Travel Strollers: How to choose?
A stroller is one of the most important items you will bring with you, if you are traveling with stroller-aged children. Here are some considerations when trying to decide what kind of stroller you should bring.
1. The age and weight of the child: All strollers have different weight limits, harness types, etc. If you are traveling with an infant, you will have to bring either a stroller with a bassinet or one that an infant car seat clicks into. These will naturally be larger and heavier. Once the child is over 6 months, your options expand greatly.
2. The terrain and layout of the destination(s): Are you headed to Southeast Asia? You may not walk that much, but instead take varying forms of transportation (busses, taxis, tuktuks, jeepnees, trikes, cyclos, etc.). When you do walk, the roads could be gravel or dirt. Heading to Europe? Be prepared for cobblestone, and LOTS of walking.
3. Public & private transport optionsIn cities with great public transport systems such as metro, subway, skytrains, etc - you will frequently need to carry the stroller up or down steps (there are some cities with elevators at their metro stations, but those can be out of order or just non-existent at older stations, so you can't bank on it). In these cases, you'll want a lightweight stroller so you can fold it up and carry it down steps, or hop on a bus quickly. If you are renting a car, then you already know you'll have space for the stroller when needed - and it doesn't really matter how heavy it is.
For lightweight and compact stroller recommendations, see post "Traveling under two".
My take: After having gone on 4-5 international trips with my son and using 3-4 different strollers, I have come to the realization that I prefer to have a bulkier stroller with better wheels, that can grow with my child, over a lightweight stroller that becomes to flimsy as the child grows.My personal favorite that fits this description is the City Mini by Baby Jogger.
It has real wheels (aka not hard plastic, but actual tires) which truly makes it an "all terrain" stroller. While it's not as light as the true "travel" strollers (22lbs, compared to 16-18lbs), it does have a compact fold, can be used with an infant car seat, and there is a great double stroller version of it too. If you have a baby and older toddler, you can also purchase a ride along board attachment. You can also buy a stroller bag for easier carrying options.
Regardless of terrain, I would always recommend traveling with a stroller when flying, because it makes airport travel much more convenient. It's a lot easier to sprint to your gate without injuring yourself if you can push your kiddo in a stroller. It also can hold your carry on luggage when its not holding your child. When in doubt, bring the stroller!
Have questions? Thoughts to add? Leave them in the comments below!
For all Amazon product links: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.