Ah, yes. The stroller. An item that is all around us but we never notice until it is time to buy one. And, just like us, you’re probably trying to nail down the process of purchasing the best stroller for your newborn baby. You’ve come to the right place as I agonized over this for a while before finally making our purchase.
Note: we are not being paid by Graco. We simply love the products and wanted to recommend them to you as you set out on your journey to purchase the best stroller for your newborn baby.
In Comes The Newborn… And Stroller
For us, the decision was largely made easy after we decided to go with Graco Click Connect car seat and base. We LOVE the ability to transport our daughter between the car to a stroller effortlessly. Other brands may have something similar, but for us the quality that Graco is known for plus the utility that Click Connect provides was a no brainer for us.
While we limited the brand, there were still many, many options to search through. Before we even purchased the best stroller for our newborn baby, we first had to decide how many we wanted to buy. And if we decided we only wanted one, should it be big or small. Decisions, decisions.
Does Anyone Have a Rubber?
One feature that has always been important to me when buying items with wheels is the existence of rubber. It’s something that was instilled to me as a child from my Dad.
The gist is that if a rubber wheel is damaged it is easy to either fix or replace. If you break a plastic wheel then, for the most part, you better hope the manufacturer of your product is a) still in business and b) has that item in stock. Rubber wheels are universally available for purchase. The plastic wheel for your stroller likely isn’t.
It should be noted that rubber wheels are generally more durable and will last longer.
So with that in mind, off we went four months before the due date to research strollers that would work with the car seat. While looking everything over, it became apparent to us that life was going to be a lot easier if we had two options instead of one. That was mainly because of the size of the options.
The Big Boy Stroller
The first one we went with is the Graco FastAction LX. It satisfied my “rubber wheel rule” and was practical for us to exercise outside and maneuver our daughter in larger spaces. For instance, when you’re at the zoo would you rather have a larger stroller that includes a bunch of space for a diaper bag, toys and better prepares you to be ready for anything or a small stroller without much space? For us and probably most people, the logic dictates you’ll want the larger option. It also came with an attachment that will allow us to use this stroller for years—even after she is out of her infant car seat. I will note that this stroller does weigh nearly 30 pounds. It is a big boy and not something my wife particularly enjoys lugging around by herself. That is a large factor why in choosing the best stroller for a newborn we actually decided to go with two of them.
The Small, But Sturdy Stroller
The Graco SnugRider Elite Car Seat Carrier is different from our first purchase for a variety of reasons. First, it must be noted that this is not a typical stroller in the sense that you cannot use it without the car seat. We will still get good use out of it for maybe a couple years of her life, but this is not a product you’ll be using for 5-7 years. However, that doesn’t mean you’re necessarily getting a discount as evidenced by the price. However, it does have Click Connect and has served our purpose of having an option that we can quickly throw in and take out of the trunk when either of us are doing errands.
As I alluded to earlier, the other main difference from the previous stroller is the reality that it is MUCH easier for my wife to handle on her own. At a slim 15 pounds it’s easy to lift in and out of the trunk and quickly gets into place for an easy transfer from the car. As compared to the FastAction, this is a stroller that is much more appropriate to use at a grocery or home improvement store. However, if we’re going to a place that affords us space to maneuver then I am using the larger stroller 100/100 times.
What’s The Verdict?
All that being said, if we were on a budget that included only $150 for the purchase of a stroller, I would pick the SnugRider or a similar smaller version because it is absolutely more versatile. You can use it in a store and you can take it on a walk. There’s just no way I would ever use the FastAction in a place like a store because of its bulk and width.
While purchasing the best stroller for your newborn baby is important, don’t let it blow your budget. As you’ve seen across this site, fatherhood is an expensive proposition. If you’re struggling to budget for pregnancy or your nursery, skip the $500 stroller and maybe even the convenience of something like the Graco Click Connect.
If we had to do it all over again, and this is something we probably will do for future kids, I would have purchased the same type of jogger stroller, but a version that we could use WITHOUT a car seat for an infant. My mom purchased a Jeep stroller that allows our daughter to lay flat while being pushed. For those times when my wife and I wanted to go on a walk but we had a baby asleep outside of her crib, it was a real pain in the ass to wake her, have her be upset, and then manipulate her unwilling body into a car seat before we could finally get outside of house. Again, not something you would ever envision happening unless you’re told about it beforehand or have the pleasure of experiencing for yourself.
I can see a multi-seat wagon-ish style stroller in the future, and as lame as it sounds, it is something I am greatly looking forward to because of the flexibility it will afford.
Stroller Summary
- We decided to buy a Graco Click Connect car seat for our child, which allows for an easy transfer between car and stroller.
- We opted to buy two strollers – a larger Graco FastAction LX for outdoor use/larger spaces and a smaller Graco SnugRider Elite mainly for errands. I prefer strollers with rubber vs plastic wheels.
- The FastAction is good for places like the zoo where you need more storage space but it’s heavy. The SnugRider is much lighter and better for tight spaces like stores.
- If only buying one stroller with a $150 budget, I would choose the SnugRider for its versatility.
- In hindsight, I wish I had also bought a stroller that allows the baby to lie flat, for walking when not wanting to put the baby in a car seat
- I look forward to getting a multi-seat wagon-style stroller in the future for even more flexibility.
