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Moving To Maplewood
Citizen
Username: Movin2mplwood
Post Number: 6
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 9:54 am: | 
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Looking for an umbrella stroller that will be lightweight, sturdy and durable for daily walks and comfortable for the kid. Oh, yeah, but doesn't break the bank? Maclaren's seem popular but $300 for an umbrella stroller? And I know #2 kid will arive in just over a year so don't want to break the bank as I'll be buying the double one then.
Help! |
algebra2
Supporter
Username: Algebra2
Post Number: 4075
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 10:01 am: |
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Hmmm, I bought a $19.99 one at Wal-Mart -- I'd never spend $300 for an umbrella stroller.
For daily walks look for a jogging stroller and buy a cheap umbrella to throw in the car. I bought a used jogging stroller on MOL. |
Former Cowgirl
Citizen
Username: Formercowgirl
Post Number: 79
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 11:01 am: |
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Typical umbrella strollers (we got ours for $9.99 with $50 purchase at Toys R Us 3 years ago), are super super basic. No cover, no basket. Ours came with a little netting on the back you can put a snack or a diaper in. It worked well for us at places like the zoo or a quick trip to the mall. And it's super tiny and compact.
However, our toddler to this day (at almost 3 1/2) is still a big stroller napper and the typical umbrella stroller does not allow any recline and so does not really work for us beyond what I've described.
About 3 months ago (after running our Grace Metrolite into the ground) we bought the Graco Mosaic™ LX Stroller 6062QST. Here's a link:
http://www.gracobaby.com/products/subcategory.asp?N=44+10417+57&act=A20
I think it was $129 when we bought it. Overall, it's fine and works for our purposes: it reclines, it has a small basket, it's compact and fairly easy to fold, lightweight, etc. The two complaints I have is that my son is about an inch away from being too big for this stroller and that maneuverability isn't super smooth. The wheels are small, but that is what to expect from compact strollers. I do believe it works with the Graco Snug Ride infant seat so you could also use it with an infant if another one is coming soon and you have the Snug Ride.
FYI. We have one on the way in the fall and we are buying a new stroller for this one: the Peg Perego Pliko which is expensive but glides so nicely. |
Boomie
Citizen
Username: Boomie
Post Number: 320
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 3:09 pm: |
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Maclaren is worth every penny. |
NFK
Citizen
Username: Nfk
Post Number: 92
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 4:52 pm: |
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anyone have a Chicco? Heard they are great for their price but haven't tried them. |
kmk
Supporter
Username: Kmk
Post Number: 1247
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 5:10 pm: |
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Check out all the gently used McClarens at Milk Money.
When I was in NYC they were the only way to go because of the one-handed operation while jumping on the bus with a little one in your arms.
We have had 3 McClarens and loved everyone of them. They were my only stroller however - not a back up.
When we traveled overseas we took the cheap $10.00 version with us each time. They were lightweight but really useless. Rather than hassle with them, we left them in each foreign airport before we boarded the plane home!
BTW: While in the city we always got a kick out of sighting someone pushing a "mall stroller" with pure white unsullied wheels.
My strollers all looked like a mud caked Jeep in comparison!
It all depends on how much you plan to use the umbrella stroller. |
joy
Citizen
Username: Joy
Post Number: 452
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 7:36 pm: |
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Love Chicco - child used it for about 2 years - and we now only use it in airports. |
wnb
Citizen
Username: Wnb
Post Number: 367
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 11:10 pm: |
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I have had great performance with a $19.99 jobbie. Some of them are better than others and you have to keep an eye out for the better quality ones. The one I have has a little sun shade as well as mesh bag in the back, and has a very easy one hand/foot operation to open and close. I have put a ton of miles on this thing and it's still going strong. I used it commuting on NJT and the ferry, in airports, around the neighborhood, etc etc... everywhere.
We have another umbrella stroller which is a piece of crap, it was about the same price. So you do have to watch. I think the good one was bought at Babies-Backward-R-Us.
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Bklyngirl
Citizen
Username: Bklyngirl
Post Number: 44
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 8:29 am: |
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I have a chicco as well and it's the best. Consumer Reports rated it No. 1 and they were right. I bought mine from Target for $50.
The McClarens are nice looking and the rest of it, but they're not rated well for safety and price.
bklyngirl |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 3089
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 9:06 am: |
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Had a Chicco (bought 5 years ago) and loved it. I would say it is better for smaller children.
McClarens may be great but they are unusable for short people. The handles were WAY to high for me. I also hate umbrella handles for heavy use, too hard to push with one hand.
Now that my kids are a bit older the $20 kind work great. Just brought 2 to Disney and back.
It is amazing how much time, effort and expense I put into making stroller decisions when they only get used for a few years!
