Graco - Premier Modes Lux Stroller, Midtown Collection

We have the Graco 3-in-1. Car seat clicks into the stroller seat or stroller frame (either one), seat can be a seat with variable recline or bassinet. The basket underneath is huge and holds like, 20 lbs easily, and the frame is super sturdy. It's not the fanciest and most expensive, but it works great and is super affordable. Our stroller has been used almost daily for 2 years, still works great.

Stroller can be amazing, especially if you wind up with a baby like mine who HATES babywearing. We've put ours through its paces. But you also don't need the super fancy brands. We have a Graco Modes, it's like, $250 brand new for the stroller (and has all the accessories some other brands charge as extras!). Almost 2 years of daily use and going strong. Convertible car seat, yes, you'll need that eventually. You could get one with a low weight limit and skip the infant bucket seat, but you'll need a seat that can do rear facing, front facing harness, high back booster, and regular booster (or multiple seats that cover that span collectively. Those are just the phases you need covered). Our convertible can do the first 3, and we'll get a basic booster when needed. Some seats do all 4 phases. Again, you don't need a super expensive brand. We have a Graco that was $160 and it's been great. High chair: highly kid dependent. Our 20 month old recently decided all configurations of her high chair are awful, she wants a big chair. My friend's kid the exact same age loves her high chair still. Crib: we have a convertible one. But I fully intend to modify it to fit a full size bed frame, so it's gonna be super convertible 😅 some come with that ability, but we just got the 4-in-1 and figured I've got power tools for the big bed. But really, all you *need* for a baby to sleep can be safely and completely met by a pack and play. We used one for several months around our kid's first birthday because we moved and all our shit was in storage. It's perfectly acceptable to do that and just get them a twin size bed when they outgrow the pack and play as a toddler.

We have a Graco Modes (ours doesn't have adjustable handle, but I've seen one that does and otherwise looks the same) and it's been great. Kiddo is about to turn 2, the stroller gets daily use (multiple long walks a day), has survived a cross country move, multiple planes (with gate checking), in and out of car.... It's put in more work and survived more than most of my friends' much more expensive strollers 🤷🏻‍♀️

We have 3: a Graco travel system that converted to a bassinet, a jogging stroller, and a quick folding travel stroller. My husband uses the jogger the most and I use the travel stroller the most. We feel a bit silly having 3, but only bought the travel stroller ourselves and don’t regret any of them.

I don’t have the name on me now-after all of our tons of research we landed on a graco that includes an infant car seat and a regular stroller seat that converts into a bassinet. It is amazing to not have a separate bassinet, and you can even convert it to bassinet while the kid is in it if they fall asleep. Great basket size for carrying around lots of stuff.

I ended up with 2, with one child. A bob jogging stroller and a graco modes. Both marketplace finds. I used the bob for the first 1years then got the modes for $25 on marketplace to use on a trip/airplane. Its actually turned into the one I prefer because the basket is pretty big and the shade has good coverage but my kid is almost 3 and we rarely stroller these days. I have another one on the way and trying to decide what to do. Maybe just the carseat that can go in the modes and a universal board so my older one can ride along? I did see a new graco at walmart yesterday thats basically the same setup and its clean and nice but also configured for the board stander to not be *in your way while walking so maybe I might consider looking that up on marketplace as well. Strollers are so expensive. Whatever you do, dont be afraid to buy used, they clean up so easy and well, especially in my case with my $35 steam shot lol. Then just buy the carseat new.

I’m highly suggest seeing what you can get second hand. We put a graco stroller on our registry since it was on the cheaper end so didn’t feel like someone would be spending too much on us. It was a convertible one do had a pram or seat. We got it and I hated it, not enough structure to feel like my baby was secure and comfortable. We ended up returning it and getting an uppababy from fb marketplace and we love it. New they go for upwards of 1500, we got it for 450 in great condition.

We went with the Graco modes merge stroller https://www.target.com/p/graco-premier-modes-merge-stroller-midtown/-/A-92331714 and got the snugride snugfit 35xt bucket seat https://www.gracobaby.com/-/SAP_2170449.html?utm_source=babylist.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=BabyList-NonAffiliate It was super affordable for us, both go on sale often! Baby isn’t here yet, but we’ve practiced with it a few times. It’s lightweight. Not sure how it would do as a travel stroller, but we aren’t planning on getting a travel stroller so it’ll work for us.

I had a 10 year old uppa baby and a summer 3d lite for my first. The uppa was a solid build, but too clunky. The summer infant was very agile. I ended up selling the uppa Baby 2 has a graco modes stroller and that thing is like driving around a grocery cart. Holds stuff, won’t break, but nothing smooth or performative about it. I was shocked to learn how much it cost brand new - I would never pay that. For the cost I’d get something nicer used, or something new that’s cheaper.

I don’t believe in spending a million dollars on a stroller (I don’t use it much, especially during the first year). So I went with the tried and true brand that parents have been using for eons - Graco. My first Graco stroller was like….maybe $200? The seat can be either a bassinet or what I call “toddler mode”. I used the bassinet like twice, mainly just used toddler mode. You could also just click your Graco car seat into it if you prefer that. Now I am pregnant with my second and I got the Graco that has 2 seats - it was on sale for $180 at target. I don’t particularly want to spend a poop ton of money on an item I only use when we go to the zoo or what have you. Graco is a trusted brand that’s been around a long time and all of their products I have used I like.

The Graco snug fit DLX with the Graco modes stroller! I didn't get a swing. We have aN infantino bouncer. We got our Graco play pen 50% off on a Target clearance deal, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten the "fancy one". We might be one and done and I couldn't justify spending a fortune on things that will only be used once. I just made sure what I bought was rated well for safety. Don't forget cheap on the breast pump though! You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to electric breast pumps.

My advice is to place more budget/focus on your everyday stroller/stroller system. Later once you realize the less common situations your everyday stroller is not able to meet (like a running stroller, bassinet-compatible system, a bulky stroller that has good storage, etc) then buy that stroller second-hand. If you don’t love it just sell it again. I have a UB Minu V2 with Mesa car seat as my everyday stroller. Second hand, I have a Bob, a Graco Modes system that was nice for the few times I used rhe bassinet or wanted a lot of storage, and soembody gave me a Chicco Bravo. I mainly use the Minu and Bob, but the other ones have been useful occasionally too. Don’t get caught up thinking every stroller has to be a premier brand. It’s more so about how you plan to use them.