Wagons: The Superior Stroller
Today, I’m staring at my son’s wagon as I get some work done. Sometimes, we go to my office (the one not in my home) to get some stuff done before we grab lunch and head home for what we call “baby time.” He’s sitting in it today and it got me thinking about back, before he was born, when I wanted to order an overpriced baby pram.
The wagon in question is a folding Radio Flyer. It comes with a push bar so that it can function as a stroller in addition to its pull-handle which allows it to be, well, a wagon! We never attached the pull-bar, we didn’t have tools when it was assembled and it wasn’t our priority in assembly. It has little straps to fit not one, but two children!
*There are other wagons, I don’t know if Radio Flyer makes them, that can hold FOUR CHILDREN!!!!! Life changing. I actually wanted that one, but couldn’t justify it.
This thing is to die for. I use it almost every day. There’s a little canopy for when it was hot out, to keep the sun off of baby. It was purchased for a beach vacation and turned into an every-day thing. I prefer it over my Chicco stroller, if I’m being honest. I bring this wagon to the grocery store weekly. Sometimes, we walk there (as the seasons change, that will probably stop) so it’s extra-handy for that. Sometimes I just load it into the back of my Subaru Legacy—yes, a relatively small car fits a whole wagon AND groceries—and use it instead of a cart. I took it pumpkin picking to haul our pumpkin and baby up and down the hill at our favourite farm. I lug this thing around photoshoot locations because it has plenty of room for my baby, my equipment, and toys.
And, days like today, it’s a comfy spot for baby to hang out when I’m editing photos, posting listings, and typing to you all.
The pram dream isn’t dead. I actually love the classic idea of a pram. In fact, that same love for “old” and “classic” baby things is probably also why I was absolutely obsessed with buying a wagon. The fact is, a pram just isn’t practical for everyone! Mylo was born at the start of winter, I wouldn’t have been able to take him for walks in it until he was (giant) a few months old and the thaw came. It was way more convenient, in that same sense, to buy a travel system where I could slap his carseat into the stroller and get out of the frigid, winter air. The benefits of the simple, modern technology of the stroller outweighed the traditional appearance of a baby pram (RIP my Silver Cross Kensington Pram Dreams) but they didn’t outweigh my Radio Flyer!
Things I can do with a wagon that I can’t do with a Chicco Primo:
Change a diaper in that expanse of flat space
Go “off-roading”
Carry a pumpkin
Push AND pull the dead weight that is an almost-toddler
Use the expanse of space to hold a/as a tray for baby snacks during Starbucks dates
So much grocery space
Think of the amount of toys
Place a laptop playing the Bluey theme for ten minutes on repeat so Mylo and I can dance
There’s more, but those are what are coming to mind right now.
Anyways, there are tons of brands, some more affordable than others, some with different types of wheels, different cupholder locations, etc. I 100% recommend looking into a wagon as your baby gets bigger and your family expands, because they’re just so worth their weight in gold.
Until next time!
