Some Pros and Cons of Buying a Used Stroller

Some Pros and Cons of Buying a Used Stroller Having a child is expensive and often times, there is no getting around it. Everything, and I mean everything, costs money and whether you are a first-time parent or are having a third child, it wise to always make sure that whatever you buy is safe. This is especially true when it comes to strollers. One of the questions many parents ask with regards to stroller safety is:

For a stroller to be considered safe, does it need to be brand new?

My answer is always “certainly not.” With all the great second-hand stores popping up for children's clothes and necessities, buying safe, quality products is easier than ever before. After all, it is important for parents to sometimes remember that the most expensive option is not always the best option.

My Experience with Used Strollers

Quick story, my husband and I became parents this past year to our third child and the first thing we knew we needed immediately was a double jogging stroller. This wasn’t a big deal until we started looking at the prices for brand new double jogging strollers (for a detailed guide on how to choose the best double jogging stroller, click here), which were almost triple the cost of a regular double umbrella stroller if you wanted something that wasn't going to be recalled in the next year. After doing extensive research, we were pretty sure that even at half-off for a brand new stroller, the purchase was going to exceed what we wanted to pay. We knew that we wanted to find a double jogging stroller that wasn't going to break the bank, so we headed to a consignment store to try our luck. We were pleasantly surprised after flipping over the price tags of a few strollers when we saw the prices were mostly one-third of the original brand stroller price. What was even better was that the stroller we found at the consignment store was clean, well maintained and the store owner even offered us an extra 10% off the already amazing price. Some of my friends have not been too lucky with their stroller shopping experience in a consignment store, so we knew that while this time it worked for us, it doesn't always work out that way. As such, I'd like to go over one of my favorite things to do when I go shopping – the pro/con list. In particular, the pros and cons of buying a used stroller.

The Pros

As I have already stated, the first pro is the money you’ll be saving. This is especially true when you purchase things from stores that make sure they only consign used products that are gently handled and well maintained. The stroller we purchased had everything except the original box. You can usually buy a well-branded stroller that is used for less than the price of a brand new stroller that is made by a less well-known stroller brand. In other words, for the same amount of money (or less), you can move up at least one or two “quality” levels when you decide to go with a used stroller. This also usually means that you won't have to buy another stroller when the cheaper one gives out, which if you think about it, actually doubles your cost. On average, you can save 37% in cost when buying a used stroller. That means that you could possibly pay only $378 for a $600 stroller. That also means you would have extra money for diapers, or even better yet, a night out with the spouse.

The Cons

Although it is illegal to sell recalled products, it does happen. So make sure to be diligent in your research before you purchase a used stroller from a consignment store. Simply type in the name/model of the used stroller you intend to purchase (which is usually found on the stroller itself) into a search engine like Google. This “checking” will only take minutes and will ensure that the stroller you intend to purchase is safe. Another thing to note is that most warranties are void by the time you purchase the stroller and if there is still one active, they very rarely transfer over. As such, you want to make sure that the stroller has all essential parts in working condition. You can do this by looking the product up on the internet and checking the specifications of the stroller which are usually listed on the product page (I have found Amazon to be usually very helpful for this).

Closing Words

While buying used strollers is not for everyone, it can be a great experience as long as proper research is done and the consignment store / individual you are buying from is trustworthy. Making sure that you are buying a safe quality product will only take a few minutes and in the end, could save you quite a bit of money. I have personally purchased two used strollers in the past year, the first being the mentioned double jogging stroller, and the second being an umbrella stroller which I also use for traveling. Both of these used stroller still work perfectly till this day and I believe that with proper care, they can even be used for a few more years. Aside from strollers, here is a post of an extensive list of "baby essentials" as written by Sarah.

Who's the Writer

Evelyn is the main person behind Mommy Stroller, which focuses on helping parents figure out which stroller they should get. Evelyn and her husband, Paul, decided to blog about strollers after the overwhelming feeling they experienced when trying to pick out their first stroller. Both of them enjoy spending time with family and friend, live music, and going on jogs with their kids (in a stroller). You can also connect with the Mommy Stroller crew on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.