Stroller – which one to choose and when to start using it

Is your littlie starting to get up on their knees ready for crawling? Or perhaps they're beginning to sit up? It's time to replace your carrycot with a stroller! At this stage, your baby will be able to start admiring the world in all its glory, while you'll love the light weight of your new pushchair and the ease of moving around.

What is a stroller?

Typical strollers are pushchairs designed for children who are able to sit up unaided. This usually occurs at around the sixth month of life. However, modern strollers have many functions, including the option of setting the seat in the lie-flat position. This allows you to use them for littlies already from birth or simply when your baby grows out of the carrycot.

Strollers are much more compact, which parents love when using public transport, elevators, stairs, etc. They're also easier to fold, giving lots of transport options. The small size when folded also facilitates storage at home.

Types of strollers

There are many pushchairs on the market that meet different needs. Let's take a closer look at this to make your choice easier.

Stroller for children from birth

The multi-functional EVOLUTION COCOON is a pushchair designed for littlies from birth. You can clip in a soft carrycot (cocoon) and position the seat and footrest flat. It'll then be perfect for even the youngest children. Older kids can ride in this stroller facing towards or away from the direction of travel in different positions (three backrest and four footrest adjustment options). This pushchair has everything you need: swivel wheels made of puncture-resistant foam, shock absorbers, adjustable handle, very roomy shopping basket (up to 4 kg), guard rail that can be removed, and the STOP & RIDE brake. The set also includes practical accessories: a leg warmer, rain cover, mosquito net, and cup holder. The hood is made of waterproof material with sun protection (UPF 50+). It has a ventilation panel to guarantee free air flow, so it's great for hot days. The lightweight frame is very easy to carry.

Some carrycots available on the market are small and children grow out of them quickly. This is when a stroller whose seat can be reclined to the lie-flat position is a great option for babies as well as older children if they'd like to take a nap while on a walk.

This category includes the TRIG stroller, which is designed for youngsters weighing up to 15 kg. It's an extremely comfortable city stroller and is ideal for active parents. TRIG has a very wide, deep and soft seat. You can smoothly (and quietly) adjust both the seat and the footrest. Together, they create a comfortable space for sleeping and relaxing. Thanks to this, this stroller is suitable for children who quickly grew out of their carrycot.

TRIG features durable wheels with shock absorbers made of puncture-resistant foam (don't require pumping), meaning your littlie won't feel any bumps in the terrain. And the front wheels swivel 360 degrees – the pushchair can easily avoid any obstacle. You can also lock the wheels to ride straight, making them suitable for all types of uneven surfaces.

The CLICK & FOLD mechanism is a great function – it enables you to fold the stroller with one hand. This will be loved by all parents who have to do many things at once and are always in need of a free hand. What else? It's got a five-point safety harness, large hood with window, STOP & RIDE brake, guard rail that can be removed from both sides, convenient handle, spacious basket and cup holder. TRIG gives you a wide range of options!

INDY is a lightweight stroller with smooth backrest adjustment – you can change its position in one move and your littlie can lie down or sleep in comfort. This pushchair has everything typical strollers have (five-point safety harness, brake, guard rail that can be removed from both sides, swivel foam wheels, hood window) and several cool extras. The double protection system and automatic lock will prevent spontaneous folding and unfolding of the pushchair. INDY also has a practical headrest to protect your child's head from moving around. This is a stroller for all types of weather – the hood is waterproof, and the set comes with a rain cover and leg warmer.

Umbrella stroller

An umbrella stroller is a super-lightweight stroller. You can easily carry it, and taking it up stairs will be a breeze! As the name itself suggests, an umbrella stroller is extremely easy to fold. It doesn't take up much room when folded, so it'll fit anywhere – in a small car or apartment. Most of these types of pushchairs are designed not for everyday use, but mainly for trips.

Lightweight travel stroller

There are also strollers for special tasks! The lightweight, compact NUBI stroller is an ideal choice for active parents who travel a lot by plane. It's small when folded, meaning it fits into the standard hand luggage compartments of the most popular airlines. The AUTOLOCK prevents it from unfolding during transport, while the CLICK & FOLD mechanism makes it possible for you to fold it with one hand – this is extremely convenient when you're short on time while travelling. NUBI weighs just 7 kg! It's easy to move, making it perfect for holidays. It also has a guard rail in the shape of the letter "T", which makes it easier for you to put your child in and take them out; it also provides a bit of fun for your little (it resembles a steering wheel). In addition, this pushchair has all the features of other strollers.

All-terrain stroller

Rides on difficult terrain? For ALL ROAD, this is a breeze. The stable, strong design will withstand all types of rides, even wild ones! The puncture-resistant foam wheels with increased resistance to abrasion guarantee durability on all surfaces. Walks even on very bumpy terrains will be comfortable for your child – all four wheels feature shock absorbers, and the front ones are also extremely easy to manoeuvre – they swivel 360 degrees. They can also be locked to drive straight on rough, uneven surfaces.

