What is the best stroller/wagon in the winter

I have to take my daughter to the bus and pick her up everyday, last year I was lucky and it was in front of my house, this year I am not so lucky and have a 10 minute walk to her stop twice a day.(I tried to change it but with no luck :( What is the best stroller/wagon for going out in the snow twice a day. I have 4 daycare children plus one of my own all of which are under 2. This will be my first winter having to go out everyday. I have read really good reviews about the runabout does it work well in the snow?

I have had three runabouts and yes they are awesome in the snow because of the huge tires. Roger at runabout usually has great sales. Here is the email address runabout@teleport.co m

I used a runabout for years in the snow. I highly recommend my 4 seater. They hold their value too, I just sold mine recently.

On the wagon side take a look at this website. Look for the largest one with the wider tires and the canopy. http://www.toywagons.com

Can you use a sled? I have a tandem double Duo Glider that pushes like a dream. The wheels are awesome.

I vote Runabout all the way!!

runabout vote from me as well

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Originally Posted by playfelt

On the wagon side take a look at this website. Look for the largest one with the wider tires and the canopy. http://www.toywagons.com

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I second this ~ love the versatility of the wagon cause it can hold up to 4 children easy and 5 in a pinch if you've got the muscles ... you would not look silly on the weekend pulling your one child and a picnic basket and toys to the park verses the quad strollers which basically pushing that when you do not 'need' all the seats is a PITA so you end up needing a whole bunch of strollers.

Plus if you have 'wee' ones who do not sit I have a peer who places the booster style seats with belts in the wagon and belts the child into the booster ~ awesome solution and there was still room for 3 other children and the diaper bag and so forth in the wagon!

I have photos of my 4 year old nephew pulling the other 4 daycare kids in it the first year I opened both dry and snowy seasons ~ so I agree while it is 'heavy' in weight itself it does pull easy ~ although like anything its a challenge to pull on 'ice' cause you can loose your footing but same goes for pushing a stroller.

The canopy they sell as an add on is awesome if you are having to go out in weather ~ it can come all the way down and cover the sides so that the wind / snow / rain is limited access to the children.

http://www.toywagons.com/wagonframe.html

For comparison of cost and versatility and resale value I would give the Lil Hauler 5 stars!

I love my wagon. Mine is now 15 years old and showing it's age for sure. Doesn't have all of the newer modification such as mine has lower sides and a chuck wagon style canopy which was cute but a bit of a hassle. We got it for my special needs child for outings to things like her brother's soccer games. We put a pillow in the end of it and it cushioned her and a rubbermaid bucket fits across the front end to hold stuff - plus on family outings that made a nice solid surface when we stopped for drinks or snack.

For daycare I have fit up to 6 in it putting three toddlers on each side. They have to sit legs crossed but that isn't that hard for them since they sit that way often anyways. I use the harness with the walkign rein to belt them in. The rein part is wound through the side bars till it is tight and the clips are available. I then put the harness on each child, put them into the wagon and buckle them to the rein on each side. This is really good for those that are young cause it also helps to support them in an upright position. If you have less kids you can put the infant carrier across the front too - mind you not sure about some of the newer monstrosities but this is a good use for an older infant bucket style seat that no longer meats car safety regulations.

As Reggio said the versatility of the wagon to be adjusted to the age group you have is wonderful and I so recommend the smitty's lil haulers. Even if you have an older group that can all walk the wagon is still great for hauling the basket or bucket of toys, extra jackets, snacks, water bottles, etc to the park.

Resale value is maybe not as good as for the runabout but then you aren't likely to sell it since it can hold such heavy loads you can use it to haul gardening supplies, or getting the garbage cans to the end of the road or whatever you need so it will serve a purpose in your retirement - not to mention last and be there for the grandkids.

I have a wagon and a trailer but it pulls my shoulder out of joint. I may have to use it now though since I have 4 little ones 2.5 years old and under, but I have my 20 & 21 month olds learning to walk on the backpack system beside the stroller which is much easier. And they get a lot more exercise and sleep longer!

