Top Stroller Hacks that every parent should know

Here are some useful stroller hacks that lets you get more functionality out of your stroller. While stroller do come with lots of features, there are ties when you wish it offered more. These brilliant stroller hacks will do just that.

How will these Stroller Hacks help you?

• It will keep your hands free
• Frees up space, offers more storage space, keep things organized
• Keep things from falling, keep track of loose items
• Minimize tipping, get more grip on the track, and more

So lets go through the stroller hacks.

How to increase storage space on stroller?

Here are a few hacks that will help you increase the storage space on your stroller.

Attach a carabiner to get more (shopping)

A simple hack that lets you carry those extra bags if the main stroller storage basket is full.

Just attach a carabiner to the handle of the stroller to carry those extra shopping bags.

Use an IKEA bag for more stroller storage

Find the under-basket storage in your pram limiting? You can always attach a bag (reusable tote) to the handle-bar. I have seen some parents use an Ikea bag strung over the handlebars to create more storage space.

But when you do that, make sure you’re not putting too much stuff in the bag and making the stroller too back-heavy (it can topple). You may also refer to our earlier tip of adding ankle weights to the stroller to make it more stable.

You can also use an IKEA bag to carry your stroller (if its a compact one).

Find more ways to increase the storage space on your stroller.

Organize Better: Create Extra Cup and Bottle Holders

Make space for extra bottle (cup holder)

Don’t have soace to keep your favorite bottle? Make your own!

Bottles keep rolling all over if you put them in the under-stroller shopping basket. it’s a lot easier to get one made (a DIY version).

Just make one and attach it to the pram handlebars. Here are various ways to make your own spill-free cup holders.

Make the Stroller More Stable

Prevent tipping by wrapping weights around stroller legs

Worried that your stroller might tip over due to the bags hanging off the handlebars? Attach some Velcro ankle weights to the front legs of the stroller so that the stroller retains its balance.

While this is a good hack, please make sure that you avoid placing very heavy bags that could potentially disturb the balance of the stroller.

Prevent things from Falling

Bulldog clips to prevent wraps from blowing off

Most strollers have long and generous hood but there are times when you just want to put a muslin wrap over it to keep the sun out (or even the flies and insects). To prevent the wrap from falling off, you can easily secure it to the hood by using a few bulldog clips (or the humble clothes peg).

Make a leash for your child’s sippy cup

Kids love to sip water all the time from their favorite sippy cup, and it’s a good thing that they keep themselves hydrated. However, it’s annoying when you have to pick that sippy cup every now and then as it keeps falling from the stroller.

The best thing to do is to make a leash for the sippy cup so that it’s always there.

Use a Stretchable silicone strap (for Toys, Bottle, Pacifier)

A better option to keep all those bottles, pacifiers, toys from constantly falling on the ground is to use a Stretchable silicone strap.

Just attach to the belly bar and these are good to go.

Storing a Stroller Effectively

Hang your stroller on wall or door

Most strollers do not stand on its own (once folded for storage); you will need to lean it against the wall.

If you live in an apartment, you can hang your stroller on the door/wall using hooks, thus keeping the stroller out of the way and creating space for other things, such as your children’s toys.

Use a Bungee Cord for Better Storage

Instead of just shoving the stroller in the boot of the car and letting it move all around, secure it in place using a bungee cord. And if you’re using a bungee cord, you can even attach the stroller upright to the back seat by fastening the bungee cord around the headrest.

You can use a similar technique to store the stroller at home as well.

Hacks to Keep Stroller Clean

Use Shower Caps to Cover Muddy Wheels

Use shower caps to cover the muddy wheels of your stroller and park it inside. Just make sure the size of the shower caps is right so that the entire wheel is covered.

Source: Facebook

Related: Readymade stroller wheel covers

Hacks for Identification and Visibility

Use a stroller flag

Use a stroller flag to easily identify your stroller when you are visiting a crowded place, for those family trips out.

Use colored tape on stroller handles to identify your pram

Planning to go to the zoo or to a place like Disney? You may have to park your pram alongside many other push-chairs.

So make sure you have some identification mark on your stroller.

You can use a colored tape and wrap some on the handles to identify your pram. Tapes are also a good replacement in case your stroller grip is starting to come off.

Use Reflective Tape

A simple yet effective and affordable hack is to make use of reflective-tape (or stickers); just use reflective tape around your stroller and it should increase the visibility of your stroller in low light situations.

Stroller safety (LED) lights

A useful and fun accessory to keep your stroller lit up; these LED stroller lights help you and your little one stay safe at night. Kids will love seeing these cool stroller lights in action and these change colors as well.

