DD bought the Peg Perego Pliko and loved it. Then a friend gave her a hand-me-down Graco Snap-N-Go. The infant car seat lifts in and out of the stroller frame and the stroller has a big basket under the seat that is great. Lo and behold, she prefers to use it. Her son is 8 months old, and now he is getting so that he likes to sit up straighter in the stroller to see everything, so he is starting to prefer the Peg Perego especially for walks in the neighborhood. But for ease of hauling it out to the mall or to Grandma's or for trips, the Graco Snap-N-Go is easier to use and her preference for now.

SnS, SheilaJoiyce beat me to it. I have the SnugRide for my little one and a GREAT stroller in every sense... so I prefer my Snap and Go: It's light, it packs up nice and tightly, it's easy to manouver, and it was cheap (I bought it at K-mart where I found the generic brand, Strollee for $30 or so...).

I have three step-sons that are all eager to help carry their brother around and they know how to open it as well as fold it up (I snap the car seat on... baby gets kinda heavy even for little boys).

Anyway, we use the GREAT stroller when we go for walks around the neighborhood. If not, with three boys and two parents, the GREAT stroller (which is great just not too practical at the moment) becomes more of a drag to put in and out of the car. I have to say though, the benefit of having a car-seat snap on a stroller is that if there is wind, you can cover the baby from all ends (a very useful thing when the babe was first born and we would go to the boys' baseball games).

We got a Graco SafeSeat infant car seat and the stroller frame that goes with it. I love it. The frame is lightweight and we don't have any trouble fitting it in our cars.

Here is a link that might be useful: Graco Snugrider Infant CarSeat Stroller Frame

I also got the Graco Quattro Travel System and love it. However, it is heavy, it is big, and you can't fit down all of the aisles. You can however, fill it with all of your shopping bags, diaper bags, purses, coats, has several places for easy accesible items like cell phones, keys, etc. My biggest suggestion would be for you and your partner to try it out in the store. When you push it do your feet hit the bottom? Do you need to hunch over to reach the hand rails? Do the wheels easily turn, or do they skid? Does it fit in your trunk (many stores will let you try it out)? Can you easily fold it down (try this in the store, lift it, carry it, get a feel for what you will be doing daily)? Does it have a 5 - point harness? Does it have a canopy? Can the seat lay back, and how many positions does it have? Can an infant lay in it (if you need one too, some recommend an age of 6 months or more)? Hope this helps :) Christy

My sister-in-law purchased a "jogging" stroller when she was pregnant w/ my nephew in 2003. When I learned I was pregnant, I knew I had to have one! My husband and I ultimately decided on the Jeep Liberty Sport Urban Terrain Stroller b/c at the time of our shopping trip (March 2006) it was the only one we found w/ attached toys (steering wheel and accessories) and lots of storage room for long shopping trips. Costing us only around $100, it was the best decision we could've made as far as a stroller is concerned! The built-in shocks along with the oversized wheels allow you to stroll with a sleeping infant without waking him/her! We took our son to a softball game when he was two months old, and he snoozed through the entire event. The true test was strolling across the gravel parking lot at the park, and the "jogging" stroller worked just as weÂd hoped! As a matter of fact, we never really felt the disruptions from the rough terrain in the handle-bar area, and the seat faired the same b/c of the excellent shocks system! The oversized wheels seem to be the secret behind the majority of the "bump displacement". I realize some people find the "jogging" strollers a little strange looking, but youÂll understand the dynamic behind the system by conducting a couple of "test drives/strolls".

As far as the "travel systems" are concerned, theyÂre bulky and over-priced (in my opinion). The recommended max weight also becomes an issue as your child matures into an older toddler and the "pre-k" age range. The "travel systems" I've researched show the recommended max weight as being only 35-40 lbs. The "jogging" strollers will accommodate the child until they're five years old or until they reach 50-lbs. With a "travel system" you'll have to make a second purchase once the child outgrows the maximum recommended weight.

We also use an "umbrella" stroller for quick errands, such as going to the bank, paying a bill, etc. "Umbrella" strollers are an absolute life saver at times, even though the kiddos don't really care much for them!

I meant to say, if I had to do it again, I would also go for the Jogging stroller simply because you can bring it on the beach without it getting stuck... and it glides on grass where a normal one is a bit tougher to push.

Thank you all so much for responding.

After doing some research and reading your responses I know now that I need a stroller that can handle a gravel drive way and some chip trails. I agree, the travel systems are far too heavy to haul in and out of the car.

I really like all the options of the bugaboo frog but it is just too expensive. I also like the Bob revolution but baby can't face you unless it is in the car seat.

I am looking for one stroller that can handle a new born and a toddler.

Then why did you start your post, with 'having your first?'

Sorry, I meant a new born through to a toddler. One that will handle all the stages. Yes this is our first.

Thank you christy2828.

All strollers have recommended age and weight. Some are not recommended under a few months old, and most hold up to around 40 pounds, past toddler years. Except for the jogging stroller, as lauralynn stated that holds up to 50 pounds. Lauralynn, I've always been curious about those jogging strollers. They are strange looking, but I'll bet they're convenient often. How are they for storage? Are they easy to fold up, and how small do they fold up? Sugar and Spice, looking at the tires is good, too. Some are quite flimsy. Christy :)

Baby Jogger is my favorite; quite compact shape in folded dimension, relatively lightweight, higher seat capacity for taller toddler makes it last for longer-usage.

