extra trays and stands when folded. It weighs 18lbs. The suggested retail price is $70.

Jogging Strollers

Jogging strollers are designed for the serious runner and the non-swivel front wheel can make indoor maneuverability difficult. Below is the review of seven jogging strollers. The review includes three categories: performance, ease of use, and safety.

Dreamer Design Rebound.

The Dreamer Design Rebound was top-rated by Consumer Reports but received only a very good rating and a score of 79. It rated excellent in performance and very good in easy of use and safety. It does fold and weight 30lbs. The suggested retail price is $220.

Jeep Overland Limited.

The Jeep Overland Limited received an overall very good rating and a score of 76. It rated excellent rating in maneuverability and a very good rating in ease of use and in safety. It weighs 30lbs and retails for $170.

Kelty Speedster 16 Deluxe.

The Kelty received an overall very good rating and a score of 76. It rated excellent rating in maneuverability and in safety and a very good rating in ease of use. It weighs 24lbs and retails for $335.

Baby Trend Expedition.

The Baby Trend Expedition received an overall very good rating and a score of 75. It rated excellent rating in maneuverability and a very good rating in ease of use and in safety. It weighs 25lbs and retails for $100.

Schwinn Free Runner LT.

This Schwinn received an overall good rating and a score of 70. It rated excellent rating in maneuverability only, in ease of use it received a very good rating but was rated only good in safety. It weighs 22lbs and retails for $190.

Baby Jogger Performance.

The Baby Jogger received an overall good rating and a score of 66. It rated excellent rating in maneuverability. In ease of use and in safety it was rated good. It weighs 25lbs and retails for $330.

InStep Run Around.

The InStep Run Around received an overall rating of good and a score of 53. It rated excellent rating in maneuverability, a good rating in safety, a poor fair in safety. It weighs 23lbs and retails for $90.

InStep Run Around LTD.

InStep Run Around LTD received an overall rating of fair-to-good and a score of 53. It rated excellent rating in maneuverability, a good rating in safety, a poor fair in safety. It weighs 25lbs and retails for $90.

Baby Jogging Stroller Reviews

Before you buy a jogging stroller you need to take the time to read a few reviews. The best reviews offer all kinds of advice on the various strollers and also the features to check when buying your first stroller. All of these reviews say that most jogging strollers will easily collapse to allow them to be stored easily in the closet. They are usually manufactured from aluminum and they have a protective, large sun canopy and are extremely comfortable for your children. Make sure that the stroller has suitable padding in the seat, an adjustable weather shield and a visor.

Check also that the stroller is easy to push and that you try it at different speeds. It needs to be easy to push when walking and jogging. The various reviews also declare that if there is anything that isn’t included with the jogging stroller you should immediately call the company. However, this seldom happens because the companies want to keep their reputation intact, so they don’t usually miss anything. Some people have found that their children like the stroller so much that they also sleep in their strollers! You and your family will be happy when you buy one of these products and with it you can go for long walks in the early morning hours and late at night. A good well chosen stroller will help to keep you and your family physically fit.

Another area to check in the various reviews is how easy it is to fold up the stroller when not in use, particularly if you are short of room at home. This provides a faster and better way to take the stroller anywhere you want. Using a jogging stroller will provide you with a great experience and is an excellent way to keep fit. The expense of the buying the stroller isn’t as much when it is compared to the benefits that you will get from it.

The Schwinn Turismo Is A Great Double Jogging Stroller

Not so long ago, my lovely wife and I realized that there was going to be another little bundle in the family. It was a little bit of a shock, not as much of a shock as the third child, but that’s a story for different article. Still, the new one planned for or not was on it’s way and that was that.

We are a active people and as such this meant that our known and trusted Jeep Overland stroller was about to be usurped by a new one. The 2 year old loved to come out running with Daddy in the stroller and had loved it since he was first born. I expected the 2nd child would be no different and she’s not, she’s just the same.

This led me to try and find what I considered to be the best double jogging stroller. The one I finally settled on was the Schwinn Double Jogging Stroller. It’s technically called the Schwinn Turismo. As it turns out they make both a double and single, but I wasn’t interested in the single for obvious reasons.

Schwinn Double Jogging Stroller

Let me describe my criteria, this can help you too if you are looking for something similar.

I required that the front wheel was lockable in a single position but would also swivel when I wanted it to. This is important for me, because when I moving at a good clip, I want that front wheel locked. However, if I am just cruising down the sidewalk, or my wife is, I want it to swivel to move around things. The Turismo has this neat little feature that’s a switch on the handlebar that locks and unlocks the front wheel. It’s brilliant.

Secondly, I wanted to make sure that the unit has come music connectivity. This is actually more for the kids than me. I wanted to make sure they had a little something to entertain them on the move. The Schwinn Turismo has speakers built into the canopies so that they kids can listen to Barney from my mp3 player.

Big seats for the kids were also a priority for me. For a double these just seems like a logical thing to have to have because inevitably you have a larger child and a smaller child. Unless you have twins, this is usually going to be the case.

The Schwinn double jogging stroller was the one that met all of my criteria quite nicely.