Boy do I understand the importance of strollers! We have three kids & our youngest two are 11 months apart. The first year the youngest two went, my daughter was 2, turning 3 while we were there, & my son was 3. We've gone roughly the same time each year since then & she's 7 now, but last yr was the first time we didn't bring the 'buggy'. I researched strollers like it was my mission in life! I wanted one that was lightweight, folded quickly & easily, but also held a larger child - at least 60-65lbs - just in case my oldest who was 6 at the time, needed a break once in a while too. I found a stroller that met all my requirements in a Maclaren Volo. It served us so well. It was easy to push, the kids took turns riding, I could hang my bags from it, it has a very easy one-hand fold, will stand on it's own folded & locked, has a simple release latch to unfold & then one foot is all it takes to lock it in place once it's open, and best of all is it has a carry strap right on it to sling right over your shoulder which made it a piece of cake for getting on & off the bus. My husband fit in the way back row of the buses against the back & could even get into a seat by the window in that back row with the Volo standing upright between his feet/knees, and those back window seats are a tight to begin with. And my husband is 6'3" & 220 so he's not a twig either. The stroller weighs either 7# or 9#. I know it's less than 10#. I found ours at Toys R Us & I believe it was $100. We drive, most of the time, and the Volo is so compact it either slides under the seats, stands against the wall in the back corner, or if we forget & have to put it in last, we just slide it in on top of the luggage in the minivan. It fits just as easily in a car as well.
I hope this was helpful. Having three kids age 3 & under all at the same time kinda made me a wee bit obsessed with their mode of transportation, ESP since I was a SAHM & my husband worked so much so we could bring the kid's (& their Mom & Dad!) to see Mickey's house, as my kids referred to it very early on. So not only was I concerned with getting/having the best options for transportation, I also made sure I was getting the best bang for my buck while still keeping in mind that you really do get what you pay for! And since we would be using this stroller again & again, I opted to have something to show for my money & use again vs renting. But like I said, I KNEW I was going to use it again!
GOOD LUCK to those with stroller dilemmas! I hope this helped!
P.S. if anyone has any other park/stroller related questions, I wouldn't mind answering! I had a total of 14 stroller I used from Combi to Maclaren to German ABC (pneumatic wheeled) & many others in between!
