Smart spending: Shopping for a stroller

The Associated Press

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Choosing a stroller, when it can cost anywhere from $30 to $1,200 and more, can be as daunting as buying a car. Do you need hand brakes or will foot stops do the job? How big a seat and how much padding? And, of course, how many cup holders?

1. START WITH YOU: Match the stroller to your lifestyle - or that of the family you're buying for. Do you go hiking or to the beach? Many feature-loaded strollers will lose their appeal the first time you're forced to change plans because it won't fit somewhere.

Conversely, if your top goal is lulling your baby to sleep, those same strollers may be just right.

FILE - In this Aug. 15, 2005 file photo, Alexandra Fried, 3, left, with sister Annalise, 16 months, and Charlotte Teplitz, 3, right, hang out in their strollers as their mothers Dina Fried, left background, and Kathryne Lyons, exercize during a "Pram n' Pilates" by Strollercize class in New York's Central Park. Choosing a stroller, when the options range from $30 to $800, can be as daunting as buying a car. Do you need hand brakes or will foot stops do the job? How big a seat and how much padding? And, of course, how many cupholders? (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, file)

- MARY ALTAFFER /ASSOCIATED PRESS

2. TESTING, TESTING: Just as you would test drive a car, you should try strollers in real-life situations, especially when buying one used. Wear flip flops to go shopping so you can test whether the foot brakes require hard shoes to set and release.

And check that the stroller slips easily into your car's trunk, especially if you have a hybrid with a big battery.

Also try filling one hand with something big and unwieldy and making sure you can manipulate the stroller with the other hand without falling over.

3. REMEMBER OPTIONS ARE OPTIONAL: If you're easily seduced by accessories, the array of cup holders, sunshades and food trays available on some strollers may be dangerous to your wallet.

Figure out - before you get to the store - which are truly beneficial and which you and your baby can live without or add on later. Don't choose a high-end model just for its sunshade, for example, when you can buy a shade separately for less than $20.

But if you plan to go around with two kids at a time, a built-in running board for one to stand on may be worthwhile.

4. SHOP AROUND: It's always a good idea to compare prices, but especially for strollers, whose prices can vary dramatically depending on the type of retailer, season and other factors.

Once you've narrowed your search to a couple models, be sure to check online and call a variety of stores for their prices. But also ask the manufacturer when new models will hit stores because many retailers will discount the old ones significantly, even if the difference is just in color. Also check children's consignment shops.

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