Umbrella Stroller Advice

Hi R.!!

I recommend Maclaren strollers. I discovered them when my 4 yo just turned 3, but I'm pregnant (due in April) and bought the Maclaren Techno XLR for my newborn and have a Volo for my 4 year old. I got the Techno XLR because it accommodates an infant car seat, and a child up to 65 pounds. I'm sure your son would be comfy in it for a long time. Most of them accommodate children up to 55 pounds.
They are a bit pricey (between $100 up to $300), but well worth the cost.

Good Luck!!

L.

1 mom found this helpful

I still use the Jeep umbrella stroller. It was about $45 at Walmart when I purchased it 1 1/2 years ago (our budget is tight with 3 kids so we opted for the mid-level priced umbrella stroller). I've been everywhere with the stroller and have even used it in place of a jogger. The wheels are durable enough to maneuver walking trails. The stroller has a shade and a bottom basket for extra storage. It may not be as fancy and ultra light weight as a Maclaren (never had one) but it serves it's purpose. My older son (about 45 pounds) also uses the stroller when he gets tired of walking.

We love our Maclaren Volo. It's lightweight, yet sturdy. It will accomodate a child up to 55 pounds!

i have the McClaren Volo..i wish i had gotten a darker color..and i seriously only used it for like 6 months i think..my son is 3 months shy of 3 and the only time he rides in it now is if one of the grandparents want to take a walk w/ him...so my advice is don't spend a lot of money on one..b/c if your child is 2 i don't think you'll need it for very long...i do have a very active agile boy..that could be why...
but i don't think you need to spend a lot on an umbrella stroller.

I have a macralan one and love it. My daughter even requests that one only now. She's 2 and says " mommy I want little stroller little stroller!"
They have I believe like 5 different ones ranging from $150-$350. I got the one that's $200 (Quest) and it's great. We even take that one on all our trips instead of the peg perego one we had before.
Good luck!!!

http://www.toysrus.com/search/index.jsp?fbx=0&kw=&amp...

I picked up one about three years ago for my now six year old. I got it at Sears and it was a princess one. Anyway, it wasn't much but it was made very well and the handles were slightly taller than the other cheap ones. Anyway, it has lasted 6 years because I now still use it for my younger one that is now three! I know we spent about $30 dollars and it was well worth it.

The Maclaren Volo costs about $99. I have 2 (one I bought on sale.) It's worth every penny. It pushes like a dream (effortless 360 degree turns) and while it does not recline, the back fabric is tall enough so your child's neck is not hanging out. It has a handy carrying strap to put over your shoulder and I bring it with me when I travel to NYC and take the subway/buses. The Volo has a shade and you can buy a bigger shade (I've done that too.) It has a little mesh basket on the bottom.

If you end up with a cheap $20 stroller, you'll hate it.

Go to the store and try them out. Put your kid in it and push it around the store and see how it does. After three kids, we kinda had it down to what worked and what didn't. Make sure the stroller height is comfortable for both of you to push. Don't get one with a sling back, it won't provide enough support for baby's back, get one with some support frame in it. Roll it around, does it roll well? Some umbrella strollers don't have wheels that turn, they just go one direction, making it hard to maneuver. Make sure the wheels rotate all the way around for turning. Can you fold it and unfold it fairly easily with one hand? You may need to fold it up while holding baby to get in elevators, on escalators or public transportation, etc. I had a Circo (6 years ago) and it had great back support and rolled easy and was nice and tall for me. Good luck.

Hi there! I have a Inglesina Zippy as my main stroller, which is compact and pretty lightweight. I love that stroller, but when traveling we needed something a little smaller. After doing much research and resisting the temptation to buy the $20 or $30 dollar strollers, I purchased a Maclaren Volo Stroller. Not only does it work great, steers very easily and smoothly, it has a basket for storage AND my most favorite feature is that when folded, it has a shoulder strap. After borrowing the stroller from a friend for a weekend, the shoulder strap sold me! So, if you don't buy the Maclaren, know that a shoulder strap is helpful. Here's the link to the shoulder I bought: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2887343

I tried the Jeep umbrella stroller and thought it was awful. I returned it.

[I use the Graco MetroLite and it works for me... but I don't use it all that often anyway and I don't have a stairwell either, so I see your concern. My daughter started walking at 11 months and walks from the house to car on her own, and sits in the shopping cart when shopping, so I don't pull out the stroller that much... and if I'm walking the neighborhood/walking for exercise, I use the jogger stroller--much smoother.]

