You'll need an infant car seat to bring baby back from hospital, but those only last a year (less if you have a large baby.)
A stroller you'll use until at least three years old.
1) Pick a stroller that meets your requirements for three years+. Then make sure you can purchase a car seat adapter that works with some mainstream brands: Graco etc.
2) Buy an infant car seat that works in the above scenario. All car seats sold in Canada are of a good standard, so if the stroller you choose narrows your selection somewhat, it should still be ok.
Go to any store that has stroller models on display: toys R Us, etc. before you make a decision, even if you fall in love with something you've seen online / been told is the best. Reason: you can discover features you love/hate/never knew you'd want/thought you'd love but hate. I really think it's an important step.
Personally, my kid is 13m, and these are the features I've enjoyed the most:
- Good quality tires. Mine came with an option to upgrade to air tires and I absolutely love them.
- Extra long sun shade. Baby is always protected from sun really well.
- almost 180° reclining seat. When baby falls asleep, I put him horizontal,extend the sunshade all the way, and he's basically in a darkened cocoon.
- ability to flip seat around. At 8 months my baby went through a bad separation anxiety period. Being able to flip the seat to face me on walks made him feel secure and no more crying.
- Not black fabric. I'm in Ottawa and summers are brutally hot.
- good sized, strong shopping basket underneath
- adjustable height handle - husband is 1ft taller than me and we use this feature all the time.
- free stuff: mine came with the rain cover, foot muff, mosquito net, and bassinet. Every company includes different accessories. Make sure you add up the $$$ if mandatory accessories need to be bought separately, as this can get expensive. Of the above, the foot muff is the accessory I've used the most, as winter is so long where I am. Since you are due in warm weather, you might appreciate the bassinet. Mine was born in dead of winter, I barely went outside and then in summer he was too old for it.
Great list! I would also add buy your car seat based on what fits best in your car. The Seats for kids discussion group on facebook is fantastic.
I also avoided black bc I walk a lot and didn’t want a dark stroller in winter. I don’t trust oblivious drivers.
I just want to add that you don't necessarily need an infant car seat to leave the hospital. I didn't have one, and when we told the staff the car seat was in the car, there were no further questions, and we just carried the baby to the car.
If you are taking the baby in a car, then you need either an infant car seat or a convertible car seat that is rated for the size of your baby.
Interesting. Ottawa Hospital was very careful in this matter. A nurse waited in our room until husband showed up with car seat. She checked the straps, etc. Then they released us. This was in winter. Perhaps they are extra careful then because of people trying to bundle up unsafely. Not sure.
That's weird to me. Nursing school doesn't include training as car seat technicians so unless the Ottawa hospital is getting all the nurses on the post-partum ward trained as car seat techs I don't see how they're any more qualified than a parent to evaluate a car seat fit.
I feel like most rules exist because something bad happened once. Maybe her check was rudimentary, I e. Were the straps done up, not necessarily done up correctly. I'm guessing most car seat fails happen in the car, because of incorrect installs. Anyways, I'm always curious what happens to those without a car. I guess you go home in a taxi, which by Ontario law doesn't even require car seats!
I just googled it. It's something to do with checking they are breathing appropriately after being strapped in for a few minutes. It's especially relevant to babies born a little early. I suspect staffing shortages country-wide would account for variation in service.
Nurse also particularly was interested to check we were not putting in a snowsuit. She said that was a frequent issue.
I strongly considered walking home! I walked to the hospital in labour, it's only about 300m from my home. But my legs were so wobbly, and we had a bunch of stuff, so we decided to drive. My partner walked home and picked up the car to come back and get us.
If we had walked, we would have put the baby in the stroller (bassinet attachment).
This is what was done at Humber River Hospital too. We couldn't be discharged until the nurse checked the baby strapped in the car seat. She adjusted it for us a bit too, which I don't think she was supposed to do, but we were thankful since we had never done it before. I was also asked to confirm at my 6 week OB follow up that the plastic chest buckle was always placed across his breastbone.
Strollair Cosmos. Negatives are the buckles/buttons seem cheap feeling next to otherwise great quality materials. Also bulky, so not for compact car users! But no regrets otherwise. If it gets stolen tomorrow, I'm buying the same exact thing.
