There are so many different baby stroller accessories out there, it’s hard to know which ones are actually worth buying, right?
I started out with dollar-store versions myself, and gradually upgraded after running into problems with durability and usability.
In this post, I’m giving an honest review of the items I’m still actually using today, including how they compare to the cheap dollar-store versions in Japan.
I’ve also included some seasonal recommendations at the end, so please read all the way through!
Worth Getting Right Since You’ll Use Them Every Day: 3 Stroller-Accessory Staples
S-Hooks
I think almost everyone who uses a stroller owns one of these.
I started with a dollar-store version, but it kept spinning around and was hard to hook things onto, and my bags would fall off whenever we hit a bump, so I started looking for something else.
While researching, I came across this hook. I hesitated over spending more when the dollar-store version was so cheap, but since it’s something I use every day, I decided to buy it anyway. Once I actually tried it, it was genuinely so much easier to use. It’s still technically an S-hook, but it doesn’t shift around when you hook something on, and nothing falls off.
Instead of hanging things right on the stroller handle, I shift the hooks to the side and hang drink bottles there so my kids can grab them whenever they want, or use them together with zip ties to strap a backpack or other bulky bag directly onto the stroller. That way, even on days when we have a lot of stuff, I don’t have to carry it all on my back.
Check out e.x.p.japon’s S-hook (a Japanese brand known for stylish stroller hooks)!
Carabiner Hook
I was using two S-hooks, but I started wanting somewhere to hang lighter items too, like hats.
I considered just buying two more S-hooks, but since I already love carabiners, I looked into whether there was one I could use for a stroller, and that’s how I found this one.
I use S-hooks for things I just want to hang casually — items with enough weight to stay hooked securely — and I use the carabiner for lighter things, or anything that would be a real problem if it fell.
Since it’s a carabiner, it’s a bit harder to unclip than an S-hook, but you get real peace of mind knowing nothing’s going to fall off. This particular kind has a big opening, so there’s plenty of room even if you’re hanging several things on it at once — I really recommend it.
Shoe Clip
I tried a couple of different dollar-store versions of this too, but they were just really hard to clip shoes into.
One time I dropped one on a crowded train on the way home, and it was a real headache. I really didn’t want to lose one again, and since we take shoes on and off so often, I did a lot of research to find something simple and reliable to keep them together.
Once I bought this one, it grips both shoes deep enough that I don’t worry about them falling off anymore. If you clip it somewhere that leaves it dangling, it can still fall off eventually, but since I started clipping it under the stroller (or in my case, right here), I haven’t dropped a shoe on the ground since.
I’ve been using this one for over 2 years now, and the grip hasn’t weakened at all. It’s not just for shoes, either — I also use it to hold a blanket in place during naps, or to stop bags from swinging around, so being able to use it in so many different ways is another reason I recommend it!
The Bottle Holder That Actually Works, After Replacing It So Many Times 【mont-bell】
This is my 4th bottle holder.
I first bought a cheap one at Nishimatsuya (a Japanese baby-goods chain), but it came loose right away.
Next I tried one that had been recommended to me, and I really liked how easy it was to use, but the connector kept breaking — from bumping it while loading the car, catching it on train ticket gates, or my kids tugging on it. I bought the same one again, but the same part broke again, so I went looking for something else.
Here were my 3 requirements for the next one:
- Won’t break if it gets bumped
- Doesn’t stick out too far
- Fits more than just plastic bottles — also drinks from places like Starbucks or Gong cha (a Taiwanese bubble tea chain)
In the end, I settled on a bottle holder from mont-bell (a Japanese outdoor brand that has stores in the US too).
The height is just right, and you can adjust the width to fit whatever you’re carrying. Plastic bottles do stick out a bit, but this elastic band holds them firmly in place.
It’s not the type that screws directly into the stroller frame, so it just rotates a bit if it gets bumped instead of breaking, and since it’s not plastic, it folds down nice and compact. It was originally designed for backpacks, so being able to move it over to a backpack and keep using it easily is another reason I recommend it.
By the way, this type of drink holder is sold by all kinds of outdoor brands, but after picking up and comparing a lot of them in person, I felt like this one was the best fit for a stroller.
By the way, a large-size Gong cha drink fits right in without even needing to adjust the sizing. Depending on the angle of your stroller handle, it can tilt to an angle where it’s a little easier to spill, so it’s safer not to fill it all the way, and to pay attention to where you position the straw! (I keep the upper of the two fasteners tight and the lower one a bit looser, so the bottle sits as close to vertical as possible.)
By Season: Handy Stroller Extras Worth Bringing Along
Summer Pick: AO Cooler
There are all kinds of cold-storage products out there, but if you’re outside all day, a regular ice pack sometimes just isn’t enough. AO Coolers let you put actual ice straight in, so I always keep a frozen water bottle inside. When it’s hot out, our family’s trick is to have the kids hold it and drink the melted water as it thaws.
Unlike a regular insulated bag, AO Coolers are soft-sided cooler boxes, and the cooling power is on a completely different level. Since it’s designed to hold actual ice, you can also rinse the inside out with water, which I personally love.
In early spring, a single frozen water bottle keeps things cold all day long, so chocolate and my kids’ drinks stay properly chilled too.
This is the smallest size in the AO lineup. It can be a tight fit in the basket underneath a stroller, but it really earns its keep on days when you’re out all day — Disney, Universal Studios Japan (USJ), a big park, you name it.
Check out the AO Soft Cooler Box (5.7L)!
Winter Pick: The North Face Cape
Winter outings tend to come with even more stuff to carry. I used to use a cheap cape I’d bought on sale at AEON (a major Japanese retail chain), but it apparently wasn’t warm at all, so I switched to this one around the time my younger son was born. Honestly, I wish I’d started using it back when my older son was little.
Being from an outdoor brand, it’s warm, lightweight, and folds down small. When I’m not using it, I fold it up compactly and clip it onto the carabiner hook, so it’s never in the way.
I often use it together with a baby carrier, and it covers all the way down to their feet even when they’ve fallen asleep.
There are plenty of similar products out there, but this one is still going strong now that my older son is 4 and my younger son is 2, so I think it’s more than paid for itself. You can also stick a heat pack on it to make it even warmer — highly recommend!
Check out The North Face cape on Amazon/Rakuten!
There’s one more nice thing about outdoor-brand products like this: you can resell them afterward on Mercari (also available in the US) or other secondhand marketplaces. There are plenty of listings, so buying secondhand is a solid option too, and when you factor in reselling it later, it often ends up cheaper overall than buying something cheap to begin with.
In Summary
It’s easy to think “cheap is fine” when it comes to stroller accessories, but after actually using them, I’ve learned firsthand that quality really does vary with price.
Since these are things you’ll use every single day, I hope you’ll choose something you can keep using and take care of for a long time!
Thanks so much for reading all the way to the end!
