Lightweight stroller decision

[lmintzer]

My first baby is due in May, and I am debating about which stroller(s) to purchase. I have narrowed my decision down to the Combi Ultra Savvy OR the Peg Perego Plikomatic and the Snap-N-Go. The price is about the same for the Combi or the Peg + Snap-N-Go. I like the idea of buying only one stroller (the Combi), and I certainly like how compact and light it is and that you can now attach an infant carseat. However, I have seen toddlers in them in the mall, and they look awfully crowded. The Peg Perego Plikomatic looks very sturdy, well padded, and has lots of room for bigger children. Then again, it's 4 lbs. heavier and doesn't fold up that small. I'm wondering if the Peg Perego would fit in an overhead compartment on an airplane (it seems the Combi Ultra Savvy would). Has anyone had a problem fitting their toddler in the Combi Ultra Savvy (or similarly-sized stroller)? Thanks so much for your assistance.

Lisa

[Geebee]

Test drive the Combis. Depending on your height (and your husband's), I find that the handles are too low and too close to the base which is hard on your back and makes it easy to kick the back wheels.

[alandenisefields]

Considering how picky airlines are lately on carry-ons, I'm sure any stroller will make it past them these days! That said, the Combi Savvy is more likely to fit in an overhead compartment compared to a Pliko.

Yes (as the below reader points out), the Combi's are not great for tall folks---the handle height can be too low for some parents.

Try before you buy!

Alan & Denise Fields, Authors
BABY BARGAINS

[suzanica]

I saw the preg perego pliko today at a department store and thought it was pretty ugly (call me vain). My cousin has the combi ultra savvy and that stroller is quite cramped looking. I cant see how a baby could be comfortable in it. I am opting for the Maclaren Vogue (i think). Im not sure if it is as light as the two you are considering (i think its like 13 lbs) but I think its very well made and great for the urban jungle as Baby Bargains has stated in their book!

[lmintzer]

Thanks for the suggestion about the Macclaren. I will take a look (that is roughly the weight of the Pliko--even a little less). I have seen Plikmomatics with decent color fabrics (there's one that's a unobtrusive navy blue with a subtle blue and white stripe pattern on the headrest. Maybe you saw the Pliko Sherpa's (in my opinion, they are ugly--really bright and loud--no offense meant to anyone who has one). Anyway, thanks for the feedback.

[Marimar]

It has proved very sturdy and has taken several flight trips!...gate checked it!

[suzanica]

I was thinking of getting the Maclaren Techno but the price was a little steep for an umbrella stroller. I live In NYC so I am eager to get something that will survive the brutal streets. My baby wont arrive till early May so I do have some time to think about which Maclaren I will actually get. Can you tell me more about your stroller Marimar? Will a newborn be able to ride in it comfortably? Is there anything you dislike about it at all? Thanks!
Suzanica

[lmintzer]

Thanks, all for your feedback. One remaining question: does anyone who has used the Plikomatic bothered by the 2 handle system as opposed to the single bar on the Combi and on other stroller brands? A salesperson alerted me to this, saying that the 2 handles prevents pushing with 1 hand. However, someone else told me that the Combi Ultra Savvy is so light that you probably wouldn't push with one hand anyway. Also, any more thoughts about the size of the Combi? Too small for toddlers, or okay? Thanks again!

[sfanning]

Have you looked into the Aprica stollers? They seem to offer the lightest fully reclining strollers on the market. The Superzap Prestige by Aprica weighs in at 10.2 pounds--I think that's lighter than the Combi Ultra Savvy and it's definitely lighter than the Peg Perego. It also has adjustable handles, which solves the problem a lot of people complain about re: the Combi (i.e., too low). I don't actually own an Aprica. Does anyone know them? They're very expensive and apparently unavailable in Canada.