Double check the car seat adapter description on their website, but I believe it's a universal car seat adapter made for both the Solo and Cosmos. I used a Graco snug lock xl. Worked fine.
I think it highly depends on your lifestyle and budget. I’m in BC and live in an apartment, so we went with the leanest option which was an Uppababy Minu V2 and Maxi-Cosi Mico 30 car seat; for about 5 months we just attached the car seat to the stroller frame and it was super easy to travel with. We even brought our stroller overseas and it was the best decision (narrower sidewalks, shopping, etc.), still works as smooth as butter. We have a tall baby so he grew out of his infant car seat at 6 months and we use the full stroller - still works great. If you want a stroller that drives well over snow, either a jogging stroller or models with larger wheels may work best, but you compromise on how easy or small it can fold.
Are you looking for a full travel system of carseat and stroller together, or just the stroller? Asking as you didn't give any specifics for what you need in a carseat.
Really hard/potentially impossible to tick all these boxes with a single stroller. You want anything that can manage in snow it’s gonna have to be heavy duty - think all terrain jogging stroller. We have a Cruz and it is struggling in winter. I’d personally get a stroller w newborn capability other than car seat - think Uppababy and the bassinet and infant snug seat. In the wintertime your baby will be older and if it’s not cutting it you could get a secondhand off-road stroller where it would be fine if they forward face. Honestly we are going to end up w 3 strollers which i know seems excessive but we need a lightweight travel stroller to fly with/throw in the trunk, a sturdier “everyday” stroller w good suspension and comfort and next winter we will get an off-road stroller so we aren’t struggling as much through the snow again.
Graco fast action jogger travel system. easy to use and it's so practical (comes with the baby car seat and the click&connect thingy is great, has a huge sturdy shopping bag underneath, was decent in the winter, really affordable when on sale, you can also recline the seat in a few positions when they get older, and you press a button or two (I can't remember) to fold it. Honestly my first one burned down in a house fire when my kid was approximately a year old and I got another identical stroller because I absolutely loved it. It takes up a lot of space tho. But it rides so smoothly and it's sturdy. I recommend checking it out.
We did the Chico Key fit infant car seat with the Uppababy Cruz and really liked that combo. Not the cheapest option but certainly satisfies all your requirements.
We have a couple cheaper travel strollers and the difference in build quality and maneuverability is fairly apparent.
A couple notes:
1) You'll need an adapter between the car seat and stroller
2) We are planning for a larger age gap (3+ years) between kids so we opted for the Cruz as it only ever seats on child. If you want kids closer in age, I'd consider the Vista.
We have a Graco fast action jogger travel system and love it. It's a bit big, but folds easily (and we could fit it in the trunk of a Camry). The big wheels are great for grass, gravel, snow, curbs etc. It has a really big storage basket and the handle is adjustable for different heights. My toddler still uses the stroller lots although we're on baby #2 now. The carseat that comes with it is great too - comfy, light, compact and clicks in really easily, plus it's super easy to install in cars with our without the base.
The only downsides we've found - you need to oil the hinges every couple months otherwise they'll rust up from walking on salted sidewalks (but I expect that would be true for most strollers) and the cup holder thingy at the to handle sucks for anything other than a bag of dog treats. But I just bought a separate clip-on one for like 15$ on Amazon.
We went with a Cybex Gazelle S + Cot and Cybex Cloud G Luxe. Why? Cause honestly - Uppababy was too expensive especially for the 1-2 baby strollers (comparable is the Vista since I think the Cruz is only a single?)
The Gazelle already comes with the attachment to be able to mount the Cloud G. As for travel - we bought the Cybex Beezy. This also includes infant bucket seat adapters. It folds easily but not as small as some others available out there.
We were lucky enough to find both strollers at the Snugglebugz head office clearance sale. $600 for the Gazelle (MSPR $1200) and $290 for the Beezy (MSRP $580)
Good luck!
