"A great stroller will do more than just get you – and your tot – from A to B: it will simplify your whole life. But choosing one can be totally overwhelming, so we break it down for you.

If you’re expecting, chances are, you’ve probably thought about the type of stroller you’ll buy.

Maybe you’re envisaging running with your little one – in which case you’ll need a jogging stroller. Maybe you’ll be on lots of coffee dates, meaning you’ll want a stroller that fits easily in and out of small spaces. Or maybe you’ll be hiking and traveling with your baby, so you want a stroller that can – quite literally go off-road.

To help you find the right stroller for your lifestyle, we’ve created a how to choose a stroller cheat sheet that includes:

• Setting your budget: how much strollers typically cost
• Chemicals to avoid in strollers
• Stroller jargon: what does everything mean?
• Questions to ask when shopping for a stroller

Chemicals to avoid in strollers

Speaking of dangerous chemicals… At The Tot, we never use or recommend anything that hasn’t passed The Tot Test.

This means we’ve looked deep into third-party testing, examined ingredients lists and asked in-depth questions about a products’ composition to ensure it doesn’t contain any of the chemicals we avoid. 

When it comes to strollers, we like to steer clear of:

• PFAS chemicals – Used for water and stain-proofing fabrics, PFAS (poly-fluoroalkyl substances) are a large family of different chemicals that have been shown to cause developmental and other adverse effects in laboratory animals.
• BPA + BPS (Bisphenols) – Often used in plastics, bisphenols mimic the hormone estrogen and have been linked to prostate cancer, breast cancer, female infertility, and obesity. BPA is an especially dangerous endocrine disruptor since even small amounts of this chemical have been shown to cause serious reproductive damage, especially when the exposure occurs in utero.
• PVC – PVC, also known as polyvinyl chloride, or vinyl, is an incredibly toxic chemical that is harmful to our bodies and to the environment right from the production phase through to disposal. It contains additives like phthalates, lead, cadmium, organotin that are quite toxic and have been linked to asthma, allergies, reproductive problems and cancer.
• Flame Retardants – Flame retardant chemicals have been linked to endocrine and thyroid disruption, impacts to the immune system, reproductive toxicity, cancer and adverse effects on fetal and child development.

 

HOW WILL YOU USE THE STROLLER?

Do you intend to run with your baby? You’ll need a jogging stroller like the Bumbleride Speed (no, you can’t run with a regular stroller!). It’s important that you have a lockable front wheel design so you don’t risk tripping and tipping!

The cool thing about the Bumbleride Speed is that it can be used from birth in a variety of ways. Many jogging strollers have locked wheels that don’t allow you to easily walk or jog. The Speed offers locked wheels for running/training, partial swivel for jogging and all-terrain trails and full swivel for city use.

If you know you’re going to be hauling your tot, a bag of their favorite toys, sporting equipment and/or a case of wine… you might want to consider an option with a XXL storage basket. Bumbleride’s Era Stroller offers lots of storage space while maintaining a small footprint as well as the functionality of machine-washable fabrics!" - Summer Land, The Tot

Read the entire How To Choose A Stroller article.