Guest post by Gillian Behnke

When we were pregnant with our son almost four years ago I absolutely coveted the trendy strollers I would see being pushed around town, knowing we could never shell out the $1000+ needed to own one. They were so cool and seemed to offer everything a mom could want, but why did they have to be so darned expensive?! When our daughter was born late last year we started looking around again and discovered the stroller landscape had changed a bit.

Enter Vancouver company Guzzie+Guss and their newest addition, the G+G042. Retailing at $599.99, it makes the trendy and versatile stroller suddenly seem a bit more within reach. And it’s gorgeous! It is available in four colours and comes with the bassinet attachment and bassinet apron, as well as the main seat component. It also comes with a rain cover and foot muff (both very handy for Vancouver moms!), but even better is the enormous canopy. There’s nothing worse than a canopy that doesn’t fully cover your precious cargo and the one on the G+G042 is huge. It would be great if it had a peekaboo window, but I will gladly trade the occasional peek for good coverage.

I assembled the whole thing myself without needing to enlist the help of my husband like I usually do. I did need the instructions to sort out all the possible configurations, how to collapse it, etc, but I got it figured out. Give me a break, there are a LOT of configurations! Your child can face front, face you, recline, lie almost flat, sit up straight – this last one was a big deal for our daughter as she wants to be as upright as possible to be part of the action and our current stroller leans her back more than she’d like! There are configurations for any situation, some more useful and practical than others. Every mom is different and every baby is different, and this stroller offers options to keep just about anyone happy.

I really like the option to face the child front or back, and you can do this by either repositioning the seat itself or flipping the handle back and forth. Moving the handle is certainly the easier option if your child is already in the stroller, but then you’re pushing with the back wheels in front and maybe it was just me, but it was a bit harder to control. I prefer to actually move the seat, but I did discover that you can’t actually collapse the stroller when the seat is in this position!

When you’re pushing it the “normal” way with the front wheels actually in the front, it is very easy to manoeuvre. I quite often find I need to hang onto our son with one hand while pushing our daughter in the stroller with the other, and the G+G042 makes this multi-tasking, one handed control possible. It’s a nice smooth ride, mainly due to the big inflatable rear tires. I love beefy tires on strollers, they make curbs and bumps so much easier to manage. My husband is 6’5” and handle height was a big deal when we were shopping for our stroller. The handle on the G+G042 slides up and down to be comfortable for all heights, and he did indeed find the highest “notch” was a good setting for him.

It’s pretty easy to collapse and set up, and will stand vertically when collapsed which is fantastic if you’re low on storage space. It’s not exactly tiny when collapsed, but you can remove the seat piece very easily if you need to make it smaller. We drive a Toyota Rav4 and it fit well in the back, plus it wasn’t too heavy to lift up into the vehicle.

Speaking of cars, if you’re a driving mom your baby will be in a car seat. While you can take your baby from the car seat into the bassinet, I know it’s NEVER a good idea to move your babe if he or she is already fast asleep! Don’t mess with a good thing, right? So, you will likely need the car seat adapter. It’s not included, but they do have one available for around $70 that fits all major brands of car seat.

I do wish it had some sort of parent “console” on the handle, somewhere to stick keys, a cell phone, etc. The storage basket underneath is nice and big, but I like to have certain items where I can grab them easily. From their website it doesn’t look like they make one, but a “universal” version of this type of accessory is pretty widely available from third party companies.

It’s well built, it’s comfy for both the mom and baby, and it looks good. With all its options and configurations the G+G042 is a fantastic stroller for pretty much anyone, and for everything you get it’s a very reasonable price. The stroller and car seat adapter are available at several retailers in the Lower Mainland, including TJ’s The Kiddies Store, Lusso Baby and Baby’s World. Check out www.guzzieandguss.com for more details.

Need More Info?

Download VancouverMom.ca’s Stroller Guide for First Time Parents, which give you some great tips and info on what to consider when making your next stroller purchase.

Gillian Behnke is a blogger at Finding My Weigh, where she writes about the joys and challenges of motherhood and her quest to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Gillian is also the marketing manager for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon Region. She lives in North Vancouver with her husband, her three year old son and eleven month old daughter.

As seen on Breakfast Television!

