The goal behind our website isn't just to make a living selling
any old baby gear. We have a passion for our products, and the
true reward is in helping you find what's best for your needs.
We mean that. The answers below are written by the
MyStrollers.com team, giving honest feedback and advice. It's
what you deserve when doing your research on a long term
investment like a Jogging Stroller.
How much should I spend on a jogging stroller?
When choosing a jogging stroller, there are many things to
consider. Price is an obvious place to start. To be
straightforward, you get what you pay for. Undeniably, there is
a difference between $100 stroller and a $300 stroller. We
advise you to familiarize yourself with the details and really
think about your needs and wants. Not everybody needs $400
single stroller, but then again many will get it, use it, abuse
it, pass it down, and get all $400 out of it. Whether it's
fashion, status, or utility that you're looking for, buy what's
appropriate for you and your kids.
What's the scoop with Wheel Sizes?
The general rule is that bigger wheels are best for heavy
running and strolling over rough terrain. Smaller wheels are
better for walking on smooth surfaces. You will find larger
wheels are easier to push over rugged terrain, curbs, and steps.
Larger wheels offer less resistance and more glide ability,
while smaller wheels are easier to turn. Of course, looks can
plays into the decision - some people think a 20" large wheel
just looks "cooler." And some think the 12" small wheel looks
"cuter." Just remember that wheel size is not related at all to
a stroller's stability.
-
20" Wheel: Frequent running/off-road use. Larger wheels
offer superior glide, less resistance and easier curb and
bump handling.
-
16" Wheels: Frequent jogging/walking with light off-road
use. A best bet for most users, great glide and usability.
They can handle anything from walking around town to running
on a dirt path with no problem.
-
12" wheels/Swivel Wheels: Walking and around town. They
offer superior maneuverability and great improvements over
traditional strollers with tiny plastic wheels. They also
take up less room in the back of your car when the wheels
are left on.
What do you mean by Swivel Wheel vs. Fixed Wheel?
Swivel front wheels are relatively new to Jogging Strollers,
hitting the scene a couple years ago. Mountain Buggy was one of
the first brands to introduce them, and they just took off in
popularity. Since then most companies have jumped on the
bandwagon and offered the option due to overwhelming demand.
Swivel wheel strollers are easier to turn, and ideal for use
indoors. But for serious runners, a fixed front wheel that
tracks straight instead of turning side to side is still the
favored option.
What are the Pros/Cons with a Swivel wheel?
A swivel front wheel lets you turn on a dime, and that's great
when you're strolling at the mall, on city streets, festivals,
and the zoo - all those places. A fixed wheel is turned by
pushing down on the handle bar to raise the front wheel slightly
while you turn the stroller. It's easy enough to do while you're
out cruising, but not as easy if you're pushing a double with 2
toddlers in there, or trying to maneuver in a tight situation
like in between clothing racks at the mall. Some things to keep
in mind:
-
You'll have more trouble using a swivel wheel in sand on the
beach or in snow. Wheels sink in a bit when you're on soft
ground, and the swivel wheel gives you less leverage than a
fixed wheel. This can throw you off.
-
Right now, there are no strollers with 16" front swivel
wheels, only smaller 12" (and even 6"). Some strollers do
have 16" rear wheels available.
-
While most swivel front wheels have a locking option, with
the exception of the high-end models (BOB
Revolution
for example), they still have some wiggle. This can mean
wobbly tracking at faster pace - bad news for a heavy
runner.
-
A stroller with a swivel wheel is not conducive to heavy
running or marathon training. Occasional jogger or suburban
walker? You shouldn't have any problems with a swivel wheel
stroller.
Do I need Shocks or Suspension?
Shocks and suspension have been around for about 8 years now,
and are available on select stroller models. Shocks are
recommended for off-road use and rugged terrain. Keep in mind
that shocks aren't always necessary; most manufacturers have
accounted for shock absorption when designing and building their
strollers. Will you be strolling out on bumpy washboard roads?
