Teutonia stroller?

[Swallowbird23]

Hi All, I posted on the carseat forum and was referred over here for opinions on the stroller aspect. My in laws will be buying us a stroller, carseat, etc. We have been considering the Teutonia for our first child. What are your opinions of it? What are the pros and cons of the T-linx system versus building your own? There are a few different combinations of chassis and wheels and I'm not sure which way to go.

My husband loved the Orbit but I don't think it's worth the money once you buy the infant and toddler seats and all of the extra bases (we will need 3 for mine and husbands since we share drop-off pick up duties, and inlaws since they will be our source of child care) Plus, the storage underneath is not ideal to me.

Thanks so much!

[mrspeachykeen]

I posted over on the car seat post, but I can answer some of these questions as well. The design you own option lets you choose from 2 different chassis - one(100) is a 4 wheeled narrower option or (200) a 3 wheeled slightly wider option that is a bit sportier and has a hand brake. The difference between the 50/60 numbers is the wheels. They really aren't that different except for the look. I went with the 100 series since it is a bit lighter and narrower. I also live in flat texas and didn't need a hand brake.

The design your own is probably a good option for someone that lives in a city and doesn't need the car seat, though I just noticed that they are selling the T-linx without the carseat now as well. You pick only the items that you need (car seat adapter, toddler seat, bassinet etc). The T-linx is overall lighter than the design your own chassis. Mine with the toddler seat is about 30 lbs, but the T-linx with the seat is only 25lbs. The T-linx also has a hand brake and a reversible handles (and seat), but the only disadvantage is that the basket is a bit small. Also the T-linx only comes in 2 colors, where as the design your own comes in a lot more colors.

As I understand it, Teutonia wanted to create a high end travel system for the people that just wanted to register/buy one item as well as have options for those that want to pick and choose what they need.

I personally don't care for the look of the Orbit and the price really turned us off. The car seat isn't compatible with any other strollers. We also have a BCJM and if I ever need I can get the adapter and use our car seat with it as well (good for traveling) For the price I think that the T-linx is a great option. I love how bouncy the suspension is on the Teuts and the push is great as well.

[arivecchi]

I would focus on getting the car seat you want and the stroller you want without worrying about them being compatible.

Why do you like the Teutonia? What are you looking for in a stroller? What is your lifestyle like? We can help you find the perfect stroller with a bit more information. :)

[legaleagle]

You probably know this but the teutonia carseat is just the graco carseat with fancier fabrics. :)

[roseyloxs]

Its about 1.5 years old now but StrollerQueen has a review (http://strollerqueenreviews.blogspot.com/2009/02/teutonia-stroller-review.html).

[Swallowbird23]

Hi All, Thanks for the responses. We were originally looking at the Teutonia because some family friends from Germany who had a baby earlier this year recommended it to my in-laws. I'm a pretty practical person so want something that fits our needs first. (My husband and inlaws are another story! So I'm trying to find something that is practical yet not too popular yet so they're satisfied they have something that not everyone has since they are buying it) I like to do research and find the best option for me so I'm not buying things over and over again.

We are a fairly active couple, a lot of walking through the neighborhood and a lot of being out and about, both indoors and outside. From another board I've read I have heard good things about the City mini. I've considered buying an infant seat we like and the city mini but I haven't done much research on that yet to see how that works as an infant seat combo for daily use. We'll probably also get a true jogging stroller since we are runners/joggers but that's not ideal for every day use so I hear.


LIKES:
I did like that the Teutonia fit the Graco things so we could buy a snap and go for the in laws, etc.

It seems to have a good shade cover

I like that you can face the seat forwards or backwards.

It seems that people like the feel of the push of it, which is important for us.

I like that is has at least some storage space

I like the price compared to some others. While the in-laws are buying, I am still very price-conscious (yet the husband does not want to typical infant travel system)

DISLIKES:
A downside is that I've heard it's a bit big so I'll need to test that out compared to others and see how it fits in our vehicles. I've also heard it is a little heavier than most strollers/carseats, but I'll have to research that as well.

I'm open to suggestions that anyone may have for us!

Thanks so much! this is all so new to me so I really appreciate all of the feedback!

[arivecchi]

So great that you are doing so much research upfront!

I would encourage you to read this thread:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=370312&highlight=recommendation

Many of us here try to minizime car seat use outside of cars, so I would personally choose a stroller based on what my stroller needs are and not plan to use it as a snap n' go. If you take the car seat usage out of the equation, for your lifestyle, I would look at the MB Swift, Valco Quad, Bumbleride Indie, MB Terrain or Urban or Bob Revolution. If you are outdoorsy, you will need air tires.

The MB Terrain is an actual jogging stroller and can be used with a newborn (you can jog with baby after they are 1 yo :)) with a carry-cot or fully reclined seat. The Bob Revolution is an actual jogging stroller as well but it cannot be used for newborns unless you have a car seat adapter. They are both large though, so not good for indoors. You could always get another indoor/car/travel stroller though. I find that a 2 stroller combo usually works best.

If you really want one stroller, look at the MB Swift, Bumbleride Indie and Valco Quad. They are good indoors and outdoors, not heavy and are car-friendly. None of these are reversible, but they can be used with carry-cots and the seats have full recline for newborns.

