The Baby Stroller ... Baby Gets Around

Two child-carrying essentials are a baby stroller and a baby sling. The sling will be your very first carrier—useful from day one. You'll find that the stroller is invaluable for going places during the first several years of your baby's life.

If your stroller will see significant outdoor use, the best kind to get is a jogging stroller. These are very durable, lightweight strollers with large wheels.

Jogging strollers are designed with long wheelbases (taking advantage of leverage to wheel more easily). They have extra-large wheels, so you can take curbs and uneven surfaces in stride.

If you plan to use your stroller mostly indoors (in shops or at the mall), you will need a much smaller stroller that you can use to maneuver through narrow aisles. For this purpose, it's also handy to have a stroller that includes a storage area for packages.

For plane travel, it's best to use a lightweight stroller that folds up easily. You can gate-check a stroller, leaving it at the door as you walk onto the plane, but occasionally this can lead to delays. (Sometimes, you'll get off the plane and have to wait for airline personnel to return your stroller before you can leave the gate.) It's ideal to bring an umbrella stroller—a very small and inexpensive folding stroller that you can actually carry on the plane.

Double Strollers

Strollers that carry two children have become increasingly popular in recent years.

Traditional double strollers are either side-by-side models (where two kids sit next to each other, facing forwards) or in-line tandem strollers (where one child sits behind the other).

Our favorite double stroller is an innovative option known as a sit and stand stroller.

Tips on choosing a stroller ...

• If a folding stroller is important to you, try out this feature before buying the stroller. Some baby strollers are easy to open and close; others take more effort.

• If two or more people will be using the stroller, both of you should try it out before buying it. Wheel the stroller around the store to be sure that it feels right, that the handle is at the correct height (or can adjust to a comfortable height), that you don't kick the stroller wheels using your customary gait, and that you can turn the stroller easily.

JPMA Stroller Certification

Many, but not all, of the baby strollers on the market meet the safety standards used for certification by the Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association (JPMA). When choosing a stroller, make sure you get a model that meets these specifications. (JPMA monitors safety features like secure restraints and tip-over protection.) Manufacturers often label their strollers with the JPMA certification seal, using at as a selling point.

JPMA lists the following manufacturers as having strollers which meet the safety specifications: Baby Trend, Britax, Bugaboo, Delta Enterprise Corp., Dorel Juvenile Group, Evenflo, G & A USA Group, Graco/Century, J. Mason, KidCo, Kolcraft, Maclaren USA, and Peg Perego. Check the JPMA certified product index for an up-to-the minute list of manufacturers of JPMA-certified baby strollers.

Learn About Baby Slings

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