To walk with the baby both was a joy, you need to choose the right stroller. Easy to say, but how to do it? Children's stores and websites are bursting with an abundance of stylish and colorful models. Are they really good at what they look like? Of course, there are no bad wheelchairs - just this or that model may not suit your family. In order not to waste money, let's figure out how to choose a really good kids' transport.
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The best manufacturers of strollers - which company to choose
There has always been a huge competition between manufacturers of children's goods, and today nothing has changed. Some are trying to attract the attention of buyers with exquisite designs and bright colors of wheelchairs, others - with functionality and high quality components. And every season more and more new models enter the market.
Such a rich assortment allows you to choose a stroller for every taste and the envy of other moms.
Especially if you buy a really cool model from new lines of famous brands:
- Chicco;
- Geoby;
- Hauck;
- Peg-Perego;
- Inglesina.
In our ranking you can admire the best strollers from the latest collections of these brands and choose something for your baby. But first, let's still figure out what kind of design will suit you.
The principle of operation and the device stroller
Whatever model the stroller is, it should have:
1. Lightweight and durable metal frame - preferably folding;
2. Wheels - 3, 4, 6 or even 8;
3. Seat and backrest upholstered;
4. Seat belts;
5. Protective hood from the sun, rain and wind.
Also, the design should include other equally important elements. These are swiveling front wheels for improved maneuverability, mandatory brakes and a crossbar-limiter directly in front of the child.
Not too much will be a basket, bag or large pocket for children's things, as well as a small table with a recess for a bottle or a non-spill mug. In the extended configuration, the stroller may have a rain cover, a mosquito net and a light foot blanket.
Types of strollers
Strollers are usually classified according to the folding principle. The so-called canes and books have major differences in design, and each variety will have its pros and cons.
Stroller cane
Compact and lightweight model will be an excellent option for children older than a year. The soft back and seat are laid out here to a reclining position, so the child will be able to sleep while walking.
Models-canes have very maneuverable front wheels, turning around its axis. If desired, their mobility can be limited, leaving only the possibility of a forward stroke.
It is easy to learn such carriages on two separate handles, a folding footboard and crosswise connection of levers under a seat. Thanks to this design, children's transport is fourfold, really turning into a kind of cane.
Pros:
- Little weight;
- Small size;
- Easy and quick to fold;
- Very maneuverable wheels;
- Takes up little space during transportation;
- Low cost.
Minuses:
- Small wheels will not provide you with a good cross;
- Design features do not allow to control the stroller with one hand;
- When unfolding you need to make sure that all the levers and traction fell into place;
- You may need a cover for transportation, because the wheels protrude from all sides.
- See also: best strollers canes
Stroller book
This model is already more impressive, and it is intended for children who have only learned to sit (from 6 months). Here, both the dimensions and the weight exceed the characteristics of ordinary canes. Nevertheless, books can also be folded, though not so compact.
You will have to squeeze the levers or side buttons so that the clips on the frame unlock, then “break” the design in half. As a result, the wheels will be on one side of the stroller, which will allow transporting it even in public transport, without soiling passengers.
There will be no problems when loading in the car - despite its dimensions, the book fits freely in the trunk of a passenger car.
Pros:
- More robust and reliable design;
- The hard seat and back provide good support for the baby’s spine;
- Inside there is enough space even for a large and warmly dressed baby;
- The wide handle-bracket allows you to control the stroller with one hand;
- Quickly folds and unfolds;
- Large protective hood;
- As a rule, a rich equipment (removable mattress, a cover on the legs, etc.).
Minuses:
- Rather big weight;
- It is bigger in size than a cane;
- Not the lowest cost.
Universal stroller transformer
This is a separate category of wheelchairs that can be used from the moment the baby is born up to 2-3 years. In fact, you buy a 2-in-1 model: a cradle for a newborn and a walking variant. The frame and wheels remain the same, but it is necessary to unhook the basket, as the bulky design turns into a lightweight carriage for children from 6 months.
In this form, we have before us the book already examined, only with the possibility of expanding the backrest to all 180 °. True, the design does not always provide for the complete folding of the stroller itself. But she has a lot of other advantages.
Manufacturers are trying to equip their transformers on the highest level. Here, in addition to the usual leg blankets and hood, often in addition there is a bag for things, a removable table, a thin mattress for the walking variant and a very deep bottom basket.
In a legacy of a stroller for a newborn, the station wagon gets large wheels with good traffic, as well as a handle fixed at different heights.
Pros:
- Sturdy construction;
- Maximum functionality;
- The ability to control with one hand;
- Excellent off-road permeability;
- Fully folding back allows the child to take the correct position during sleep;
- You can buy one instead of two strollers.
