When we started shopping for a stroller, I had a serious case of ergonomic lust over the Stokke Xplory stroller.  It’s beautiful and adjustable for both baby and Mom.  I would actually say that it’s the most adjustable stroller for baby comfort on the market.  All the possible adjustments can be intimidating, but luckily they kept it very simple and user friendly.

The seat position can change so that the child can face you or face forward in the more traditional stroller position.  The seat angle is also adjustable for resting or more active positioning.  But my favorite feature is that you can adjust the seat height.  The child sits higher and can better see you (facing you) or explore the world (facing forward) without only seeing people’s knees and dogs.  Best of all, you don’t have to bend down so much to put your child in and out of the seat.  You may have guessed by now that having to bend down with a load (in this case a baby) is one of my pet peeves, especially with a husband with a bad back.

The seat height adjustability is also a big plus when you go out anywhere.  You can leave your child in the seat and adjust the height to fit at a restaurant table, or lower it to your position on a park bench.  I just love this feature.

Since I’m always looking out for the well-being of parents and caregivers, I also love the adjustability of the stroller’s handle bar.  The height and angle options allow you to keep your elbows close to your body and keep the handle bar at elbow level. Such positioning helps you exert maximum force with the least effort while pushing the stroller.  The shape of the handle bar promotes a semi- prone hand position (palm down), which helps to neutralize the forearms and wrists when pushing the stroller.

The wheel design, — larger rear wheels and easy swivel front wheels — makes it really easy to push the stroller over various types of pavement.  And for those of you with long legs, the open base, with its lack of crossbar between the back wheels, leaves plenty of space to walk comfortably without hitting the stroller.

With the company located in Norway, they know about cold weather.  A nice winter accessory package is available to keep the baby warm and the person pushing the stroller, too.  I love the hand muff over the handle bar.  A summer accessory package will also keep your baby cool and the mosquitoes away.

Despite its high cost, I was so in love with this stroller until I realized what needed to be done to get the stroller in and out of the car.  It’s a  12 steps program!  First you remove the footrest, followed by the seat and then the bag which is sitting on the base.  Then with one hand you release the handle bar while pushing it down with the other.  Maintaining both hands on the handle bar, you push with one foot on a pedal to fold the base and the handle bar over.  Meanwhile all your separate stoller parts are spread out on the ground or in your trunk.  To store it more proficiently, everything can be stacked neatly over the base but when it’s time to take the stroller out, the stoller frame will be at the bottom. There goes your efficiency!  Yup!  That was a deal-killer for me.

I still think the Stokke Xplory stroller is a fabulous ergonomic stroller and will work if you can keep it in your garage and just wheel it in and out in your neighborhood with only the occasional car ride.

Our search for the perfect stroller continues.