We bought a lightweight Combi stroller for travelling and absolutely love it. It's well built, has a shade, and a great "bassinet" features that lets you zip up the bottom to keep your little one's feet inside, and has a reasonably sized basket on the bottom. It even comes with a small matching diaper bag. We bought ours at USA Baby last May for around $100. We've recommended it to friends and they have loved it too.

I love the Chicco umbrellas they're great. I think they run about $80. I find the sun shades are never big enough on any stroller. So I buy universal add on shades, they work great, try Kiddopotamus.

I have a 3 1/2 year old and a 15 month old, so I have the Chicco single and double and I love them both.

I've always had a nice stroller with a good basket and I love it, but I have to admit, my favorite is my umbrella stroller when I'm in a hurry and on the go. It's a cheap one made by Kolcraft - sold at Babies-R-Us and comes in many colors. It doesn't have a basket, but it has an attached mesh bag that hangs on the back and you can buy one of those attachments for a drink holder. It also comes with a shade. Like I said, when I'm on the go this is my choice. It folds up small, wieghs nothing and keeps my son from running around. The best part is, I think it was only about $20!

Hands down....the Maclaren Triumph!!! I had a gigantic travel system, and when my 8 month old outgrew the infant carrier at 4 months, there was no way I was going to lug that thing around anymore :) I LOVE the Maclaren umbrella strollers, they are super light weight and leave a ton of room in you're car. If your doing stairs, I would highly recommend it! Mine cost $159, but you can get very similar models for $99.

Hi R.

I love my Evenflo X-sport stroller. I purchased it from Amazon for $40 and no shipping cost. http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-X-Sport-Convenience-Strolle...

It has handles that adjust to your height that works great for my husband. It has a small basket on the bottom, two cup holders and two pouches for keys, phone or a few diapers and wipes. It does have an adjustable umbrella. It is also very sturdy. I can have her diaper backpack hanging on the back and take her out and the stroller will stay upright. If you don't need the adjustable handles then there's another model that is about $10 cheaper. It is sold at BabiesRus, Target and Walmart too if you want to try it out.

I got rid of my big stroller and only use this one.

Good luck..

I just switched to the Maclaren Volo and LOVE it. It weighs only 8 lbs and has a nice carry strap. It's also very easy to fold/un-fold and operates smoothly.

Hi R.,
I bought a McClaren. It wasn't too expensive but it was made well and it has lasted 5 years. I just don't like that it doesn't have a cup holder but it does have a basket and it's small enough to lay across the back floor of the car with 3 people sitting back there.

Hi R.. We love our McLaren umbrella stroller. It's sturdy and very light. We've taken it out of the country 3 times now and it is worth every cent. It's medium priced and I believe the best one out there. We got ours at Right Start. Good luck.

We have a Maclaren techno xlr and love it for traveling (across the country several times) or for dealing with getting in and out of cars. Lightweight, easy to collapse, fairly sturdy. My main complaint about most umbrella strollers was that they did not have enough shade to protect our daughter from bright sun while napping (since we live by the beach, this was crucial). The techno xlr reclines fully and has an extender for the shade so she is nicely cocooned. As someone mentioned, there is even an extender for under their legs to make them comfy as they sleep. It's sort of an in-between because it is not as simple and lightweight as a real umbrella, and it's more expensive, but I think it's worth it! Also, try to see if you can purchase on craigslist or ebay, if you want to try to get it cheaper. If you have Right Start store near you, the folks are always so knowledgeable about the strollers and can demonstrate them and compare them all for you on the spot.

Hi R.-

It's been awhile since I used a stroller (mine is 6 now), but i loved the combi. It was very lightweight and lasted forever. I still have it (I bought it when my 13 year old was born) and I just let my sister-in-law use it over the summer. So, it does last. However, it doesn't have a shade (unless they make it now). We even brought it to Dodger games and it folded up nicely. Hope you find one you like. Let us know which one you chose.

I use the baby trend stoller. It's like $40-$50 I think. My nice stroller was ruined by the airlines and so I got this one in case that happened again. My son was 9 months at the time, but is now 16 months and still fits very well in the stroller. It has a shade that covers him well. It has a nice big basket underneath to store all your stuff. There is also a tray you can use in front of your child for snacks and drinks and stuff. There are 2 parent cupholders and a tray for cell phone, keys, etc. The seat is adjustable so they can sit up or lay back to take a nap. It is very light weight and easy to push around. It is like an upgraded umbrella stroller. I highly recommend it!