[sfanning]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-23-01 AT 05:11PM (Mountain)[p]Kidco has got very light ones too. Can anyone recommend others that are under 15 pounds, preferably 10-12, and are useable from birth (they recline fully)?

[suribear]

I have the snap n go and combi ultra savvy but not the plikomatic. When dd was born, the US didn't have a perfect match system so we borrowed a snap n go, which is fine for a few months but hard to manuveur. If I had to do it over, I would have used the US from birth. I think the new US has adjustable handles, so that may resolve the height issue. I love the portability (just 10 lbs!). It does fit into overhead bins, though it's not as compact as the savvy z.

If your baby is very big, however, I would recommend the snap n go and a larger lightweight stroller. We love our US, but our 15 mo.dd is small. I pushed a (large for her age) 3 year old in it some time ago, and it was hard to manuveur. I don't know if any other stroller would have been better, though.

I push the US with one hand ALL the time (i.e. to open a door or if I need to hold dd for a short stretch where it would be dangerous for her to walk) so I wouldn't like having two handles, as in the plikomatic. I love having the ability to push it with one hand! BTW, I also take a front pack wherever I take the stroller, to put dd in it if she wants to be held.

Definitely test drive before you buy, with a sack of potatoes in the seat. LOL

Good luck!


Kris

[Mammaluna]

I own the Maclaren Vogue(not sure about the Techno) and I love it. My only negative comments are that it doesn't recline fully(only 145 degrees) so I wasn't able to put my infant in it until he was 3 months. When I purchased it the description read from birth onward(don't think so). The other problem is the basket is small and difficult to access, especially when it's in the reclining position. Other than those two things I think it's a well made stroller.
The Vogue has nice color combinations, it's lightweight,folds compactly, steers exceptionally(even with one hand), and the handle height is 41 inches which is wonderful if you are tall. My husband is 6'2 and he doesn't have to hunch over when using the stroller.
They are pricey but fortunately many websites offer coupons which aren't restricted on the Maclaren like they are on the Perego. I purchased mine at Babystyle (6 months ago) and paid $160 after coupon.
Good Luck!

[tamiam]

and try to put an infant car seat in the Plikomatic - even though you aren't "supposed" to, I've heard that they fit solid as a rock! Also, there is a Plikomatic travel system coming out in April. I saw one in person (they must have bought in in Europe or something!) and it was really cool. You can view it on their website in the meantime. The Fisher Price Stay-In-View infant carseat fits into LOTS of strollers very nicely. )And it's an awesome seat, super light, great to install, comfortable to carry, has a mirror to view baby, very compatible w/ almost all cars - and the 3-pt version is on sale dirt cheap at TRU/BRU right now to make way for the 5-pt.)

As for the two handles on the Pliko, you really need to go test drive it, with weight in it if possible. I wish there was a way to put a car seat on a Maclaren, because they are awesome strollers!

For travel, you will probably end up gate checking your stroller anyway, whatever you get - I have a Savvy Z that fits down an airplane aisle and in the overhead bin just fine, but I ALWAYS gate check it. It's so much easier.

[tamiam]

My first stroller was an Aprica Super Mini, which was their top-of-the-line lightweight at the time - it cost over $400 and I wasn't happy with it. Maybe they've made improvements since I had it, but my main complaints were:

1. Bad on uneven ground. I don't mean rough terrain, I mean slightly tilted sidewalks, driveways, MINOR cracks. I swear it always felt like it was going to flip over and I was constantly fighting with it, unless I was in the mall. Very unstable.

2. It had a reversible handle, but when you flipped the handle, the wheels that were then in front did not swivel - the back wheels swiveled. It made it very weird to steer, so I ended up not using the reversible handle, which had cost an extra $150.

The handle is higher than on the Combi, and the basket is WAY better, but that didn't make up for its flaws. I am not opposed to spending money on a great piece of baby equipment, but I don't think Apricas are worth it. I much prefer my Perego(s), Combi, and Emmaljunga.

