Stroller shopping

It seems mildly ridiculous to me that I have three strollers and yet am shopping for another. Who knew before kids that you actually need more than one kind of stroller?

The old Graco that came with my first travel system back in 2002 is finally falling to pieces after two and a half boys, and I have to replace it. I also have a Maclaren Triumph that I got on serious clearance, and my very indulgent but well-used Chariot running stroller circa 2002. The Maclaren is great for travelling as it’s light as air and folds up small, but it doesn’t look terribly comfortable and you can’t lie down it down flat. The Chariot is wonderful for snow with its big bicycle wheels, but is a pain in the arse to fold and unfold and cram into the car.

I need want something decent to replace the Graco: a good-sized, durable, easy-to-use stroller that I can use every day to walk the boys to school and still cram it into the van to tote it around town with us. I don’t want to spend a fortune and am amenable to used, so I’m just scoping out what’s available out there. What you kind of stroller do you have, what do you love and what do you hate about yours? What do you covet in a stroller?

My wishlist is fairly short: I’d like a snack-tray with cupholder for Lucas; a seat where he can sit upright and lie more or less flat; a nice basket for storage; and, most important of all, a cupholder for me. Lightweight is good as is compact, but not my primary concern. I’d like to come in under $200 new, which seems a bit unlikely unless I go with one of the fancy-ass umbrella types, and I’ve pretty much got that covered with the Maclaren. I’ve been eyeballing everything from a Zooper (I saw a Zooper Waltz second hand for a song and have e-mailed the seller) to a Peg Perego Aria to a good old Evenflo.

Talk stroller to me, baby!

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