Convenient with a few technical issues
February 22, 2020
Love the size, rear facing option, adjustable footrest in rear facing, handle height for tall parents, large canopy, and ease of pushing. There are a few things I don't love. Right out of the box, the canopy is difficult to tell which way to attach it, and yes, it matters. It's also very difficult to force to clip on. Once that's tackled it becomes apparent that the tight packaging puts so much pressure on the canopy with how it's folded and crammed inside, that the shape is distorted and leans to one side. Some heavy handed bending and squeezing in the needed places can bring the shape somewhat back to center but the problem is still visible. This stroller is very difficult to open and close. Opening takes a lot of force, and closing additionally requires a second step. Neither of these operations is a one handed task. This is definitely the most difficult to operate stroller I've ever used, and that's speaking from 5 of my own kids and 18 years of home childcare. There have been many strollers to compare to. From baby's comfort standpoint, the straps are initially set at the largest possible setting, which uses all the slack and makes the initial sizing adjustments difficult and time consuming because the clips are attached with the double through strap configuration. Once baby is in and secure, the angle of the back rest only comes up as far as semi reclined. For older babies, over a year maybe, this may not be an issue because they can pull themselves forward to sit up without the backrest. And for very young babies that prefer to lay down this won't be a problem either. However, for babies in that middle zone, maybe 4 months to 1 year, that would like to sit up and look around, but can't yet support themselves with the stroller movement and bumps, this forces them to balance on their tailbone while their hips slump out from under them. This is not a sound sitting position and time spent sitting like this should be limited to very short sessions. There is also no padding under the seat. So as baby gets wider, their. Hips and outer thighs will be sitting directly on the bars of the frams that run under the seat. My baby is too small for this to be a problem yet, but I expect it will require some kind of additional padding at some point. Another place where baby's comfort is affected is the shoulder straps. They are set close together, which is perfect for little babies. However the material chosen is extremely abrasive. In the rear facing position, this has been addressed with shoulder pads. They work fine. However, in the forward facing position there are no pads and in order to move the pads from the back, the entire strap system has to be disassembled. This is not an easy task in this stroller and the issue could've been addressed by making the supplied covers removable by Velcro or snap. My 8 month old baby seated in the forward facing seat sustained significant friction burns on his neck from these straps. Additional strap covers will have to be purchased to make this seat usable. The basket is very small and only accessable from the front. This works for a diaper, a pack of wipes, and a water bottle, but isn't going to fit a diaper bag, not even a small one. When folding there a few issues. In addition to the force and second step needed to fold, the fabric from the sides gets caught up in the latch, preventing it from locking into place without extra deatil work. Also, if you fold it forward in itself instead of lifting the front wheels up with your other hand, the canopy and top of the front seat will press all the way into the ground. This gets dirt, mud, parking lot much, whatever, right where baby puts their head. Also be aware that this stroller folds into a wide v shape, not flat. So it requires an awkward amount of space in the trunk. Also worth noting, although minor, the brakes work a little oddly. Instead of being a step on, lift off procedure, these are a step in, kick off. You need to firmly kick the top of the lever forward to release the brakes. In closed toed shoes this is no problem, but if you wear sandles or flip flops often it will take some practice to figure out how you can kick this release hard enough to operate it without jamming your toes. Overall this stroller is just fine for quick trips from the car to pick up other kids from school, maybe a walk around the block, a brief shop through a department store, etc. This is not going to be your main stroller, one that you'll use for long walks, grocery shopping, a day trip to the mall, or a place for baby to sit through a siblings sports game. And be prepared to make additional purchases to make this seat comfortable for baby, including additional strap covers and seat padding.
Pros
- Inexpensive, lightweight, front and rear facing, near-flat recline option, tall handles, large canopy
Best Uses
- Quick trips, short walks, babies under 4 months, babies over 1 year
Cons
- Packaging damages product, abrasive straps, difficult to assemble, difficult to adjust straps, poor seat padding, difficult brake release, difficult to open, difficult to close, difficult to latch shut, small basket, basket access only at front, no fully vertical back rest position, folds to awkward shape