Bringing up baby can be expensive, especially with your first child. Take strollers. Some go for nearly a thousand dollars. Here's how to get a good one at the right price.
Cheryl Botsolas loves holding her newborn daughter Laurie. But finding just the right stroller proved a tough task.
"There are so many different options for all these strollers. I don't know how people choose," she said.
Testers evaluated dozens of strollers. Most are traditional or lightweight ones, but a few are travel systems. These have a car seat that lifts off - and a base that stays in your car. Prices ran the gamut, from $50 to a whopping $600 for this fancy one!
"The good news is, especially in this economy, is that you don't have to spend big bucks to get your baby a good set of wheels," Consumer Reports Sandra Gordon said.
The strollers are put through a number of tests. This one assesses how easy strollers are to maneuver. Panelists take them along blacktop, across grass, uphill, and down to mimic what you might encounter day-to-day. And because you'll be opening and closing the stroller all day long, panelists look at how easy that is to do.
"It turns out in other tests there was a potential safety risk with the Baby Jogger City Mini. The harness buckle released when we applied relatively little force to the straps, which means that a child could wriggle out and even potentially fall out of the stroller," Gordon said.
If you own a Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller, Consumer Reports says check the manufacturing date on the box or on the stroller leg. If it's on or before February 7, 2009, you should contact the company to get a free buckle replacement. The number to call is 1-800-241-1848. Strollers manufactured after February 7th already have a different buckle that has passed Consumer Reports safety tests.
Consumer Reports has some recommended strollers. The Graco Stylus travel system rated excellent and is a best buy at $330. Also a best buy, the traditional Graco V-4 stroller, which rated very good. It costs $320.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
