From the minute we announced our pregnancy, it seemed as though our lives were consumed with collecting our baby gear. With so many products on the market, and with us being new parents, the process seemed to be completely overwhelming. One of the biggest items to consider with baby gear was and is your new baby's stroller. Brian and I knew that we wanted to make sure that we made the absolute best choice for our family; after all, we're city dwellers that live in a small space and travel on-foot for the majority of the time. Choosing our baby's stroller was a crucial decision.
Let me just cut the suspense and let you know that after lots (and lots) of thought and research, we ultimately landed on the UPPAbaby VISTA and we could not be happier with our decision. You guys - this stroller is absolutely fantastic. The VISTA is everything we were hoping for in a stroller and more, providing us with all of the features that we were looking for, and many that we didn't even realize we needed. The stroller has truly been a game-changer for our family, and while it does come with an investment price tag, I would choose it over again in a heart beat. Here are five reasons why you should consider investing in the UPPAbaby VISTA for your growing family.
1. It Handles Busy City Streets Like A Champ
Brian and I are very passionate about staying in the city with Benny, so we knew that we needed a stroller that was easily able to maneuver the busy city streets of Toronto. The UPPAbaby VISTA has exceeded our expectations. Not only do the wheels offer a smooth ride for baby, making sure Benny doesn't wake up during his stroller naps, the back wheels are large enough that we're able to handle any sort of terrain. Those of us in the city know how much construction affects our lives, so I'm grateful to be able to smoothy sail through any detour construction has to offer. Not only that, but we're still going to be traveling on-foot through the winter months - the wheels on the UPPAbaby VISTA will be key in traveling on a poorly-plowed sidewalk.
Ride aside, what truly sets the UPPAbaby VISTA apart from the rest when navigating through a city is how light and agile it is. My worst nightmare was being stuck when all of a sudden a route became inaccessible for wheels, especially since I would be walking by myself during the day. I've easily been able to lift, tilt and squeeze through narrow lanes with my UPPAbaby VISTA making it key to keeping my independence when alone with Benny.
And don't get me started in the basket - my word, the roomy basket under the UPPAbaby VISTA has been a total game-changer. I fit everything down there, and I mean everything - this is where our chihuahua Fritz will hitch a ride! On any given day, our basket will hold a full grocery shop, my large diaper bag, a spoiled dog and even my giant blogging camera. It's truly been a dream, and instrumental in making sure that I can get all of my errands done with a baby in-tow.
2. The Bassinet Is Dual Purpose
One of our fears when starting to choose and collect baby gear was that our tiny condo would become cluttered with all things baby. For this reason, choosing items that were multi-purpose was key. Thankfully our UPPAbaby VISTA has proven to be the ultimate in multi-purpose item - we actually use the stroller's Bassinet as Benny's bedtime bassinet in our bedroom! With the addition of a bassinet stand, we were able to easily convert the Bassinet from stroller to bedtime. The Bassinet itself is gorgeous, and with it's vented base and mattress for breathability and the fact that you can remove everything to wash in the machine, it's an easy choice for both stroller naps on-the-go and overnight sleep.
I just love the Bassinet on our UPPAbaby VISTA, and am already sad for the day when Benny outgrows it (once he reaches 20 pounds or can push up on his hands and feet.) It's been an amazing addition to our condo for its style and dual purpose.
3. It's Great For Small Vehicles
Are you sensing a theme here? Not only do Brian and I live in a small city space, but we also drive a small city vehicle - no mini vans or roomy SUVs here! For this reason, it was really important to me that our stroller be able to fold up compact to be able to fit into our small trunk. Not a problem for our UPPAbaby VISTA, which fits into our small car's trunk no problem. What's more is that because the frame is so compact and light, all 5'2 of me has no problems getting it in-and-out of the car on my own.
Another cool feature is how easily all of the UPPAbaby products work together. For example, we also use the UPPAbaby MESA infant car seat in our vehicle and it clips into the frame of our VISTA easily - without having to use a car seat adapter. I feel like a have a whole new stroller when I use this set up with the MESA car seat, a compact travel system that makes traveling with Benny so much easier. Truth be told, taking Benny in the car with me was one of by biggest anxieties and I credit how easy the UPPAbaby VISTA frame and MESA car seat are to being able to concur that fear.
4. It Grows With Your Family
On of the biggest reasons that Brian and I decided to go with the UPPAbaby VISTA was for how easily the stroller would grow with Benny. Currently we're using either the Bassinet or the UPPAbaby MESA infant car seat, but once Benny starts to grow over twenty pounds, we'll switch seamlessly to the Toddler Seat which can be positioned both front and rear facing as well as reclined. The fact that we know the UPPAbaby VISTA will be able to last our family through the entire stroller stage is amazing and is totally in-line with our 'buy once, use forever' philosophy.Another reason we ultimately landed on the UPPAbaby VISTA was for the fact that, should we decide to have another child, the stroller converts easily into a double - even three, if you attach a piggyback ride along board!
5. It's Gorgeous While Still Being Practical
Look, I'll be honest - aesthetics are important to me. If I like the way something looks, it makes me very excited to use it. The same applies to the UPPAbaby VISTA. I mean, look at it - it's gorgeous! I myself chose the BRYCE, a beautiful whitish-grey colour, but had a hard time landing on a colour because I loved so many of the choices. There's also so many different accessories to customize your VISTA, from cup holders, handlebar organizers, snack trays and so much more!
Aesthetics aside, we're dealing with a stroller for babies and kids here - and babies and kids are messy. Because we use our VISTA multiple times a day, and Benny sleeps overnight in the Bassinet, things get messy. Poo explosions, pee explosions.. all of the explosions, we've dealt with and appreciate how everything with the UPPAbaby VISTA can be taken apart and washed. Make sure to read the directions on the label.
If you're like us and find that you're agonizing over making the right choice for your baby's stroller, I cannot recommend the UPPAbaby VISTA enough. I'm so glad that we made the choice and I'm excited to see where our Vista takes us.
What do you guys think? How important was your stroller when becoming a new parent? Have you ever tried the UPPAbaby VISTA? Let me know!
xo Joëlle
Thank you so much UPPAbaby for partnering with me for this post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
