Umbrella Stollers

The height of the handles. I'm short. My husband is average. We had to find a stroller with handles that were at a height we both found comfortable. We have a Cosco that we both find easy to push and a The First Years that is a bit too short for my husband.

Also, if you are planning on hauling a lot of stuff with you, you are going to want one with a basket attached.

I used one of the cheap ones I picked up at a yard sale for $5 and I used it for both kids. I took that thing everywhere. That's good value! Anyway, it would have been nice to have had a basket, a sunshade and maybe a 5 point harness (both my boys liked to wiggle out of the waistebelt when they were about 18 months old).

We bought a very cheap one. It doesn't have any features at all. You might consider getting one with a reclining seat, one with a sunshade, and one which has wheels you can lock. Depends on how much time you are going to spend wheeling your child around. Also look for the max weight allowance.

Another consideration, is your respective heights. Hubs absolutely hates the umbrella stroller because he has to reach down to reach the handles. He says its like a doll stroller and he has no leverage. Me, I stand 5'1" tall, and find the umbrella stroller to be just the right size for me.

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

I had a Jeep umbrella stroller and it had some very nice features for about $35 dollars. The back reclined and folded up so that it was just mesh (for hot days), it came with a cup holder, sunshade and two side bags for snacks, small toys, wipes, etc. This was great for traveling since it also folded up easily and was lightweight. The only downside when traveling was that I had to pack the cup holder and sunshade in my suitcase. They were removable and I didn’t want them getting lost in the airport. The height of the handles wasn’t a problem for me and I am 5’8.

Ours is just the Babies R Us one for about $20. I like it. I'm short and it's the right height for me. My DH hates it. It doesn't have a basket on the bottom and if I had any feature do over, I would go for one like the MacLaren with the basket. My DD is a pipsqueak and not yet 35lbs at 4 yrs old, but if you have a bigger kid, Fanged Bunny is right - look for one that goes to 50.

Try the Maclaren. They are soooo nice. Even the Volo rocks. http://www.amazon.com/Maclaren-WDN01022-Volo-Stroller-Bla...
Taller handles, basket and turns on a dime. It's my fave of all 10 strollers I have had.

Ugh - do NOT get the ones from Walmart. We were looking for a cheapy to keep in the car just in case - didn't even last one trip to the store. The wheels get stuck turning left or right, it's ,more complicated to fold than our giant two baby stroller, and it NEVER stays folded up.

Just purchased The First years Ignite stroller after doing tons of research. Goes to 50 lbs., locking wheels, sunshade and reclines somewhat. Basket is pretty useless, but it is an umbrella stroller....ther are lots of reviews on this product so check it out. I love this new stroller. I bought it because we are going on a cruise next month and wanted something smaller than the big stroller we have. My son is 19 months old and already weighs 33 lbs. and fits great in this stroller. It was around $50 on Amazon with free shipping, Target has them too.

LOVE our Chicco Capri stroller!! We have had it for about 5 years and still use it for our 6 year old (43lb) son when we go to the mall or whatever. It was more expensive then the standar umbrella stroller, but worth every penny! It's more comfortable to push, the seat slightly reclines, there is a basket under, sun shade for the kiddo & it is light weight!

I bought a stroller at a garage sale this weekend. It is a Maclaren and I think the Volo though not really sure(looks like the picture on the link). I only paid $20. The stroller is used and I did not see any issues with any of the stitching. I love that the handles are high, I am 5' 8 and my husband is 6' 3. Great to have a basket. I wanted to stay away from a regular unbrella stroller because the handles really are not high enough and no canopy. A basket was the third and not as important feature. A basket to me is a bonus in case you want to carry water or food. I use my big stroller to go to the store. Anyway, I love this stroller already.

After being MISERABLE pushing both my girls around Sea World in a Sit-n-Stand, I traded it in for two Maclaren Volos. LOVE IT!!!!

The Volo was my 5th and last stroller. It's lightweight, easy to fold, HUGE basket for an umbrella stroller, and easy to maneuver in crowds, even when you have two attached together (I got a connector gizmo, for the trips where I had to fly solo). I added a detachable cupholder and an all-purpose carry-pocket to the handlebars to make it perfect. The -only- problem I has was that it would fall backwards if the kids would get out and I had too much in the carry-pocket or hanging on the handlebars.

You won't regret the Volo!!!!

Depends how old your child is and how long you want the life of that stroller to be with your family. I bought a $30 no frills from BRU for my 3 yr old because she still likes to be carried, walks painfully slow, and often pouts and plops herself down right in the middle of wherever we are and refuses to move. it is perfect for us since our stroller days are numbered and I don't use it for long shopping days or big adventures.

If I had an infant and wanted one as my primary stroller for my baby to ride and nap in I'd spend the extra $ for all the bells and whistles.

Oh, and if you want one for airports, don't spend much...they aren't handled gently. Get one that is almost disposable.

I loved the cheap umbrella stroller vs the expensive huge bulky stroller. once they were old enough that is all we used. i bought a side by side umbrella stroller awhile back but rarely use it. I wanted the side by side for both of my kids to mainly use at Zoos and family outtings. It didnt seem fair for one child to be able to see everything while the child in the second seat could only see the back of the first chair and out the sides. I wasnt going to use it for shopping.Truly we bought ours at Target for about ten dollars and then got one for each car and one for the house. I never purchased one over twenty dollars although i have seen some for one hundred or more. aside from our double umbrella which was close to two hundred dollars?

I am only 5'3" but my husband is under 6' and the umbrella handels were too short for him so he slightly bent them upward to adjust them. Idk if the name brand or expensive strollers will be cheap enough to bend??

We found a coupon for Babies r Us (look online) and picked up a Chicco Capri umbrella stroller. I found this to be a good one for kids under 35 lbs. It wore well, unlike my McClaren (which holds a heavier child) Volo, which started to unstitch on the sides pretty quickly. The Chicco isn't superlight, but easy to get on/off buses, folds easily and and was manageable.

Also look at the height of the handles, because you are going to be pushing that thing a lot. I am shorter and found the Chicco handles worked well, but my taller husband (I'm a half-inch shy of five feet tall, he's a full six feet) had a harder time with this height. He did like the McClaren's height; I found it hurt my back and shoulders and was too tall for me. So before purchasing the stroller, load baby in and take a few laps around the store, see how your upper arms/shoulders/back feel.

Lastly, consider what your norm is for packing things out and about. For example, the Chicco had a smaller basket which held 'enough' for me, but the McClaren, not so much. (and all umbrella strollers will often tip over backward if you hand too much on the handles, so be aware of this. I often wore a backpack for heavier loads (small grocery trips) and put heaviest items in the bottom of the stroller, not hanging.

I second the Maclaren! LOVE mine.

I would look for one that has an area underneath that you can put your purse/diaperbag.

It depends what you want to use it for. I have a nice (non-umbrella) stroller that I use most of the time with storage underneath and a top for shade. I have two umbrella stroller that I keep in the trunk of the car (1 in each) for stores and unexpected stops. They are the super-cheap kind - I got them free with purchases at toys R us with a coupon. I think they are normally about $15. They work fine for what I need.

If this is your only stroller, then I'd recommend something nicer.