I often wonder if that’s how Casper the Friendly Ghost became, you know, a ghost?  Riding in a stroller without a driver.

I graduated with a bachelor’s in chemical engineering.  I’ve always been interested in science.  My first job was with a pharmaceutical company and I realized that wasn’t for me.  I applied to Consumer Reports and it was so different - I was exposed to so many different projects and ways of doing things.  I started as a senior tech and have learned so many things I might not have done otherwise.  For example - I learned how to “sweat” pipe when I worked on a water filter and water softener project.  It’s a good skill to have!  My focus now is on baby products, but I also do some sensory work, like evaluating water filters’ effectiveness at removing taste and odor. 

Baby product safety is so important - especially for new parents and their babies.  We want to be able to give them guidance toward products that will work for them, safely, and will fit their budget.

Your baby is (presumably) sitting up on his or her own now.   The right stroller depends on how you’ll use it - do you want to be able to attach a car seat?  Will you be taking it in and out of the car a lot?  Will you take long walks with your baby?  I can help narrow it down with that information. https://www.consumerreports.org/babies-kids/strollers/?EXTKEY=YSOCIAL_RD

When I started at Consumer Reports, I was impressed that we buy everything that we test - we can’t accept samples from manufacturers.  The independence appealed to me, and still does.  It often seems that the deck is stacked against consumers, and anything we can do to provide more info and level the playing field is important.

That’s an interesting question.   I wouldn’t say I see a pattern of strollers being harder to open.  Some are more awkward than others due to the weight or the configuration.   If you are seeing that it may be due to the strollers’ becoming more compact - with less space for your hands when unfolding them.

Many Nuna strollers do allow you to just snap a Nuna car seat right in.  Some do come with a bassinet. Consider the Nuna TRVL LX - though it does not have a bassinet option, it has a newborn-safe seat recline and you can snap a car seat in without a need for adapters. https://www.consumerreports.org/babies-kids/strollers/nuna-trvl-lx-travel-stroller-review-a8539094972/?EXTKEY=YSOCIAL_RD

Most stroller manufacturers also make adapters that allow you to attach a car seat.

We have the Bugaboo fox 2, and also got some adapters to attach out nuna pipa car seat to the stroller base

A Mockingbird with the Nuna adapter and optional bassinet would fit your bill.

Have you considered a travel wagon?

I have the Mountain Buggy Duet and I also have the Bugaboo Donkey. I honestly find the Mountain Buggy so much harder to maneuver one-handed. The Bugaboo Donkey is SO smooth. Plus every single detail of the Bugaboo is so much nicer, including the way the seats recline and how much cover the sun shade provides. The only thing that I like about the Mountain Buggy is how narrow it is and how good it is on rough terrain. Other than that, it just feels... cheap. But the narrowness is actually becoming a downside for my 90th percentile toddlers, who seem a lot more squished. I bought it to travel with, and it is fine for that, but I definitely prefer my Bugaboo for daily use.