A green stroller?  Does such a product really exist?  There are certainly strollers that are eco-friendlier than others, but it’s pretty tricky to find a bamboo buggy for your new baby.  From our collective experience, the best way to go green is to select a multifunctional stroller that you’ll love through your years of talking your children for walks.

Regretfully I have to confess that we fell into the trap of having too many strollers.  Our tiny garage is loaded up with four separate contraptions for wheeling our babe along the sidewalk. We will try to save you from the same fate!

infant car seat carrierIf you want one for an infant:

What should you do with a newborn?  Honestly, newborns tuck into a sling or an Ergo carrier so nicely that we almost never used our strollers.  If you do want one, however, you might want to look into an infant car seat carrier. Simply snap your car seat into the frame and you’ll essentially have a travel system without all the chunky plastic.  You can choose from Kolcraft, Maclaren, Graco and many others.

If you want an extremely compact stroller:

We love Maclaren strollers for their design, function, and lack of plastic.  Some of their larger strollers (such as the Maclaren Quest) work from birth onward, but the Maclaren Triumph works after ten weeks and the Volo works for children older than six months. The whole line of strollers are light and collapse compactly for bus travel or to throw into the trunk of your car.  If you’re looking for a less expensive option, check out Chiccos strollers or Kolcraft strollers.

If you’re a runner:

While they are a bit big, Bob strollers are wonderful for running with baby.  They adapt to fit infant car seats and also come in double strollers.  They have ample storage and a nice cover to protect baby from the sun.

honey-bee-bike-trailer-2009If you want to bike with baby:

One of our favorite multifunctional choices is the Burley Bike Trailer.  While somewhat clunky, it works as a bike trailer, a running stroller, and a double stroller.  Baby won’t be able to ride in it until she’s a year old, but it can be used for years on family bike commutes.  If the price seems a little steep, you could opt for the similar In-Step bike stroller for much less.

You’ll find even more detail about eco-friendly, budget-friendly baby-toting devices in our new book, The Eco-nomical Baby Guide: Down-to-Earth Ways for Parents to Save Money and the Planet.  You’ll also get options for making your own sling and tips on saving money by purchasing a gently used stroller.

What is your favorite baby-toting device?  It may not even be a stroller! Do you own a stroller that you wish you had never purchased?