Some valuable tips on buying your baby's stroller.

Getting Started
Cut through the jargon. Strollers come with their own language. A "carriage" is just another name for a stroller, but often refers to one where baby faces you. A "pram" describes the old-fashioned carriages (big wheels, fancy canopy) that keep an infant lying down -- they're bassinets on wheels and are meant for newborns.

You can spend as much or as little as you want. Set a budget before you begin -- that's an easy way to narrow down stroller choices. Are you going to splurge on something deluxe in the $300 range? Go for one of the popular styles between $100 and $200? Or seek a real bargain? There are also strollers upwards of $600, but we assume those are for royalty, celebrities, and the wealthy people who imitate them.

Start with a stroller that fits a newborn. This means one where baby can ride lying down flat or almost flat. We love old-fashioned prams, but because they're expensive, heavy, and only safe until the three-month mark, we don't recommend them.

Important Questions
Is the handlebar high enough? Take a few strollers for a test push. The most annoying thing when you're out for a walk is pushing a stroller with handles so low that you have to stoop, or so short that you kick the back of the stroller. Look for handles that fit your height and your gait.

Where will you put the diaper bag and groceries? You'll seldom be out just strolling. You'll be running errands or visiting friends with an afternoon's worth of supplies. A basket under the seat is important, and it's lacking on some European strollers.

Can you fold it easily? There may be some families that never fold their strollers. But most parents need to fold them to get them into the car, if not into the house. If you have to wrestle the stroller to the floor, that's not an easy fold.

Can it carry a car seat? Travel systems became so popular that now many strollers accommodate car seats, even from different manufacturers. This is nice, because it's great to take a sleeping infant out of the car and snap her right into the stroller. If you know you want a car seat from a certain manufacturer, it's worth looking at their travel systems.