Hellobee Boards

@andrea86: You can get refurbished strollers at their factory in Hingham, MA for ridiculously cheap!!! And customer service is amazing, so you don't have to worry about something going wrong with a refurbished stroller. So if you are local (or are making a trip to the northeast any time) definitely check out the factory. You can usually call and see what colors of what strollers they have available at the time.

We got a friends and family discount on ours (Wagons Sr. and Jr. were featured in their catalog!) but several of our friends have gotten their Vistas this way and are 100% happy!

For us the bassinet was a lifesaver. We had a snap n go but DD hated being in the carseat. We bought our vista used off Craigslist and it's worked out great.

We have the Vista and DH and I love it for the bassinet and backwards facing but baby A HATES it! She would always end up screaming at some point and we'd have to carry her. We gave up and bought an Ergo.... So it was a waste of money for us, but I'm hoping she'll be better in the seat...

The Cruz is at the top of our list right now. I've found that there aren't many reviews on it because it's relatively new (I think it's been out for less than a year). I haven't practiced folding them up or lifting them yet, but I did drive both of them around at Buy Buy Baby and I preferred the Cruz because the Vista seemed very wide to me. The Cruz is more narrow and seems like it would be easier to navigate through crowded/narrow spaces. But the Vista is wider because it can accommodate a rumble seat, so if the rumble seat is important to you then you should go with the Vista (the ride along board can attach to either). I think the bassinet is cute, but I have heard of a lot of babies not liking it, and I think they outgrow it by 3-4 months, so it's not worth it to me to pay so much more just for that. (I also live in the suburbs, so the bassinet isn't very practical.) I also like the look of the Cruz better than the Vista. I definitely recommend going to a store and test-driving both!

Just thought I'd chime in with a few things:

We have the rumble seat and piggyback (ride along) board and we usually attach both because Wagon Jr. likes to choose whether he wants to sit or stand. They both work great and you can easily have 3 kids on one stroller this way. BUT if you do have all 3 kids on the stroller your storage space is minimal-- the kid in the rumble seat has their feet in the basket underneath, and the kid riding the board has their head sticking up where a bag would normally hang over the handle, so there's only space for one bag in the front of the basket. But obviously if you're accommodating 3 kids in one stroller that's to be expected! Oh, and it also gets heavy with 3 kids on one frame of course

Like others, the Cruz didn't exist when we got the Vista so I'm not exactly sure of the differences. I've seen a Cruz out about about and they look really nice but definitely smaller than the Vista. I know the Vista's wheels are no-inflate wheels (they are solid) so you don't have to worry about re-inflating the tires and they're better on most terrains.

As for the bassinet, we didn't use it much but it makes for a great place for a newborn to sleep in your room!! They have a bassinet stand that's pricey, but you can use a cheaper one or just place the bassinet on the floor. We actually had a pack n play set up and put the uppa bassinet inside the pack n play bassinet because she liked the coziness of the uppa bassinet, and we didn't want to put it on the floor. You could easily place it on a table or bench though.

Bumping this since I am now confronting the question of Cruz v. Vista and thought there may be more Cruz mammas by now.

@Foodnerd81: I have heard that some babies don't like the bassinet! Does your LO sleep in it at night? You are in Boston, right? I am sure you will like the bigger wheels when winter comes. We are in NYC. Only reason I am worried about the Vista is navigating through stores. Do you find this to be a problem?

@Foodnerd81: I'll be taking the subway occassionally but we mostly stay in the neighborhood. The issue is navigating the subway stairs--DH thinks that the Vista is better for that b/c of the bigger wheels but who knows.

@lawbee11: @raintreebee: good point about it being wider for the rumble seat. My friend in NYC actually got rid of her ubv bc she doesn't want either kid so low to the city sidewalks and such. I'd use it in Boston but I can see her point with stuff flying up from subwY grates or whatever.

We have the Vista and I LOVE it! I actually prefer the weight and big wheels of it. Anytime I test a lighter stroller, I just feel like they are more flimsy? I love the big basket and get admirers for it all the time. We didn't use the bassinet all that much for strolling, but we did use it every night for sleeping for the first 7 weeks! I didn't buy a different bassinet. I chose the Vista for the options of adding a rumble seat and piggback board too (which I'm sure your twins would get some use out of).

@hilsy85: @shopaholic: Thanks ladies!

@hilsy85: You are in Brooklyn Heights too, right? I am glad to hear that our neighborhood is manageable with the Vista. I was worried about the grocery stores (Key Foods when I forget to do Fresh Direct) in particular.

As far as the subway goes, I think neither the Cruz nor the Vista is a viable option since I mainly use a station without an elevator. But I didn't realize that babies can go in some umbrella strollers at 3 months. So I think we've decided to go for the Vista and an umbrella. Thanks for your help!

@hilsy85: Awesome tip, thanks! And I didn't think garden of eden would have been manageable. Glad to know otherwise!

I'm debating this now too! Also for NYC, so stroller will be our main transportation method. I see tons of Vistas in my neighborhood, and we might want a rumble seat in a couple years, but the narrowness of the Cruz definitely appeals to me, PLUS they sell a Cruz bassinet separately now! I do think we want the bassinet, because we'll use it inside our apt too rather than getting something else for baby to sleep in in our tiny bedroom for the first couple months...but ugh, I don't know!

Hey guys. Just an update. We decided to go for the Cruz (20% off at Giggle) since we plan on getting a huge jogging stroller down the line. Figured we don't need two big strollers. Also, I ordered an open box bassinet for it at PishPoshBaby during their 20% off sale so that only came out to $120. So in total, stroller plus bassinet were less than $500!

@LindsayInNY: Cruz!!!!!!!!!!!!

@LindsayInNY: I have no experience with the Cruz but have been using our Vista for two years now. We still love it, it is a beast in winter, and copes well with snowy streets. Depending on where you live and how often you plan to walk, that could be a consideration. That said, I hate the rumble seat. DD loves it, but it doesn't recline which makes it terrible at nap time. We will probably get a different stroller for #2.

@LindsayInNY: hmmm... Considering sales and the changes to the new vista, you could get the Cruz for cheap now (I think Albee baby has a good sale) then down the line when you have a second, decide what you want to do about a double. The new vista seems like a much better real double if they are close in age.

But I do love my bigger wheels on the vista in the snow here. I wouldn't want to fold it and carry up and down subways stairs though.

I think about strollers too much.

@Foodnerd81: we just got our Cruz on sale from that site. They threw in free bumper bar, shipping, and no additional tax either.

@raintreebee: could you elaborate on the wheels & sidewalks issue? we originally purchased the bugaboo bee3 that had the "improved steering" and were appalled at how hard it was to drive it on the sidewalk! (was a dream on carpet though... lol). We had to basically stop and lift the wheels over any cracks or bumps in the sidewalk.. I have a MB nano that was able to handle the sidewalk better!!! We found we could only push it over bumps if we locked the front wheels but then it made it very hard to maneuver. Do you have to do this also with the cruz? We are interested in getting the cruz but now i'm worried that it might have the same issues pushing/steering that the bugaboo bee3 had!