Minuses:
- Cumbersome and heavy;
- When storing takes up a lot of space;
- Does not always have a folding structure.
Stroller selection options
Dimensions and weight
Determining the type of stroller, you must simultaneously take into account its dimensions. Here you need to think not only about how and where you are going to store the children's transport, but also how convenient it will be for you to pull it out into the yard (and this will have to be done every day).
If tenants of the private sector have no particular problems foreseen, then in the high-rise building it is better to measure the width of the opening of the doors in the elevator beforehand, and then compare it with the removal of the chassis of the model you like. Of course, in the folded state, the stroller will easily enter any elevator, but if the baby falls asleep on the street, you are unlikely to want to wake him up.
Maximum chassis width of wheelchairs of different designs:
1. Canes - up to 50 cm in single and up to 80 in models for twins;
2. Books - 65 and 80 cm;
3. Universals - 65 and 90 cm, respectively.
The weight of the stroller is selected on the principle of "the smaller, the better." Most of these models (with the exception of transformers) have a low center of gravity, so it’s not worth fearing that the child will turn over.
You will have to carry the pram and carry it in your hands, so give preference to the lightest products. However, walking options are not heavy - a maximum of 15 kg, and even then only in twin models for twins.
Type and diameter of wheels
This question often plunges parents into a stupor.Today, manufacturers are experimenting with the number and size of wheels, materials for their manufacture, and even the width of the chassis.
Only the diameter and the type of tires affect handling and throughput:
1. Inflatable rubber wheels provide adequate cushioning on uneven roads and make the stroller more nakatistoho. To such it would be nice to have not only the standard foot, but also an additional hand brake.
2. Polyurethane foam - these are a bit harder, but they are quite durable and on the flat road do not cause any particular complaints from parents.
3. Plastic - the cheapest, tough and unrealistically loud. They have zero depreciation, and the service life rarely exceeds a couple of seasons. However, on the smooth floor of supermarkets, they roll perfectly.
If the roads in your city are far from perfect, and you have to constantly go around various obstacles during the walk, take a wheelchair with a swiveling front wheel (or two). Such a solution will provide children with maximum maneuverability.
Alas, on a rough road spinning wheels roll where they want. To get away from this problem, the developers suggest using a restrictive stopper - pay attention to the presence of this part.
As for the diameter of the wheels, it also needs to be “selected” taking into account the road conditions in your area.
Manufacturers produce strollers with different size chassis:
1. Small (from 8 to 15 cm in diameter) - as a rule, these are plastic wheels with a minimum cross-country ability. Suitable only for driving on a flat asphalt surface and paved sidewalks.
2. Medium (15-25 cm) - can be made of polyurethane foam or rubber. Too heavy, but have a very good cross and quite often installed on the rear axle stroller.
3. Big ones (25-40 cm) are always inflatable wheels, but they are not used for ordinary strollers. But they are often put on heavy transformers. Their passability and depreciation is simply beyond the limits - on such wheels you can walk with your child even in the woods or on ungrounded primer.
Pens
1. Handles in the form of straight staples (as on wheelchairs for newborns) are considered the most convenient. But due to the peculiarities of their construction, they are installed only on books and generalists. This option allows you to carry the stroller with one hand while holding the shopping bag or the older child in the other.
2. On strollers, canes "horned" handles are always separated. They do a good job of managing, but they will not be able to hang something on them, and it’s almost impossible to carry such a carriage with one hand. It is rather an option for walking light, and not for going to the store.
3. Strollers with a simple swivel handle are installed only on models equipped with an electric motor.
What kind of stroller to choose
1. For a family living in a private house, a transforming stroller with large inflatable wheels about 25 cm in diameter is ideal. Dimensions and weight do not play a special role here, the main thing is that you don’t have to spend money on buying a second stroller.
2. City moms who follow fashion will love tricycle books on polyurethane foam or medium-sized rubber wheels. They are very stylish, quite maneuverable and relatively small in weight.
3. Residents of high-rise buildings with a spacious elevator, as well as those who move around the city by car, will have a wheelchair book with wheels with a diameter of 15-20 cm.
4. If you have to travel by public transport, and the elevator at your entrance works in the right mood, it’s better to take a light and compact walking stick with small plastic wheels.
How much does the stroller cost
1. A single walking stroller-cane can be bought at prices ranging from 1,200 to 47 thousand rubles. Models for twins go in the price range from 5 to 42 thousand.
2. Strollers-books start from 1200 rubles (three-wheeled from 6000-7000) and easily reach 70 thousand - it all depends on the popularity of the manufacturer and the "freshness" of the model range. But the parents of the twins will have to be generous not less than 8-10 thousand rubles.
3. For a station wagon prepare to give from 17 to 47 thousand, if you have one child, and from 20 to 70, if there are two of them.
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