[Rosamia]

The Combi Ultra Savvy 2001 model has come out with higher handles (3 inches higher than the previous years). It also comes standard with a combi sack that attaches to the stroller. I haven't seen any children in the Ultra Savvy... do they really run small for toddlers?

[Jeanann]

Pliko now has a bar for attaching a infant car seat and it is available at Babystyle. I just bought the stroller for my four month old at Babiesrus and purchased the bar from Babystyle because Babiesrus doesn't carry the bar. Hopefully it will work well with my car seat. I think for the money that the Pliko is a better deal than the Ultra Savvy. I paid 200. and the Ultra Savvy is 279.. It also looks more comfortable for a toddler

[peg]

I highly recommend getting the Snap N Go LX and an infant car seat that fits into a base! The Snap N Go is extremely compact, has a large basket underneath and is a cinch to get out of the car and put an infant seat/carrier into! Also, we love it on vacations and it is great if you're flying. You can wheel the stroller/car seat combo right to the plane door and if they can find a spare seat for you, you then have the car seat for the infant to sit in! (This always has worked for me, and we've never had to buy a seat on the plane for our baby - knock on wood!)

I found I never used our heavy duty stroller - a Maclaren (we live on a hill and it was too heavy), but used the Snap N Go with the car seat until my daughter was old enough to use the jogging stroller, which I also would recommend due to light weight and ease of use, although it does not travel well. Now that our daughter is 21 months, we use the jogger around home and keep a Combi umbrella type stroller (forget model, but is was only around $80 at Toys R Us) in the car and for travelling.

[swmc]

I just had a baby and live in New York City (UES), so the following really applies to city parents. We have a Snap N'Go and a Maclaren Techno.

The Snap N Go is great if you have to have a car seat anyway, then when you have to use a taxi, you are all set. We used the Snap N Go for the first 3 months and now just whenever we need the carseat. We have the LX model (I think?) and it was about $40 . The down side is that they are very difficult to steer (especially compared to the Maclaren). I had a winter baby and and our the snap n'go was impossible in the snow. Others have told me that some of the other Snap N'Go models are easier to steer. So try them out before hand if you want one. One other con is that my husband is 6'2" and the Snap N' Go was too short for him. I am looking forward to selling it after my baby outgrows the car seat.

The Techno is great for AFTER the first 3 months. You won't feel too comfortable putting your little baby in the Techno before then (although we did occassionally). The issue being - the lack of full recline. Even though my peditrician said the techno was fine even in the first few weeks (as long as her head was supported with an infant head rest), I just didn't feel good about it. (In the car seat she was more supported). You may have already noticed that full recline strollers weigh more than strollers that partially recline. Since you may need to carry that stroller up stairs (subways, etc.), weight is an important issue. My friends that bought the full recline Maclarens .. hate them now because of the weight. More on the Techno... they are very easy to steer, even with one hand and they just cruise right over bumps. The basket is small, but you can get an attachable net bag and hang light weight bags from the handles. (Heavier bags will topple the stroller back). If you get the Techno.. spend the extra money for the Maclaren rain sheild. Living in NYC you will be outside alot and the Maclaren rain shield fits tight to the stroller, which is nice. The Maclaren is very easy to close (as compared to the Perego). I can't comment on how air travel is with the techno.

If I was going to do it over again... I might have bought the Combi 6600 for about $80 instead of the snap n go.. it holds a car seat and has full recline. I am not sure how it steers. I would definately buy a Techno again!
(Also consider getting a Baby Bjorn)
Good luck!

[suribear]

I recently went out with my friend again (the one who had a large 3 year old). Her daughter is over 40 pounds, which is beyond the recommended limit for the ultra savvy. that would probably explain why she was hard to push :-)

My dd won't reach that weight for a long time, so I'm not concerned.. btw, i wish I could trade in my 2000 Ultra savvy for the 2001 model - it looks perfect!

Kris