
Joolz
Aer+
Travel-friendly, city-nimble, but tiny storage and struggles off-pavement.

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I absolutely adore our Bumbleride Indie (it's a 2016, we got it used, but we've used their site to order a couple parts for it like a tire tube and some accessories, they're *incredible* at making sure to have an accessible list of what accessories are compatible with what stroller years and most things are!) and to be honest I'm not sure I'd recommend it for you. I'm a wimp and it's a little hefty, it was our only stroller for a long time but I got annoyed with it particularly for really quick and easy trips. However, it's so solid that we go hiking and all kinds of long adventures with it all the time, and for our only stroller for a long time, it was worth wrangling for all that we did with it. My favorite part is that not only does it have some suspension so it's really smooth, but also it lies flat and the canopy covers up nearly completely so it's a walking nap station and it's been an absolute lifesaver for us personally. Though, we're suburban, not urban, we walk a ton of places but we also drive our stroller a ton of places and it can be pretty beefy to accomplish basically everything we want. I'm not familiar with the Joolz Aer2 but for only urban living (walking, solid concrete/pavement only), I think the Indie would be overkill. As an anecdote, we got a (used) travel stroller in the Babyzen Yoyo2 and like it a ton for the quick and easy and lightweight types of trips, though even on paved park roads, some of them by us are a bit washed out so the aggregate is kind of aggressive which is no big deal for shoes at all but for a baby, that thing gets BUMPY. Can you try checking any of the baby equipment rental sites like Quip to see if anyone has either they can rent out, and give them a shot for a couple days?
Bumbleride Indie or Era are nice to push in any condition and even a bigger kid fits nicely. Full recline in both of these.
You don’t need a travel system, lots of car seats are compatible with different strollers. We got a Bumbleride indie stroller and a chicco car seat (keyfit? The 30 I think). The car seat has really good reviews and safety ratings and I’d say it’s a great one for the price. Love the stroller so far. Where I live almost everyone has a Bob but I wanted something a little smaller and lighter but still all terrain. We’ve taken it on fairly rugged walking paths and lots of uneven sidewalks and I’m so pleased. It’s easy enough for me to load in and out of my vehicle and it doesn’t feel too enormous to take in stores but it’s a nice smooth ride and super easy and comfy to push so it’s a nice middle ground imo. That’s my rec! I’d also advise to start by choosing your stroller and then looking at compatible car seats. You’ll use the stroller for longer than you will the infant carseat and there are huge differences between strollers depending what you’re looking for. You can find a highly-rated good quality car seat that is compatible with almost any stroller, so start with the stroller and narrow the car seat selection down that way. You’ll use can buy lots of things used but def get the car seat new! It’s one of the few things you def shouldn’t buy secondhand.
Strollers are such a hard rec because it’s so dependent on your lifestyle and where you live! We live in a small town, where many of the walking routes and neighbourhoods either don’t have sidewalks or have sidewalks in pretty tough shape. Most people here have bobs, which I’d say is always a solid option, but they are enormous and would be insane for city life. We have a bumbleride indie, the seat folds into a bassinet with no additional pieces needed so it’s appropriate for a newborn without needing to attach the car seat. I have loved this feature. Hubby is 5’11 and it suits him fine with plenty room to adjust the handlebars taller. We are really happy with it, it’s all terrain and handles well without being a massive jogger. It folds small enough to fit in the back of my Rav 4 with plenty of room for our dog to also sit back there, which was a priority, and its petite enough to easily take into crowded stores and narrow aisles. We also have a Thule urban glide 2, bought secondhand to be used for running. I loveee that stroller but it’s crazy big, really long and it takes up the whole cargo area of my trunk. The handle can adjust super high though, and you can purchase a newborn bassinet attachment if you want a pram style. Personally if not for the size vs vehicle factor this is the one I would have gone with.
I lovvvved the indie! It was rugged but maneuverable