More Stroller Hacks

Use a bike lock to secure your stroller

While being able to identify your stroller is good, what if the stroller itself gets stolen? Yes, it does happen more frequently than you think.

It’s also quite possible that your stroller might disappear if someone takes it by mistake, thinking it to be his/her own.

The best thing to do is to secure your stroller using a bike lock in case you’re parking your expensive pram somewhere.

Convert your stroller into a double umbrella stroller

Are you using two separate umbrella strollers for your two kids? You can connect them using stroller connectors and make it into a double stroller so that just one person can push those two strollers (as if it was one twin stroller).

Stroller connector used to connect two umbrella strollers

However, stroller connectors usually work best with two identical strollers as it makes steering much easier. You can read more ways to convert a single stroller into a double baby stroller.

Photographer uses stroller as photo assistant

Most parents sell of their stroller on Craigslist or eBay, or give it to a close friend (in need of a stroller) once their baby has grown up and no longer uses the stroller.

However, if your a photographer (or offer video services), may be you should think twice.

Here’s a photographer who uses the stroller to carry photography gear; he uses it as a small mobile studio. He uses the stroller to carry photography gear, rather then carrying it in his hands or on his back.

With the help of some velcro caps, he is even able to use the stroller as a light-stand support.

This is how Jim describes it:

“For the time being I am using velcro straps to connect the light stand to the stroller handle. The straps work pretty well but I do want to customize the stroller a little. My bag and tripod fit on the stroller, my softbox fits in the pocket on the back, and my box with remote releases, filters, etc., fits underneath so it work pretty well as it is,” says Jim Davenport.

So if you have a photographer at home and also have a stroller which you were planning to discard, may be this will stop you from doing so.

Jill Duggar shares stroller/car seat hack, but fans call it “dangerous”

American television personality Jill Duggar is no stranger to controversy. She often finds herself in the middle of a controversy for the manner in which she parents her kid, and this time she has done it again by sharing a stroller hack where she combines a car seat and umbrella stroller for a convenient way to transport kids in small spaces. The combination makes it more comfortable to sit (because of the use of the car seat) and its still compact (because of the umbrella stroller).

However, fans beg to differ and find the idea really dangerous.

 

Watch the video above to see her “unsafe hack.”

 

“This is not safe at all!!! Please, no one do this. This ‘hack’ is a head injury waiting to happen,” wrote one follower when Jill posted the video on Instagram.

“That umbrella stroller is not meant to hold an infant car seat plus the added weight of the child. He is old enough to sit in the stroller WITHOUT the seat. The stroller can easily tip over, the child could suffocate from body positioning, the weight and force put on the handle of the infant seat is not safety tested either. This is an accident waiting to happen. The ONLY safe place for that car seat is on the floor, clicked into the appropriate stroller or use in a vehicle. This is irresponsible and disturbing,” said another comment.

One fan was even more critical, because Jill mentioned that she learned the trick from her mom Michelle Duggar. “Michelle Duggar is NOT someone we want to be taking parenting advice from. Her litany of parenting hacks include: blanket training, assigning sister moms, turning a blind eye to her son molesting her daughters, using the ATI curriculum, not allowing her daughters to wear pants, denying her children the opportunity to go to university or college, and many many more.”

However, some fans supported her stroller/car seat hack.

While the safety concerns are legitimate, Jill says she uses it only for easy access to tight places “like church,” instead of bringing out the big one. In other photos, we’ve seen her using a full stroller and carrier held in her hands to transport the kids most of the time. Some people don’t want to have 3 different strollers. It’s not worth hating on them for stuff like this, it’s not like she does it all the time”.

Few other moms also stood up for Jill. “I used to do this when my kids were babies. The stroller was was very stable. I used to do this when we traveled,” said one fan. Another called it “clever” and planned to try the “genius” idea herself (let’s hope she changes her mind).

But is the stroller hack really unsafe?

As far as possible, its better to stick to the manufacturer’s instructions, especially if it involves children’s safety. Modifying the structural stability of a stroller can make it potentially unsafe for children.

Parents can consider convertible stroller options if they want a stroller that can transition from a stroller into a car seat and back, without requiring any attachments or additional parts. These strollers are a bit pricier than the Umbrella/lightweight strollers but it’s worth the extra money as it ensures your child is safe.

Related

• Use Zip Ties on Stroller Wheels for better grip
• Use Stroller as a Shopping Basket
• Kolpin Rhino Grips for Stroller