Pushing It

Have you ever thought you knew what you wanted, then when you went to look for it, you had so many choices that you totally didn't know what you were looking for anymore? This is what I felt every weekend for the past three weeks... and all I'm doing is looking for a baby stroller with:

• Leather interior, for luxurious baby comfort
• Spoiler for faster and more stable pushing
• 10" rims with spinners for pulling up to grandma's in style
• Neon effects kit (baby blue neon) to impress on night strolls
• Insulated cup holder for my beer ("daddy juice")
• Alarm for when I neglect to lock the stroller and leave the baby unattended (just kidding - I would never neglect to lock the stroller)

Instead I'm finding models that can seat three:
To... actually, I don't even know what this is:
I've learned that strollers fall into several categories:

• Umbrella strollers - lightweight, foldable like an umbrella, with multiple pinch points where your fingers and foot can get trapped in while folding. Look for stain resistant fabrics so you can easily wipe your blood off of them.
• Lightweight strollers - these fall between 9 and 12 pounds, and the absolute lightest stroller category. They're so light, they feel like they're made out of popsicle sticks and string. Reviews I've read don't really stress their durability; they last about as long as if they were made with popsicle sticks and string.
• Jogging strollers - the 3-wheeled strollers you see people running with on long trails. These strollers can reach speeds of 15 MPH. If I owned one of these, I would tie it to a treadmill and have it push itself. And if a stroller can be pushed that fast, why doesn't it just have its own gas engine?
• All-Terrain Strollers - strollers with big, air-filled tires (I saw some made by Jeep) that can roll over anything. That's a great idea; let's take baby on some mountainous terrain. I'm sure those rocky crags and heavy boulders are child-friendly.
• Travel Systems - Now this is what I thought I wanted. A travel system allows your car seat to snap into your stroller, so it's like having two essential transportation products in one. Unfortunately, these can weigh up to 30 pounds. Strap a baby in, and add an additional 10 pounds. If something's this heavy, I'd probably end up towing it with a pack animal than actually being able to pick it up.

With so many choices to choose from, it all comes down to what you're going to do most with baby, where and how you're going to travel with them, and what goes well with your outfit. Some small details to look out for which became deciding factors to some folks I've talked to:

• Basket size and extra storage space - you're going to need an extra hand, and no better way than a stroller that can double as a shopping cart
• Adjustable height of handles - consider the height differences of who will push the stroller around
• Reclining angle - can your baby lay back far enough that their head isn't falling out of the seat when they doze off?
• Sun shade - if the sun keeps your baby from sleeping, you're going to have a cranky baby
• Rain cover - if the stroller doesn't come with rain protection, make sure you pick one up under separate cover (no pun intended)
  
• Wheels - some wheels are better suited for sidewalks, some for marble museum floors

A couple of good online resources I found:

• Baby-Gaga.com - very extensive stroller reviews, with precise filtering options to help narrow down exactly what you need. They don't have some more recent models I've seen in-store, but have similar models from the same manufacturers, so you get a close second in most cases.
• About.com - numerous articles on strollers, including top-ten lists and videos, and answers to many common questions.
  

And when you've finally decided, you can check out Strollers.com for the final purchase. I haven't purchased from them personally so I'm not endorsing their site, but it's put together well with easy navigation and category refinement. Each stroller has manufacturer's details, specifications, and multiple pictures. The only thing lacking are consumer reviews - not that they don't offer them, they just don't seem to have too many customers submitting reviews. As a retailer, they have a 100% price match guarantee, and an in-your-face customer service number, which is a good sign they stand behind their sales.

As for me, I'll be going on my fourth stroller test drive sometime this week. I foresee myself being so desperate, that I'll end up buying any stroller with a calfskin leather interior by then.