Hope that helps.

[jacksmoma]

honestly i would just do the car seat and snap n go type thing for a few weeks then see what you REALLY need from your stroller- you might want one with air tires if you like to go on walks a lot, if in/out of your car all day you will want something that is super light/folds easily. you might need more than one stroller too! just an idea as many of us don't know what we really needed out of our stroller till actual real life use :)

[Lolabee]

I have the Teutonia T-150 and have been pretty happy with it so far. I ended up getting the carrycot and the seat, but decided to skip the carseat adaptor because I didn't really see needing it. The carrycot has gotten a lot of use both for walks in the neighborhood and for naps in the house since the baby was born (in fact I still haven't switched it out for the stroller seat because the baby is still not sitting up yet on his own.) We also used it as a travel bed for our vacation this past summer.

IMO, I think the chassis is actually nicely compact compared to lots of other strollers. I've used it both indoors and out and it definitely handles well and doesn't take up too much space in store aisles or restaurants (in fact I've been complimented more than once by the staffers at my local Trader Joe's for not having a huge stroller hogging up the aisle space.) It fold up really easily and quite small, especially if you fold the handle down before collapsing it. It's also possible to fold the chassis down with the seat/carrycot still attached. The wheels aren't air filled, but they are nice and big enough for taking sidewalks and bumpy terrain pretty well. One of the biggest things I love about the Teuts though are all of the lovely fabric choices. I ended up getting the Jasper brown, which is a really nice, deep shade of chocolate brown. The fabric liner of the carrycot is nice and soft and washes easily (I just throw it in the washing machine on the gentle cycle and then line dry it,) and the seat fabric also spot washes quite nicely.

I have to really disagree with the SNG/carseat option thought. I think it's so much nicer to be able to actually use the stroller right away from birth. Honestly, who wants to be trying to figure out what stroller to buy when you have a newborn taking up all of your time and attention? I also agree with arivecchi about the importance of minimizing baby's time in the carseat as much as possible. They really aren't meant for taking the baby out and about for walks or longer outings for so many different reasons.

Hope that helps, and let me know if you have any other questions!

[MamaBear]

If you really want to go Teutonia *and* have something really unique, order one directly from Germany! Sooooo many choices there. My SIL always had Teuts for her kids, and they're gorgeous. I've always had fun playing with them when I'm shopping in Germany.

Here's one place that ships and has a website in English:

https://www.pingpong-online.de/osc/

[jerry_mishkata]

I have to really disagree with the SNG/carseat option thought. I think it's so much nicer to be able to actually use the stroller right away from birth. Honestly, who wants to be trying to figure out what stroller to buy when you have a newborn taking up all of your time and attention?

I have to say I was thinking that way before my baby was born and bought the UppaBaby Vista. The baby hated it and after trying and trying and the baby still hating and hating it for 6 months I sold it. I wish I had waited for her to be born before going out and spending $700 for a stroller (I sold it for a good chunk of that money but I sold it used so didn't recover all of it and I also worried a lot about the baby, the stroller, pushed it with one hand while holding the baby (and it would have been much better to just have a diaper backpack and wear the baby, which I was eventually doing most of the time)

I understand most babies are OK with most strollers though.

I have a Valco Baby Quad now and I am very happy with it. The seat does not reverse but reclines flat and has a bassinet for newborns who will lay in a stroller. I have not seen this stroller anywhere here in NYC (except the Albeebaby store and even there they had to put it together in front of me so I could see it) but that could be because it is a new model. Talking about unique :-)

It is 22.25 inches wide (so not as wide as the Vista, that is pretty wide, couldn't fit through some doors in old train stations etc.) it has air filled tires and nice suspension (people say air tires make for better steering with heavier/older children), steers very well and all... let me know if you are interested and I can post pictures. My stroller hating baby does not sit in it all the time (mostly she just wants to walk) but when she is tired, she falls asleep in the reclined seat and seems to be very comfortable.

[Lolabee]

I have to say I was thinking that way before my baby was born and bought the UppaBaby Vista. The baby hated it and after trying and trying and the baby still hating and hating it for 6 months I sold it. I wish I had waited for her to be born before going out and spending $700 for a stroller (I sold it for a good chunk of that money but I sold it used so didn't recover all of it and I also worried a lot about the baby, the stroller, pushed it with one hand while holding the baby (and it would have been much better to just have a diaper backpack and wear the baby, which I was eventually doing most of the time)

I understand most babies are OK with most strollers though.

Obviously it depends on the kid, mine despises the car seat with a passion so we already try to limit his time in it as much as possible. There is no way he would tolerate being pushed around in a SNG/car seat, so for us it makes more sense to use a stroller for any trips that will last more than 10 minutes or so.

More importantly, the point still stands that a baby's time in the car seat needs to be limited as much as possible. There are so many health concerns related to extended car seat use (plagiocephaly, potential for improper spinal development, and positional asphyxia to name just a few) that I still bristle at the suggestion that parents start out with a SNG for their babies. I know this issue has already been discussed on more than one thread here so I don't mean to rehash it.