ALL ROAD allows you not only to ride on all terrains, but also in any weather. The hood of the pushchair can be extended for excellent protection against the wind, sun (UPF 50+) and rain (waterproof fabric). There's also a solution for heavier rain – the set comes with a rain cover. To shield your youngster from the wind, you can affix the leg warmer to the pushchair.

2-in-1 and 3-in-1 pushchairs

Manufacturers have a convenient solution for parents who don't want to buy two pushchairs and a separate car seat. They've developed different versions of 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 pushchairs. These are innovative options for anyone who values mobility, multi-functionality and space saving.

Pushchairs such as PRIME 2020, P-LITE and VEO have everything you and your child need to move around – from birth all the way until your littlie is able to walk independently and cover greater distances. 2-in-1 options have the carrycot and stroller functions, and the set includes car seat adapters (this option is for parents who already have a car seat). 3-in-1 pushchairs also have a car seat.

The carrycot easily transforms into a stroller. The folding itself is simple and can be done in just a few moves with minimal effort. The seat of the stroller can be mounted in two directions of travel. These strollers feature a wide range of adjustment of the footrest, seat and parent handle.

The hoods of the pushchairs are deep, and feature an additional sun shade and ventilation panel, which can be opened on hot days.

P-LITE has shock absorbers on all four wheels, PRIME 2020 has extra side shock absorption in the frame, while VEO has a two-step shock absorption system on the rear wheels – all of these pushchairs are perfect for both off-road and city expeditions. You won't be caught off guard by the weather when on walks, because the sets include rain covers and leg warmers. In addition, P-LITE and PRIME also have mosquito nets. Trips will be nicer and simpler thanks to the car seat included in the 3-in-1 options.

We'd like to outline one more category of 3-in-1 pushchairs, which includes MOOV, XMOOV, JULI and B-TOUR. Their key feature is the option of transforming from a pram body into a stroller. Thanks to the clever solutions, you can easily convert the pram body for littlies into a stroller for older children. In this way, you'll save a lot of space in your home, as you won't have to store a pram body when your youngster is already using a stroller. They are multi-functional pushchairs that'll last for many years.

What should you look for when choosing a stroller?

We'll show you several important things to consider. First of all, think about your needs and choose a pushchair that's suitable for them.

Weight

Do you live in a house or in an apartment on the third floor in an apartment block without an escalator? Your pushchair should be light enough that you can carry it up stairs on your own. It must also be easy to manoeuvre so that you can steer it with one hand, as we know how many matters you have to deal with at once.

Wheels

These must swivel to significantly improve obstacle avoidance. Most Kinderkraft pushchairs feature puncture-resistant foam wheels, which don't require pumping up and are comfortable on city streets. Ones with air-filled wheels are best on difficult terrain. An important function is that the front wheels lock to drive straight – this means the pushchair will easily deal with uneven terrain, gravel, sand or city paving. Also check the shock absorption on the wheels – this is important so that your littlie doesn't feel any bumps.

Ease of folding and transport

Another important thing to note is that the stroller should fold easily. This will come in handy every day, for example, when you need to put the pushchair into your boot or fold it for easier carrying.

Ideally, it should have the option of folding using one hand. Many Kinderkraft strollers are equipped with the CLICK & FOLD mechanism. You just press a button and the pushchair folds almost on its own. A good stroller should be very quick to fold!

Folded dimensions

If you don't have much room in your home, it's important that the pushchair folds to a compact size. You can then easily fit it into your wardrobe or under the bed.

If you're travelling a lot and want to spend active time with your youngster, choose the most compact strollers – ones that'll fit in your boot, luggage shelf on the train, or in a hand luggage compartment, such as NUBI or PILOT.

Depth and height of seat

It's also good to check that the stroller has the right seat depth and height. Children grow quickly, and it may turn out that a standard stroller is too small for your youngster.

Parents who are planning to use the stroller during autumn and winter need to take this into consideration. A littlie dressed in a thick jacket and pants or a snow suit won't be able to move around freely in a small pushchair.

Larger strollers with a large seat (such as, for example, GRANDE LX or ALL ROAD) also have another great feature – you can adjust the seat and footrest to a completely flat position. Sometimes smaller and lighter models don't fold out to this position (even though they do have several seat and footrest adjustment options).

 

Strollers differ from each other in many aspects. Before buying, it's good to ask yourself what you really need. Is it a lightweight, compact pushchair that'll fit anywhere, or a larger one with a comfortable seat that'll manage on all terrains? Or perhaps you'd like either a functional 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 solution?

Irrespective of which model you pick, your pushchair should be safe. It must have an adjustable five-point safety harness and guard rail. Choose trusted manufacturers and check to see which materials the pushchair is made of.