Flywheel Mama

In a previous post, I laid out all the different types of baby strollers that come up when parents are researching for a new stroller in the SF Bay Area. It can be overwhelming to sort through stroller reviews, features, and brand recommendations.

At the end of the day, a stroller is a stroller. It’s simply a vehicle that gets your baby safely from point A to point B, whether you’re headed to a local park, running errands, or exploring with your little one.

Narrowing Down Different Types of Strollers

The Jogging Stroller: As an avid runner/jogger, I was a huge proponent of getting jogging strollers. I’d picture myself jogging with my son every chance I’d get. But the probability of that happening wasn’t high. The likelihood of my husband and I going for a brisk walk around the neighborhood every night and weekend was much higher. The jogging stroller would have taken more than 3/4 of the back of our SUV had we decided to purchase the SUV. It would have been fine if we took a trip to the farmer’s market or a local grocery store. To Costco? Forget it. We wouldn’t even be able to haul toilet paper or a case of water.

We wouldn’t even be able to take a weekend trip to Napa, Tahoe, Santa Cruz, or Carmel. We wouldn’t be able to fit our luggage or the baby’s playpen for sleeping!

We also had the opportunity to try out a less-known jogging stroller from a Facebook group. While it was great for jogging, it was really hard to maneuver when we were in walking mode. And it took the entire trunk to the point where I had to angle it the right way so that my trunk can close.

Jogging Stroller: As an avid runner/jogger, I was a huge proponent of getting jogging strollers for active parents. I’d picture myself jogging with my son every chance I’d get. But realistically, my husband and I took more brisk walks around our Bay Area neighborhood than actual runs. The jogging stroller, while fantastic for running and rugged terrain, would have taken up most of our SUV trunk. Perfect for the farmer’s market or a grocery store run, not so much for Costco or local road trips to Napa, Tahoe, Santa Cruz, or Carmel due to limited trunk space for luggage and essentials.

We were gifted the Graco Fast Action jogger stroller from a Buy Nothing Facebook group. It was great for running, but challenging to maneuver for daily walks or urban outings. It occupied the entire trunk of our 2019 Subaru Forester, forcing us to strategically angle it to close the trunk.

The Umbrella Stroller: Childhood memories make umbrella strollers appealing for their lightweight, compact design, ideal for city families and tight storage spaces. My mom relied on the LA metro and needed a stroller that folded quickly and fit buses easily. For many families, the umbrella stroller serves as a versatile travel stroller and even a makeshift grocery cart.

However, research shows some umbrella strollers lack structured back support, which can affect a child’s spine health. Structured back support models tend to be bulkier. In general, umbrella strollers work best once your child is 18 months or older and are less ideal for newborns or attaching car seats. Their longevity and day-to-day use in the SF Bay Area depends on whether you’re always on foot, have multiple children, or travel frequently.

Based on my experience with budget umbrella strollers from Target and Walmart, I wouldn’t recommend them for daily use unless you have a tight travel schedule or limited budget. Parents searching for ‘best umbrella stroller for back support’ should look for versions with added spine support, even if they’re bulkier.

Convertible Stroller: Initially, I leaned toward a convertible stroller for newborns that allows a seamless switch between stroller and car seat, so important for those first years. I wanted one that could grow with my child until age 4 or 5, accommodating higher weight limits for children with special needs (relevant in the SF Bay Area, which has greater rates of autism and developmental differences). I also considered an in-line double stroller for future siblings, but my husband convinced me our son would prefer walking once he got older. He was right.

In addition, I’ve noticed many families who bought in-line double strollers like the UPPAbaby Vista didn’t always have the best user experience. The initial configuration, car seat on top, stroller seat below, is versatile for infants and toddlers. But as soon as the second child transitions out of their car seat, the lower seat placement can become challenging for them to get in and out independently since it sits so low and tucked under the top seat. This design often leads to families outgrowing the tandem double stroller setup quickly, especially as both kids get older and want more independence. I’ve even seen a family friend switch from the $1,000+ UPPAbaby Vista to a side-by-side double stroller, which makes loading and unloading simpler for bigger kids and improves visibility and comfort on daily walks.

Most outings (like our family trip to the San Diego Zoo) had our son switching between walking and riding, confirming our need for versatile, adaptable gear.

Family Growth and Gear Use: As our family grew, we used the stroller for our daughter. On rare occasions, she went in a carrier while our son used the stroller, but once he was close to 4 years old, it became her ride exclusively.

We visited Oakland Zoo’s Glowfari event, and I left the stroller behind. I simply put my daughter, who was then one-year-old, in a carrier and walked around the Zoo for a couple of hours. I wouldn’t recommend folks doing this but I have a “travel-light” mentality, and did not want it to become a hassle of strapping, unstrapping, getting the wheels stuck on uneven pathways, leaving the stroller unattended or folding/unfolding the stroller (if asked to) when we went on the Gondola.

The Model and Make I Ended Up Purchasing

I opted against the most popular Bay Area stroller brands like Nuna, UPPAbaby Vista, Bugaboo, and Babyzen, despite their rave reviews in local parenting groups.

I ended up getting a new Britax B-Free stroller, a lesser-known version of its cousin B-Lively. After my research, the Britax B-Free stroller stood out for all-terrain capabilities, easy maneuverability, and mid-range price. The Britax B-Free stroller review sites praise its storage space, one-hand fold, large UPF canopy, and adjustable handles, though some parents find it a bit heavy for daily transit.

Pros:

• ~$500 including car seat (in 2019)
• <25 lbs.
• Newborn to 50lbs
• X-large UPF 50+ canopy that covers down to the knee and if your baby is still in a car seat, you can completely cover the baby with the car seat’s canopy and the stroller’s canopy together
• Semi-large storage under the seat
• Adjustable handles (I am short, my husband is TALL)
• One-hand fold
• All-terrain with easy maneuverability (although not a jogger, it has 3 wheels)

Cons:

• <25 lbs is still quite heavy
• The wheel at the front can be a bit wonky when it gets stuck in little pot holes or uneven concrete

I am quite glad I bought a stroller in the mid-range because it handles so smoothly wherever and whichever terrain we are in and we don’t have to overly worry about maintaining it super clean or keeping it scratch free because it’s a utility vehicle not a luxury vehicle for my children.

Kids will get it dirty from sand, mud, and playgrounds; TSA will toss it at airports; it’ll endure weekend adventures and the Bay Area’s walks and parks.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, we stopped indoor outings for a while. My son would walk alongside my husband, while I pushed the stroller or carried our gear, a routine that worked well for local parks and errands in the Bay Area. Now, post-pandemic, my daughter is 3.5 years old and has mostly grown out of using the stroller. We still pull it out for special occasions or big venues that involve lots of walking, like Disneyland, Six Flags, or family races, where a stroller makes a huge difference for tired legs and carrying essentials after many hours.

We may have the B-Free stroller around for another 2-3 years when my daughter grows out of it, or we decide to have baby #3 (and if we are lucky enough to get pregnant again).

Keep the momentum going,
Flywheel Mama