Stroller Comparison

I'm comparing the pros and cons of two strollers that baby E has. The first stroller was approved by daddy E but the second stroller was a total impulse buy on my part.

Ok, so here's the first stroller, the Feebo model by Lucky Baby:

Pros

1. Full canopy, it's also water resistant enough to withstand light rain (took it out recently and it started POURING with rain, the canopy could not handle that and was soaked through).
2. Reversible handle so I could face baby E towards me and keep an eye on him when he was younger.
3. Big basket underneath, I can stuff a whole bunch of things in there plus the diaper bag which is really useful.
4. Well-balanced, the stroller remains pretty stable even without baby E sitting inside to act as a counterbalance to the heavy items hanging off the handles and shoved into the basket underneath.
5. The back reclines flat so it can be used from birth until the child reaches 18kg in weight.

So this could have been our one and only stroller purchase. But some things were bugging me.

Cons

1. Takes more effort to steer, wheels are a bit stiff. When used in the rear-facing position (i.e. baby facing the parent when being pushed), I need to use two hands and brute force to keep the stroller on it's intended path. Also I keep kicking the wheels when pushing the stroller because the front wheels are set quite close together (or maybe I need a more feminine, mincing gait when I walk??). But when put in the forward-facing position, steering becomes much easier.
2. It's a heavy stroller, not easy to fold up and take on a bus if I'm the only one bringing baby E out (which happens quite often since I'm a SAHM). So I usually end up walking all the way to the MRT station which takes about 15mins and it's not good idea in wet weather because a large portion of the walking route is not sheltered.
3. The reversible handle seemed a bit shaky where it attaches to the frame which made me nervous in the beginning.

Otherwise, it's a great stroller which we got for a great price during a warehouse sale at Taime Pte Ltd. It was S$129.00 after discount if I remember correctly.

Now, I've always wanted a lighter umbrella-style stroller with a narrow frame that I could carry onto the bus while baby E remains seated inside. So while out window shopping during the recent GSS (Great Singapore Sale), I ended up getting a Maclaren Quest 2012.

Pros

1. Very easy to push and steer, even with 1 hand.
2. Lightweight, I can lift the stroller onto the bus with baby E sitting inside it and the stroller frame is narrow enough to fit through the bus entrance without getting stuck.
3. Easy to open and fold, the carry strap in the back is also very useful. We got lost while searching for a car in the parking lot and I was carrying the folded up stroller up and down several flights of stairs with minimal effort.
4. The canopy is waterproof! (and detachable)

Cons

1. The canopy is small! But the stroller comes with an additional rain cover, when used together it provides pretty good coverage.
2. The basket underneath is really, really small. I can fit my handbag in it and that's it, no more room.
3. Must remember not to hang heavy items from the handles, the stroller has a tendency to tip over backwards if the items outweigh baby E. When he wants to come out and walk on his own, there is a delicate juggling act involving putting the backrest into a reclined position and the footrest up so that the diaper bag can fit in the seat plus any bags hanging off the back being shifted to the front to re-distribute the weight and keep the stroller balanced.

That being said, I do like the new stroller. It's light and very maneuverable which makes navigating narrow shopping aisles at our local NTUC a breeze. Plus I can get it up and down the feeder bus that services our estate pretty easily on my own (provided it's a wheelchair-accessible bus, I can't get it up and down by myself if it's a regular bus with steps).

So in conclusion, I now use the Lucky Baby Feebo stroller for 'long-haul' trips downtown when I tend to bring a lot of stuff to keep baby E entertained and the Maclaren for short trips in our neighbourhood when I can travel light.

Edit to include:
A fellow SAHM mentioned that when the Maclaren stroller is folded up, the front wheels touch the canopy which can be an issue if the wheels are dirty. I didn't notice that before buying and the scruff marks on the canopy were starting to bother me. Then I realised that the canopy can be detached, so now I take it off before folding up the stroller. I also lock the front wheels so they don't swing around and touch the backrest.