Budget Strollers

Budget strollers

If $300 is more than you plan to spend on a stroller, there are several less expensive strollers that also do well in reviews. We found praise for Graco's most full-featured stroller, the Quattro Tour Deluxe (*Est. $160) . This stroller can accept a SnugRide car seat (not included), and the stroller's seat reclines to a flat position, making the Quattro Tour a good choice for newborns. Additional, removable padding is also included for newborns. There's a large basket, a good-sized canopy with peek-a-boo window, and parent and child trays with cup holders. The drawback is weight. The Quattro Tour Deluxe weighs almost 27 pounds (before adding a baby). The Graco Quattro Tour Sport (*Est. $190) is almost identical to the Quattro Tour Deluxe, but features sportier styling, slightly smaller wheels and a tapered front end. Graco's Quattro Tour strollers get generally positive reviews from parents posting to Epinions and Amazon.com. Owners say that, even though these strollers are a bit bulky, they're maneuverable for parents and comfortable for babies.

We found good reviews for the 18.5-pound Kolcraft Jeep Cherokee Sport stroller (*Est. $100) , too. The Jeep Cherokee accepts infant car seats, so the stroller can be used as a travel system. The seat reclines, but not to a full recline. Removable cargo bags and one-hand folding add to convenience. Finally, the Cherokee receives good reviews for being durable and offering a less bumpy ride on uneven sidewalks and other rough territory. Of course, the Kolcraft Jeep strollers aren't going to have the same level of luxury or durability that you'd find in a Peg-Perego or Inglesina stroller, but this is one of the better inexpensive strollers.

Another standard stroller from Kolcraft is the Contours Options 4 Wheeler (*Est. $140) . This model also has a car seat adapter, but additionally has a fully reclining seat, so it's acceptable for newborns. Parents posting to Amazon.com and Epinions are unanimously positive about the Contours Options 4 Wheeler. Owners say it's roomy and easy to operate with a generous canopy and easy-to-access storage. It even gets some favorable comparisons to more expensive designer strollers. Like some high-end strollers, you can reverse the seat so your child can ride facing you. The drawback is this stroller's heavy weight; at 29 pounds it's heavier than just about every other single-occupancy stroller on the market.

The Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Stroller (*est. $150) is another budget option with similar-to-designer styling. At 21 pounds, it's much lighter than the Kolcraft Options stroller. Baby Bargains calls it "the best Bugaboo rip-off," and parents give it good marks for style and functionality. One of this stroller's most popular features is its reversible seat, which, like the Bugaboo Cameleon, allows parent and child to face either toward or away from each other. It also has adjustable handles to accommodate parents of different heights, a three-position incline with a removable infant pad for small babies, pneumatic tires and a five-point harness. The Infant-to-Toddler does very well in professional reviews, but it gets mixed feedback from parents. A few owners posting to review sites cite lack of comfort for the baby and premature breakdown as reasons to skip the Fisher-Price stroller. Others disagree, saying it's a solid good-looking stroller at a reasonable price.

The Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler stroller has been a big hit when it comes to sales -- it was out of stock everywhere we looked. We didn't include it in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers, but it might be worth searching for it if you really want something that, at least at first glance, looks similar to the expensive Bugaboo strollers, and you're not as concerned about long-term durability.