VancouverMom.ca had a chance to chat with Lusso Baby about some of their top stroller picks. Located at 1037 Marine Drive in North Vancouver, Lusso Baby is a specialty baby store with a great selection of family products. Lusso Baby has a vast selection in store – and an even bigger selection online. I stopped in to pick up a few strollers for this article and found the staff to be exceptionally knowledgeable – and passionate! – about all the merchandise in Lusso Baby, including the strollers. Here’s what Lusso Baby had to say about their favourite baby strollers in each of the following categories. We also had a chance to check out these strollers ourselves to give you VancouverMom.ca’s review of these strollers. The list in a nutshell:

• Top Umbrella Stroller: I’Coo Plutto Stroller
• Top All-Round Stroller: Quinny Buzz 3 Stroller
• Top Luxury Stroller: Stokke Xplory Complete Stroller
• Top Double Stroller: Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stand-On Double Stroller
• Top Jogging Stroller: BOB Revolution Stroller

Top Umbrella Stroller: I’Coo Pluto Stroller

In the umbrella stroller category, Lusso Baby recommended the I’Coo Pluto stroller – part of the Rockstar Baby family. VancouverMom.ca arranged a test drive so we could check out the I’Coo Pluto stroller for ourselves. What we found? Although the I’Coo Pluto stroller might not be as well known as its Maclaren competitor, this stroller does provide some extra value and interesting features. Read more about the I’Coo Pluto Umbrella Stroller.

Top All-Round Stroller: Quinny Buzz 3 Stroller

In the all-round baby stroller category, Lusso Baby recommended the Quinny Buzz 3 stroller – hands down. And we can’t disagree. If you’re someone who loves a clean sleek design, might do some light activity and don’t need to accommodate a second child, then this is an excellent buy. Read more about the Quinny Buzz 3 Stroller.

Top Luxury Stroller: Stokke Xplory Complete Stroller

When Lusso Baby owners Arash Fasihi and Shima Javadi recently had their baby, they purchased the Stokke Xplory Complete stroller. Arash demonstrated the stroller for me and couldn’t say enough about how much he and his wife loved it. I’m a sucker for unique modern design. I adore anything unique and eye-catching and I especially love beauty when it’s coupled with excellent functionality. Stokke seems to have the modern touch – from their iconic Stokke Trip Trapp high chair to their Stokke Sleepi crib – and the Stokke Xplory Complete stroller is no exception. Read more about the Stokke Xplory Complete stroller.

Top Double Stroller: Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stand-On Double Stroller

Lots depends on what you need a double stroller for: you may have twins, in which case a side-by-side stroller is probably the best choice. You might want to accommodate a second child in the future, so a stroller that allows you to add on a second seat is a terrific option. However, an interesting option is the Joovy Caboose family of sit-and-stand strollers. If you’re looking for a double stroller that can accommodate a baby and older active child, Lusso Baby felt that the Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stand-On stroller is a clever option. Read more about the Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stand-On Double Stroller.

Top Jogging Stroller: BOB Revolution Stroller

We asked Lusso Baby to name their favourite jogging stroller. Their pick? The BOB Revolution jogging stroller. VancouverMom.ca had a chance to have a look for ourselves and check out the features of this stroller. Read more about the BOB Revolution jogging stroller.

About Lusso Baby

1037 Marine Drive, North Vancouver, BC
Tel: (778) 340-0648 | www.lussobaby.ca

Twitter: @lussobaby | Facebook

Discover both comfort and luxury quality for you and your children. Lusso Baby is a refined specialty store dedicated to handpicking fine family products and providing customized service in a welcoming environment. Find Lusso Baby at 1037 Marine Drive, North Vancouver or shop online at www.lussobaby.ca.

As seen on Breakfast Television!

Thinking of buying a stroller but absolutely perplexed by the options? I don’t blame you.

The choices are overwhelming and the idea of dropping down hundreds – sometimes almost thousands – of dollars on a stroller and making the wrong choice is alarming. It’s as challenging to buy a stroller as it is to buy a digital camera – but unlike cameras, new parents rarely have any exposure to pushing around a stroller before they need to buy one.

Over the years, I’ve had tons of parents ask me for advice on what to look for in buying a stroller. My answer? VancouverMom.ca’s Stroller Guide for First Time Parents!

If you’re shopping for a new stroller, this guide will make your life easier.

In this free 14-page downloadable guide, you’ll find:

• An overview of the type of strollers out there.
• Tips on how to analyze your lifestyle to see what stroller might be a good fit.
• What to look for in a test drive.
• What to ask your friends about their strollers.
• How to consider when planning for more than one child (either twins or when you need to accommodate an older child and baby).
• A comprehensive overview of stroller features available on today’s market.
• A snazzy checklist helping prioritize those features.

If this sounds like a guide that you might like, sign up for my email list, as well as Lusso Baby’s email list, and we’ll send you the VancouverMom.ca’s Stroller Guide for First Time Parents right away! You can do that here:

Happy shopping!

About Our Sponsor

1037 Marine Drive, North Vancouver, BC
Tel: (778) 340-0648 | www.lussobaby.ca

Twitter: @lussobaby | Facebook

Discover both comfort and luxury quality for you and your children. Lusso Baby is a refined specialty store dedicated to handpicking fine family products and providing customized service in a welcoming environment. Find Lusso Baby at 1037 Marine Drive, North Vancouver or shop online at www.lussobaby.ca.