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anotherkittie
Citizen
Username: Anotherkittie
Post Number: 23
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 9:58 am: |
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The Mac Triumph was not $300 at all. I got it at Babies R Us on 22 and it was probably about $120 and is very worth it. |
Ponsonby
Citizen
Username: Elizabeth_s
Post Number: 63
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 10:16 am: |
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I bought new Maclarens (single orignally, then double) on ebay. I would buy last year's model for a good $100 less than the newer model, but still get a factory new product. And I LOVE maclaren, tho not sure I really needed the double at that price. But it fits through a doorway... |
Handygirl
Citizen
Username: Handygirl
Post Number: 705
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 11:23 am: |
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Maclarens are awesome. I am 5 foot 2 and have no problem with the height of the handles. My husband is over 6 foot and also has no proble with the height. On the other hand, the cheapo umbrella strollers are all too low for him.
Our Maclaren does not recline. We bought it a couple of years ago for $100. (I wish that I would have bought one that reclines). It is easy to push one-handed and the wheels swivel around and are easy to turn. As a previous poster said - worth every penny. |
MeAndTheBoys
Citizen
Username: Meandtheboys
Post Number: 3747
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 11:35 am: |
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Just so happens, some of us don't have the 30,000 pennies to spend on a stroller.
FWIW, it can't really hurt to spend a couple extra pennies on a decent single stroller. I have three kids, and over the years have had 4 or 5 strollers. Right now I have a Baby Trend double jogger and single jogger, and a Graco Metrolite (which I like quite a bit). Spent under $200 for the biggest most expensive one. I still use all of them. Sometimes I take 2 kids, sometime I take one, and the Metrolight is great to put in the car and use to contain the baby while at the mall or the zoo or any such place where I want to only have to chase two kids (although the older one's don't require too much chasing nowadays)!
Not sure what your "daily walks" entail, but I can tell you that my jogging strollers are so much easier to push around town with all the uneven sidewalks. Where the stroller with the little wheels gets hung-up on the slightest little glitch, the joggers just roll right over. The Baby Trend single jogger at Babies R Us is only a little over $100, and every year they just keep getting better and better feature-wise.
Or, if you happen to have a spare 72,900 pennies you could grab one of these, as they seem to be all the rage: http://www.babyuniverse.com/man/baby/455/customman/yes/manuprod/Frog%20Stroller% 20with%20Maintenance%20Kit/manucat/0/manusec/0/custom/no/cusmanid/257/BugabooFro gStrollerwithMaintenanceKit.html
Go figure. |
Ponsonby
Citizen
Username: Elizabeth_s
Post Number: 64
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 11:58 am: |
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My single Maclaren I bought almost 4 years ago when the combi that I bought for the same price broke after 7 months of use. It's not pretty anymore, but works GREAT still.
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Madhu
Citizen
Username: Mpai
Post Number: 16
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 12:11 pm: |
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I have to go with the folks that reco the Maclaren. We moved from Brooklyn so having a lightweight stroller to haul up/down brownstone stoop for a year was a must. I have a Quest, which is the mid-price one, and I love it. It's only about 11.5lbs, easy open/close, and a 3-position recline which is great for napping [and good for putting a younger child in, my daughter was 5mos when we got the stroller]. It's very easy to maneuver and comfortable [the sidewalks in Brooklyn were VERY bumpy!].
I found great prices [and no shipping fee] at albeebaby.com. They sell 'last year's model' [which is really this year's model since '07s come out any day now] on discount. I think I paid just over $100 for a new one last year.
Good luck on your search.
Madhu |
NFK
Citizen
Username: Nfk
Post Number: 93
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 2:13 pm: |
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would anyone recommend a stroller with that front tray where they can put cherrios and water bottle for the kid or skip the food bar thing? does it matter? |
anotherkittie
Citizen
Username: Anotherkittie
Post Number: 24
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 3:06 pm: |
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My son loves to have a snack on his walks. That said, when he's in his umbrella stroller (Maclaren) he doesn't have a snack tray and survives.
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red
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 5494
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 3:19 pm: |
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Love the Chicco stroller. It has the handy strap so you can carry it over your shoulder when you aren't using it.
NFK--When my kids were younger I had the Graco stroller with the snack tray for my kid, and one for myself. LOVED it.
Check out the used stores for strollers. |
Bklyngirl
Citizen
Username: Bklyngirl
Post Number: 52
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 3:57 pm: |
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I agree with you red. I love both my Chicco and Graco strollers.
I, for one, like to use different strollers for different things. For example, I'll use the Chicco for flying, on the subway, and basically anywhere else that requires me to have to carry the stroller and my daughter.
The Graco, on the other hand, I use for walks around town and the mall. It's so bulky and heavy that I only use in situations where my daughter will be in it for long periods of time, because it's more comfortable for her and I can place her snacks and mine in it as we stroll. Not to mention it's great for storing shopping bags.
bklyngirl |
Klp2003
Citizen
Username: Klp2003
Post Number: 14
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 11:36 pm: |
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This is a great alternative to an umbrella stroller. Bought it for my 12 month old due to issues with my back...which made the Peg that I used for my now 5 year old, too heavy. Easy to put together, light, and easy to maneuver on the streets/sidewalks/parks.
http://www.onestepahead.com/product/86216/325755/117.html#readmore |
mrmaplewood
Citizen
Username: Mrmaplewood
Post Number: 345
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, May 19, 2006 - 12:37 pm: |
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An important consideration for me: The larger the wheels the better it rolls over obstacles such as heaved sidewalks, stones, and other debris. |
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