What is the right age to use stroller seat (without car seat or bassinet)?

Right age to use stroller without using an infant car seat (or a bassinet)! Find out the age and weight limitations for using a stroller, know the lower and upper age limits for using a stroller.

With an infant car seat and a bassinet, you can use the stroller right from when the baby is born. However, you cannot do that with a stroller, because the child needs to be more developed physically before the baby can sit in an upright position in a stroller.

• For a newborn (infant), you will need an stroller that can accept an infant car seat
• A baby should ideally be around 6 months before they can sit in a stroller
• For grown up kids, do check the stroller age limit of the stroller to check the maximum weight it can handle

Most strollers have a maximum weight limit, and in most cases, they also provide an indication of what the maximum age of the child should be. Do go through this detailed stroller buying guide to know more about strollers.

Here’s a table that shows the weight of the baby at various ages.

• A baby at birth weighs 6.7 – 8.1 pounds (boys), 6.5 – 7.8 pounds (girls)
• A baby at 6 month weighs 16.2 – 18.8 pounds (boys), 14.8 – 17.5 pounds (girls)
• A child at 5 years weighs 37.5 – 44.7 pounds (boys), 36.3 – 44.0 pounds (girls)

You may check the entire table at babycenter.com

When can a baby sit in a stroller?

This question is commonly asked by parents who have bought or plan to buy an umbrella stroller or a lightweight full-sized stroller.

A full-fledged travel system, although convenient and safe for a new born, can be be heavy and cumbersome for parents to manage. That is why there are many who prefer buying a lightweight stroller, but are not sure what is the right time to start using it with a baby.

Same goes for those who want to move from a car-seat frame stroller to a full-size stroller.

As per Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the best place for a baby (infant) to sleep is on a flat surface, be it in a crib, bassinet, play yard or a stroller. Babies should always be placed to sleep on their back and things like blankets, pillows, or other items should not be added to an infant’s sleeping environment.

Around six months is the right age

Babies can switch from the infant seat (or carriage mode) to being fully upright in the stroller seat when they are typically around five to seven months.

Well, in most babies, in takes about six months for the neck to develop so that it is able to properly support the head. So it is safe to say that you can use a stroller (in which the seat reclines but not fully) after your baby has completed six months (in case of jogging stroller, many say you should wait for at least a year).

In some cases, babies develop faster and are able to sit upright comfortably by the time they are 3-4 months old.

There are some parents who rely on their motherly instincts and start using the stroller from 3 months onwards (without the car-seat) if they feel the neck is well developed. You can always recline the seat back if you feel the baby is getting tired.

Moving a baby from the Stroller Bassinet to the Stroller Seat

Again, this would be a similar age – five to seven months, after which the baby can start using the stroller seat. While the bassinet are great for smaller babies, grown up babies require more room. If their legs and head are touching the ends of the bassinet, you should consider moving them into the stroller seat instead of using the bassinet.

Here’s what mentioned on Mayo Clinic Website for the question “what type of stroller is safe for a newborn?”

“If you plan to use a stroller for your newborn, make sure that the stroller reclines — since newborns can’t sit up or hold up their heads. Some strollers fully recline or can be used with a bassinet attachment or an infant-only car seat. Most umbrella strollers, however, don’t provide adequate head and back support for young babies. Also, most jogging strollers aren’t designed to recline. As a result, they aren’t appropriate for babies until about age 6 months.”

It also depends on what stroller you will use, but 5-6 months is old enough for any baby to lay in most strollers (without the infant carseat). Also, after few months, a stroller should be far more comfortable for the child than the carseat.

Some strollers come with head support, but you can also buy these separately as an accessory in case you wish to make your little one more comfortable while strapped in the stroller.

How old should be a child to ride in a Jogging Stroller

One common question that most parents who wish to start using a jogging stroller is “How old should a child be to to ride in a jogging stroller”?

The more common advice is that a child should be over six-to-nine months old before you start taking the child in a jogging stroller.

Even though a minimum weight is indicated on most jogging strollers (around 5 pounds on most jogging strollers), you should ideally wait for the child to have more developed back and neck, and that typically requires 6 to 9 months.

Here’s one example, which I across on a site called Cafemom.com that was titled “new mom secrets”.

And one of the user comment was:

At our four-month appointment, our pediatrician said to wait until my baby was 6 months old for me to start jogging with her, but all of my running friends said it was OK at 4. I tentatively did it once on a smooth bike path and it was fine. I have gone a few more times and they have all been fine. I don’t see what the big deal is. My baby has good neck strength. — Anonymous

To which the blogger replies, in part:

It’s great to be tough, but there is nothing “tough” or awesome about running with a baby who has no neck strength. If the manufacturers say 6 months, then wait for the sixth month. But especially if your pediatrician agrees. What are you trying to prove?

And then readers start sharing their own bit of advice. Here are a few.

… Do what you feel is right and don’t coddle babies like everyone seems to think is proper. Babies have been around a lot longer than any of us and are tougher than we give them credit for.

And this one:

… there are obvious reasons why they have the rule. but apparently putting your child’s life in possible danger is worth it to some people.

So you keep getting conflicting answers.

I guess, to be on the safe safer, you wait for one year before taking your child in the jogging stroller. For regular strolls, it may be ok to start earlier.

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Most manufacturers recommend that jogging strollers should ideally be used only for kids aged 6 months and above. But if you have a jogging stroller that allows fully reclining seats, then you can circumvent this limitation and still enjoy a light jog with an infant. But please check with your doctor if it is safe to start exercising weeks after delivery.

Most joggers have a weight limit of between 50 lbs or 75 lbs (upper age and weight limit for using a running stroller); which means these can safely be used by kids up to seven years.

The good thing about jogging strollers is that they come with excellent suspension systems, making it very comfortable for the little one to ride. Jogging strollers are sturdily built but you should still abide by the age limit prescribed by the manufacturer for the safety of your child.

If you want to use your jogging stroller while your little one is an infant, you will need an infant car seat (these are specifically designed to support an infant’s neck). On most jogging strollers (the travel system types), you can now easily attach a car seat .

So, a jogging stroller can be used for infants (with the right seating), and it can also be used with a grownup child. In fact kids (6+) are more likely to outgrow a jogging stroller more because of their height and less because of their weight.

Related: At what age to stop using the stroller?

How to Change from Pram to Pushchair (Stroller)

Most travel systems include everything you need to get out with your little one. It can become a pram for newborns, and also has a pushchair mode with a reversible seat unit. It also comes with an infant car seat to form a handy travel system.

When your baby is old enough to sit up confidently, you may want to switch your pram to a stroller. In general, strollers and buggies are well-suited for older babies.

Here’s how to alter a Pram into a Pushchair (Stroller).

 

Watch: How to Change from Pram to Pushchair