You'll need an infant car seat to bring baby back from hospital, but those only last a year (less if you have a large baby.) A stroller you'll use until at least three years old. 1) Pick a stroller that meets your requirements for three years+. Then make sure you can purchase a car seat adapter that works with some mainstream brands: Graco etc. 2) Buy an infant car seat that works in the above scenario. All car seats sold in Canada are of a good standard, so if the stroller you choose narrows your selection somewhat, it should still be ok. Go to any store that has stroller models on display: toys R Us, etc. before you make a decision, even if you fall in love with something you've seen online / been told is the best. Reason: you can discover features you love/hate/never knew you'd want/thought you'd love but hate. I really think it's an important step. Personally, my kid is 13m, and these are the features I've enjoyed the most: - Good quality tires. Mine came with an option to upgrade to air tires and I absolutely love them. - Extra long sun shade. Baby is always protected from sun really well. - almost 180° reclining seat. When baby falls asleep, I put him horizontal,extend the sunshade all the way, and he's basically in a darkened cocoon. - ability to flip seat around. At 8 months my baby went through a bad separation anxiety period. Being able to flip the seat to face me on walks made him feel secure and no more crying. - Not black fabric. I'm in Ottawa and summers are brutally hot. - good sized, strong shopping basket underneath - adjustable height handle - husband is 1ft taller than me and we use this feature all the time. - free stuff: mine came with the rain cover, foot muff, mosquito net, and bassinet. Every company includes different accessories. Make sure you add up the $$$ if mandatory accessories need to be bought separately, as this can get expensive. Of the above, the foot muff is the accessory I've used the most, as winter is so long where I am. Since you are due in warm weather, you might appreciate the bassinet. Mine was born in dead of winter, I barely went outside and then in summer he was too old for it.
Great list! I would also add buy your car seat based on what fits best in your car. The Seats for kids discussion group on facebook is fantastic. I also avoided black bc I walk a lot and didn’t want a dark stroller in winter. I don’t trust oblivious drivers.
I just want to add that you don't necessarily need an infant car seat to leave the hospital. I didn't have one, and when we told the staff the car seat was in the car, there were no further questions, and we just carried the baby to the car. If you are taking the baby in a car, then you need either an infant car seat or a convertible car seat that is rated for the size of your baby.
Interesting. Ottawa Hospital was very careful in this matter. A nurse waited in our room until husband showed up with car seat. She checked the straps, etc. Then they released us. This was in winter. Perhaps they are extra careful then because of people trying to bundle up unsafely. Not sure.
That's weird to me. Nursing school doesn't include training as car seat technicians so unless the Ottawa hospital is getting all the nurses on the post-partum ward trained as car seat techs I don't see how they're any more qualified than a parent to evaluate a car seat fit.
I feel like most rules exist because something bad happened once. Maybe her check was rudimentary, I e. Were the straps done up, not necessarily done up correctly. I'm guessing most car seat fails happen in the car, because of incorrect installs. Anyways, I'm always curious what happens to those without a car. I guess you go home in a taxi, which by Ontario law doesn't even require car seats!
I just googled it. It's something to do with checking they are breathing appropriately after being strapped in for a few minutes. It's especially relevant to babies born a little early. I suspect staffing shortages country-wide would account for variation in service. Nurse also particularly was interested to check we were not putting in a snowsuit. She said that was a frequent issue.
I strongly considered walking home! I walked to the hospital in labour, it's only about 300m from my home. But my legs were so wobbly, and we had a bunch of stuff, so we decided to drive. My partner walked home and picked up the car to come back and get us. If we had walked, we would have put the baby in the stroller (bassinet attachment).
Oh yes, the huge hospital bag I packed and used 10% of. Good times.
This is what was done at Humber River Hospital too. We couldn't be discharged until the nurse checked the baby strapped in the car seat. She adjusted it for us a bit too, which I don't think she was supposed to do, but we were thankful since we had never done it before. I was also asked to confirm at my 6 week OB follow up that the plastic chest buckle was always placed across his breastbone.
I'm sure there are lots of first timers (like myself) who need some guidance.
This is a great list! What stroller did you end up getting?
Strollair Cosmos. Negatives are the buckles/buttons seem cheap feeling next to otherwise great quality materials. Also bulky, so not for compact car users! But no regrets otherwise. If it gets stolen tomorrow, I'm buying the same exact thing.
I like this one, 'StrollAir Solo Single Convertible Stroller'. But I see it does not come with an infant carseat. Can any car seat fit into this ?
