While I've got strollers on the brain...
I really do love the Bug. I do. If it had one-handed fold, it would be absolutely perfect. And I do still believe that it was worth every cent. (So was the footmuff, which has kept Jakob cosy and kept his blankets off the ground, but I do have my doubts about the transport bag which is still in a box under the guest bed.) But I can't keep myself from gawping at other strollers. Jen and I have often talked about strollers, and when I'm out and about, many times I've been asked about Jakob's Cameleon. (Someone recently commented that it matched his eyes... True, but an unusual observation.) I had great fun in Germany, looking at baby catalogues with Katja and seeing which one they're planning to get and all the customisable features on offer. When Emma was born, I couldn't wait to hear how Catherine liked her Xplory.
And every so often, I see one that makes me think, "Hey, if that had been in stores while we were stroller shopping, I'd have considered it." The Orbit Baby I wrote about earlier today, for one. The latest Bugaboo knock-off, Uppa Baby, for another. And the Teutonia strollers I saw in Europe. I think the Mutsy is the one that Katja and I thought looked odd (like something was missing), but the nifty articulated design of the Urban Rider, and one-piece fold and great accessories of all the models have since caught my fancy. Plus, some of their strollers are available in purple!! And look at the 'fun seat' - with a steering wheel! - for toddlers. And the rocker option! And a giant carry bag! Seriously, I am lusting for this stroller. If the rest of the world prevails and I end up needing a double stroller, I want the Mutsy with a duoseat. (Although the Jané Powertwin Tandem looks good, too.)
But I'm still mad for the Bugaboo. I love the one-handed steering. I love that I can easily flip the handles around if I encounter rough terrain. I love that Jakob can face in or out. I love that the Bug bassinet was Jakob's bed for his first three months. And while we were in Krems, I especially loved the wrist-strap as I eased my way down the hill from the hotel. And I love how it handles on cobblestones. (Not so many of those in Vancouver, but there will be on our travels.)
I think the main reason I still have stroller-on-the-brain, though, is the pervasive sense that the stroller is never where I need it. If we're setting out on foot, the stroller is in the car. If we're driving somewhere, it'll surely be in the house. I sometimes wish we had a second stroller so there'd always be one where I need it. A Silver Cross, maybe, or a Maclaren. Or, now that I've spotted it online, a Mutsy 4rider. Something that would fit in the trunk without claiming the whole trunk, or wouldn't block access to the freezer if it was the to-be-kept-in-the-house stroller. Something with a one-part fold, in case I'm ever in a jetway without a second adult to fold the stroller (or hold the baby while I'm folding said stroller).
I'm totally spoiled for the Bug, though. I'd be terribly picky if we were to get another stroller. As the blogger maintaining daddytypes.com writes, "The real shocker for a Bugaboo driver was finding out how poorly the [other stroller] handled any surface but hard, smooth, finished ones." It would have to have to handle just as well (or at least reasonably well), and if it were for travel, it would also have to be able to cope with cobblestones and bumpy walkways. (And, yes, Werner and I have said all along that we drive the Bugaboo. It's a European-engineered high-performance stroller, after all!)
And then there's the Chariot... I can't believe I ever used to run, it seems like a different life, and I dream of trying it again some day. I actually miss it. With a Chariot, Werner could also take Jakob with him while he's cycling. (Although I think I'd insist on one of those nerdy tall flags, so Vancouver's navel-gazing drivers might possibly see that there's a baby to be avoided.) And with the ski option, we'd be set if we ever moved back to Ontario.
Maybe Werner shouldn't have bought Shopaholic & Baby for me...
Update! I've impressed a couple of guys with the Bugaboo! I was in a shop near the university, at the end of a dead-end aisle, and just flipped the handles over to be able to push the stroller out without walking out backwards myself. One of them even commented on how cool it was. And I've taken it for a walk at the botanic gardens (ok, I took Jakob for a walk in the garden, in the stroller), and it handled the mucky trails with aplomb.
And every so often, I see one that makes me think, "Hey, if that had been in stores while we were stroller shopping, I'd have considered it." The Orbit Baby I wrote about earlier today, for one. The latest Bugaboo knock-off, Uppa Baby, for another. And the Teutonia strollers I saw in Europe. I think the Mutsy is the one that Katja and I thought looked odd (like something was missing), but the nifty articulated design of the Urban Rider, and one-piece fold and great accessories of all the models have since caught my fancy. Plus, some of their strollers are available in purple!! And look at the 'fun seat' - with a steering wheel! - for toddlers. And the rocker option! And a giant carry bag! Seriously, I am lusting for this stroller. If the rest of the world prevails and I end up needing a double stroller, I want the Mutsy with a duoseat. (Although the Jané Powertwin Tandem looks good, too.)
But I'm still mad for the Bugaboo. I love the one-handed steering. I love that I can easily flip the handles around if I encounter rough terrain. I love that Jakob can face in or out. I love that the Bug bassinet was Jakob's bed for his first three months. And while we were in Krems, I especially loved the wrist-strap as I eased my way down the hill from the hotel. And I love how it handles on cobblestones. (Not so many of those in Vancouver, but there will be on our travels.)
I think the main reason I still have stroller-on-the-brain, though, is the pervasive sense that the stroller is never where I need it. If we're setting out on foot, the stroller is in the car. If we're driving somewhere, it'll surely be in the house. I sometimes wish we had a second stroller so there'd always be one where I need it. A Silver Cross, maybe, or a Maclaren. Or, now that I've spotted it online, a Mutsy 4rider. Something that would fit in the trunk without claiming the whole trunk, or wouldn't block access to the freezer if it was the to-be-kept-in-the-house stroller. Something with a one-part fold, in case I'm ever in a jetway without a second adult to fold the stroller (or hold the baby while I'm folding said stroller).
I'm totally spoiled for the Bug, though. I'd be terribly picky if we were to get another stroller. As the blogger maintaining daddytypes.com writes, "The real shocker for a Bugaboo driver was finding out how poorly the [other stroller] handled any surface but hard, smooth, finished ones." It would have to have to handle just as well (or at least reasonably well), and if it were for travel, it would also have to be able to cope with cobblestones and bumpy walkways. (And, yes, Werner and I have said all along that we drive the Bugaboo. It's a European-engineered high-performance stroller, after all!)
And then there's the Chariot... I can't believe I ever used to run, it seems like a different life, and I dream of trying it again some day. I actually miss it. With a Chariot, Werner could also take Jakob with him while he's cycling. (Although I think I'd insist on one of those nerdy tall flags, so Vancouver's navel-gazing drivers might possibly see that there's a baby to be avoided.) And with the ski option, we'd be set if we ever moved back to Ontario.
Maybe Werner shouldn't have bought Shopaholic & Baby for me...
Update! I've impressed a couple of guys with the Bugaboo! I was in a shop near the university, at the end of a dead-end aisle, and just flipped the handles over to be able to push the stroller out without walking out backwards myself. One of them even commented on how cool it was. And I've taken it for a walk at the botanic gardens (ok, I took Jakob for a walk in the garden, in the stroller), and it handled the mucky trails with aplomb.
posted by Melanie A at 8:52 p.m.
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