Strollers

From the coche sombrilla to the jogger:

what separates one stroller from the next is how flat the seat lies and how small the frame folds. The coche sombrilla is the light one with hooked handles that collapses into a long bundle, and its backrest only partly reclines, so it suits a child who already sits up unaided. Compact travel strollers fold in one movement to the size of a carry-on bag, and many recline far enough for a newborn. Full-size strollers add a roomier seat that often turns to face you, a deep basket and sometimes a bassinet, and many take an infant seat from the car seats with an adapter. Joggers ride on big air tyres, with a front wheel that locks straight for running and a hand brake on the bar.

Which stroller takes a newborn, and which takes two:

in the first months a baby has to lie flat, in a bassinet or a seat that reclines all the way, with a harness over the shoulders. A side-by-side double keeps both children level but sticks in plenty of doorways; a tandem goes anywhere a single does and leaves the rear passenger staring at a seat back. Hard plastic wheels are cheap and rattle, foam-filled ones never go flat, and air tyres ride best and are the only kind that puncture. Makers set an age before a baby rides a jogger at running pace, so read the manual first. For short outings, a baby carrier can do part of the job.

Compact strollers that fly out of Juan Santamaría:

for families visiting relatives abroad, the fold is the whole point. The smallest compacts pack into a bag some airlines allow in the cabin; bigger ones are handed over at the aircraft door, and bent axles and a fold lock that no longer clicks are common after a few trips that way. Cabin rules differ between airlines, so check before flying.

The cheap sombrilla and the stroller worth buying used:

an umbrella stroller costs around ₡30,000 new, while a compact or full-size stroller that takes a newborn runs from about ₡170,000 to ₡250,000. A used sombrilla with worn wheels and a loose hinge is up against a new one that costs little more, so it sells best as a spare for the grandparents’ house. The pricier stroller is where buying used pays: its frame and fabric outlast one child easily, and the price rests on whether the fold still works cleanly and whether the rain cover, bassinet and car-seat adapters come with it.

A stroller that spent the rains folded in a carport:

shows it in the canopy first, especially in a damp town like Coronado. Open the hood fully and look along the seams for small black or grey spots, then smell the seat padding: mildew in the foam does not wash out. Check the rivets, axle ends and brake pedal for rust, and set the brake on a slope. Fold and unfold it yourself. Both locks should click on their own, and a frame that needs a shove to close has a bent tube or a worn hinge. Push it straight and listen for squealing bearings or a shimmying front wheel. Popular ultra-compact models are closely copied, so find the maker’s label on the frame with the model name and manufacture date, which also lets you look up any recall. A rain cover gone stiff or yellow will split in the first downpour.

Filming the fold before you list a stroller:

a short video of it closing and opening answers what someone wants to know before driving out to Escazú or Atenas. Photograph it open and folded beside a car boot for scale, plus the label. List each extra separately, since the bassinet, adapters and travel bag change what it is worth, and say whether it has flown, where it was stored and when the fabric was last washed. A parent with a flight already booked will want to collapse it one-handed and see it slide into its travel bag before handing over any money.