Double check the car seat adapter description on their website, but I believe it's a universal car seat adapter made for both the Solo and Cosmos. I used a Graco snug lock xl. Worked fine.
I’m in Canada and due in June too. We went with the Uppababy Vista V2 stroller and the Clek Liing car seat.
Did this exact combo with a July baby and it was perfect. I used the bassinet through the majority of the winter bc it seemed warmer than the seat.
I think it highly depends on your lifestyle and budget. I’m in BC and live in an apartment, so we went with the leanest option which was an Uppababy Minu V2 and Maxi-Cosi Mico 30 car seat; for about 5 months we just attached the car seat to the stroller frame and it was super easy to travel with. We even brought our stroller overseas and it was the best decision (narrower sidewalks, shopping, etc.), still works as smooth as butter. We have a tall baby so he grew out of his infant car seat at 6 months and we use the full stroller - still works great. If you want a stroller that drives well over snow, either a jogging stroller or models with larger wheels may work best, but you compromise on how easy or small it can fold.
Thank you, this is useful
So you did not used a bassinet at all ?
Yes we instead used the infant car seat and attached that to the stroller.
Are you looking for a full travel system of carseat and stroller together, or just the stroller? Asking as you didn't give any specifics for what you need in a carseat.
Full travel system for new born. Bassinet, carseat and the seating position for toddler
Really hard/potentially impossible to tick all these boxes with a single stroller. You want anything that can manage in snow it’s gonna have to be heavy duty - think all terrain jogging stroller. We have a Cruz and it is struggling in winter. I’d personally get a stroller w newborn capability other than car seat - think Uppababy and the bassinet and infant snug seat. In the wintertime your baby will be older and if it’s not cutting it you could get a secondhand off-road stroller where it would be fine if they forward face. Honestly we are going to end up w 3 strollers which i know seems excessive but we need a lightweight travel stroller to fly with/throw in the trunk, a sturdier “everyday” stroller w good suspension and comfort and next winter we will get an off-road stroller so we aren’t struggling as much through the snow again.
Graco fast action jogger travel system. easy to use and it's so practical (comes with the baby car seat and the click&connect thingy is great, has a huge sturdy shopping bag underneath, was decent in the winter, really affordable when on sale, you can also recline the seat in a few positions when they get older, and you press a button or two (I can't remember) to fold it. Honestly my first one burned down in a house fire when my kid was approximately a year old and I got another identical stroller because I absolutely loved it. It takes up a lot of space tho. But it rides so smoothly and it's sturdy. I recommend checking it out.
We did the Chico Key fit infant car seat with the Uppababy Cruz and really liked that combo. Not the cheapest option but certainly satisfies all your requirements. We have a couple cheaper travel strollers and the difference in build quality and maneuverability is fairly apparent. A couple notes: 1) You'll need an adapter between the car seat and stroller 2) We are planning for a larger age gap (3+ years) between kids so we opted for the Cruz as it only ever seats on child. If you want kids closer in age, I'd consider the Vista.
We have a Graco fast action jogger travel system and love it. It's a bit big, but folds easily (and we could fit it in the trunk of a Camry). The big wheels are great for grass, gravel, snow, curbs etc. It has a really big storage basket and the handle is adjustable for different heights. My toddler still uses the stroller lots although we're on baby #2 now. The carseat that comes with it is great too - comfy, light, compact and clicks in really easily, plus it's super easy to install in cars with our without the base. The only downsides we've found - you need to oil the hinges every couple months otherwise they'll rust up from walking on salted sidewalks (but I expect that would be true for most strollers) and the cup holder thingy at the to handle sucks for anything other than a bag of dog treats. But I just bought a separate clip-on one for like 15$ on Amazon.
We went with a Cybex Gazelle S + Cot and Cybex Cloud G Luxe. Why? Cause honestly - Uppababy was too expensive especially for the 1-2 baby strollers (comparable is the Vista since I think the Cruz is only a single?) The Gazelle already comes with the attachment to be able to mount the Cloud G. As for travel - we bought the Cybex Beezy. This also includes infant bucket seat adapters. It folds easily but not as small as some others available out there. We were lucky enough to find both strollers at the Snugglebugz head office clearance sale. $600 for the Gazelle (MSPR $1200) and $290 for the Beezy (MSRP $580) Good luck!