One of the great thing about the Lil Haulers that you can get the handle in different length options so you are not 'bending and pulling' .... this works wonders to prevent strain on the shoulder and back and so forth while pulling it.

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Originally Posted by Inspired by Reggio

I have photos of my 4 year old nephew pulling the other 4 daycare kids in it the first year I opened both dry and snowy seasons

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Would you mind posting a picture? I'm having a hard time 'mental image' of how it fits them all? LOL Maybe I don't realize how big it really is???

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Originally Posted by Mamma_Mia

Would you mind posting a picture? I'm having a hard time 'mental image' of how it fits them all? LOL Maybe I don't realize how big it really is???

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The bed of the wagon is basically 2' x 4' so each child has 12 inches on their side to sit and curl up feet which if you mix the ages so baby across from toddler works well to give extra room and 3 kids get 16 inches each across - yes tight in winter with snowsuits but warm that way. I made a pad for the bottom to make it comfortable and had a small quilt I put over their legs once strapped in for warmth. Most learned to keep their hand under the covers too. Think about those large foam squares that are 2x2 and now put two together. Have your children sit on them and see how you like the arrangement.

Don't have any pictures here on my laptop. If you look on the website www.toywagons.com you will see that there are several sizes of wagons. Look for the 450 series. The handle allows you to stand upright and pull so you aren't leaning down to reach. I still bought a wrist support from shoppers drugmart - black and velcros on and alternated hands while walking.

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Originally Posted by playfelt

The bed of the wagon is basically 2' x 4' so each child has 12 inches on their side to sit and curl up feet which if you mix the ages so baby across from toddler works well to give extra room and 3 kids get 16 inches each across - yes tight in winter with snowsuits but warm that way. I made a pad for the bottom to make it comfortable and had a small quilt I put over their legs once strapped in for warmth. Most learned to keep their hand under the covers too. Think about those large foam squares that are 2x2 and now put two together. Have your children sit on them and see how you like the arrangement.

Don't have any pictures here on my laptop. If you look on the website www.toywagons.com you will see that there are several sizes of wagons. Look for the 450 series. The handle allows you to stand upright and pull so you aren't leaning down to reach. I still bought a wrist support from shoppers drugmart - black and velcros on and alternated hands while walking.

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Thanks!! I already have one of those wrist supports (thanks to my tendonitis) so it`s good to know that I should wear it for sure. I was seriously looking into a wagon instead of a quad stroller....it just makes more sence for me. Personally. I'll get so much more use out of it since I can't guarentee that my dckids will be in the age to fit into it, kwim?

Thanks for the info!

I cannot post the photos online unfortunately as one of the children in the image did not give permission for online sharing ~ but Playfelt has done a pretty good visual of how it works they basically have to sit cross legged I usually had the facing each other with the legs in the middle.

You also definitely need the 'larger 450 series' to fit the 4 kids comfortable ~ if you read the specs it will pull almost a 1000 pounds and definitely invest in the extended handle so you are not bending ;)

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Originally Posted by Inspired by Reggio

definitely invest in the extended handle so you are not bending ;)

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Not sure if I'll need it since I'm a "shorty" :)

I'm 5' 1/2"......yup not even 5'1" :laugh:

I checked out the Runabout website but I couldn't find anything about pricing. How much do they retail for (I am looking at getting a 4 or 5 seater) and do they ship to Canada ?

I believe you have to email them directly for prices and yes they ship to Canada. Roger, the owner, is great and usually gives us Canadians a break by putting the retail price lower on the customs forms so that we pay less duty. When they have a sale, the 4 seater is usually about $1500 CDN, sounds steep but the resale value is amazing. If you look at Canadian Daycare supply catalogues, the 4 seaters sell for about $2000 CDN so you save quite a bit by ordering direct. I also sent you a PM about their referral program after you originally posted.