I have the bumbleride indie and we love it! We got it for a deal from rebel or goodbuy gear because it was new but slightly scratched. I live in an area where I can walk to the library, grocery store etc from our house. So we love just strolling out the door with the indie. We also have really bumpy sidewalks around so we needed the air tires and I do some very light jogging with it as well. The cork handlebar is awesome. It has an adapter for a variety of car seats but we never ended up using that because my baby hated the stroller until she was almost 6 months and we just did baby wearing on our walks. Also, the indie and I think the era recline flat so they are safe for less than 6 month olds without any adapter. We ended up with the Chicco keyfit 35 cleartex car seat because I just couldn't justify paying for the fancy Nuna ones even if they are lighter. And it's fine! However the indie is huge and heavy! We ended up getting a small zoe travel stroller (they have one made with recycled fabric!) as well because if we are traveling anywhere the indie takes up a ton of space. We got our zoe from one of those returned/open box websites as well and it was a great deal. I personally really like having two options, one big full size and one super packable travel stroller, but I know that isn't for everyone. I do highly recommend searching all the open box type websites for deals, or of course looking for used strollers if you live in a city or non-rural area. The "greenest" thing is not buying new in my opinion (and it saves $$)
Yes! I do a lot of walking on sidewalks paved with historic brick and they a bumpy! The bumble ride is amazing, and the company is exactly what I want to support. We also have a zoe for travel or small spaces and that is great as well.
I’m deep in it, have a 2 year old and newborn. My advice: Car seat - yes to brand new. We skipped the infant seat and got the all in one seat- Evenflo revolve 360. It’s fucking awesome, easy to install, lasts 10 years. Babies shouldn’t spend time in bucket seats unless you’re driving somewhere and it’s a PITA to schlep around a car seat instead of your small baby. Stroller- secondhand or new is totally fine. We live in Chicago and use our stroller like a car and walk almost everywhere. We have a Bumbleride Indie. Pneumatic tires go over broken sidewalks so much smoother than an Uppababy or anything else. It’s big and doesn’t fold down very small, but worth it for us. Converts to bassinet mode for newborn without needing an extra bassinet. We have a Mamazing travel stroller (from Amazon) for the trunk of the car and quick trips and it’s fine. I don’t love it or hate it. Baby carriers- completely variable based on your baby and what they like, how much time you want to spend learning about it, how strong your back is, etc. Every carrier can be purchased secondhand. If you get into woven wraps ($$$) many of them will sell for what you paid for them. I love my Oscha Cairis wrap for newborn to toddler, it makes it really easy to back wear. It has a learning curve to it that my husband doesn’t like. Solly wrap is very sweet for newborn wearing. Ergo Omni is great for newborn to 1 year old, about. Crib- IKEA for sure. I got our Sniglar on marketplace for like $50, they included their crib mattress as well. Baby bjorn bouncer looks beautiful and babies love it. Got a sick deal on eBay for mine! Baby gym- I tried to skip this one but ended up borrowing one from a friend and my baby loved it. You don’t need a lovevery one any toy arch over a blanket is fine. Skip the baby walkers, those are used for such a short time. Skip the bottle warmer. We use hot water in a small bowl and it works the same. Skip a bottle washer, dishwasher is perfectly fine to run every night. Bottles do NOT need to be sterilized unless you have an immune compromised NICU baby. Babies are not sterile, neither is a boob. My professional opinion as an acute care pediatric NP. My very picky kiddo would only use Avent natural response bottles. Needed a level 3 nipple. Skip the 4 ounce bottles there is no reason to buy a small one you can only use for a month. Don’t buy a ton of pacis or bottles until you know what your baby will take. Likewise, don’t buy a ton a breastfeeding stuff in the event that it doesn’t work out for whatever reason. Kendamil formula is awesome BTW and actually tastes good. Buy multiples of the preferred lovie. All clothes can be purchased secondhand. I have a spreadsheet of online consignment stores I look at. Diaper bag can be any backpack you like. I did get a nice STATE diaper backpack and I Love is so much. I will use it as my work backpack when the kids grow out of it. Skip the wipes warmer. Babies get quickly used to cold wipes and it just creates a warm moist environment that bacteria loves. When in doubt, buy less. Buy secondhand. Ask friends with kids for hand me downs. Trust me parents want to get rid of stuff as soon as they can. Good luck!

Joolz
Aer+
Travel-friendly, city-nimble, but tiny storage and struggles off-pavement.

Bugaboo
Butterfly Series
Durable, compact for city travel, good storage, but expensive.

UPPAbaby
Cruz V2 Stroller
Durable workhorse with massive storage, but heavy and bulky.

UPPAbaby
Minu V3 Stroller
Compact travel, decent storage, but pricey, seat not upright.

UPPAbaby
Cruz V3
Durable, massive storage, great service, but heavy and bulky.

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Joolz - Aer+

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UPPAbaby - Vista V2

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Thule - Urban Glide 3 Series

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Bumbleride - Era

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Joolz - Aer+

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Thule - Urban Glide 3 Series