How to Ship a Stroller

You invested in a decent baby stroller, and the pushchair has served you and your baby really well. Now what? You can give it away to a friend or family member who needs it. Or you can connect with new parents on eBay and send it over to them. In this post, you’ll learn useful and practical tips on how to ship a stroller, everything from packing the stroller to finding the best service provider.

Stroller Shipping Can Be Pretty Expensive

For the most part, finding someone who needs a used baby stroller isn’t a problem. Nor is packing the stroller and actually shipping it to the other person. The problem is that shipping costs can sometimes be higher than what you expected. How would you like paying an extra $35 for shipping when you stated shipping costs as $30?

FedExing Strollers Is Almost Always the Best Option

If you’re wondering who offers the best deal as far as stroller shipping costs, FedEx Ground it is. At least, that’s the cheapest provider in most cases.

There’s UPS,  of course. But I researched around and learned that the difference in shipping costs between these two companies can be enormous. What you want to do right away is head over to Google and type in www.fedex.com.

But wait, do you know the dimensions of the package you’re about to ship and its weight? These are important details since the dimensions and stroller weight are what FedEx uses to calculate the shipping costs payable.

How to Pack a Stroller Correctly for Shipping/Mailing

Chances are that your baby stroller came in a foldable design. Pretty much all stroller designs these days are foldable. And some stroller models fold down to a really compact size. Others are foldable and lightweight options, but they may not fold down to a very convenient size.

Here’s how to mail a stroller:

Fold down the stroller to the smallest size the design allows. That shouldn’t be a problem for you since you’ve been using the pushchair for some time now and can fold it to a really compact size. Then, detach every removable part of the stroller including wheels, cup holders, snack trays, and everything else.

Use bubblewrap to wrap each of these detached parts or components. Next, bubblewrap the stroller. Make sure to use a decent amount of bubblewrap on the stroller to provide adequate padding and protection during transit. Get at least three layers of bubblewrap around the stroller and then secure the wraps with packaging tape. Finally, put everything into a box, measure the dimensions and weight, and provide the information to FedEx’s website for cost calculation. 

Below is what you need to do when preparing a stroller for shipping. Relax, mom, it’s easy. Any mom can do it, and without help.

Step #1: Build Your Own Box If Necessary

If you recently purchased a TV and still have the box lying around, try using that. And if what you want to send over is an umbrella-style baby stroller, you can easily use lamp boxes. You may need to use two lamp boxes in some cases

What if these suggestions aren’t an option for you?  Well, drive down to your local bike shop, stroller shop, or golf superstore. Ask if the store has some large enough box lying around. That’s what I did.

But if these stores don’t have anything you can use, that’s OK. You can always build your own box that’ll have enough room for the stroller and every detached part.

Build a solid, sturdy box with enough room space. Make sure to create at least 3″ of extra space on all sides of the box.

Step #2: Layer the Bottom of the Stroller Box With Packing Peanuts

Layer the bottom of the box with packing peanuts (also known as foam peanuts, packing noddles, or foam popcorn). You do this to prevent impacts from damaging the stroller while in transit.

Step #3: Put the Detached Parts into the Box and Pour In More Packing Peanuts

Now, place the parts you removed after folding the stroller into the box. There should be enough all around the stroller, which I assume you position at the center of the box.

Then, pour in more packing peanuts, enough to fill up every empty space. Get as many peanuts as would be enough to keep the stroller and everything else sitting nice and intact. The contents in the box should be moving all around during transportation.

Step #4: Close the Box, Weigh It, Measure Dimensions, and Ship It

The final step of the stroller shipping process is to close the box and use packaging tape to properly secure it. Then, label the package and deliver it to the post office for mailing or to FedEx or other provider for shipping.

I get it. Packing peanuts are manufactured using harmful chemicals. And these polystyrene peanuts aren’t easy to recycle. But it’s not like you’ll be shipping strollers every other week, right?

Final Thoughts on Mailing a Stroller

One problem you may grapple with is finding a box that provides enough room for the stroller and any detached parts. If you’re lucky, you can find a roomy box at the local bike store or stroller shop. But you can always build your own box, and you won’t need any luck doing it.

Make sure to leave about 3 inches of space on all sides of the box and full these spaces with impact-absorbing packing peanuts/foam peanuts. Finally, measure the dimensions and weight of the package and have FedEx or USP ship it to whoever needs the stroller.

Tell me how the process went for you in the comments section below.