Basically, there are 4 major kinds of strollers available - made locally, made in Japan, made in China, made in Western countries. I found their differences, in general, are as follow:
- Locally made and China made stollers are generally much cheaper than other imported one. They might have similar parts and functions with their counterparts, but the quality might be different.
- Japan made strollers are generally smaller in size than Western made. This might probably because the body size of Asian people is smaller. They are also easier and simpler to operate, practical in functionalities.
- Western made strollers are generally bigger in size, and more complicated to operate. I remembered the shopkeeper shown me a few times how to open and fold the McLaren, Peg Perego, Graco, etc. but I still can't figure out the way. Same to reclining the seat. Basically, more steps are involved, not as straightforward as the Combi.
The following are some considerations when choosing for stroller:
- Light weight - convenient to carry.
- Foldable - so that you can put in your car and bring it to shopping complex and other places. It should be compact when folded so that not taking too much space in your car.
- Durability and maximum weight support - you might want to choose one that can be used from new born until 3-4 years old.
- Quality of fabric material - your baby should feel comfortable, feel cool, not easily sweating within short period of time.
- Seat cushion fully removeable and washable - the stroller can gets dirty and need frequent clean up, especially if you seat your baby in it while feeding food.
- With canopy - to protect your baby from sun and sudden rain.
- Reversible handle - so that your baby can face forward (to enjoy the scene) or backward (to get your attention).
- Multilevel reclination - to adjust the position accordingly. Infant cannot sit too upright.
- Wheels with suspension - so that it won't be too bumpy.
- Easy to operate - especially when your baby is taken care by older people such as your mother.
- Availability of spare parts - especially the rubber-made wheels which are subjected to wear and tear.
- Basket - for your convenience to carry along some diapers, baby wipe, baby food, etc.
- Safety design - the stroller should not be easily overturned. It should have emergency brakes and other safety features too.
Last but not least, your baby must like it. It is advisible for your baby to actually sit in it and "test drive" for a while, make sure he/she like it before bringing it home from the store.