I loved the umbrella strollers. I had an inexpensive one that lasted me through my first 2 kids. I did have to get another one, but that's because I didn't think I was going to have any more kids....and our third came along 8 years later after I had given away my baby stuff.

It seems everyone like the Maclaren, I have never used it probally could never afford it. My advise is try it out I have had several umbrella strollers and some are worse then others. The ones Jcpenny or Toys R Us sell for like 19.99 aren't bad they however don't usually have a basket. Also if you are tall a lot of strollers have a low handle that won't be comfotable. If you want a more expensice one try craigslist or a consignment store they will be a lot cheaper. Also, watch your local penny saver. Good luck!!

Hi R.,
I am not sure what you are willing to spend, but I am very, very pleased with the Evenflo X Sport Plus Convenience Stroller. It is umbrella-style, so very easy to collapse and throw in the back of my hatchback, but sturdier and more quality than the $10 cheapies. I think it retails for about $60. I never found it in a store, so I went out on a limb and ordered from Amazon or Target.com. (I can't recall which, but I think it is available from both.) What I like is that the shade is big, and easy to adjust based on sun angle. It has a good sized basket below, and even some convenience pockets up top. It is very easy to fold/unfold, and has held up for me well. I got it when my own chunky-monkey heavy boy was about 9 months. The one thing that I think is a bummer about it is that it is only a 3-pt harness rather than a 5-pt. I would prefer a 5-pt because it is more secure, especially when they are young. I hope that helps.

I love my maclaren triumph, easy, light, if you do a little cruising on the internet you can probably get a good deal on last year's colors or something.

Good luck!

Check out the UPPA Baby GLite and Gluxe. Super light weight and easy to use. I think they are better quality than the Maclaren's which you are paying for brand. Fell free to give me a call if you have any questions. We provide free stroller consultations in our shop in San Clemente and over the phone.

Best of luck!
K.
www.octraveltykes.com
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They're really expensive, but MacLarens are awesome. My MIL got one for us and we used it across Europe, even with cobblestone streets. We used it when we would walk in hilly areas here at home. It's lightweight, easy to steer, some have adjustable height handles, the seat has extenders for their legs, the seat back goes totally flat for a napping baby. The only convenience item they have attached is the small storage area under the seat, but there are little organizers you can buy for things like drinks, there are stroller clips for shopping bags... All the fabric comes off easily for cleaning. I love it. The cheap ones won't last long, but I guess you can replace it again and again if needed because they are so cheap!

We have the Maclaren quest. We paid a bit more for this one because the seat will recline some if your little guy is asleep. Its light enough to travel easily with it. It easily folds under seats at a stadium. We really like it. Downsides to an umbrella: small basket, tips easily when taking the child out if diaper bag is on the handles, not the best shade, smaller wheels more likely to get stuck on bumps in the pavement, does not fully recline. Although the umbrella is great for travel or short ventures out, I still prefer the larger stroller when going to places like the zoo or Disneyland.

If you can spend the money...spend the money. We liked the Maclaren. He bought a cheaper one (can't remember the name)that the front rail part released and our daughter bent it til it no longer had it's shape. The wheels also got stuck often.

The Maclaren's handle is also not a bad height. The cheap one seemed to be too low and difficult to reach.

You also want to give the stroller a test drive. I used to kick the wheels of the cheapo and trip. I finally started pushing it from the side. Ended up giving it away.

I love the MaClarean Triumph. It only weighs 11 lbs., has a shade, and opens and closes easliy. I use it all the time for quick trips with my son who's 3 now. He still likes sitting rather than walking around. I found it online cheaper than the stores with free shipping. It is a bit costly, but worth it. I think it was arounf $120. Hope this helps. Happy hunting! M.

We like our Chicco stroller. It's about $70 at Babies R Us, but I've seen it on amazon.com for closer to $50. Not the best shade, and not much in the way of a basket, but it's an umbrella stroller, so I didn't expect much...

It's definetly worth it to spend a little more on a good umbrella stroller because you're going to get so much use out of it. Like many others I have a Mclaren and I've never regretted spending extra on it. There are many Mclaren options so you might just want to do a little resaerch into the features that would suit your needs the most. The Mclaren site has a compare contrast chart so you can really see the differences between each model.