If so, consider shocks.
What's up with Alloy
vs. Steel Wheels?
Right now, aluminum Alloy wheels are the trend. Most of our
strollers come standard with them. You'll come across Steel
wheels when manufacturers are trying to cut costs, and a
stroller's price usually reflects this. Alloy wheels won't rust,
and are a necessity in climates where rusting is an issue (i.e.
marine environments, coastal areas, mountain zones, and areas
with snow and road salt). Shelling out a few extra bucks for the
alloy wheels up front will save you from having to replace them
in the future. Another plus: alloy is lighter in weight. Steel
wheels add an extra 1 lb. or so to the overall weight of the
stroller. If you do have steel wheels and you're in a salty
place, be sure to rinse them off after walking on the beach or
salt covered roads.
Alloy Hubs vs. Steel Hubs?
Just like a bicycle wheel, jogging strollers have a hub at the
center of the wheel where the spokes attach. Same thing goes
here as with the wheels. Alloy hubs are lighter and will not
rust, Steel is heavier and rust-prone. However, proper care and
maintenance (following manufacturer's instructions) of your
jogging stroller will help avoid steel hub rusting issues.
What's the skinny on reclining seats?
Reclining seats in jogging strollers were new back in 2000, and
they've become a much desired feature. There are very few brands
today that don't offer a reclining seat. But just because a seat
"reclines" does not necessarily mean it goes completely flat. A
few strollers offer a fully flat position for a newborn, but
many only go back to a position that allows for easy resting and
prevents head bobbing (even so, we recommend using a head
support of some sort, as featured in our accessories sections,
until your child is able to support his or her head and neck
independently). All of the doubles and triples we sell that have
seats that will recline individually.
What's your advice on strolling with infants?
There are a couple options if you're anxious to get out there
with your newborn in a Jogging Stroller. It may seem obvious,
but we should point out that actually running with an infant
very early is not recommended. Proper head support is certainly
an issue. But another thing to point out is that babies cannot
regulate their own body temperature until they are 6-8 weeks
old, so until then it's best to keep them bundled or close to
your body. That being said, let's look at the options if you
need to get the littlest member of your family into Jogging
Stroller:
- Flat Bed: Some Jogging Strollers offer seats that
recline fully flat? See
Valco,
Phil & Teds, or
Zooper.
- Carry Cot or Bassinet: See
Mountain Buggy or
Valco. The Carry Cot or Bassinet looks like a mini-crib,
and it's a great accessory option. You can detach it and
carry it right indoors, making the easy transfer without
waking the sleeping baby.
-
Car Seat Adaptor: Many Jogging Strollers are now car
seat compatible with the use of an adaptor accessory. This
basically turns your Jogging Stroller into a convenient
Travel System Stroller. There's a lot of discussion out
there on how much time spent in an infant car seat is safe,
and a lot of talk about issues that are arising from too
much time in them. That's just a note to be aware and do
some homework; there are plenty of websites.
From Kidshealth.org:" It's a good idea to limit the amount of
time your infant spends in the car seat while you're at home or
while the baby is at child care. Too much time in the car seat
may limit your baby's movement and opportunities for
stimulation, which help your infant develop sensory and motor
skills."
What role should color play in my purchase?
Color is mostly a personal preference, but you should consider a
few factors. First off, light or bright colors attract more
attention, and they're more visible. If you're out in poorly lit
areas, light colors will reflect and illuminate better if a
vehicle approaches on the street. We sell flashing style lights
just like the ones made for bikes - you might want to look into
this for jogging in the evening. Also consider the impact of
color and heat. Just as you wear light colors in the hot summer
to stay cool, the color of your stroller has the same effect. A
final note on color: to families in the city (where dirt, grime,
and mud are prevalent), we tend to sell more dark-colored
strollers that hide it when they're soiled, like black and navy.
Do Jogging Strollers have any resale value?
