Umbrella Stroller - Is It Really Worth It?

I have a Macclaren and mainly use it. The only thing I don't like about it is there is no room to put my bag and so I have hang it on an that makes the stroller tip backwards. Also the wheels fold right into the umbrella so the umbrella is always dirty so I would go for a dark colored one(mine is hot pink). Better yet get a cheapo one at Walmart for $15 bucks.

I got one for free on freecycle, kids grow out of things SO fast, maybe you can get one in good shape. It was nice to have, I took it New York City and Washington DC, folded it up and hopped on subways, I could fold it and drag/wheel it thru a crowded museum but put him in it for the long walk back to the subway station or parking lot. My son enjoyed it until he was pretty old (five)(that depends on the kid) but for long walks it was great!

I loved my umbrella strollers. I never did anything fancy because it seemed like the more they cost the harder they are to fold and unfold. Portability and access are what they are known for, not bells and whistles.

When my kids were younger the loved the zoo. Want to ride the train you must have an umbrella stroller or you have to do a round trip, leave the stroller and hope no one steals it while you are gone. Six flags same thing. Riding with a friend....

You get the idea.

I purchased a very inexpensive umbrella stroller at a yard sale when my son was beginning to walk. It's great to have a light-weight back up stroller. I wouldn't spend $50 for a backup stroller, but if you are planning to replace your current stroller with something easier, then it makes sense to put more money into it.
PS - I don't know how old your son is, but mine went through a stage where he never wanted to be in the stroller. A few months later, he decided that he enjoyed the easy life and was back in. If your son is a toddler, then you could easily be using the stroller for a couple more years.

Heck the umbrella stroller that I use when I need do was $14.99 at Toys R Us. Then on sale for $11.99 minus 20%. Came to $9.75 or around there.
Serves the purpose.

You can get umbrella strollers at ToysRus for hardly any money, sometimes even for free with a certain amount of money spent. CVS even has them at certain times. I could not have lived without the light weight umbrella stroller. Definitely get one. The kids also do not feel confined since they are not so much "in" them as on top of them. We rarely used the waist strap, so when we stood still they can get out if they want. And for malls it is ideal, if only to put all your bags in or hang on if kiddo gets tired.
PS: My youngest girl is very petite and still sat in it when she was 6 occasionally.

I loved our umbrella strollers. We had a Chicco for a long while and wore it out after about four years, then recently picked up a Maclaren for cheap. I was less happy with the Maclaren Volo, just because some of the stitching on the sides began coming out immediately, but we knew this from other reviews and the price was right. I thought the Chicco was a better quality one...

In any case, we used ours a lot. I take the bus everywhere, and having a stroller which was easy to collapse and took up very little space really helped, esp. with going on/off the bus. Kiddo's five now and walks most of the time, so we save it for longer journeys when I'm spending the afternoon walking around the neighborhood, running errands.

oh my goodness YES!!! i couldn't of lived w/out it and its so awesome, much better than lugging around those big ol' strollers.

Totally worth it! Even the cheapo $20 special at Babies-R-Us. They are lightweight, little space, great for short distance walkers and easy to get in and out of without that 5-point harness. As long as the child understands that they need to sit back and cannot lean forawrd/over, it should be fine.

~C.

If you can afford it, why not? But it does sound like your son is outgrowing the stroller, so the other argument is why have two you may not use.

Check out some consignment shops...could be a good compromise and better quality than Craigslist.

I agree with happymama. If it's a backup stroller and/or your child is not a stroller-kid, then definitely spend less. Having said that a good Maclaren for $50 is a pretty good deal. You'd probably be able to resell it, too.

I have a Maclaren that I bought with my first and it has lasted us for 4 years through 2 kids. We hardly use it now so I wish you lived nearby so I could just give it to you!

Oh and BTW, Maclaren strollers went through a huge recall in 2009. So if you're going to buy one, get one that is post 2009. Here's a link to that article. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/maclaren-stroller-...

www.educationmom.com

Well we love our cheap little $19 one from Target...or walmart where ever we got it from....7 years later and it's still like new...one of our most heavily used strollers.

How old is your child? Because that matters.

Are you going to use it just for when you go jogging? And you have to bring your child with you? If it is just for you when you jog/exercise and you HAVE TO bring your child with you, just keep your jogging stroller.

If you are wanting a less cumbersome space saving umbrella stroller just for whenever you are with your child doing errands etc., then if your child is say 4 or older, they don't want to be in a stroller. Unless you will be on your feet for a long time, and the child gets tired. For example.

At a certain age, a child does not need an umbrella stroller. And they won't want to be in one. A kid simply outgrows it.

Both my kids, from about 3-4 years old, just did not want to be in a stroller, umbrella or otherwise. Because, they felt like a big kid (and yes my kids are tall for their ages), and they just rather walk.
They basically outgrew, age wise and size wise, an umbrella stroller.

