Choosing a stroller for your child can be challenging - there is a multitude of stroller features which address comfort, of both parent and child, convenience for parents, as well as safety features.
Many stroller features address the comfort of the parent in addition to the comfort of the child. Stroller features such as extra padding in the seating area helps to provide maximum comfort for the child while sitting or lying down. Extra seat area padding can also help to absorb some of the vibration while strolling. Though, if you're looking to provide your child great comfort while riding, the stroller features to consider are air-filled rubber tires and a suspension system. These features will take the vibrations out of any ride just like a luxury vehicle.
Most strollers offer other comfort features for your child which include a canopy to keep your child protected from the strong sun. Often times, strollers also offer a plastic sun-roof so you can look down upon your child without disrupting them and let your child look up at you. Though this is a common stroller feature, many canopied strollers do not come with a sun roof so be sure to check the stroller specification sheet before you purchase. Other child comfort features can include bug netting, to protect the child from insects, and rain hoods to keep children dry should you get caught in the rain.
Many strollers offer convenience features which are intended to make the parent's strolling experience more enjoyable. Stroller convenience features can include parent trays, which can hold adult-sized cups and other small items such as keys or mobile phone, as well as child snack trays which can store your child's snacks, drink, and toys. Other convenience features often include under-seat storage baskets, for diaper bags or other packages, and may sometimes include a behind the seat organizer for stowing additional parent's and child's necessities.
You may find some strollers short on storage. If this is the case, a nice extra to have is a stroller hook which allows you to hang a diaper bag, purse, or shopping bag from the stroller.
Some of the most important stroller features are those relating to child safety. The first safety feature to consider is the seat belt or harness. Though a basic seat belt may suffice to secure older children, a multi-point harness provides the best security of babies and toddlers. Most strollers now come equipped with a 5-point harness - be careful to avoid those which do not have a multi-point harness.
Another important safety feature is stroller brakes for securely parking the stroller. Most strollers come with at least rear-wheel brakes. These are generally satisfactory for most situations. Though, I have found that parking on the side of inclines, with heavier children seated in the stroller, having only rear-wheel brakes locked, the stroller has a tendency to rotate facing downhill. Because of this, I tend to prefer strollers that also include front-wheel brakes.
Another set of stroller convenience features which can be greatly beneficial - particularly when you're on the go and have your hands full - are considered stow-and-go features. These features can include single-action release to fold your stroller, one-handed opening and closing, and quick release wheels for large strollers (such as joggers) that often need to have wheels removed when transporting.
When shopping for a stroller, you'll find there are a lot of stroller features - many more than discussed here. However, don't feel overwhelmed with the feature selection. Start by making sure all of your basic needs are being met. Once you've identified the strollers which provide all the basic features you need, then compare the "extra" features to the price of each stroller to see if it's offering the right value for you.
Tags: Babies, Baby, Child, Children, Features, Mobility, Parent, Parenting, Pram, Stroller, Toddler
In recent times, we are fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of the improvements in lightweight stroller designs. These new designs are now very common and seen on a daily basis whenever you are in an area where anyone is strolling with their baby, such as the park or shopping mall. Although they are now commonplace, it has not been long that the lightweight strollers of today have been in service. In the early days of stroller use and design, there were not many different types of strollers and those that were available were cumbersome and difficult by today's standards. The very first strollers were heavy and hard to maneuver and not optimally comfortable for baby, and owned mostly by the rich or aristocrats.
We are fortunate that today's lightweight strollers have evolved from the bulky units of yesteryear. The amazing advancements in materials technology have made lightweight strollers plentiful, durable, and easy to utilize. For example, the use of aluminum, or lightweight steel, for the frame has helped with weight reduction. It is easy to keep the units clean with the new materials which are used in the construction of the lightweight strollers, and these materials are also ideal for creating storage spaces under the seating area for your diaper bags, pocketbooks, older children's items, or even things you have picked up while shopping or visiting. Your child can always be comfortable because the lightweight stroller designers have not only used cushioning materials such as foam for the seating areas, but created ways to have the stroller backs recline, which helps baby be relaxed enough to nap without straining his or her neck. Finally, the feedback from parents has assisted the manufacturers in the designs not only of the lightweight strollers themselves but how they fold up compactly as well. All these advances have created the effective and highly popular lightweight stroller we use on almost a daily basis.
As more and more lightweight strollers are sold and seeing regular usage, there are many scientific advancements and leaps in technology waiting to make them even lighter and more durable in the future. With so much effort and so much inclination towards developing lightweight strollers and making life easier on the individuals who are required to use them, it is only natural to see these types of advancements from time to time. With mothers and families depending on lightweight strollers and their steady advancement in technology over the years, it only makes sense that there would be significant changes in the design and style of the extremely popular products. Lightweight strollers are so popular many families have more than one!
While it is somewhat amusing to consider what the earliest strollers may have looked like compared to modern day products from the assembly line, it is interesting to note that there have been many centuries of innovation between the two products. With today's phenomenally well-funded research and development departments, lightweight strollers are a commonplace item which are easy to manufacture and easy to use.
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