Have you noticed how hard these are to find used? After
investing in a quality stroller, a lot of people tend to keep
them around just in case they have another, or in case a family
member has a baby. But if you plan to resell yours, of course
the better condition of the stroller, the easier it will be to
sell. For example, rust doesn't sell, and steel wheels or hubs
rust. It's a small upgrade when buying new, but it will pay off
if you plan to pass it on. Another tip: keep the fabric from
fading badly. Don't store your stroller in direct sunlight.
What's the connection with
InSTEP
&
Schwinn?
These brands are both owned by the same international parent
company (Dorel). InSTEP and Schwinn strollers are made in the
same factories, designed by the same people, and sometimes it
seems pretty obvious that a Schwinn stroller was closely modeled
after an InSTEP. Right now the differences are subtle, but we
believe we may see more separation in products in the future.
Both are recognizable brand names, and we don't expect either
brand name will ever go away.
When do you have sales?
With only a few exceptions, most of the brands we carry are high
dollar items with the quality to justify it. Like shopping for a
car, the end of the year is a great time to buy because
dealerships are closing out their stock while waiting for next
year's model. It can be similar with Jogging Strollers. We hold
sales under special circumstances; sometimes for close-out
items. Also, if we find a way to receive a product at a
discount, we pass the savings on to our customers. You'll find
most products we sell are being sold for the same price
everywhere; following what has become standard policy for most
products being sold on the internet (Ever see an IPOD on sale?).
Why do some sites "Stock" their products and some "Drop Ship,"
and what does that mean?
"
Drop Shipping" is when an online store takes an order and
forwards it on to the manufacturer or to the manufacturer's
warehouse, where it gets processed and shipped. We've found
problems with this method. When an order changes hands, errors
are more likely to occur. If there is an error, fixing the
problem with so many parties involved in so many different
locations can be very frustrating. Tracking down the details
(such as where a particular package is, when it actually
shipped, and what may be missing from the order) is not very
smooth on a Drop Shipped order. We tried this method, and found
that even though it's more expensive for us to have a warehouse
and all that comes with it (staff, equipment, etc..), it's much
more efficient to "Stock" our own products. It cuts down on
errors, makes our customers happier, and we can actually ship an
order the same day it comes through! So that's why we stock
99.8% of the products we sell.
How did you choose the brands you carry?
There a lot of stroller brands out there. Each brand has
competitive advantages in style, cost, features, and or
accessories. All of these factors keep us on our toes as a
retailer, and we know it can be overwhelming for you as a
customer. We were one of the first stroller sites on the web,
and we are the best jogging stroller dealer in the world. Ok, we
may be biased, but we DO sell A LOT of strollers. And because of
this, we get a lot of feedback and attention from customers as
well as leading manufacturers in the industry. Plus we love what
we do. As you can imagine a lot of companies want to be on our
site, and so we are very choosy. There must be a solid reason
for us to bring a new brand on board; a stroller must offer
something unique to the market that we don't have, something
that's worthy. See, many jogging stroller brands you see out
there are created when a company finds a manufacture in China
already making strollers, and they slap on their name with some
different colors. That's not what we're interested in. We're
looking for stroller companies that think, create, design, and
even engineer.
What is ASTM Certification?
When you see an ASTM Certified* product like a Baby Jogger
jogging stroller, you know that it meets the most rigorous
standards set by the jogging stroller industry. Undergoing ASTM
testing and meeting the set standards is voluntary, done so at
the expense of the company, and not required by any government
or commercial body. Because ASTM standards are the highest
anywhere, any product (such as a Baby Jogger stroller) that
meets or exceeds them is certifiable as an item of the highest
possible quality.
*ASTM (the American Society for Testing and Materials) is an
international not-for-profit organization, founded in 1898, that
develops and produces standards for products, materials,
systems, and services. ASTM standards, which are completely
voluntary in their implementation, have a world wide reputation
as the most complete, meticulous, and respected of their kind.
An ASTM standard is a document produced within a given industry
that thoroughly outlines best practices and determines what the
boundaries of quality are for that good or service.
