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A spacious, all-terrain, workhorse type of a stroller suitable for everyday use, with suspension

26 Feb 2020

Hello.

We are looking for a stroller - a 'workhorse' that can handle forest trails and field walks (suitable for demanding terrain on a day-to-day basis). The stroller doesn't need to be compact, because we live in a village house. We don't use public transport, and our van is spacious enough to accommodate the stroller even without folding. A shock-absorbing suspension and all-terrain ability are necessary, though. The stroller has to be roomy, suitable for taller parents, and durable enough to be used for a second child potentially. We don't mind to buy the pram and the stroller separately if that's something you would advise us to do.

We checked the Easywalker Sky Plus - it looks well made, not too heavy, but I don't know whether it's true that the heavier the stroller better all-terrain ability it has. Besides, the hood of the Sky Plus seems to be on the shorter side.

I like the super spacious shopping basket of the Joie Crosster, as well as the length of the hood and the hand brake. The price is also OK.

We have also looked at the more expensive strollers such as Britax, Hartan... We just don't know if that would make sense. Is it not wiser to choose a more simple&straightforward stroller, especially if handling all kinds of terrain is required?

Besides, we have found some good reviews on the cheaper Polish brand strollers, including Camarelo... We would consider one if it fits the bill and has all-terrain abilities.

There is always the possibility to buy a retro stroller system with fixed wheels, but I am not sure if that's going to be as good enough in the stroller mode (with the seat unit). It gives me a dilemma about what to do when it comes to choosing the stroller system/or only a stroller + pram separately.

We have to find the best way of how to approach this, as we don't want to waste our money on an expensive stroller, neither we want to throw 400 EU into a cheap stroller that we will find useless after all.

Thank you for your advice.

Eli • 26 Feb 2020

Hello!

If you need a stroller for everyday use through the woods and other heavy terrains, I do recommend a high-quality, durable stroller. No matter how robust the stroller, after some time, it may start rattling until it gives up and falls apart if not well-enough made, especially the low-quality strollers with a weaker finish (as often found in many Polish stroller systems).

Because of a rather weak suspension system, I wouldn't recommend the outdated Easywalker Sky. Choosing from the cheapest stroller category, the Joie Crosster is probably one of the best. It's the hard worker that can handle basically everything. The only downside I see here is the non-reversible seat unit, but you should be fine. Once your child outgrows the carrycot, you can put it straight into a forward-facing seat. I absolutely approve of this option if you're on a budget, and I think you will be pleased with it once you get used to the forward-facing only seat unit.

Beyond that, I would also recommend the Emmaljunga NXT90 (bucket-type) or the related NXT90 F with a conventional (lay-flat) type of (reversible) seat unit. These strollers are super high-quality and will handle more generations of children - but it is also a bigger investment, unfortunately. You may also consider older Emmaljunga brand strollers that you can find second-hand…

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