How I Found My Perfect Stroller

Ok, call me crazy, but since I have become a mother I owned no less than seven strollers. Actually eight but that’s another story.

So the quest for the perfect stroller can be hard and painful (especially for your wallet). And of course requirements change with the age and number of your children. The good thing, however, is that I have become a little more knowledgable with every model I bought and (often) sold again. Here are some of my (very personal) thoughts and experiences when it comes to the perfect means of transportation for you and your children:

first one -Bugaboo Chameleon3

Even before I was pregnant with Liya I knew which stroller I wanted once I was to become a mother: I had set my heart on the Bugaboo Chameleon, which we then also got once Liya was on her way. I loved this Stroller, it was stylish (very important since I was to be glued to it for the next one and a half yers or so), it was compact and agile (important to navigate in the city, to get into busses and trams and get through small stores and restaurants), it was relatively lightweight, easily foldable, the seat was quickly exchangeable with the Maxi Cosi (I think we had the pebble) and there was a variety of handy accessories like the sundeck, the cupholder (most important since it holds my coffee!) etc.

second one – Maclaren Techno XT

Most Accessories I bought at a later stage. I found many of them online on second hand groups for mothers (if you are in Switzerland, look Facebook Mamamlicious and similar groups) for a good price. However, when Liya was about one year old we planned a big road trip through the USA and decided not to bring the big bugaboo stroller but to buy a Maclaren Buggy instead. We opted for the Techno XT, which had the best sun protection and the biggest wheels and would therefore be suitable for multiple terrain. Also, it was suitable for very small children because the seat would recline almost to a lying flat position. What we did not consider was that it is very difficult to steer with one hand, which is a big drawback. Besides that, it also doesn’t come with a cupholder and, let’s be frank, nothing good comes without cupholder. 

third one – Bugaboo Runner

During that Summer we also decided to buy a really low priced second hand Bugaboo Runner. I thought I would use it for jogging along the river and it would serve us better in and around our condo in the mountains. However, I went, what, three times jogging and we brought it once to the mountains, realizing that the car now was full since the baby tagged along and so this huge jogger did not really fit anymore…By the end of Summer we sold it again.

When I was already half way through the second pregnancy I started to realize that Liya would not be mastering this walking thingy before the second baby arrived. So I needed a good solution for both children to sit in. I began researching on twin prams and the like. Here’s the thing: I would have preferred to go with Bugaboo again, but a stroller with two seats next to each other like the Bugaboo Donkey was out of the question since I primarily moved within the city, in and out of trams, buses, restaurants, elevators, stores etc. It was sometimes tight even with the stroller I owned for one child and that was a rather compact model. No, I needed another solution!

Phil & Teds maybe?

I looked into Phil & Teds Strollers and was actually convinced it would come down to this one. However, the day we went to the store and wanted to buy it, the salesperson vehemently advised against buying it. Also, it felt not that sturdy once I took it for a spin and when I tried to put the „bag“ with the dummy baby in, it kind of collapsed and seemed to half suffocate the poor dummy. So I went out of the store totally confused, feeling like i was back at square one gain. So the research continued and deepened, I looked at many good stroller but all of them had at least one major drawback turning out to be a dealbreaker. I also realized that many stroller wouldn’t permit the older child to lay more or less flat, which was crucial since my child napped in the stroller almost every time we were out and about for the day.

fourth one – the Joolz it was

In the end I came across the Joolz Geo2 Duo. I knew this stroller because it kind of looks similar to the Bugaboo and the handle with its characteristic leather-look caught my eye several times before. What I did not know was that they made double strollers. We went to look at it in the store and it was all I needed (except a basket to throw my stuff in but there was an acceptable solution). The seat for the older child was big enough and tiltable. The Baby basket could be made into a small seat and it also came with accessories like a buggy board and a big basket once the older child would be able to walk or stand throughout the day. And – most importantly – it also came with a cupholder, yeah. I was safe! It was easily foldable and VERY compact and rather lightweight for a double stroller! We ordered it right away and when it finally arrived we put it in our stroller and bicycle storage room until the baby arrived. Now the sad part of the story: We left the hospital with Baby Kenzie on Christmas Eve day, only to find that our stroller had been stolen while I was at the hospital! Man, that person must have a f**d up karma, stealing a stroller on Christmas! So we went to the Police, filed a report and got a new one (number 5) payed by the insurance. 

This stroller I love more than anything. It’s the best thing we ever bought. Even though I was super sorry to see our beloved Bugaboo go, the Joolz is just fantastic! 

sixth one – Bugaboo Bee

Even after I had sold the Chameleon, I still had the buggy board for the bugaboo and the idea of getting a Bugaboo Bee (small and lightweight) formed in my head (for what ever reason). Now that Liya was ready to go longer on the board, this could be a good alternative. Also, the Bugaboo seemed to be the only Stroller with a buggy board that came with a seat – or so I thought. So I bought a second-hand Bugaboo Bee only to find out that my husband as well as both my girls somehow hated it so I sold it again after only a few weeks.

seventh one – Yoyo+ by Babyzen

But when we knew we would go abroad and that this would presumably mean a lot of traveling back and forth, we looked into a better solution and found the Yoyo+. Not only does this miracle fold to the size of a handbag and is therefore permitted IN the airplane (no, you don’t have to leave it before you board the plane, you can actually take it with you inside the cabin – how great is that!) but it also came with a tiny buggy board WITH seat. Needless to say that this fantastic stroller also comes with a cupholder, right? We took it to Canada and ever since the snow had gone, it was the one thing we used on a daily basis. We love it and recommended it to many onlookers and friends who did not know about it and were amazed by the size and agility of the very best travel buddy!

eighth one – a Maclaren again

So, we reached the last and most stupid stroller I bought, but it was simply to save my marriage. Short after we came to Canada, we went on a short weekend trip to Washington and it so happened that on the second day both children were tired at the same time after lunch but we had only one stroller with us. Liya was supposed to sit on the buggy board seat. Somehow we had not taken this scenario into consideration and were left with a very tired, grumpy, crying and finally screaming little girl and we had to take refuge in a Strubucks where she could sleep for some time on our laps. Hubby was so annoyed by this, that he vowed never to travel anymore with only one stroller. So I went on Facebook Marketplace and bought the cheapest most worn stroller I could find, which happened to be a Maclaren. I very much despise this thing and I’m absolutely planning on selling it again once we leave Canada, having left our good, relatively new and very functional Maclaren at home inaccessible in storage together with all our stuff.

So, during the summer I entirely relied on the Yoyo+ to move around Montreal (plus the Maclaren when traveling). Now, that the streets are covered with snow, I use the Joolz with the buggy board again.

My conclusion therefore: I give a big thumbs up for the Bugaboo Chameleon3, the Joolz Geo Duo and the Babyzen Yoyo+.