A Great Baby Shower Gift - Tips on Buying a Baby Stroller

Will the right baby stroller make a difference? You bet it will. Strollers can be as different as different makes of cars. More important than the price, the features must meet the needs of both mom and baby. (If you are looking for a great new baby gift, a good baby stroller makes a practical and valued gift.)

A good baby stroller can be handed down from child to child. Before deciding what features you can afford, determine your budget. Don't skimp. If you plan to have more than one child, the stroller will pay for itself over time. If you have purchased a quality baby stroller, when your children grow out of it, you can sell it at a garage sale or pass it on to a friend or family member. A quality second hand baby stroller makes a much appreciated gift, especially for a friend or family member who can't afford one.

Next, ask yourself how you will use the baby stroller. Do you intend to use it for strolls at the park, so you and your baby can enjoy and explore the great outdoors? Or will you be using it to get yourself back into shape? In this case then what you need is a baby jogger or jogging stroller.

After you know how much you want to spend and how you will use the baby stroller, the other considerations have to do with quality of construction. You can buy jogging strollers made out of steel or aluminum. Steel makes for a heavier stroller but over time, it may rust. Aluminum costs more, but if you live by the beach, mountains or in a environment where there is excess moisture in the air, it is worth the extra cost.

The next question is the wheel size. The bigger the wheel, the rougher the terrain your jogging stroller can handle. If you're just going to stroll the sidewalks of your neighborhood or nearby park, smaller wheels are fine. Bigger wheels handle curbs, bumps and off-road terrain much better and also offer what is referred to as superior glide, meaning that the baby jogger pushes easily.

Here are some guidelines to help you decide which wheel size will work best for your baby stroller:

12 inch swivel wheels: make tight turns (they work great in crowds) and manuever easily. If you don't plan to take your baby off-road, this is what you should buy.

16 inch wheels - for the jogger who occasionally goes off-road. Works well as a baby jogger and as a baby stroller to use at the shopping mall and on casual strolls. This may be the best overall choice in terms of versatility.

24 inch and larger wheels - for the committed off-road jogger and adventurer. Superior glide, handles curbs and bumps.

Other than color choice (which is simply a preference), the final feature to consider is suspension. Select a baby stroller that has shocks. This will provide a smoother ride and make for a happier baby. And we all know that a happy baby makes for a happy mom.

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