Try Uppababy Vista. From what we have seen, the functionality and design seem very parents and babies friendly. It has a bar across and something preventing young baby from sliding off the stroller, both provide extra security for parents and baby. Easy maneuver and switch from car-seat to stroller makes it easy for mom or dad alone caring for baby, and an large basket when shopping for diapers and all the other groceries. The sun shade is attached to the canopy making it easy to use and without having to spent more money buying extra. There is an add-on once the second one comes along to make it a double stroller. This is the stroller we regret we didn't get, and we wish we had done this research before getter ours from Bugaboo....

I work with families with young children and have seen many strollers in and out. So, the only thing I asked for my husband as the incentive for me having children is a light and easy-maneuver stroller, and we bought our Bugaboo Bee...

As our son is just 10-month, my biggest regret is buying Bugaboo. Even though hard to admit, I have to say I chose Bugaboo solely for it is the "in" brand" and it must be "good"!! So far, we have used it for less than 20 times. The reclined position just isn't right and our son just seems slipping off the stroller are just a few minor reasons we hardly use it. What's too dangerous to ignore is the wiggling wheels, especially when we are crossing street.

We contacted the store we purchased the stroller and Bugaboo. First, Bugaboo sent us some plastic washers, which didn't fix the problem, and then, they sent us another set of washers, but this time was made with metal, which we missed the pick-up as we were on vacation. Finally, they said they would send us a set of wheels. I asked what happened if it still doesn't fix the problem, the customer service told me just called again and Bugaboo would take care of me... This is how Bugaboo takes care of their defected product: by sending customers parts and asking customers to try and fix the problem. It is not only cheap; it is also very irresponsible.

What really gets me is: we purchased the stroller in November 2011 and only picked it up in December 2011, but our stroller was made in September 2010. I know the stroller doesn't get expired like car seat, but for 15 months from its manufactured date till we picked up from store, they would have known the problem and recalled all the defected products rather than expecting customers to find out the problems and try to fix it.
We have carried our son on carriers for the most, and he is getting bigger by days. I totally wish I did proper research before making the purchase. I so regret getting our stroller from Bugaboo; this is the biggest mistake we had made with our baby-related purchases.

I have a kid, one year old now. I bought Phil and Teds Navigator last year and i am pretty happy with and satisfied with it. This stroller is pretty compact and glides beautifully along the sidewalks and is very easy to turn and push up hills.Love the auto stop feature.

Stroller safety starts with choosing the right stroller for your baby. Know what to consider when looking for a stroller and how to keep your baby safe on the go : http://motherhow.com/baby-stroller/

I absolutely love the Graco Click Connect LiteRider Stroller. The main reason is that it's compatible with all Graco click connect car seats, which makes it sooo much easier getting around. Good luck!

Do you have a total budget for car seat plus stroller?

I'm a CPST (child passenger safety technician) aka car seat specialist. I help families choose, install, and use their car seats correctly and I also happen to be a mama to 3 littles (7yo, 4yo, 13mo) and I'm a bit of a baby gear nut.

My biggest tip is to skip the pre-bundled travel systems. Pick your car seat and stroller separately. Not all, but most of the pre-bundled travel systems come with lower quality strollers, and sometimes lower quality car seats. Most nicer strollers can be made compatible with the nicer car seats.

The Chicco KeyFit is my long time favorite infant car seat. It is compact (fits well in most cars), easy to install (so long as you fully read the instruction manual and your vehicle owner manual's section on car seats), simple to use, and fits even tiny newborns very well (surprisingly not all infant seats do). There a lots of other great options at a variety of price points though so I'd be happy to suggest others as well.

As far as strollers, I'm a Baby Jogger lover. I love my Baby Jogger Versa (discontinued but a few left out there on the internet). The Versa was recently replaced by the Baby Jogger City Premier and is very similar. I love that you can flip the seat of it to parent-face or face out. The seat is huge (even my 7yo can hop in for a ride if he wants) and it has suspension for all 4 wheels. If you don't care about the ability to parent-face, the Baby Jogger City Mini GT is excellent. Super easy, 1 hand, 1 step fold. I can hold a baby in one arm, and fold the stroller and lift into my trunk with my other hand.

Many people are not aware, but there is a big push in the medical community as well as in the child passenger safety community to encourage parents to really limit the amount of time babies are spending in car seats OUTSIDE of the car. For this reason, I encourage families to skip the travel system set up. As an alternative, wearing baby in an ergonomical, anatomically supportive carrier (ErgoBaby, Lillebaby, Beco, Boba, Tula), ring sling, or wrap is a great option or getting a stroller with a lay-flat recline (or added basinet option) to put baby directly in the stroller. For quick errands in and out of stores with a sleeping baby, leaving them in their car seat is usually fine on the limited occasion, but if baby is awake or it will be for extended times, taking them out of the seat is recommended. If you arrive home and baby has fallen asleep, it is recommended to remove them from the seat and attempt to transfer to a crib or wear them in an upright carrier. The semi-reclined position car seats put babies in is needed for vehicle transport, but is not optimal from a health and development perspective. This is a good link on the subject: http://blog.onyababy.com/2012/06/benefits-of-babywearing-vs-carseat-carrying/