So yes, see IF getting one is really, necessary. As your husband said.
Because if your kid won't be in one, or use one, nor wants to be in it, it will be a waste of money.

For me, I just got one of those cheap folding umbrella strollers from Sear's.
And it was only used for times I knew we'd be out for a long time doing errands etc. It was for my younger kid. But it was quickly not needed. Per my kids' age and they just don't want to be in one.

The only other time I would use an umbrella stroller, was when if one of my kids' were sick or not feeling well, but I had to go out to do an errand or get them medicine and they were too tired/fatigued to walk.

I bought a used umbrella stroller (that had probably been $15 new at Wal-mart) for $2 at a yard sale and it lasted through my two kids, and I still use it when I babysit little ones. It stayed in the car, it went on the plane, it went on busses. I was so worth it. And if your child can walk, he likely won't spend all that much time in a stroller anyway, just when he gets tired.

Worth every single penny!!

I also have a great jogging stroller, but I bought a Graco umbrells stroller that was better than the cheapest umbrella stroller out there and not as great as a Maclearens because I needed a travel stroller overseas. It was fabulous to have there for walk and on the airplane and it fit into their tiny cars. The one I got had a shade that could be pulled over her head if it rained or was sunny. There was a basket under the seat to hold things, a foot rest, handles that adjusted up/down (a great feature) and a small zipper pouch that attached to the shade. I think I paid about $35 for it at Big Lots. It traveled on planes, trains and automobiles, and it went shopping, on more planes, and on vacations when we arrived home. I kept it in the car for whenever I needed it -- great investment. I did NOT take it to Disney last summer, and after the 1st day went to Walmart to buy a new umbrella stroller because it was cheaper than renting all week.

At any rate, an umbrella stroller takes very minimal room to store, and it is so much more handy to transport and set-up for than a full size stroller. You will probably love it. I personally only used the jogging stroller for walking in the neighborhood because I didn't want to deal with folding it up and putting it into the car.

I think it'd be totally worth it! I've been meaning to get one myself, since my son is also walking more but sometimes I want him contained. We have a smaller SUV, so his regular stroller takes up half the floor space in the back. An umbrella stroller would be a drop in the bucket. Just get a cheap one at a garage sale or Target for now. A $5 investment might be all you need to do the job.

Worth it! Got an umbrella stroller for under $20 at Walmart 6 years ago, and 2 kids later I'm still using it! We also had a regular single stroller, and a tandem stroller (sit & stand), but when the kids get to the age where they can walk more, there's really no need to haul a big stroller around.

Yes yes yes.. Love my maclaren and it has been through 2 kids so it is 7 years old.. That is a great price 50 bucks.. They are easy to clean and to travel with. Also the maclaren has long enough handles so u don't have to hunch to push it., that is all we used ;) oh and u can literally fold them up and down with one hand.. If your arms are full.

When I think of umbrella strolles I think of the $20 ones you can get at Walmart that don't recline, just meant to toss the kid in but are very light and is almost like carrying around a large umbrella. I used them and loved them cuz they were very light and small and easy to use, especially in the summer. They're small and light enough to fold up and pull behind you with ease cuz of the wheels if the child decides to walk and behaves. I say go for it!

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

Lets just say I have a stroller system, jogging stroller, & a umbrella, two are in the back of my SUV right now.

Everyone we knew swore by them, so I got one. My son hated it. It was too low and 'squishy', he could hop in/out of the other one easier. After several unsuccessful attempts, we gave it to a relative. Try and get a test drive first, like at Babies R Us.

It's totally worth the money. We keep one in our trunk. We have been glad many times that we had it handy. We got the $15 Walmart one because it's what we could afford at the time. If we had it to do all over again, I would spend more for one that has a shade and handle extensions to raise the handle up to a more comfortable height. I still use it for my 3 yr old because all the parks near us are a mile or more away. She goes back and forth between pushing the stroller and riding in it.

I never use my umbrella stroller. I have a Phil and Ted, and I usually just use that. When we travel to Ireland to visit the in-laws, we don't even bother bringing a stroller. Last time we used one of those attachments that converts a carseat into a stroller.

Just go buy a cheap one at Toys r us. I wouldn't spend a lot of money, but chances are your son isn't going to ride much in it.

An umbrella stroller is one that has very minimal support for a child's body. When they doze off their head slumps over to one side and then they fall forward. The umbrella stroller is much more confining than the other styles that have an open style seat.

I had both and honestly the kids hated the umbrella stroller a lot. I even got one that was more expensive and was only a bit more narrow and easier to open and close than our double stroller. It was hardly ever used. I used the double stroller a lot more, until the kids were older, maybe 3 and 5.